What Do Orchestral Instruments Bring to Music Therapy? Developing My Voice on the Oboe and English Horn as a Music Therapist/Quel Est L'apport Des Instruments D'orchestre À la Musicothérapie? Trouver Ma Voix Au Moyen Du Hautbois et Du Cor Anglais En Tant Que Musicothérapeute

Because music therapy is primarily relational, an in-depth investigation of the means by which client and therapist relate is essential. As Lee (1996) wrote in a case study, saw the opportunity for a description of music therapy in which the verbal and musical voices of client and therapist combine to express the of the process (p. 2). Similarly, the search for this essence was a motivating force behind the research presented here.The double reed family of instruments, of which the oboe and the English horn are members, brings its distinct age-old sounds to orchestral and chamber music around the world. However, the oboe and English horn world is small, and the number of music therapists who use these instruments in therapy is even smaller. Documentation of the therapeutic qualities of the oboe and English horn are absent from music therapy literature. This qualitative case study builds a foundation for future study on double reed instruments in music therapy by providing a preliminary overview of the themes for inquiry. This study portrays the interactions of an adolescent client and music therapist over four sessions when the therapist used the oboe and English horn in sessions.Music-Centeredness and Stance of ResearcherMusic-centeredness (Aigen, 2005; Lee, 2003; Nordoff & Robbins, 1977/2007) is integral to the framework of this study and is essential to my position as music therapist and researcher. I identify with music-centered psychotherapy as my approach, combining music-centered values with psychotherapeutic techniques. Over the course of my music therapy training, 1 have been honing my clinical improvisation skills, especially on piano and on oboe. This study focused on my use of the oboe and English horn in clinical improvisation.My relationship with the oboe has taught me various things. For one, it has given me an appreciation for single-line music-making, or melody. It has taught me perseverance, especially with the art of reed-making. The oboe challenges my sense of beauty with the effort it takes to maintain a dark, lush sound. The oboe also challenges me in clinical settings, to make the doublereed tone warm and welcoming.Although I do not use the oboe exclusively in sessions with clients, I am fascinated with its clinical qualities and believe these cannot be separated from the client's experience of the instrument. Through this study, I hope that music therapists will acknowledge the need for further research in orchestral instrument work, as my own motivation for using the oboe in music therapy is fueled by substantive evidence of its clinical potential.Literature ReviewThe Music Therapist's Use of His or Her Major InstrumentMusic therapists in North America often use piano or guitar to support clients in music therapy. Usually orchestral instrumentalists will temporarily or permanently abandon their own instruments in music therapy sessions, setting aside instruments that have been a major part of their lives. Voyajolu (2009) surveyed 249 music therapists in the United States to determine how many had abandoned their major performing instruments for use in music therapy. The results showed that 62.9% of woodwinds, 57.1% of strings, and 76.9% of brass instrumentalists did not use their main instrument in music therapy practice within the year prior.At the 2011 Canadian Association for Music Therapy conference in Winnipeg, Carolyn Kenny challenged music therapists to pursue ethically sound practice by encouraging students to use their main instruments:For education and training, I suggest that we challenge our students to find their own definitions of beauty. I recommend that we encourage them to stay committed to their primary instrument of choice, which is an important expression of soul. (Kenny, 2011, para. 32)As suggested by Kenny, preparing the student music therapist for music therapy practice can be achieved by grounding students in the strength of their relationship with their principal instrument. …

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