This paper is designed as an introduction to a projected series on aspects of the meta-theory of music therapy. in common with psychoanalysis (Mitchell 1993) and art therapy (Hanzell 1995), music therapy inquiry is seeing an evolving reflexive trend which examines in several ways the nature of theory in the discipline - in order to clarify, contextualise and critically evaluate past and current trends (Aldridge 1990, 1993; Aigen 1991, 1995; Ruud 1998). In the case of music therapy, meta-theory typically seeks to uncover the relationships between three domains: what music therapists do (praxis); what they say (discourse); and what they know (epistemology). this paper takes discourse as the starting-point and makes an introductory study of the nature of talking about music therapy. It centres its investigation on a simple qualitative-style experiment in which a group of listeners (of varying) musical and music therapy experience) identify and describe a taped excerpt of music therapy. The results of this experiment are used to form the basis of a discussion about several commonly expressed 'language problems' in music therapy: the need for a 'common language', the verification of clinical data; describing musical behaviour and the boundary between description and interpretation.

This paper falls into three broad sections, the first two being published in this issue, the third in the autumn issue of the BJMT. The first section attempts, through a brief introduction to the African philosophy of music and musical instruments, to explore the reasons behind the therapeutic powers attributed to music. The second section, which opens with an introductory discussion of the traditional African causal theory of ailments, discusses the relevance of the different uses of music in almost all traditional medical interventions in African society. The last section is an attempt to draw up an evaluative paradigm of some traditional music therapeutic practices and techniques in the light of modern music therapy. Several traditional music therapy practices are mentioned, but, overall, the paper does not have an anthropological bias. This paper is a partial report of current research into African traditional music therapy. The author's specific notice in undertaking such research is to present what is deemed valid and effective for consideration and/or integration in modern music therapy methodology and practice.

This article describes my work as a music therapist in a children's hospice. It gives an account of 13 music therapy sessions with a girl, Catherine, who reached just 13 years of age before her death. During this short but intense span of time, Catherine showed great courage not only in coming to terms with the recent death of her younger sister, but as it transpired, in preparation for her own death. As the therapeutic relationship developed, music became an invaluable source of communication, exploring the anxieties and confusion that Catherine faced as grief and fear came to the fore, while nurturing her innate zest for life.