What’s in a song? Combining analytical and arts-based analysis for songs created by songwriters with neurodisabilities

Abstract

There are a number of methods for analyzing songs that are created and used in music therapy, which vary according to investigators’ theoretical orientation and the intent of the inquiry. This article looks to understand the benefits and constraints of combining analytic approaches of song analysis with an experiential, arts-based investigation. The authors analyzed a series of songs created by a songwriter with a neurodisability, one author conducting a deductive analysis and the other engaging in experiential approaches from within an arts-based research (ABR) methodology. Results indicate that both analyses revealed similar information regarding the songwriter’s self-concept, attributes, ..