A New Music Therapist’s Reflections Upon Experiences of Emotional Awareness: A Heuristic Self-Inquiry

The purpose of this research was to examine and reflect upon the researcher’s own experiences of emotional awareness when she engaged in free improvisations on the piano. Research and other scholarly literature cite the importance of self-reflective inquiries for music therapist researchers as it allows them to assume a participant role and experience a personal process that may be similar to that of their clients. Research that examines a music therapist’s personal experiences of emotional awareness could not only enhance that individual’s personal insight but also deepen their understanding of emotion-based interventions as a result of their own lived experiences. The data collection and analysis processes of this research were conceptualized using Moustakas’ six stages of heuristic inquiry. Following Neuman’s open coding procedures, the data was organized into four overarching categories relating to the primary research question: the researcher’s development of awareness; her understanding of musical elements in her improvisations; her rediscovery of the piano; and the roles of her identities within the improvisation context. Themes emerged within these categories using Neuman’s axial coding procedures, leading to further interpretations. A creative synthesis symbolizing the research findings emerged in the form of a piano composition, which was performed and audio recorded by the researcher. Personal, professional, educational and research implications are presented as well as limitations