Performance in Music Therapy with Mentally Ill Adults

This research study examines the experiences of eight people with serious mental health issues who participated in a music psychotherapy performance group. Each participant had a strong background in and connection to music. The goal was to promote their recovery by uncovering strengths as well as inner conflicts with music making. Performance was integrated into the group as a therapeutic intervention designed to deepen their relationship to self and to others. An analysis of interviews provided a multi-dimensional feedback loop to the participants that was intended to promote self-awareness. In so doing, group members were encouraged to connect more deeply to and derive a greater sense of satisfaction from the process of performing music.