Queer theory foregoes the fixity and steadiness of cut-and-dry labels, of clarity and certainty. Instead, we understand queer theory as begging of us to embrace the complexities and becoming-ness of human existence—to sit within river deltas,

where the river meets the ocean or a larger body of water,

where the water slows down, almost stagnant, to deposit sediments that cannot be carried on,

where some of the most fertile lands exist with some of the most diverse vegetation,

where growth is plentiful and change is as constant as the ever-flowing water.

Alongside the beauty of queer theory as the water in a river delta, queer theory also calls for a violent dismantling of rigid identity categories – establishing space where this water might rush in to shatter normative understandings of the glass houses we all live in. This is where we can contest hegemony – because, perhaps, we should throw stones.

One answer might be that we – as music therapists, educators, and students—slow down our clinical, educational, and research practices to enter the fertile waters of our own 'river deltas,' to examine the in-between's and both/and's of our work, and also that which expands beyond, moves outside of, circles around, and goes through. This is where we notice the psychic effects of norms that maintain power hierarchies, spreading like mist through our understandings of ourselves and our self-other relations, permeating the atmosphere almost invisibly. It is, perhaps, here – as we sit within the dirt, noticing the ways it creates a mess of what we know – where we are able to grow and expand.

In this special issue, this question is deeply considered in a wide variety of ways. Vee Gilman Fansler, Ashley Taylor, Freddy Perkins, ezequiel bautista, Rachel Reed, and Susan Hadley explore a queering pedagogy through examining borders within music therapy education, referencing Gloria Anzaldúa’s theory of borderlands. Sue Baines, Judah Pereira, Jennyfer Hatch, and Jane Edwards reflect on and reveal heteronormative and cisnormative values in music therapy education, advancing ways to make classroom and practicum settings a safer and exploring space. Maren Metell explores the overlaps of queer theory and disability studies and ideas of neuroqueering, specifically considering the language that is often used to describe disabled children and their families. Guro Klyve presents the topic of epistemic injustice and the overlaps of feminist theory and queer theory within music therapy, particularly considering children and patients in mental healthcare. Simon Gilbertson deeply presents his own thought processes and ideas related to the Queer Nervous non-System and queering our sensibilities as music therapists. Julia Fent explores the queering potential of improvisation, in particular considering Julia Kristeva’s ideas of the semiotic/symbolic and queer theory. Brian Harris considers musical engagement and the possibilities for intentionally queering the psychotherapeutic relationship through intersubjectivity and disclosure. Elly Scrine presents a conceptualization of songwriting with youth to explore gender and sexuality as an ‘after-queer’ approach, informed by their Ph.D. work. Spencer Hardy and Juniper Monypenny explore instances of queering within a community program for trans, nonbinary, and gender creative youth. Maevon Gumble presents on the ways that queer theories have served as a foundation for the gender affirming voicework method that they continue to develop. Colin Andrew Lee explores his identity as a queer music therapist through queer autoethnography, specifically through piano improvisations and poetry. Importantly, a time-sensitive interactive space has been created that provides you the reader/listener/perceiver/interactor with the opportunity to creatively respond to Colin’s work. This space can be found here https://padlet.com/queeringMT/interactive, where you’ll be able to upload creative content up until February 28th, 2020, when the space will be archived.

To queer the finality of publications and acknowledge the fluidity of our identities over time, we welcome communication regarding name changes (or other identifiers such as gender pronouns, sexuality, etc.) within these papers (authorship, references, etc.) and bios by emailing us at mailto:bain.gumble@gmail.com. After communicating with the copyediting and production team, this offer is also being extended to any other papers in other issues of Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy.

We want to thank all of the contributors to this special issue, including the authors, reviewers, copyediting and production team, and the mentors that supported us throughout this inquiry. Being editors was, at times, challenging for us. Holding that position of power felt antithetical to what queer theory calls for. It came with the ability to moderate this discourse in ways that might uphold dominant ideologies of knowledge production. We’ve appreciated the ways that everyone involved in this process, from authors all the way to the production team, were willing to engage in substantial, productive, but at times, painful critique. There were multiple submissions that, although they would be strong contributions to the literature on LGBTQ+ issues in music therapy, did not sufficiently engage with queer theory literature outside of music therapy and were thus not a fit for what this special issue was calling for. We appreciate the efforts of these authors and hope to see them in publication here or elsewhere in the future.

Thank you for queering music therapy with us, as we sit in the discomfort of the deltas and the dirt—throwing stones at the glass castles of research, academia, and practice that uphold rigid, pathologizing, and hierarchical notions of identity. This special issue is rich with important explorations of queer theory and the field of music therapy. This richness goes to show that there are many ways to consider acts of 'queering' within this profession and even more to be realized and further explored.