This paper explores the concept of supervision in general, and music therapy supervision in particular. It suggest factors which have to be taken into account in each supervisory relationship, and looks at finding a balance in accommodating these factors within a clear supervisory frame. This is illustrated by case material from the author's own supervisory work.

This paper describes ten hours of music therapy work with a twelve-and-a-half-year-old girl, giving specific details of the proves of events during sessions and the development of the therapeutic relationship. Central to the therapist's thinking about the work was the notion of the client's struggle between wanting, but being unable to bear, good feelings, and not wanting, but needing to hold on to, bad feelings. Turning good feelings into bad, in order to feel in control, was a predominant theme. The therapy was carried out within a broadly psychodynamic theoretical framework, with particular reference to the work of Melanie Klein in relation to the processes of splitting within the 'paranoid-schizoid' position (Klein 1946). the paper also refers to Anne Alvarez's notions (1992) of the importance of the aspirational aspects of play and the anticipation of identification wit a 'good object', and thus, the possibility of reparation. This article is based on a paper presented at the first National Conference on Music and Disability, Maynooth, Republic of Ireland in 1994.

This paper falls into three broad sections, the first two of which were published in BJMT 10:1 (1996). The first section provided a brief introduction to the African philosophy of music and musical instruments and explored the reasons behind the therapeutic powers attributed to music; the second section considered the traditional African causal theory of ailments and the relevance of the different uses of music in almost all traditional medical interventions in African society. This third and final 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. Mention is made of several traditional music therapy practices but, overall, the paper does not have an anthropological bias. this paper is a partial report of current research into traditional African music therapy and is motivated by the author's interest in identifying those aspects of African music therapy which may have correlations in Western music therapy methodology and practice.