DATE: Sunday, February 24, 2013
TIME: 12:00 p.m
PLACE: Room B, Ladera Lane campus
CANDIDATE: Lindsay V. Jones
DISSERTATION TITLE: "Musical Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry"
PROGRAM-TRACK/YEAR: PhD-O; 2006
CHAIR: Dr. Allen Bishop
READER: Dr. Paula Thomson
EXTERNAL READER: Dr. Barbara Ingram

Jones, L.(2013). Musical Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry (Doctoral dissertation, Pacifica Graduate Institute, 2013)

ABSTRACT

Music has great potential to provide mental health benefits. Currently, music is used by practitioners in specialized disciplines such as Music Therapy, Analytic Music Therapy, and Helen L. Bonny’s Guided Imagery and Music (GIM). Other psychotherapists, especially those who themselves are deeply moved by music, may be interested in integrating music into their own therapy practice, but require greater understanding of the processes that contribute to beneficial musical experience. Designed as a preliminary step in providing such knowledge, this study used a phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of individuals whose well-being has been positively affected by their musical experience. Structured interviews were conducted with 4 women and 3 men (ages ranged from 25 – 72) who were self-identified as having an affinity for music. The interview data were analyzed using in an iterative method developed by Giorgi (1985). Twelve aggregate themes were identified; there are 7 dominant themes: connection to others/empathy, affect regulation, access feelings, access memories, spiritual/transcendent experience, safety and comfort, and essential for my life. The discussion addresses implications for clinical psychology, with specific recommendations for how and when to integrate musical experience into psychotherapy.