Voices ResourcesA website for the worldwide community around the journal Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy

I have just returned from the 10th World Congress of Music Therapy in Oxford, England and wanted to share some of my thoughts from attending this inspiring event.

I decided to take the advice of the congress organizers who suggested that we "move out of our comfort zone" at this congress and acquaint ourselves with different perspectives on music therapy. Based on this advice, I made two rules for myself. My first rule was to not attend any presentations from the United States. I made this rule because I live in the States and knew I could easily see these presenters at conferences in the U.S. My second rule was not to go to any presentations of people I knew well. I have several international friends and have followed their work closely over the years. I decided that at this congress I would only go to presentations of people I had not met, or whose work I didn't know well.

Following these simple rules led to a very enriching experience. Reflecting on this has made me realize how I (and others, I am sure) tend to get "comfortable" in our roles and traditions in music therapy. It is simply easier to go to presentations where I know I will resonate with the material being presented. It is uncomplicated to see presenters who I know and respect, and it is affirming to be recognized and accepted by them. It is very much like belonging to a club. However, the world of music therapy is much bigger than my personal and professional interests and the field is expanding every day. I simply can't let myself get too comfortable in my roles and traditions, or I will miss much of the richness and progress that is taking place in the field.

Examining my own experience has caused me to wonder about our field at large. What would it take for all of us to stop for a moment, look up from our theoretical perspectives, look away from our prescribed roles, look beyond our favored models and approaches to see and hear the diverse landscape of music therapy? What would it take for us to move from a position of defending "our way" of doing music therapy to one of appreciating and accepting a radically different way of working? What would it take to let go of how we think music therapy should sound and rather listen for new and different ways of being in music?

This congress gave me this exactly these opportunities. I opened myself to new and different experiences and am grateful for the chance to move out of my comfort zone. I feel invigorated by the creativity and differences I experienced. I feel open to looking at the field in a new way. These diverse models and approaches have inspired me to look at my own work in a new way. It has allowed me to contemplate expanding my vision of music therapy.

While I did talk and debate with many long time friends and colleagues, I want to thank my newer acquaintances, some of whom I heard give formal presentations and others with whom I shared more casual discussions. Thomas Wosch, Randi Rolvsjord, Victor Munoz, Ezequiel Gonzalez Campos, Gro Trondalen, Carmer Ferrara, Niels Hannibal, Inge Pedersen, Connie Isenberg Grezeda, Jos de Backer, Elaine Streeter, Helen Odell Miller, Sarah Hoskyns, Peter Hoffman, Mércèdes Pavlicevic, Susan Coull, and many others have given me an awareness of the richness of our field and have helped me appreciate and embrace the vast landscape of the world of music therapy. Let us all learn to step out of our comfort zone!

How to cite this page

Forinash, Michelle (2002) Looking Beyond the Familiar. Voices Resources. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://testvoices.uib.no/community/?q=fortnightly-columns/2002-looking-beyond-familiar