Chapter 41

Historical Research in Music Therapy

History

Renier’s Definition (1961)=The story of the experiences of men and women living in civilized societies

Latin = ‘histore’ (narrative/story) Develop historical knowledge = through study

of evidence and artifacts of the past

History

Events of the past That which has been written about the past Ideas, images, or memories that exist about

the past in people’s minds A way of knowing (scholarship) about the

past

Historical Research in Music Therapy

The systematic study of the practices, materials, institutions, and people involved in the therapeutic application of music.

Biography

Research of the history of people

Boxberger, Crocker, Flagler Fultz, Sears, Underwood, etc.

History of Places

Geographics – cities, states, countries Institutions – schools, clinics

History of Events and Ideas

Treatment Trends and Philosophies Technological Advances Philosophies Conferences

Topic Selection

Interest/motivation Time Availability of Evidence Practicality

Delimitations

Chronology Geography Subject matter

Sources of Evidence

Primary Sources: firsthand witness Secondary Sources: not firsthand

One must know how the source is being used in order to determine whether it is primary or secondary

Various Sources

Pictorial records Written records Official documents Personal correspondence Interviews Artifacts

Analysis of Evidence

Determine accuracy and credibility Resolve contradictions External criticism – location and age of

evidence, existence of corroboratory evidence, suspicion of artificiality, etc.

Internal criticism – deals with accuracy of written information (genuineness does not imply accuracy); real vs. literal meaning, internal contradictions, writer bias, etc.

Oral History

Oral history is as old as history itself Can be small in scale – good first project Researcher can obtain precise information

from credible source Oral history helps to preserve aspects that

might otherwise be lost (not formally documented)

Types of Interviews

Informal conversations Structured, formal interview Results are analyzed, summarized, and

conclusions are drawn

Ethics

Sharing values of historians: trust and respect

Guaranteeing integrity of the record Leaving a trail for others to follow Giving credit where credit is due Recognizing multiple truths of history Attending to one’s biases Acknowledging financial and other support

Benefits of Historical Research

Inspire motivate Educate Inform Organize Unify

Historical research can “increase our collective sense of identity and purpose and ensure continued progress and evolution of our discipline”