Exploring the contribution of the lyric completion songwriting technique to a music therapy assessment session with preadolescent children in a children's home

Abstract

Background: This study is informed by my interest in exploring the role of music therapy both in the assessment of preadolescent children in a children’s home and, in particular, in relation to an examination of the contribution of lyric completion in songwriting during an assessment process. Although children are continually being placed in residential care all across the globe, this study focuses on the South African context. Children who are placed in residential care have generally faced adverse childhood experiences and might find it difficult to process and express their experiences verbally. Music therapy can aid the processing of these challenges and their negative impacts. This study aims to explore the contribution of the lyric completion songwriting technique (LCST) to a music therapy assessment session with preadolescent children in a South African children’s home. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with 14 participants between the ages of 8 and 12 years living in one children’s home. Each participant had one individual assessment session where they completed the lyrics (fill-in-the-blanks) of an edited pre-existing song. After each participant’s session, an observation form was completed that looked at the verbal and musical engagement of the participants, as well as their affective presence. Findings: The findings indicate that, during an assessment, the LCST helps to highlight different qualities of engagement from the participants and to show how engagement shifts in the course of a single assessment session. The qualities of engagement not only pertain to engagement with the therapist, but also to elements of the verbal, musical, and affective domains. Conclusions: In terms of assessment, the LCST affords a holistic view of the participant, by allowing them to be involved in different ways, and aids the therapist in determining clinical goals for a therapeutic process. It also gives the participants an opportunity for self-expression, for accessing resilience, and for exerting agency, all while being assessed in a creative, fun, and non-intrusive manner.