How can I incorporate electronic music making using music technology in music therapy practice with adolescents experiencing mental health challenges?

This arts-informed case study focuses on a music therapy student’s experience of integrating electronic music technology in their practice with adolescents. Electronic music technology became a particularly important tool to further explore in practice, as the pandemic restrictions in Aotearoa, New Zealand limited other ways of musicking, such as singing. The primary research question explores: How can I incorporate electronic music making using music technology in music therapy practice with adolescents experiencing mental health challenges? This research focuses on exploring the usage and possibilities of music technology within music therapy with rich, detailed qualitative data obtained as part of my practice with 4 students. The data consisted of musical compositions, images, and artwork to represent the research findings. Data were analysed using thematic analysis of this secondary data. The results provided insight on the creativity, limits, and possibilities of music technology in music therapy and revealed that music technology can be a motivating tool that fosters connection building with teenagers while achieving therapeutic goals. The findings may be of interest to other music therapists, and perhaps inspire or encourage further exploration and implementation of music technology within practice.