Happy World Music Therapy Day everyone! This is a day where music therapists and advocates for music therapy around the world celebrate this wonderful profession!
For those who are interested in learning more about music therapy on a global level, here are 6 resources for you:
The World Federation of Music Therapy is an organization with a mission to develop and promote music therapy throughout the world as an art and science. Their website includes updates and information about music therapy events throughout the world such as conferences, symposia, and the World Congress of Music Therapy. It also includes resources for students such as opportunities for global connections and scholarships, and resources for professionals including job postings from around the world. The latest past-president of the WFMT was Canada's very own Amy Clements Cortes!
Voices is a peer reviewed journal on music, health, and social change. The latest issue has pertinent articles including; Music Therapy and Recovery in Mental Health: Seeking a Way Forward, and An Intergenerational Singing Group: A Community Music Therapy Qualitative Research Project and Graduate Student Mentoring Initiative. Voices also has information available about the status of music therapy as a profession in various countries. You can browse each country by clicking here.
This podcast promotes and advocates for greater access to music therapy methods used around the world, that emphasize equality and participation within communities.
Book Description:
"Music therapists from around the world working in conventional and unconventional settings have offered their contributions to this exciting new book, presenting spirited discussion and practical examples of the ways music therapy can reflect and encourage social change. From working with traumatized refugees in Berlin, care-workers and HIV/AIDS orphans in South Africa, to adults with neurological disabilities in south-east England and children in paediatric hospitals in Norway, the contributors present their global perspectives on finding new ways forward in music therapy."
5) Multicultural Music Therapy: The World Music Connection - Joseph Moreno
This article speaks to music therapists who are working with clients from diverse backgrounds and the importance of cultural competence as a clinician. The article shares music based competency resources including Indian classical music, Indonesian gamelan, and an African-oriented percussion ensemble.
The article can be found in Journal of Music Therapy, Volume 25, Issue 1, 1 March 1988, Pages 17–27,https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/25.1.17
Ronna Kaplan describes learnings from the World Music Therapy Congress held July 5-9, 2011 in Seoul, South Korea, and the various global perspectives that were represented.
"Music therapists from around the world are not only building bridges of knowledge, but they are exploring how best to cross them, eliminating barriers and improving outcomes in health care and education. For the 13th World Congress of Music Therapy, we crossed the international dateline. We crossed cultures and must continue to do so. As Dr. Choi aptly stated, “Music therapy is for everyone.” Let’s collaborate and research how we can make this a reality around the world."
We hope this post provided you with some resources in getting to know global perspectives on music therapy.
Here's to happy world music therapy day and a happy music therapy month in Canada!