Melody in Music Therapy: A Therapeutic Narrative Analysis

Gudrun Aldridge and David Aldridge explore the concept of melody within its historical context and investigate current theories of melody. They make recommendations for choosing an appropriate method of analysing melodic improvisation, and utilise case studies to demonstrate these analyses in practice. They show how the interaction between patient and therapist is affected by the patients melodic statements, and how the process of improvisation offers patients a chance to transform their inner emotions into externalised expressions. Melody in Music Therapy is an important addition to music therapy literature, and will be of interest to music therapists, educators and students alike, as well as musicologists.