Personal Singing Revolution: The experience of individual vocal focused music therapy and ...

487 Pages·2014·3.8 MB·English

Personal Singing Revolution:
The experience of individual vocal focused music
therapy and significant vocal improvisations for late
adolescents in transition

Phenomenological research study

Inaugural-Dissertation
zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
des Doctor scientiae musicae
am Institut für Musiktherapie der
Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg

Direktorin (kommissarisch):
Prof. Eva-Maria Frank-Bleckwedel

im Promotionsstudiengang Musiktherapie (alter Ordnung) am Institut für Musiktherapie
der Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg

Vorsitz des Promotionsausschusses:
Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmut Decker-Voigt
Prof. h.c. der Kunstwissenschaften und Dr. h.c .
Rostropovitch-Hochschule Orenburg/Russland

eingereicht von

Eve Lukk

Hamburg 2014

Gutachter:

1. Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmut Decker-Voigt

2. Prof. Dr. med. Hans Ulrich Schmidt
© Eve Lukk 2014

ISBN 978-9949-33-802-3 (pdf)

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ABSTRACT

The process of transition from adolescence to adulthood has become remarkably
challenging for the youth in the 21st century. Late adolescents have to undergo a twofold
complex transition in order to accomplish their age appropriate psychosocial tasks
(Arnett, 2000; Erikson, 1968; Zarrett & Eccles, 2006) and additionally undergo the first
major life transitions regarding graduation from gymnasium and finding their own
educational or occupational path in life. Life transitions are considered unstable periods
as individuals experience major challenges, psychological identity crisis, and increased
fear, denial, anger, sadness, disorientation, frustration, uncertainty, distress and tension
(Turner, 2007). In order to provide youth with facilitating possibilities and additional
support for healthy functioning and successful completion of this phase of personal
development, the present therapeutic intervention based mental health prevention project
‘Personal Singing Revolution’ was carried out in cooperation of two health promoting
schools. In addition, this project aims to explore the possibilities and benefits of vocal
work and voice improvisation with youth, and to contribute to the vocal focused music
therapy, since the use of voice work and vocal improvisation with late adolescents within
music therapy is an unexplored area. Preliminary search of literature showed that only
very sparse research has been done in music therapy focusing on and involving the
human voice. Vocal based intervention is far less used in comparison to instrumental
music, and it is almost an unresearched area related to young people although the human
voice has proved to be a powerful instrument for exploring the ‘self’, enabling authentic
self-expression, contact with tangible and intangible aspects of the ‘real self’ and its
needs (Austin, 2008; Baker & Uhlig, 2011; Oddy, 2001).
This phenomenological research study was undertaken to explore and understand
the experience of individual vocal focused music therapy and significant vocal
improvisations in terms of personal singing revolution of late adolescents in transition to
adulthood. Particular focus was given to the use of vocal improvisation during the
intervention process to find out the best ways to incorporate and integrate vocal
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improvisation and other voice work techniques into youth therapy. The study was carried
out in two stages.
In order to collect data for this project, the researcher-therapist held 16 to 20 60-
minute weekly individual therapy sessions with five young people to facilitate their
achievement of positive identity formation, autonomy, agency and resilience issues.
Various vocal work methods and techniques were integrated into the music therapy
process, with particular focus on vocal improvisation. Data was collected from different
resources before and after the intervention, including pre- and post-questionnaires, initial
and final in-depth interviews, and follow-up reports half a year after completing the
therapy process. The qualitative research methodology of empirical phenomenology
based on the Giorgi (1975) and Colaizzi (1978) models was applied. In order to include
all valuable data from three different research instruments, the researcher adopted and
extended a 13-step data analysis procedure, by adding the step of a narrative story not
common for phenomenology. The interviews were transcribed, analysed and other crucial
data from questionnaires and follow-up reports were integrated and altogether distilled
into the individual essences. These formed the foundation of horizontal analyses which
provided one part of global essence of the study, based on verbal and written data.
The results of the first stage of research showed that the experiences of pleasure
and challenge, the discovered means for coping with challenges, vocal progress, creative
self-expression, significant achievements, deeper self-understanding and new skills were
essential for the development of positive identity formation, acceptance, understanding,
autonomy, resilience and competences. In addition, free choice between voice and other
musical instruments, listening to the recorded music and therapist’ support had high value
and were crucial for young people. Vocal improvising provided a lot of beneficial
experiences, including the opportunities for the enhancement of vocal and cognitive self-
exploration, creative experimentation and vocal play, spontaneous and safe self-
expression and problem-solving, enhanced self-control and skills for self-management,
the experiences of achievement and success, the exploration of the ‘real self’ and its
needs in their critical psychosocial transition process.
The second stage of the research was committed to musical data and explored 10
most significant vocal improvisations in order to consolidate the understandings of the
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participants’ testimonies and to gain greater insight into the whole experience. These
vocal improvisations, being their vital remarkable events and meaningful achievements in
terms of their personal singing revolution, were analysed by adopting a nine-step
phenomenological approach to microanalyses of improvisation in music therapy by
Trondalen (2007). The model was further developed, adding 4 additional steps, to move
from the vertical level of individual and single product to the horizontal level of
commonalities and globalization according to phenomenological principles. In addition to
musical data, the participants’ reflections from the interviews, follow-up reports and
therapy session transcriptions were taken into consideration in the distilling process.
Two improvisations out of all the vocal improvisations of each participant were
identified in terms of the most significant value. The first was the best improvisation
selected by participant. The experience of increased confidence and vocal courage,
creative flow, sense of freedom and letting go, connection with the intimate and caring
self, decrease in over-criticism, and pain management were essential within the best vocal
improvisations. The other significant vocal improvisation, selected by researcher-
therapist, had a crucial and pivotal role of addressing a point of departure for creation of
the best composition and musical achievement of the participant. The experience of trust,
acceptance of authentic voice, disclosure of intense negative feelings, increase in
motivation, generation of ideas and empowering regression were essential within these
vocal improvisations. While improvising, all participants were supported by vocal
holding or grounding methods. A facilitating environment, sitting or standing in a back-
to-back position were crucial for mutual vocal dialogues and play when vocal holding
and grounding were absent.
In order to ensure the validity and reliability of this qualitative research, the six
strategies according to Creswell (2003) were used, including clarifying researcher bias in
the epoché, triple member checking or participants‘ verifications, triangulation of
collected data, peer debriefings, prolonged systematic engagement with the participants’
material, thick and rich descriptions which incorporate the range of experiences.
The combined results of the thesis demonstrated the considerable potency and
efficiency of individual vocal focused intervention with late adolescents of Estonia. The
preventive intervention facilitated meaningful process for psychosocial development and
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afforded the combined opportunities enabling to express themselves in a positive way.
The metaphor of personal singing revolution had a highly motivating and inspiring role
for the youth in order to experiment and play with the voice towards the achievement of
their positive identity in transition.

Keywords: Late adolescence, life transitions, transition to adulthood, vocal focus in
music therapy, vocal improvisation, metaphor personal singing revolution
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I gratefully acknowledge the support of many people in the process of carrying
out the thesis. This research was my first prolonged experience with a systematic,
formalized, voluminous and supervised study.
First of all, I would like to thank very deeply my extraordinary and supportive
supervisor Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmut Decker-Voigt who cordially guided and encouraged
me to undertake and accomplish this thesis, opening up the opportunitis to process and
conduct my personal metaphoric singing revolution either. He definitely has given me a
lot of space for my own ideas and provided the necessary fruitful challenges and pivotal
turning points to bring me through the process and to come to an end. I warmly thank
Prof Dr med Hans Ulrich Schmidt for his contribution and generosity with his prescious
time. Furthermore, I give my special thanks to the Germain benefactors Prof. Hannelore
Greve and Prof. Helmut Greve for the financial support without which my studies of
advanced music therapy and conducting this thesis would not have been actualized.
I am tremendously grateful to all five participants of the study who have bravely
provided me their very rich and personal data and shared with me their personal
experiments with voices and their lives. I want to say a very special thank and
acknowledgement to the school psychologists and educators who kindly collaborated in
recruitment of participants and showed up their interest to my study.
I would like to acknowledge the support of my colleagues who have helped or
inspired me in so many different ways: Marit Mõistlik, Malle Luik, Alice Pehk, Prof. Eha
Rüütel, Prof. Aili Vahtrapuu, Eda Heinla, Mari Vihuri, Katrin Roos and Svea Sööt. I
would like to give my gratitude to the Health Labor of Tallinn University providing me
the necessary umbrella and multifaceted support for the running of empirical part of the
research. I give my special thanks to Sanne Storm and Sylka Uhlig for sharing their
knowledge and enthusiasm on vocal focus in music therapy during conferences.
Finally, I am very thankful to my father and son supporting me with kind and
loving patience, being present and sharing with me the very special ‘now moments’ of
my challenges and joys completing the research study.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ 7
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 12
1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS .............................................................................. 20
1.1. LIFE TRANSITIONS ............................................................................................ 21
1.1.1. Definition of transition .................................................................................... 21
1.1.2. Transition psychology and counselling .......................................................... 22
1.1.3. Some models of transition .............................................................................. 24
1.1.4. From theoretical models to practice ................................................................ 28
1.2. THE SINGING REVOLUTION AS A SOCIO-CULTURAL TRANSITION ....... 30
1.2.1. Singing as a mode of surviving ....................................................................... 31
1.2.2. Brief survey of chronological events of the singing revolution ...................... 32
1.2.3. The peak of the SR .......................................................................................... 34
1.2.4. The SR as a metaphor and symbol for adolescents’ transition to adulthood ... 34
1.3. LATE ADOLESCENT IN TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD ........................... 36
1.3.1. The general concept of adolescence ............................................................... 36
1.3.2. Definition of adolescence ............................................................................... 39
1.3.3. Classification of stages ................................................................................... 40
1.3.4. Stage of late adolescence and psychosocial transition to adulthood ............... 41
1.3.5. Developmental tasks of adolescence and emerging adulthood ....................... 45
1.3.6. Community programs to promote youth healthy transition into adulthood .... 59
1.4. HEALTHY ADOLECENCE AND MUSIC .......................................................... 62
1.4.1. Music as a means for coping and self-regulation............................................ 63
1.4.2. Music as a means for self-reflection and meaning making............................. 65
1.4.3. Music as a friendly means for individuation of adolescents ........................... 66
1.4.4. Music as a means of social-cultural agent ...................................................... 67
1.4.5. Music and Estonian adolescents ..................................................................... 69
1.5. ADOLESCENTS IN MUSIC THERAPY ............................................................. 71
1.5.1. Music therapy purposes and goals .................................................................. 71
1.5.2. Modes of working: approaches, techniques and methods .............................. 72
1.5.3. The Settings and locations of music therapy services .................................... 74
1.5.4. Music therapy effectiveness with adolescents ................................................ 75
1.6. THE USE OF VOICE AND VOCAL FOCUS IN MUSIC THERAPY ............... 80
1.6.1. Voice as a primary instrument of self ............................................................. 80
1.6.2. Vocal behaviour and enculturation ................................................................. 84
1.6.3. Psychological aspects of vocal tonal expression ............................................ 86
1.6.4. Voice functions in psychotherapeutic, medical and developmental work ...... 89
1.6.5. Voice in adolescence....................................................................................... 99
1.6.6. Vocal focus in music therapy ........................................................................ 101
1.6.7. Some vocal therapeutic methods and techniques .......................................... 104
1.6.8. Voicework levels .......................................................................................... 113
1.6.9. The concept of vocal focus in present study ................................................. 113
2. METHOD ................................................................................................................... 117
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2.1. PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH TRADITIONS .................................... 117
2.2. THE APPLICATION OF PHENOMENOLOGY IN THIS STUDY .................. 121
2.3. EPOCHE AND EXAMINATION OF PERSONAL BIAS ................................. 122
2.3.1. The researcher’s epoche ................................................................................ 124
2.4. RATIONALE FOR RESEARCH ........................................................................ 129
2.4.1. Research questions ........................................................................................ 129
2.5. PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................. 131
2.5.1. Recruitment of participants ........................................................................... 131
2.5.2. Informed consent and ethical issues ............................................................. 133
2.6. DATA-GATHERING AND DATA STORING METHODS ............................. 134
2.6.1. The research format ...................................................................................... 134
2.7. DATA SOURCES ............................................................................................... 144
2.7.1. Research interviews ...................................................................................... 144
2.7.2. Questionnaires............................................................................................... 146
2.7.3. Musical artefacts ........................................................................................... 148
2.8. DATA ANALYSIS .............................................................................................. 148
2.8.1. An illustrative example of phenomenological reduction .............................. 153
2.9. RE-PRESENTATION OF THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL WORK.................. 162
2.10. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ..................................................................... 163
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 168
3. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................ 169
3.1. EXPLORING JONAS’ EXPERIENCE ............................................................... 171
3.1.1. Portrait of Jonas at the beginning of his PSR ................................................ 171
3.1.2. Summary of Jonas’s experience of PSR ....................................................... 174
3.1.3. Distilled experience of PSR .......................................................................... 177
3.1.4. Verifications .................................................................................................. 178
3.1.5. The data from questionnaires ........................................................................ 179
3.1.6. Discussion ..................................................................................................... 180
3.2. EXPLORING KRISTIIN’S EXPERIENCE ........................................................ 186
3.2.1. Portrait of Kristiin at the beginning of her PSR ............................................ 186
3.2.2. Summary of Kristiin’s experience of PSR .................................................... 189
3.2.3. Distilled experience of PSR .......................................................................... 193
3.2.4. Verifications .................................................................................................. 194
3.2.5. The data from questionnaires ........................................................................ 195
3.2.6. Discussion ..................................................................................................... 196
3.3. EXPLORING LIISA’S EXPERIENCE ............................................................... 200
3.3.1. Portrait of Liisa at the beginning of her PSR ................................................ 200
3.3.2. Summary of Liisa’s experience of PSR ........................................................ 203
3.3.3. Distilled experience of PSR .......................................................................... 206
3.3.4. Verifications .................................................................................................. 207
3.3.5. The data from questionnaires ........................................................................ 208
3.3.6. Discussion ..................................................................................................... 209
3.4. EXPLORING MARBEIA’S EXPERIENCE ...................................................... 214
3.4.1. Portrait of Marbeia at the beginning of her PSR ........................................... 214
3.4.2. Summary of Marbeia’s experience of PSR ................................................... 217
3.4.3. Distilled experience of PSR .......................................................................... 220
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3.4.4. Verifications .................................................................................................. 221
3.4.5. The data from questionnaires ........................................................................ 222
3.4.6. Discussion ..................................................................................................... 223
3.5. EXPLORING MARIE’S EXPERIENCE ............................................................ 227
3.5.1. Portrait of Marie at the beginning of her PSR ............................................... 227
3.5.2. Summary of Marie’s experience of PSR ....................................................... 229
3.5.3. Distilled experience of PSR .......................................................................... 232
3.5.4. Verifications .................................................................................................. 233
3.5.5. The data from questionnaires ........................................................................ 233
3.5.6. Discussion ..................................................................................................... 235
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 238
4. GLOBAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................ 239
4.1. DISTILLATION PROCESS OF COMPOSITE AND GLOBAL THEMES ...... 239
4.2. COMPOSITE THEMES OF PSR ........................................................................ 243
4.2.1. PSR as a meaningful process ........................................................................ 243
4.2.2. PSR as experiences of pleasure ..................................................................... 245
4.2.3. PSR as experiences of informative challenge ............................................... 248
4.2.4. PSR affords means for coping with challenge .............................................. 251
4.2.5. PSR provides vocal progress ......................................................................... 255
4.2.6. Age appropriate personal developmental issues ........................................... 259
4.3. DISTILLED ESSENCE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF PSR ................................ 264
4.4. DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 265
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 271
5. THE RESEARCH OF SIGNIFICANT VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS ..................... 272
5.1. DATA OF VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS ........................................................... 272
5.2. RESEARCH METHOD....................................................................................... 275
5.3. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS
..................................................................................................................................... 279
5.3.1. VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS OF JONAS .................................................. 279
5.3.2. VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS OF KRISTIIN .............................................. 297
5.3.3. VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS OF LIISA ..................................................... 316
5.3.4. VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS OF MARBEIA ............................................ 336
5.3.5. VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS OF MARIE .................................................. 354
5.4. THE COMMON EXPERIENCE OF SIGNIFICANT VOCAL
IMRPOVISATIONS ................................................................................................... 370
5.4.1. Profile I: The best vocal improvisation ........................................................ 374
5.4.2. Profile II: Vocal improvisation as a point of departure for the creation of the
best composition ..................................................................................................... 379
5.5. THE ESSENCE OF TEN SIGNIFICANT VOCAL IMRPOVISATIONS ......... 384
5.5.1. Profile I. The essence of the best vocal improvisation ................................. 384
5.5.2. Profile II. The essence of vocal improvisation as a point of departure for the
creation of the best composition ............................................................................. 385
5.6. DISCUSSION OF VOCAL IMPROVISATIONS .............................................. 386
6. DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 392
6.1. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ............................................................................... 392
6.2. ADDRESSING THE FINDINGS AND RESERARCH QUESTIONS .............. 398
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