The role of imaginative play in music therapy sessions with two mainstream pre-school children : a case study

This study explores the concept of imaginative play within music therapy sessions with two pre-school children in a mainstream school. This is based on pre-existing material from my clinical work at a pre-school in 2008. My interest in the phenomenon of imaginative play that emerged within our sessions gave rise to this dissertation. I found that, within my sessions, imaginative play seemed to be particularly helpful in the development of the therapeutic relationship. Thus, the aim is to explore how moments of imaginative play emerged within sessions, how the client and therapist interacted within these moments, and how this affected the therapeutic relationship and served to address therapeutic goals. This is addressed within the main research question. In addition to this, I look at the advantages and limitations of working with imaginative play in music therapy, and how music therapists can use their skills during these moments. This is addressed within the two sub-questions. This study aims to offer valuable insight about the phenomenon of imaginative play in music therapy, with particular focus on pre-school children. The study is conducted within the qualitative research paradigm, and is exploratory in nature. It follows a case study design, where pre-existing data from sessions is analysed in detail. The data consists of three video excerpts. Two excerpts are taken from different points in one session with an individual client (D), and the third is taken from an individual session with another client (F), where I was the co-therapist. The data has been transcribed, coded, categorized and organized into themes, which highlight the use and implications of using imaginative play in music therapy sessions. Findings indicate that imaginative play in music therapy sessions can be beneficial in promoting interaction, mutual participation as well as offering the client an alternative medium through which they can express different ideas and feelings where music did not seem to do so. It also provided an enjoyable experience for both the client and therapist, allowing for a more relaxed, therapeutic atmosphere and for the therapeutic relationship to develop.Mini Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2009.gm2014MusicUnrestricte