Colorful Music Therapy in Asia

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Dr. Sumathy Sundar
Regional Liaison for South East Asia
Contact: southeastasia@wfmt.info[/caption]

Hello Readers,

Well, the music therapy round up in South East Asia is interesting and colorful. The Asian symposium of music therapy was convened in Japan on March 8, 2009. The event was spectacular and attracted music therapy practitioners, researchers and students in large numbers at the Japanese Education Centre in Tokyo. Five panelists from Japan, India, Korea, Singapore and Thailand showcased music therapy education and practice in their respective countries. It was an amazing learning experience to know about the exponential growth of music therapy in Japan and Korea, especially the different approaches adopted by the Japanese conducive to the local culture, the mystical yet modern evidence-based practice of music therapy in India, the most systematized Western influenced practice in Singapore and the variety and depth of the therapeutic use of music in Thailand. The symposium triggered immense interest in identifying the problems and perspectives in Asian music therapy practice and education in the light of change in civilization, life style and culture of the Asian countries compared to the Western countries.

In May 2009, the graduate school of education, Ewha Woman’s University and the Korean Music Therapy Education Association jointly sponsor the first International symposium on music therapy at Ewha Woman’s University to celebrate the grand opening of the Ewha Creative Arts Therapy Center. The theme of the Symposium is “Qualitative Music Therapy Research ‐ Musical Data Collection and Analysis.”

In India, Nada Centre for Music Therapy, Chennai after convening the 2nd international Conference in Chennai recently brought under one roof, music therapists, psychologists and medical professionals researching and practicing music therapy presenting diverse scientific programs ranging from the application of traditional musical healing systems in clinical environments to the evidence based research presentations. The Centre also conducted in the first week of last month in collaboration with VIMHANS- Vidya Sagar School of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences a workshop on music therapy in New Delhi. Stay tuned to get to know of its formal announcement of the next International Conference/Symposium.

Sumathy Sundar

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