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

There has been a recent flurry of international activity on the electronic super highway over Barbara Wheeler's highly anticipated Second Edition of her edited text Music Therapy Research, Edition 2, which will be published sometime next year by Barcelona Publishing Company. The flurry has to with the exchanges of drafts of various chapters between colleagues for the purpose of seeking feedback.

These exchanges are collaborative and respectful in nature. And all of them serve "the work" by an extremely healthy feedback and revision process among Music Therapy professionals across age, gender, culture, nation, socio-economic status, institutional status, theoretical orientation, and style.
Though I have been a part of collaborative processes with colleagues in Music Therapy since 1970, I have to say that this new dimension, which is expressed with, for the most part, a stunning ease over an electronic medium has really got me going! In a sense, I serve two masters in the research and writing area. My academic appointments are both in Indigenous Studies. So, I feel an obligation to produce texts for publication in this area, which is so very close to my heart and my mind. In both environments, my colleagues understand that the principles and practices of Music Therapy are not separate from my research interests and activities in Indigenous Studies. So, they are willing to tolerate what they perceive as the fragmented and ambiguous bridge-building process between the two, trusting that there is coherence for me.
But in sending and receiving draft texts for Barbara Wheeler's forthcoming book over the superhighway, I have really come to appreciate that my own developmental/professional path is inextricably linked to Music Therapy. There is an International group of Music Therapists who I "grew up with". Many of these relationships began at the International Symposium on Music and Man at New York University in 1982 (Wheeler 2003). Most of these relationships have grown and matured in a deep way over the years. They may change in character. And they depend on project and place. But the nature of each of these relationships remains the same. And this kind of friendship/collegiality is what makes these collaborations so life-enriching.

There is also a new generation of music therapists who are now claiming their place in the literature. And of course, this is the generation who Barbara Wheeler's text will really serve. So, I have been sending my drafts out to the new generation too - some of the people I admire and respect, do not know so well, but realize that their eyes on my topics are extremely important if these works are to remain relevant and useful for the next 10 or 20 years. We don't know if Barbara Wheeler will want to publish a Third Edition of her book.
As caring professionals we will always have debates and disputes, which feed the growth of our discipline if we can conduct these debates in a respectful way. In order to build a social and academic discourse in our countries, our universities, our clinics, and our International gatherings, we have to build a "power" base. We must in some ways be "shaped" by the organizations and institutions where we work. Sometimes these shapings require us to take on institutional attributes so that we can work strategically for our causes. And, of course, institutions are designed like machines, not like human beings. We have to be so vigilant to continuously humanize them.
Sometimes we may be perceived as empire building or self-absorbed, or even ruthless in our attempts to be seen and heard and effective in these environments. Over the years, when I have started to feel rather judgmental of one of my Music Therapy colleagues, I try to remember two things. The first is the set of principles I have learned about what it takes to influence enduring social change. The second, and perhaps more precious is the elegance of our music therapy practice, which we share. This is our raison d'etre. This is the center of our professional lives. It is the clients we serve.
My approach to the task (of theory building) is reflective. My scholarship has informed me, but no more than my direct experience with clients. I have been influenced by powerful thoughts of eloquent scholars. I have attempted to finely tune my ability to discern categories. I have studied the major intellectual influences of our time and the historical contexts of movements of thought. I release them all. I surrender my thoughts to Debbie, Jack, Robyn, Maggie, Mable and many other patients and clients in my clinical work life. (Kenny)
I continue my practice in Music Therapy and try to always work with two clients, no matter how involved I become in academic work. The clinical work keeps my eyes in the right direction. I experience it as an opportunity to express my own nature and also as an opportunity to care for others in a special way.
My collaborators of choice are similar to me in this regard. They care. Once, a long time ago, one of my "collaborators of choice", someone who I value intensely as a human being and as a friend gave me a book entitled "On Caring" by Milton Mayeroff. Perhaps Mayerhoff says it best:
In caring for the other, in helping (her) grow, I actualize myself. The writer grows in caring for his ideas; the teacher grows in caring for his students; the parent grows in caring for his child. Or, put differently, by using powers like trust, understanding, courage, responsibility, devotion, and honesty I grow also; and I am able to bring such powers into play because my interest is focused on the other. (p. 30)
Collaboration works best under these conditions. And the group of Music Therapists who are contributing to the new Wheeler book care about clients and patients, the community of music therapy practitioners and researchers, their own collective identities, and the future. When this book is available, I think you will be most happy with the result!
References

Kenny, Carolyn B.(2003). Beyond This Point There Be Dragons:
Developing a General Theory in Music Therapy. Voices: A World forum for Music Therapy Retrieved Sept. 20,
2003, from http::www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40003000124.html

Mayerhoff, Milton (1971). On Caring. New York: Harper and Row.
Wheeler, Barbara L. (2003) First International Symposium on Music Therapy Training: A Retrospective Examination? Nordic Journal of Music Therapy 12(1), pp. 54-66.

How to cite this page

Kenny, Carolyn (2003) Collaboration is the Key. Voices Resources. Retrieved January 09, 2015, from http://testvoices.uib.no/community/?q=fortnightly-columns/2003-collaboration-key