Women performing music in prison: an exploration of the resources that come into play

Abstract

To date, discourse on the use of performance in music therapy has mostly focused on the potential risks and benefits to the health of music therapy participants. This article focuses instead on the resources that can come into play when music therapy participants perform publically, drawing upon findings from a qualitative case study of seven women who created and performed a musical in a maximum-security prison in Australia. In-depth interviews with the women were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory analysis, yielding five main resources as both precursors and outcomes to performance in music therapy: courage, readiness, exchange, support and trust (CREST). These findings are discussed in relation to resource-oriented music therapy and provide contextual information as to when, rather than if, performance may be considered therapeutically valuable in music therapy.

Keywords:

• performance
• resources
• women

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lucy O’Grady

Lucy O’Grady, PhD, is a music therapist and musician with a wealth of experience in various approaches aligned with community music therapy. She lectured at the University of Bergen and at the University of Melbourne for many years and now straddles the precarious balance between mothering and musicking!

Randi Rolvsjord

Randi Rolvsjord is associate professor in music therapy in the Grieg Academy at Bergen University in Norway. Her publications and research are related to mental health, empowerment, feminist perspectives and resource-oriented music therapy.

Katrina McFerran

A/Professor Katrina Skewes McFerran is Head of Music Therapy in the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Co-Director of the National Music Therapy Research Unit at the University of Melbourne. She is a qualitative researcher with a strong interest in community music therapy and has published her research widely, as well as writing often about music therapy with adolescents.