Improvisation as Music Therapy

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Improvisation as Music
Therapy
By Gilbert M. Batangan

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Characteristics of Improvisation
 Improvisation is described as taking place on a one-to one
basis with a therapist over multiple sessions. This essentially
involves therapist and client performing music together that is
spontaneously in some or all respects.
 Wigram (2004) has categorized the activities that may be
undertaken by a therapist and improvising on a one-to-one
basis with a client. These include:

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Improvisational Actvities for Music
Therapy
 Mirroring: simultaneously playing what the client is playing, as
nearly as possible. This is intended to give a message to the
client that they are meeting them at exactly at their level and
provide conformation of their activity.
 Matching: producing musical input compatible with the client’s
though not identical, within the same parameters of tempo,
dynamic, etc.
 Emphatic improvising and reflection: the therapist playing to the
client, or following the client’s input, in a way that articulates or
restates the client’s apparent emotional state, to provide
supportive and emphatic confirmation.

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 Grounding, holding, and containing: providing ongoing stability
through constant and repetitive rhythm or tonality.
 Dialoguing: understood as communication through music
analogous to conversation, either on the basis of turn-taking,
interjection or simultaneous input.
 Modeling: providing a musical idea or theme for the client to
develop of respond to.
 Accompanying the client’s music at a lower dynamic level on
the basis of rhythm, harmony and/or melody, to provide support
and empathy.

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Music Therapy Improvisation
Session
 In example of music therapy improvisation, “Ben” improvises a
melody over a chord structure played by the therapist. Ben has
no previous musical training. Many techniques are used such
as mirroring, matching, grounding, dialoguing, and modeling.

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Example of Grounding

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Effects on health of well-being
Physical benefits
 Improvisational therapy can benefit patients recovering from
neurological damage. Aigen (2009) describes the experience
of time-keeping on a cymbal during improvisation sessions
improving the recovery of motor skills of a patient’s arm.
 Benefits to mental health
 Improvisation increases vigour
 Reduces tension, stress, and anxiety.
 Enhances self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-awareness
Improvisational theory can improve patients with communication
difficulties.

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Group improvisation in music
therapy
 Musical therapy group improvisations are a powerful tool for
working with groups of clients who do not communicate
successfully using verbal means. This technique has grown in
popularity for those interested in using creative experimental
modalities for gaining insight into self and their relationships
with others (McFerran, Wigham, 2007)

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Advantages of Music Therapy in
Groups
Music Provides an Opportunity to Work Through Issues in a
Different Way:
 Music therapy group improvisations encourage people to
participate freely and express themselves spontaneously,
resulting in a unique manner of interaction with group
members.
Music is Different to Words
 Music offers the opportunity to express abstract ideas and
feelings.

10. + Music can communicate feelings without words
Music Transcends Psychology
 Music may provide a link to the spiritual side of human nature.
Experiences such as spiritual can transcend the individual
experience.
Improvisations Create a Musical Portrait of the Individual
Music Creates an Interactive Entity
Music therapy group improvisations result in the creation of group
music. The group sound is experienced as an interactive entity
that overcomes individual issues.

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What is happening in an
improvising brain?
Charles Limb:
 Your brain on improv:
https://youtu.be/MkRJG510CKo
 Charles Limb a neurosurgeon conducted a study to see how
the brain works during musical improvisation. Jazz musicians
and rappers were put in an fMRI to measure brain activity
during improvisation.

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In the study two paradigms were given:
 Scale paradigm; which consists of playing a scale up and down
memorized, and improvising on the scale.
 Jazz paradigm: which consists of learning the melody of the
music, then improvising melodies on the exact chord changes

13. +  The image below represents the contrast maps that show
subtractions between what happens during improvisation
versus playing music that is memorized. The red area is the
prefrontal cortex, represents the frontal lobe of the brain. The
blue sections represent the deactivated areas of the brain.

14. +  According to Limb, consciousness is contained in the frontal
lobe. During improvisation, a part of the brain is self-
monitoring. This is the area that is thought to be
autobiographical and expressive.

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It is reasonable to hypothesize that to be
creative, you have to disassociate yourself
with your frontal lobe, or your consciousness.
This way, you will be willing to make
mistakes and take chances during an
improvisation.

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In Conclusion
 Improvisation as music therapy can provide benefits to patients
as well as students.
 Improvisation provides an outlet of creativity for the subject.
 More research needs to be conducted to provide evidence of
how improvisation works with the brain, and how can it be used
to treat patients suffering from alzheimer’s, dementia, and
depreusission.