ERIC Number: EJ967866
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-May
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0255-7614
EISSN: N/A
Turning Experience into Learning: Educational Contributions of Collaborative Peer Songwriting during Music Therapy Training
Baker, Felicity; Krout, Robert
International Journal of Music Education, v30 n2 p133-147 May 2012
This article reports on a study of 21 Australian and United States (US) tertiary/university students involved in training to become professional music therapists. The study aimed to identify the learning outcomes--musical, professional, and personal--that occurred when students participated in collaborative peer songwriting experiences. Student dyads (and one triad) co-created two songs with peers related to their clinical experiences. After the study, participants provided written reflections on pre-determined questions to identify students' perceived learning. A content analysis of their responses was undertaken by the authors and forwarded to students for verification. Analysis of student reflections revealed that students developed a deeper understanding of the therapeutic potential of songwriting, including its capacity to express mixed emotions. Their professional skills were enhanced, particularly that of insight and reflection. Further, learning about the self was evident in their identification of their own strengths and weaknesses, the way they respond to stress, and how they can utilize songwriting as a tool for managing their emotional states. In addition to how these results relate to music therapist training, we outline how these findings relate to and may be applied within music teacher education training as well. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Singing, Group Activities, Musical Composition, Cooperative Learning, Music Therapy, Allied Health Occupations Education, College Students, Outcomes of Education, Reflection, Content Analysis, Student Experience, Student Development, Professional Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A