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By Dr. Petra Kern, former WFMT PresidentWelcome to the new WFMT website filled with many resources we have developed over the past decade. Around the Millennium WFMT was visible for the first time online on the musictherapyworld.net site, hosted by Dr. David Aldridge and his team at the University of Witten/Herdecke in Germany. This webpage included a definition of music therapy, the WFMT history, the Council, and a registration form on the menu. Dr. Joerg Fachner functioned as the Webmaster.
As website software became more available to the public, the WFMT Council decided, under my presidency in 2008, to build a new website with today’s domain name www.wfmt.info. I functioned as the Webmaster from 2008-2011 and again from 2013-2014 with significant assistance from Jen Spivey, our WFMT Secretary/Treasurer. Dr. Byungchuel Choi, WFMT President 2011-2012, managed the website in 2012.As a team, we developed a large database of information for our WFMT members and the general public. The website hosted the following sections and content:
- Home page with an overview of WFMT, news headlines, and featured products
- About WFMT featuring frequently asked questions about the Federation, an interactive historical timeline, brochures and posters, and the 25th anniversary events.
- Leadership introducing the three officers, eight commissioners, and eight regional liaisons as well as the “Council Only Section.”
- Membership outlining the benefits of WFMT Membership, the membership application process, a listing of all organizational members and member profiles, the recognition program, honorary life members, and patron members.
- President presents… featuring a monthly note from the current WFMT President and its archive.
- Commissioners listing all commissions and their respective chairs as well as a separate page highlighting each commission’s vision, goals, and projects.
- Regional Liaisons’ Blog featuring information on music therapy happenings in WFMT’s eight regions.
- WFMT for Students introducing WFMT’s innovative, vital, and integrative Assembly of Student Delegates, their vision, term goals, and three ongoing projects (i.e., Info Cards, Window to the World, and Connect).
- Education Center featuring the WFMT 25. Anniversary movie and several congress presentations of renowned music therapists.
- Job & Volunteering Center offering postings of worldwide jobs and volunteering opportunities.
- Publication Center including WFMT documents, regional information, the international library of music, the music therapy world archive, the Sound Board, and WFMT online journal Music Therapy Today.
- World Congress providing information about current, past, and future WFMT World Congresses of Music Therapy as well as congress scholarships.
- Global Calendar offering information about global music therapy events, and
- Contact Us for inquires.
Our new WFMT website includes the same content, but has a fresh, contemporary look and offers easier navigation, translations, and search options as well as social media features. With over 11, 500 website visitors per month, WFMT continues to be a major information platform for music therapists and those interested in the field worldwide.Today, I am passing the torch to our new WFMT Webmaster, Megan Resig. Over the past months, she did a remarkable job in transferring massive data and, assisted by Jen Spivey and myself, in designing all pages and rearranging content. I believe that Megan Resig and Jen Spivey will carry on developing the WFMT website and continue providing information created by the WMFT Council in very user-friendly forms.I hope that you click, browse, and discover the tremendous work WFMT has accomplished on behalf of our members over the past decade and beyond.
Onward,Petra Kern, Ph.D., MT-DMtG, MT-BC, MTAFormer President, World Federation of Music Therapy
