This cross-sectional exploratory mixed methods study surveyed individuals across the African continent who identified themselves as music therapists, music therapy students, musicians who framed their work as “therapeutic,” and any practitioner who framed (part or all of) their practice as “music therapy” or “therapeutic musicing.” A questionnaire was distributed electronically to various groups and networks of people working in such capacities on the African continent. Twenty-two respondents comprised the final sample from 11 countries across all five of Africa’s geographical regions (North, South, East, West, and Central Africa). Qualitative data were coded and analyzed via content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistical analysis. The respondents were categorized into three practitioner types: Music Therapists within Accredited Guidelines (MTAGs), Self-identified Music Therapists (SIMTs) and Therapeutic Integrative Music Practitioners (TIMPs). These individuals described their professional identities, their practices, the contexts of their work, and the intended purposes of their work in diverse ways. They also described the role and use of music in their work. Results indicated that in every geographical region of Africa, a therapeutic music practitioner exists and is working actively with communities to bring health, wellness, and positive change. They describe their work differently, exist in different contexts, perceive and define music therapy and the therapeutic use of music in different ways, however, the three types of practitioners, or the “trifecta,” present overlapping interconnectedness and are rooted in similar objectives, philosophies, values, and desires regardless of location, clientele, or whether these individuals were connected or had interacted. A strong interest was expressed among participants for collaborating and connecting with one another or with other like-minded practitioners if avenues become available to do so. This is the first survey of diverse music therapy and therapeutic musicing practices in Africa and offers the first step towards mapping the scope of these practices on the continent and contributes towards creating a network of practitioners. The small sample size of this exploratory study invite future researchers to continue investigating this topic further. / Mini Dissertation (MMus (Music Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Music / MMus (Music Therapy) / Unrestricted

Qualitative research was conducted in order to explore the generation of social and musical capital through music therapy sessions and musical activities with youths attending the Redefine Community Music Project in the Western Cape. This study was conducted from the perspective of Wood‟s Matrix Model (2006) of music therapy where different interlinking musical activities in a range of contexts are shown to extend the benefits of individual music therapy. Data were gathered through conducting a case study with one of the ensemble groups in the Redefine Community Music Project. This group attended music therapy sessions, and the members of the group took part in ensemble rehearsals in preparation for the bi-annual public performance. Data were analysed through using Ansdell and Pavlicevic‟s (2001) method of qualitative content analysis, as well as the analytic technique of open coding proposed by Gibbs (2007). The findings suggest that the multi-faceted format of the Matrix Model of music therapy (Wood, 2006), as reflected in the socio-musical networks of the Redefine Community Music Project, offered participants enhanced opportunities to generate social and musical capital. By facilitating diverse opportunities for musicing in various contexts, participants were enabled to accrue a broad range of social and musical capital with which to create valuable relationships to the self and with others. It is suggested that music therapists and community musicians wishing to facilitate the generation of social capital through music flexibly adapt their practices to the socio-musical needs of the communities in which they work and offer diverse formats of musicing in which social and musical capital may be generated. In this manner individuals and communities may be empowered to cultivate relationships of diverse value in a creative way. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Music / unrestricted