An Introduction

By Denise Grocke, President, World Federation of Music Therapy

The concept of an International Music Therapy Journal has been incubating for many years. One of the most important initiatives in the development of international discourse was the Music Therapy International Report, a publication of the former American Association of Music Therapy that was published each year from 1983-1996. This publication was an integral part of the emerging global music therapy scene, and each edition brought the world of music therapy closer together.

At the World Congress in Washington (1999), a further initiative was established by those attending a meeting of Editors of Music Therapy Journals. It was noted that national music therapy journals have the potential to create a cultural identity for music therapy in that respective country. However, the global purposes of music therapy needed to be met as well, to enable cross-cultural fertilization of ideas and meaningful debate in this creative field.

The concept of the electronic journal is an exciting one. Through electronic communication music therapists all over the world can have a more direct and immediate access to information than via the printed media. In addition, the journal sets out to represent the six major regions of the world by creating an active and involved Editorial Board composed of leading music therapists, one from each region. The intention is for dialogue and debate through articles and discussion formats. This will potentially create a network of ideas rather than a linear representation of ideas. It will create a vehicle for music therapists to be connected rather than isolated, and it will strengthen ties between music therapists throughout the world, and thereby strengthen our understanding of the cultural similarity and diversity of music therapy.

The World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) offers its support for this project, in that WFMT also strives to unify the field of music therapy through dissemination of information, and secondly through periodic meetings in the form of world congresses.

Electronic communication is fast, immediate and easily accessed, and the world congresses allow face-to-face contact. Together these two means of communication can enhance the alliance of music therapists throughout the world, by stimulating dialogue and debate and by creating a vital world music therapy body.

On behalf of the WFMT I congratulate Brynjulf Stige and Carolyn Kenny on this initiative and look forward to reading this first edition.