Weve Got to Rock:

Musical World of the Smooth Criminals

Jesse Rathgeber, Ph.D. Music Education Program

Background:
The Smooth Criminals are a music therapy rock band that has been playing
together for three years. The group is comprised of five young adult (YA)
members who are diagnosed as having developmental disorders and five adults
members who are music therapists, interns, or volunteers. The focus of the
group is to foster social and communication skills among its members while
providing them a group musical experience. The group practices weekly for
one hour at a music therapy clinic. The YA members select and perform their
musical repertoire and the adults help them play instruments and learn the parts
of songs. Adult members also play and sing in support roles.

Methodology:
Research Design: Ethnography
Role of Researcher: Participant Observer
Research Questions:
1) What are the musical practices of the group?
2) What does the experience of being in the group mean to its
participants?
Data Collection:
- 25 one-hour video recorded observations
- Semi-structured interviews with adults
- Hot-potato interviews with young adults
- A video recording of one of the groups concerts
- Field notes and research memos
- Transcriptions of selected observations/performances
Analysis: Data were analyzed for emergent themes

Theme: Practices Theme: Identity

Adults scaffold song getting (Campbell, 1995)
YA members coached each other
Adults provide adapted instruments and
arrangements
YA members developed practice competencies
(Forns, Lindberg, & Sernhede, 1995, p. 232)
Setting as a space for YA identity formation
Instruments as ways to imitate famous musicians
Social settings allowed YA members to share
elements of their identities
Musical preferences as symbols of identity
Songs as locus of playing with provisional
selves (Ibara, 1999)

Theme: Social Bonds Theme: Communication

Band practices as a place to forge friendships
The band as a social unit
The families of band members formed strong
bonds and created a community around the group.
Adults facilitated peer communication
Adults modeled communication strategies
YA members increased verbal communication
with other YA members
Playing music as dialogue