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”