Report From Europe

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Dr. Simon Gilbertson
Regional Liaison for Europe
Contact: europe@wfmt.info[/caption]

Throughout Europe, 2009 has been a busy and highly productive phase within the music therapy profession. 2010 will certainly continue to provide music therapists with many possibilities to meet and exchange and to extend the development of music therapy in the many countries that make up Europe.

6th Nordic Music Therapy Conference: Sounding Relationships

Between April 30th and May 3rd 2009 Aalborg University in Denmark hosted the 6th Nordic Music Therapy Conference under the title ‘Sounding Relationships’. For the participants, this was a fantastic convening of music therapy and was visited by music therapists from many parts of the world. The conference was inspiring and beautifully organized and chaired by Professor Inge Pedersen with Professor Tony Wigram chairing the Scientific Committee. For a complete list of the members of both Committees please see: http://www.6mt9.aau.dk/organisation.

In terms of presentations, the program was framed by wonderful keynote presentations from Karin Schou, Christian Gold, and Daniel Stern, whose presence at the conference was made possible via video link between Aalborg and Geneva, Switzerland. The scientific committee created a perfect balance between these well-known presenters and the creation of space for the voices of clinicians, researchers and educators who were presenting their work for the first time. All in all, the conference continued and extended the tradition of the Nordic conferences and provided an excellent opportunity for the sounding of relationships within music therapy.

Links

For information about the conference, please visit: http://www.6mt9.aau.dk/

For information about at Aalborg University, please visit: http://en.aau.dk/ orhttp://www.musikterapi.aau.dk/ for information on music therapy at Aalborg University

International Association of Music and Medicine: Music & Medicine 2009

In the middle of the year, the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM) held its Inaugural Conference, Music & Medicine 2009. Inspiring and informative presentations on a wide range of the aspects of music and medicine were given by members of the IAMM with keynote presentations by the founders of the IAMM, Dr. Joanne Loewy and Professor David Aldridge. On the days leading up to the Conference, presentations were also given in medical care settings (a neonatal intensive care unit, a hospice and the main general hospital in the Limerick city area).

The conference was hosted by the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in association with the Graduate Medical School, at the University of Limerick, Ireland, June 6th 2009. The conference was chaired by Professor Jane Edwards who is the Inaugural President of the IAMM and is the Course Director of the MA in Music Therapy, Director of the Music and Health Research Group and Assistant Dean Research at the University of Limerick, Ireland.

The conference corresponded with the start of a new journal, Music & Medicine. David Aldridge and Joanne Loewy are the Chief Editors of this innovative journal that is published by SAGE publishers and described as ‘a new interdisciplinary journal that will be an integrative forum for clinical practice and research related to music interventions and applications of clinical music strategies in medicine’ (SAGE Publishers).

Links

Irish World Academy of Music and Dance:http://www.ul.ie/~iwmc/programmes/mamt/index.html

Graduate Medical School, UL: www.ul.ie/medicalschool

For more details about the journal Music & Medicine and how to submit articles please visit: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201929

8th European Music Therapy Congress, "Evidence for Music Therapy Practice, Research & Education", in Cadiz (Spain) from May 5 - 9, 2010.

Next year will certainly continue to offer excellent opportunities for music therapists to meet and dialogue. One example of these opportunities is the 8th European Music Therapy Congress that will be held in Cadiz, Spain from May 5-6, 2010. The title of the Congress is "Evidence for Music Therapy Practice, Research & Education".

The Organizing Committee warmly invites your participation and describes the event as follows:

“This Congress will be an excellent International Forum for those clinicians, researchers and academics from Europe and other world regions who wish to present their work in the field of Music Therapy, and discuss and share their results during this European Congress. In the last years, the Music Therapy Profession encourages the importance of strong theoretical basis for clinical practice supported by research results. During this Congress we would like to encourage contributions with a strong emphasis on theoretical bases and philosophical understanding of clinical practice, research, and training. Evidence for the value and effectiveness of applied music therapy in psychotherapy, education, community and medical settings has a broad range including both qualitative aspects and quantitative outcomes. As evidences about the effects of any intervention relies on the observation of the clinicians, the findings from research, but also the experiences and benefits reported by our clients, we would like to open the door to all of these aspects” (Dr Patricia Sabbatella, Congress Chair).

For further details about the Congress and how to participate in this exciting event please visit: www.musictherapy2010.com

Outlook 2009-2010

2009 has been a great year for music therapy and 2010 promises to hold many opportunities to meet, grow and support each other in the development of music therapy in Europe and Worldwide.

From our quiet conversations in corridors to large international events, the key of listening to our clients and to each other will open new paths in understanding the role music has to play in the health of the cultures in which we live.

With best wishes for the future,

Simon

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