Edward’s penetrating and desperate cries evoke strong reactions in many listeners, including Fori-
nash, her students, and the present author.Neutralizing the natural attitude
It is Forinash’s intention to teach the incoming music therapy students the importance of listening,
and she is aware that the students often come with a certain predisposed way of listening. They
have preconceptions about what is good and what is not good in music, and they may come with an
idealized image of how to use music in therapy.
Forinash is convinced that it is important to interrupt or neutralize the predispositions of the
students. As a remedy against their habitual and idealized ways of listening, she implements a pro-
cedure which aims at ”bracketing” the students’ ”natural attitude”, suspending their previous beliefs
about music and music listening (p. 84).A procedure for intensive listening
Forinash chooses to let the students listen six times to each tape excerpt. After introducing the case
story of Edward, she defines six listening levels, explains what to listen for, and encourages the stu-
dents to record their responses in the form of notes or drawings. In order to maintain the intensity of
Edward, Forinash allows no discussion between the repeated listenings. The six listening levels are
as follows:- Open listening
- Listening for structure and syntax
- Listening for sound as such
- Listening for semantic: The meaning of the session
- Listening for ontology: Edward’s life world.
- Final open listening.
Forinash’s intention to do something provocative in the classrom pays off. The order of levels seems
particularly appropriate for listening to the emotionally disturbing sounds.
At level 2, the listening focuses on the therapist’s phrasing and choice of musical elements,
thus attenuating the impact of Edward’s cries.
At level 3, the listening focuses on the acoustic features of Edward’s voice, thus preparing an
understanding of his outbursts as a primordial kind of musical expression. Both listenings serve to
modify the ”natural attitude” without completely disregarding it.
During the listenings, Forinash observes marked changes in the individual students’ engage-
ment from level to level.
Conclusions
A concluding discussion permits comparison of responses, and promotes the understanding of the
client’s situation, the therapist’s strategy, and the outcome of the therapeutic intervention. The stu-
dents have the opportunity to reflect upon the different levels of listening, and the influence of their
own cultural background and world view.
The article reports thought-provoking accounts of the students’ and the tutor’s observations and re-
sponses to Edward’s therapy sessions. Forinash’s procedure demonstrates the mind-opening effect
of the phenomenological approach in classroom listening (pp. 85-88).
2.3.8. Trondalen (2004): Klingende relasjoner [Vibrant Interplay]
Gro Trondalen’s dissertation is a study of “significant moments” in music therapy improvisations with
young people suffering from anorexia nervosa. It was published in Norwegian in 2004, and summa-