[Voices: Editorial]

All of the Time, For a Very Long Time: Our thanks to Barbara Wheeler

By Carolyn Kenny & Brynjulf Stige

In a lifetime of professional work, one might acquire a handful of colleagues who are completely reliable ALL of the time. One might be able to rely on a few some of the time. But rare is the person who always steps up to the job at hand and in the process also does the highest imaginable quality of work. Yes, we’re describing Professor Barbara Wheeler. Most Music Therapists in the United States know her and a very large percentage of our Music Therapy colleagues around the world know her, too.

Barbara has been dedicated to the field of Music Therapy for many years. Carolyn first met her in 1979 at Southern Methodist University at a symposium sponsored by Charles Eagle and William Sears. Brynjulf first met her in 1998 at the symposium for qualitative music therapy research that Mechtild Langenberg organized in Berlin that year. We are both very grateful for the years of friendship and collaboration with Barbara.

Barbara Wheeler has served many leadership roles in our American and International associations, contributed a plethora of articles and books to our Music Therapy literature, served as a professor in Music Therapy programs at several universities, and luckily, served in several roles for Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, since the inception in 2001.

This past year, Barbara retired from her position at the University of Louisville, and after twelve years, also retired from her position on Voices. During this time, she has worked tirelessly to produce a host of important discussions and interviews, including a series of the World Congresses of Music Therapy, in which she gathered memories from congress participants and crafted them into collective interview texts.

Now we might find Barbara walking her dogs on the Jersey shore and enjoying a well-deserved retirement! But not always. . . she is still producing books, chapters in books, and conducting seminars in international Music Therapy settings. However, she will be sorely missed on our Voices staff!

Barbara, words cannot express our gratitude for your dedication, your vision, and your exceptional work from the very beginning of Voices. You have helped to shape the very texture of this publication. And you have left and exceptional legacy through your contributions.

As Barbara exits her role on Voices, we are happy to welcome a new staff member to the Interview Section, Professor Seung-A Kim. She is a professor in the Music Therapy Program at Malloy College and has a special interest in Multicultural issues. Seung-A will be joining Leslie Bunt and Krzysztof Stachyra as Co-editor for the Interviews in Voices. Welcome, welcome Seung-A. We are very happy that you have decided to join our Voices staff! And we look forward to a long and productive collaboration.