Therapeutic Applications of Improvisation

Improvisation is a common tool in music therapy, including here at UCSF. People, especially children, can process their experiences and relate to others through play. I’ve described it this way: imagine trying to express the sturm und drang of cancer treatment. Now do it with the vocabulary of a 4-year-old.

We need to express ourselves and integrate our experiences, and musical improvisation is a beautiful way to do it. When supported by a knowledgeable and skilled music therapist, improvisation provides the freedom of exploration - of memories, of physical feelings, of many aspects of the psyche - in a supportive and attuned therapeutic relationship.

Some of my favorite therapeutic moments happen during improvisatory interventions. I recall a teen with considerable cancer pain who entered a trance state while playing concert bells (like a xylophone but with metal keys). He expertly modulated dynamics and accessed complex harmonies to externalize his experience and arrive at a relaxed state and with much less pain.

I think also of some of my school-age patients when they first recognize that the improvisation can take on a life of its own, and that I, as the music therapist, will not only follow but amplify their musical choices and expressions. It becomes a way of being seen and heard, though no words have been exchanged.

Though pages and pages could be written here to express my personal fondness for this intervention, I’ll close with a video and a link. The video below is a recent feature from the Sound Health Network and it’s all about the therapeutic benefits of improvisation. This link will send you to a blog post from a few years ago, featuring an improvisation experience with a patient, his brother, and me. Enjoy, and please feel free to leave a comment.