This qualitative multiple-case study investigates three experienced music therapists' perceptions regarding their musical decision-making processes in clinical music listening. According to my theoretical assumptions, the whole process of research question formation, participant recruitment, data collection, and data analysis proceeded on the basis of a model formulated prior to the research. The main research questions were: 1) What do music therapists experience while listening to music in practice? 2) What do music therapists consider while making musical decisions in clinical music listening? and 3) How do music therapists' listening experiences and clinical considerations influence their musical decision-making? The research participants were three experienced music therapists, one each in the areas of Guided Imagery and Music, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, and cognitive behavioral music therapy. The data were collected through initial interviews, session observations, review sessions using Think Aloud Protocols, another set of session observations and review sessions, and final interviews. Using the propositions in the a priori model, I interviewed the therapists about their music listening experiences in practice (i.e., existential listening, auditory listening, and reflective listening) and their perceptions about the influences on their musical decision-making (i.e., their music therapy orientation, their musical traits, case information, and situational immediacy). Their verbal accounts were transcribed and analyzed along with my observational data, using the computer software, HyperRESEARCHTM. Based on my analysis of the data, I present each therapist's musical decision-making process within the bounded system of each case. I also attempted to elucidate the three cases collectively through a discussion of the similarities and differences among the cases. The results of the research suggest that all of the three music therapists had in-depth experiences in various listening areas; however, the individual therapists from different approaches tended to put different weights on each listening area. Second, the therapists' perceived influences on their musical decision-making shared commonalities as well as differences in responses to each inquiry item. Lastly, the research suggested a strong relationship between the therapists' music listening approaches and their own perceived influences on their musical decision-making. They indicated that those internal thinking processes are considered critical factors for their musical decision-making in their music therapy practice. The research contained implications for improving the model upon which the study was based, so as to be more logical and applicable to decision-making in music therapy.
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