I was intrigued by several aspects of this article, the first being the author's desire to challenge herself and conduct research in Japan. As a beginning music therapy student, I have experienced many challenges so far. These challenges, however, have been presented to me in a relatively "safe" environment. I am in my own country, speaking my native language, and am in a culture very familiar to me, even though I grew up 1500 miles from here. The challenges I have faced thus far in classes and my internship site are mild in comparison to the author's experiences in Japan. I must commend Ms. Mairiaux for her dedication to the field, her willingness to learn about new cultures, and her ability to challenge herself. These are all qualities that I am developing daily in my music therapy program. I am truly inspired by the author for her courage in turning down an interesting job proposal to go somewhere to learn something new from a different culture. Her story reminds me of my fellow students who have travelled from Israel, Japan, Korea, and China to attend this program. They are learning how to become music therapists in a completely foreign setting. I know that I find some things extremely difficult to learn and I am in a comfortable, familiar environment. Reading this article reminded me once again of the great courage it takes and how important it is to travel across the cultures to learn.
The second aspect of this article that I found interesting was the relationship between the European experience and the Japanese culture within a music therapy context. As a therapist-in-training in the Western world, I have learned the importance of integrating ideas from the Eastern world as well. Europe and Japan will obviously have some similarities and differences when its comes to music therapy, and it was interesting see how the author discovered them and what challenges she faced. The language barrier was extremely difficult and seemed to be the biggest challenge. It made me realize that even though music is a universal language, as a researcher it is still crucial to be able to communicate through conversation. The author reminds us that even though music can "reach all people beyond languages and cultural differences," that music is "the product of culture." Individuals will always perceive a situation differently. She mentions the importance of music therapy in an appropriate time and place.
The last aspect of the article that drew my attention was the author's awareness of her own cultural perspective. She was very affected by the powerful butoh dance performance and was only made more comfortable around it after talking to the dancers. From observing this dance she learned the importance of space and how important working in that space is. Japanese culture has many "boundaries" that the author discussed and the importance of "building the self." Ms. Mairaiux addresses the importance of having boundaries that are flexible, especially in a therapeutic relationship. Another point that I really appreciated making was her need to have "meaningful verbal exchange" in order to exist in a culture and be heard (in a therapeutic relationship as well). As much as I love letting the music do the "talking," I still rely on language heavily in the therapy setting and need to find a comfortable balance between the two. The author has shed light on the importance of cultural awareness and the necessity to continue research in a constantly changing world.