Singing the same song : a survey of diverse music therapy practices and contexts on the African continent

Abstract

This cross-sectional exploratory mixed methods study surveyed individuals across the African continent who identified themselves as music therapists, music therapy students, musicians who framed their work as “therapeutic,” and any practitioner who framed (part or all of) their practice as “music therapy” or “therapeutic musicing.” A questionnaire was distributed electronically to various groups and networks of people working in such capacities on the African continent. Twenty-two respondents comprised the final sample from 11 countries across all five of Africa’s geographical regions (North, South, East, West, and Central Africa). Qualitative data were coded and analyzed via content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistical analysis. The respondents were categorized into three practitioner types: Music Therapists within Accredited Guidelines (MTAGs), Self-identified Music Therapists (SIMTs) and Therapeutic Integrative Music Practitioners (TIMPs). These individuals described their professional identities, their practices, the contexts of their work, and the intended purposes of their work in diverse ways. They also described the role and use of music in their work. Results indicated that in every geographical region of Africa, a therapeutic music practitioner exists and is working actively with communities to bring health, wellness, and positive change. They describe their work differently, exist in different contexts, perceive and define music therapy and the therapeutic use of music in different ways, however, the three types of practitioners, or the “trifecta,” present overlapping interconnectedness and are rooted in similar objectives, philosophies, values, and desires regardless of location, clientele, or whether these individuals were connected or had interacted. A strong interest was expressed among participants for collaborating and connecting with one another or with other like-minded practitioners if avenues become available to do so. This is the first survey of diverse music therapy and therapeutic musicing practices in Africa and offers the first step towards mapping the scope of these practices on the continent and contributes towards creating a network of practitioners. The small sample size of this exploratory study invite future researchers to continue investigating this topic further.