Musicking: Music Praxis as Health and Therapy through an Interdisciplinary Perspective

Abstract

Christopher Small introduced the term ‘musicking’ in 1998 emphasising that music is something that people do to understand their way of being and to relate to anyone and anything surrounding them. Based on the recent translation of Small's ‘Musicking’ book (2010) in Greek, this article aims to be conducive to understanding the terms ‘mousikotropo’ and ‘mousikotropia’ (the Greek translations of musicking). Through an interdisciplinary perspective, it attempts to embody these terms in the Greek language and relevant literature, in a practical and legitimate way. In this direction, the article briefly sketches out the theoretical context that gave birth to the concept of musicking, calling upon Gregory Bateson's ideas. Having defined this context, a case study from the field of new musicology is presented, that deals with the role of musicking in the construction of identities. Moving on from the field of new musicology to the broader field of healthcare, the article focuses on the dialectic relationship between music and health. In this framework, the role of musicking as therapy emerges, with an emphasis on Nordoff and Robbins' music-centred music therapy and its main principles. Through a second case study, this time from the field of palliative and bereavement care, different aspects of musicking’s practical application in music therapy emerge.