Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Background:
The Smooth Criminals are a music therapy rock band that has been playing
together for three years. The group is comprised of five young adult (YA)
members who are diagnosed as having developmental disorders and five adults
members who are music therapists, interns, or volunteers. The focus of the
group is to foster social and communication skills among its members while
providing them a group musical experience. The group practices weekly for
one hour at a music therapy clinic. The YA members select and perform their
musical repertoire and the adults help them play instruments and learn the parts
of songs. Adult members also play and sing in support roles.
Methodology:
Research Design: Ethnography
Role of Researcher: Participant Observer
Research Questions:
1) What are the musical practices of the group?
2) What does the experience of being in the group mean to its
participants?
Data Collection:
- 25 one-hour video recorded observations
- Semi-structured interviews with adults
- Hot-potato interviews with young adults
- A video recording of one of the groups concerts
- Field notes and research memos
- Transcriptions of selected observations/performances
Analysis: Data were analyzed for emergent themes