යටත් විජිතයේන් සුන්බුන් නොවු අනන්‍යතාවය: A Critical Autoethnographic Journey of a Sri Lankan Music Therapy Student in Aotearoa

This research explored how a student music therapist’s journey in relearning and reconnecting with her Sri Lankan cultural roots informed her practice as a student music therapist. Critical autoethnography was used to examine how the exploration of one’s own paramparāva and ethnic culture(s) impacted on practice, revealing the fragility of one’s perceived truths and realities. A postcolonial lens was used, guided by the work of Hommi K. Bhabha. The first data set was generated from a student music therapist’s learnings and reflections about her Sri Lankan culture through literature, pavula, and pavulē mituran knowledge. The second data set was generated from this student music therapist’s practice and reflexive journal. These data sources were thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive approaches. Seven themes emerged for the data analysis: 1) Journeying through my paramparāva, 2) “Sri Lankan-ness”, 3) Postcolonial hybrid Sri Lankan ananyatāvaya, 4) Introspection (from the data about Sri Lankan culture), 5) Culture centred music therapy, 6) My music therapy style, and 7) Introspection (from the student music therapist’s practice). From the findings emerged the practice model “Dynamic Ripple”. This model positioned the student music therapist and participant(s) in mahi tahi. The model exposed colonisation as our constant contemporary, and the induction of the shift to a decolonisation mindset of the student music therapist’s self and practice.