Introduction to the Interview for the VIII World Congress of Music Therapy
By Barbara L. Wheeler
- 1st International Music Therapy Congress, Paris 1974.
- 2nd World Congress of Music Therapy , Buenos Aires 1976.
- 3rd World Scientific Congress of Music Therapy , Puerto Rico 1981.
- 4th World Congresses of Music Therapy, Paris, 1983.
- 5th World Congresses of Music Therapy, Genoa, 1985.
- 6th World Congresses of Music Therapy, Rio De Janeiro, 1990.
- 7th World Congresses of Music Therapy, Vitoria Gasteiz, 1993.
The Series of Interviews on World Congresses of Music Therapy
I am pleased to share several interviews about the VIII World Congress of Music Therapy, which was held in Hamburg, Germany, in 1996. Prof. Dr. Hans-Helmut Decker-Voigt, Chair of the Congress, shares some of his memories and thoughts about the congress, as does Henk Smeijsters, Chair of the International Scientific Board. We also have an interview with Tony Wigram, who was elected as WFMT President and assumed office at this congress. A number of participants also share their memories, both professional and personal, and several have included papers that they presented at the congress. We also have pictures to help people who attended to remember the congress and help those who were not there to visualize what it was like.
As people prepare to attend the XIII (13th) World Congress of Music Therapy, to be held July 5-9 in Seoul, South Korea, this series is a reminder of the now long tradition of World Congresses of Music Therapy. It is clear that they have had and continue to have an impact on music therapists and music therapy.
As we finalize this interview series on the Hamburg World Congress, Tony Wigram has just passed away after a difficult illness. I am reminded by his presence in both the interview as a past WFMT president and in so many of the pictures—always in a fun-loving and supportive role—of the enormous impact of Tony's vision, enthusiasm, and spirit on music therapy worldwide. His influence will be felt for a long time, if not forever, as music therapy continues to develop around the world.
