Expanded piano: a music therapeutic proposal

Abstract

This research aimed to study and describe the use of the expanded piano in the music therapeutic context. The review of literature included articles and texts about the uses of the expanded piano in Brazil, themes related to organology, as well as texts about Music Therapy. For data construction, the two „participants‟ experiences with the expanded piano were tape recorded and described in a field diary. In addition, an interview with a musician versed in techniques for expanded piano was considered in the article. A thematic analysis showed that playing on the expanded piano with the objects that were available in the setting allowed participants to create authentic musical experiences. The participants also expressed themselves in different ways while discovering the timbre variety of the expanded piano.