Annotated Bibliography

Clements-Cortès, A. (2014). Hitting high notes: music therapy with adolescents. The Canadian

         Music Educator, 56(2), 32-34. DOI: 109155603

         The author speaks about how music therapy can serve as a powerful, effective tool with adolescents. Adolescents, specifically those headed to high school as this article discusses, are changing, they are growing, they are developing emotions, and it is important to have safe places to foster this somewhat difficult phase of life. The article discusses the interventions that may be successful with students in this age group, including songwriting, lyric analysis, improvisation, relaxation, and song-sharing. The author discusses these interventions, how they work, and how they may be effective. As my project pertains to adolescents with anxiety and depression, this article may serve as a useful tool.

Darrow, A. (2008). Introduction to approaches in music therapy (2nd ed.). American Music

Therapy Association.

         The author addresses approaches to music therapy including approaches adapted from music education, psychotherapeutic approaches, and medical approaches. They expand on approaches by Nordoff-Robbins, the Bonny Method, Orff, and more. There are many ways to practice music therapy, and many populations and settings in which to do so. This book covers the basics on how and where an MT-BC may practice music therapy, and what may be the most effective techniques when planning and leading sessions with clients or patients with various goals and objectives. The sections on adolescence may become a great resource for information about session planning and interventions to use.

Johnson, E., & Rickson, D. (2018). Songwriting with adolescents who have mental health

difficulties: one music therapy student's experience. The New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 16, 115-137.

         The author bases the findings off of a music therapy student and her supervisor and the work they did with youth with mental health struggles. This is a singular case study and utilizes the intervention of songwriting with the young in the group to seek positive therapeutic results. It is a qualitative study. The goal approached with the songwriting in the sessions was positive self-expression. Interventions varied, but all were based in songwriting. They included: a fill-in-the-blank work sheet, “song-parody,” improvisation, original lyric writing, composition, and composition performance. This was an opportunity for the youth the express themselves and speak how they were feeling through song lyrics.