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Five Latest Country of the Month

United Kingdom
September 2012
Cymru (Wales): Land of Song
Liz Coombes
Melissa Elliott
Flag of Wales, from openclipart.org

 

Since the 19th century this epithet has characterised Wales. The "Tonic sol-fa" movement meant that thousands of singers were able to read musical notes and participate in part-singing, and choirs sprang up all over Wales. The ancient tradition of the eisteddfod, an arena in which poets would compete in poetic disputes with their peers, was reinvented during the 19th century. In this cultural renaissance music became a prominent force, and today instrumentalists, singers and choirs still take part in competitions in the medium of Welsh to test their skills before their peers and audiences.

Nigeria
August 2012
Music Therapy in Nigeria
Ogunlade Olayinka

Nigerian flag
The Federal Republic of Nigeria comprises of 36 states and her capital territory, Abuja. Nigeria is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin, Chad and Cameroon. The largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. The majority of Nigerian ethnics practice Christian or Muslim religions and a minority practice traditional religion.

Bahrain
May 2012
Music Therapy in Bahrain
Aksana Kavaliov...

Bahrain flag

Bahrain is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia. It consists of 33 islands, the largest being Bahrain. Its total area is 760 sq.km. Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahad causeway. To the southeast across the Persian Gulf is Qatar, which will eventually be linked to Bahrain by the world’s longest marine causeway, currently under construction. There are approximately 1,214,705 people living in Bahrain, of which 54% are foreigners. The official language is Arabic, with English widely spoken. The government of Bahrain is a monarchy, ruled by the HH King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

Antigua & Deps
September 2011
Music Therapy in Antigua and Barbuda: Two Music Therapists, One Small Island
Julia Beth Kowaleski

Where in the world is Antigua and Barbuda?

Antigua and Barbuda is a small country in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 74 000 people. Most Antiguans are of African lineage, brought here during the 18th century to work on the sugarcane fields. The country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, but still remains a part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is made up of two main islands, Antigua, the larger of the two (14 miles long and 11 miles wide) which holds most of the population and where music therapy is located and Barbuda, a smaller flat coral island. (Map, see: World Atlas. from www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/ag.htm)

Greece
May 2011
Music Therapy in Greece
Giorgos Tsiris
Greek flag

Introduction

The use of music as a therapeutic agent was an essential part of healing practices and rituals in Ancient Greece. Nowadays, there is a wealth of literature about these practices, as well as their philosophy with regards to music’s healing powers and its connections to physiological, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of wellbeing (e.g., Georgiadi , Elpida, 2007; Kopsacheilis, 1996; Makris & Makri, 2003; Ntziouni, 2009; Polychroniadou, 1989; West, 1999). Of course, the very words "music" and "therapy" originate from the Ancient Greek words μουσική (mousike, meaning art of Muses) and θεραπεία (therapeia, meaning service, curing, healing) respectively – whose original meaning still inspires contemporary therapists worldwide. Music therapy in modern Greece (Hellas) draws on this rich background, and is currently in a formative and rather exciting stage of development.