Getting your groove on with the Tenori-on

This article presents a study on the use of the Tenori-on instrument in music therapy clinical settings, as well as information about the functions of technology in music therapy. The Tenori-on is a digital instrument on which persons can play or compose music. Participants in the study included music therapists (MTs) and music therapy interns/students who received a Tenori-on to assess its application in their clinical work. Feedback was obtained through interviews and surveys on their experiences using the Tenori-on with a variety of populations and their assessments of the instrument’s ability to address communication, emotional, social and motor goals in individual and group settings. Participants described the instrument as fun, engaging, motivating, having sensory appeal, being well suited for improvisation and easy for non-musicians, but also complicated to master. The Tenori-on offers a new, accessible option for MTs to incorporate modern technology into their clinical practice.