Becoming a rock band : music therapy with autistic teenagers

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine how a diverse group of autistic teenagers engaged with one another in the process of becoming a rock band and what benefits might they gain through the process. This study was conducted with a music therapist and four teenagers. It ran for a total of ten sessions, each lasting approximately two hours.

Data was collected through video recordings of the sessions and a questionnaire that was completed by the participants. These sources were analysed and coded using an inductive thematic process and three themes were generated. The first theme was “engaged collective musicking”, referring to the many instances that saw band members playing music together in different ways and the discussions they had around their musicking. The second was “tentative or minimal musical connection”, referring to times when the musical connection was more tentative and limited and included self-focused playing and cautious engagement. The third theme was “varied emotional experiences”, referring to the band members’ experiences of a range of emotions in their journey together, including uncomfortable and pleasant emotional experiences.

Participants experienced opportunities for expressing positive self-esteem and a sense of pride. The teenagers also learned new skills such as playing instruments and working together in a group, and they were all able to voice their opinions and contribute to the creative process in their own unique ways. Playing in a rock group provided a safe space for the teenagers to learn how best to communicate with each other and to socialise. It gave them a shared interest (the musicking) and elicited curiosity and discussion about instruments, songs and related topics.