Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) - Rhodes University, 2008. / For a treatise in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology.

This research is an analysis of the range of skills and knowledge required to produce, effectively, results in the Art of Lyric Improvisation in the field of jazz singing. Lyric Improvisation is the art of retaining the primary lyrics of a song but, using improvisational inventiveness, changing every other aspect. The study focuses on the manipulation of melody, rhythm, time feel, style, range, articulation and improvisation in the performances of renowned jazz vocalists Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. The research is based on their multiple recordings of "Sometimes I'm Happy" (Youmans/Caesar) between the years1955-1965. The method compares different elements of the individual singers' improvisations to the published notation. These elements include: syncopation of the rhythm, motific development, expanding the range of pitch, variances in timbre and articulation and spontaneous re-composition of the melody all while maintaining the original lyric. The outcomes, however, can be applied over a multitude of tunes from any American Song Book composer or jazz standard sung in historically swing styles of the past century, or with contemporary developments.

Psychobiography is the formulation of an individual's narrative according to a psychological theory. Psychobiographical researchers face a number of challenges. One pertinent challenge is the limited amount of psychobiographical research conducted at academic institutions, including South Africa. Although a number of studies had been completed in the past decade, the impact of psychobiographical research remains negligible. Although much has been written about Ray Charles, none of the existing literature adopted a specific psychological focus. Charles developed from a young boy in a poverty stricken, racially segregated society into an exceptionally successful musician who worked productively until he died at the age of 73. He was selected as the subject on the basis of interest value, uniqueness and significance of life achievements. The primary aim of this study was to explore and describe the development of Charles according to Levinson's (Levinson, et. ai, 1978) theoretical framework. Levinson's theory of adult development identifies and describes the important changes that occur throughout the lifespan of an individual. A secondary aim was to provide an understanding of Charles within the social, economic and historical context in which he lived. The data collection and analysis was conducted according to Yin's (2003) 'analytic generalization'. The data was analysed according to three linked sub-processes proposed by Huberman and Miles (1994).