Music Therapy for PTSD with Electroacoustic Music

In a case study by Enrico Curreri (2017), a music therapist at Elmhurst Hospital Centre, the potential of electroacoustic composition and performance in music therapy for treating PTSD in adults was explored. The study focused on Ben, a Chinese man in his mid-fifties with a history of homelessness and trauma, who struggled with expressing his emotions.

Ben was a client at a psychosocial club due to a PTSD diagnosis. He was described as frail, emotionally guarded, yet intellectually curious. With a history of homelessness, Ben had experienced verbal attacks and beatings while living on the streets. These experiences made him shy, nervous, and fearful, finding it difficult to express his feelings, especially negative ones. Despite this, Ben was compliant with his treatment plan, which included attending the psychosocial club to improve interpersonal interactions, social skills, and communication. At the club, he was quiet and guarded but friendly with others, occasionally expressing interest in science, politics, health, religion, and the arts. His interest in science was particularly strong, as he collected and studied textbooks donated by local college students. Ben’s interest in music therapy was sparked by his curiosity about the process of musical composition. He was particularly interested in the construction and objectification of music as opposed to its emotional aspects. He was especially drawn to the concept of timbre, appreciating its scientific basis and its contribution to the form and design of a composition. Curreri (2017) noticed Ben’s interest in timbre. This observation led to a series of music therapy sessions centred around electroacoustic music, a genre known for its focus on timbre and its use of electronic sound production.

The primary goals of the music therapy sessions were to help Ben improve expressive communication, explore and cultivate an integrated sense of self, and promote awareness of his own body through feeling-states. The therapist aimed to achieve these goals by engaging Ben in the study, creation, and performance of timbre-centred electroacoustic music.

The therapist utilised a discovery-oriented approach and integrated different electroacoustic genres as part of Ben’s music composition intervention. This approach, rooted in the work of Mahrer (1988), served as a method of data gathering and textual analysis, focusing on understanding Ben’s expressions within the context of exploring, creating, and performing avant-garde electroacoustic music. The therapist meticulously examined four primary data sources: detailed session notes capturing Ben’s observable behaviours, audio recordings of the sessions to analyse verbal and nonverbal communication, a musical analysis of Ben’s original electroacoustic composition to identify potential metaphorical or symbolic meanings related to his trauma, and an audio recording of the audience’s reactions to Ben’s composition during a live concert performance. Through this multifaceted approach, the therapist aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of Ben’s experiences and expressions throughout the therapeutic process.

The therapy process was divided into three stages: education, creation, and functioning. Ben learnt about different electroacoustic music genres and composers in the education stage. The creation stage involved Ben experimenting with various instruments and sounds, recording them, and then manipulating these recordings to create his own composition. Finally, in the functioning stage, Ben presented his composition to an audience at the psychosocial club, allowing him to share his creation and connect with others. The case study involved a total of 8 weekly sessions, each lasting 65 minutes, and the sessions were structured as follows:

• Session 1: Survey of electroacoustic music genres.
• Session 2: Continued survey and musical analysis of electroacoustic compositions.
• Session 3: Exploration and investigation of different instrument sounds.
• Session 4: Creation of a library of recorded sounds produced by Ben.
• Sessions 5-7: Composition of a 5-minute electroacoustic piece using the recorded sounds.
• Session 8: Editing and mixing of the final composition.

Through the music therapy process, Ben was able to express himself, primarily nonverbally, while exploring musical timbres. He actively participated in the sessions, demonstrating curiosity and creativity. The creation of his electroacoustic composition allowed him to communicate his emotions and past trauma experiences through music. Additionally, Ben developed a stronger therapeutic relationship with the therapist and experienced positive interpersonal interactions with the therapeutic community during a live concert performance of his composition.

Overall, the music therapy sessions helped Ben improve his nonverbal communication, explore his emotions, and connect with others through the creation and performance of electroacoustic music. While PTSD symptoms were still present, Ben reported feeling less stress and anxiety and began to engage more with the psychosocial club community.

References

Curreri, E. (2017). Connecting to self and other through electroacoustic composition and performance: a case study. Music therapy perspectives, 35(2), 209-218.

Mahrer, A. R. (1988). Discovery-oriented psychotherapy research: rationale, aims, and methods. American psychologist, 43, 694–703.