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

This study was prompted by the recent increase in academic and public interest in neuromusical brain research, which provides information about how the brain processes music. It is the task of neural science to explain how the individual units of the brain are used to control behaviour, and how the functioning of these units is influenced by an individual's specific environment and relationships with other people. However, the concept of neuromusical research is relatively new to music education. In any learning experience, brain processing (of information) is not an end in itself. The skill of 'thinking' is dependent on the whole integrated mind/body system, with skills being a manifestation of conscious physical responses that demonstrate knowledge acquisition. Howard Gardner's 'Theory of Multiple Intelligences' lists the musical intelligence as one of eight autonomous intelligences: linguistic, logic-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental. All of these intelligences can be developed to a reasonably high level. This thesis uses David Elliott's praxial philosophy as a conceptual basis. Elliott's four meanings of music education: education in music, by music, for music, and by means of music, have been selected to determine the parameters for an 'inclusive' understanding of musical intelligence. Scientific research findings, brain based data, and behavioural results with educational implications have been used to define what is meant by the musical intelligence, and its role in whole brain learning. Whole brain learning (also referred to as 'accelerated' learning or 'super' learning) is examined in the framwork of IQ (intellectual quotient/intelligence), EQ (emotional intelligence), and SQ (spiritual intelligence). It is important to note that the brain imposes certain constraints on the learning ability of individuals, but that there are also numerous benefits to be derived from an awarenss of brain functions pertaining to education in general and music education in particular. These constraints and benefits are an important feature of whole brain learning, with the musical intelligence playing a vital role. / Dissertation (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Music / unrestricted