ABSTRACT
Reflecting back on Francis’s solo improvisations I began to recognise structural devices that appeared to not only affect the music itself but also the therapeutic outcome. One of these devices I came to identify as the ‘tripartite idiom’. Examining improvisation in terms of beginning, middle and end can be compared with a semiotic approach to classical music: ‘the argument being that there are specific attitudes to a work’s beginning, its middle and its ending and these strategies are an important clue to the dramatic character of classical music’ (Agawu 1991, p. 51). Hayes (1994) also identifies the law of triple-creation as being fundamental to the laws of music: ‘The three creative forces are at work everywhere. Nothing is created without them and nothing has ever been, for every phenomenon, without exception, is inevitably a triad of forces, a trinity’ (p. 3). There seemed to be a correlation. Francis’s improvisations would contain a beginning (A: the material is stated), middle (B: the material is developed) and end (A: the material is recapitulated). Many improvisations would be realised within this form. How would the identification of such a process help me understand the expressive elements of our work? By balancing the issues of life contained within the music I saw the potential of communication through three distinct sections. The idea of improvisation being contained within the basic ABA framework helped me to explore further the connection between musical form and therapeutic outcome. Establishing and developing themes was an important part of Francis’s improvising. He would sow the seed of an idea, usually a generative cell, which would then become a springboard for other ideas to develop. The cell, however, would never be totally lost. The final stages of improvisations or sessions would include a recapitulation that would create a natural balance to the structure of the piece as a whole. The significance of the tripartite idiom continued to develop as our work progressed.
