Technology and clinical improvisation – from production and playback to analysis and interpretation

Abstract

This article illustrates some of the ways in which music technology can be utilised in everyday clinical practice. Presently, digital devices work relatively well together regardless of manufacturer, and there are useful and generally shared standards for digital formats and memory solutions as well. Thus music technology has introduced new possibilities to both clinical practice and music therapy research. Computational improvisation analysis, a key concept in this chapter, is one such relatively new approach in music therapy, and we will present the principles and possibilities of the music therapy toolbox, a computational tool for music therapy improvisation analysis. The chief benefits of computational tools are precision, effectiveness and objectivity. Still, computers cannot produce interpretations, and human-centred qualitative analysis remains an essential part of any successful improvisation analysis process. The last part of the chapter, then, focuses on the clinical model perspective. The effective exploitation of computational improvisation analysis requires relatively consistent data and large sample sizes, which can represent more of a challenge than the securing of appropriate technology for data analysis.