Music, music therapy and identity : investigating how South African children from socio-economically deprived communities identify with music

Abstract

This dissertation profiles the way in which primary school children from socio-economically deprived communities in South Africa, specifically Heideveld and Eersterust, identify with music. The purpose of the study is to investigate how these children do, think, feel and talk about music and to explore the implications thereof for music therapist working in these specific or similar South African communities. The sentence completion responses of the children conveyed two ways in which they view identifying with music. The first is identifying with music and the second is using music as a tool through which one can identify with others. The way in which the children identify with music or through music in music therapy sessions, influences the therapeutic relationship as well as clinical interventions of the music therapist. Therefore, music therapists need to be sensitive to the way in which clients identify with music.