ABSTRACT
Meta-communication in which musical elements such as pitch and intonation convey nuanced meaning is explored within the context of music-based analysis and non-verbal expressions of identity. The therapeutic dialogue is compared to a musical discourse and it is shown that musical qualities of tempo, pitch, phrasing, timbre, metre, register range, melody, rhythm, pacing, dynamic volume and even harmony exist within every analytic exchange if one has the capacity to perceive them. It is proposed that awareness of the risks and contraindications of a musical approach must be a standard part of ethics within training programmes to avoid clinical negligence. The role of beauty and aesthetics is explored in relation to the analytic enterprise via various cultural amplifications of aesthetic principles from around the world.
