From Violent Rap to Lovely Blues: The Transformation of Aggressive Behavior through Vocal Music Therapy.

The voice as a primary therapeutic instrument will be addressed in this chapter. Through vocal expression, chaos can be transformed into order – crying into singing, aggressive shouting into the structure of a rap song. This transformation of emotions demonstrates the ability to change behavior and to stimulate neurological development (Uhlig, 2006; Cramer, 1998). This remarkable learning capacity will be evidenced by children with special needs in a public school setting in New York City. Children ‘at-risk’ demonstrate honesty in expressing their most personal desires and fears through vocal music therapy. Through this process; they discover their pure musicality. Cursing, shouting, singing, rapping, chanting and songwriting help them to survive their personal and familiar environments and increase their learning potential.