ASD at the WCMT

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WFMT ASD Pre-Congress Seminar speakers[/caption]As you can see from the beautifully written reflections from our student leaders, the 2014 World Congress of Music Therapy was a memorable event packed with learning, cultural and connecting opportunities. At this Congress, the 2011-2014 WFMT ASD hosted several events designed to engage and motivate students.On Monday, the ASD and invited speakers travelled to Vienna, where over 120 participants attended the pre-congress seminar: Studying, Interning, & Working Abroad: Preparing for Global Engagement. Students asked insightful questions throughout the afternoon and continued to discuss issues presented in the seminar for the remainder of the week.

• Dr. Petra Kern, former WFMT President, started the afternoon by speaking about culture in her presentation, Beyond the Comfort Zone: Living & Working Abroad. In response, Julie Lytle, newly appointed WFMT Executive Assistant, shared her own experiences regarding the challenges and benefits of living abroad.
• Dr. Dena Register, WFMT Accreditation & Certification Commission Chair, then presented on Preparing for Global Engagement through Study Abroad, sharing her expertise in this area by relaying her experiences in developing a program in Thailand. Kumi Sato, WFMT Western Pacific Student Delegate, responded to Dr. Register’s presentation by pulling from her own study abroad experiences in the USA, noting the importance of observing, thinking, and taking action when partaking in different cultural experiences.
• Dr. Amy Clements-Cortes, newly elected WFMT President and former WFMT Clinical Practice Commission Chair, shared her expertise on Navigating International Internship and Supervision. Michael Wolf, a student colleague from SRH University Heidelberg, helped to contextualize further Dr. Clements-Cortes’ wealth of information by reporting on his international internship experience in Canada.
• Professor Eva Werner, Vice Rector of IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, closed out the afternoon by reporting on Recognition, Certification, and National Standards – the European Case. Her extensive knowledge of the Bologna Process, designed to create international cooperation in higher education qualifications, provided an interesting platform for discussions related to accreditation & certification issues. Anna-Kristina Stekl, former WFMT European Student Delegate, reported on her experiences with the process, providing a real-life example for such accreditation & certification issues.

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WFMT Council & WFMT ASD joint lunch meeting[/caption]On Tuesday, the 2011-2014 & 2014-2017 WFMT ASDs held a joint meeting to prepare for events hosted by the ASD at the 2014 WCMT, to provide transition support for the incoming Assembly, to brainstorm projects for the new term, and to provide closure to the outgoing Assembly. Following a productive meeting, the student leaders met with the 2011-2014 WFMT Council for an informal lunch, sharing personal and professional goals for the next three years.On Wednesday, the ASD hosted the first ever WCMT Student Poster Session, providing a platform for student representatives to share information about their student organizations and projects and to network with other students at Congress. Several students reported this event was their first opportunity to present at a conference, and they did a fantastic job of reporting on their material! The posters looked incredible and received much support from the many attendees at the session. Keep an eye out for these student posters, which will be featured on the Window to the World blog in September.Also on Wednesday and Friday, members of both Assemblies hosted informal sessions in the afternoon, inviting students to take a closer look at WFMT ASD projects and to contribute to them.On Thursday, the ASD hosted the roundtable WFMT ASD Exploring the Future: Student Perspectives on Globalization of Music Therapy (slides accessible in the WFMT Documents section of the website’s Publication Center). Each delegate provided an overview of her or his region, regional student concerns, and regional perspectives on the globalization of music therapy. Student attendees engaged in active discussion with the panel and provided many exciting suggestions for potential projects to be overseen by the 2014-2017 WFMT ASD.The projects hosted by the ASD enabled students from all around the globe to connect, to share ideas, and to establish collaborative relationships. A spirit of enthusiastic anticipation punctuates the air as we begin this new term, eager to see the fruit of these connections formed and deepened in Krems.Jen Spivey, MA, MS, MT-BCWFMT Secretary/Treasurer[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]