I have always been passionate about my work and research in stroke rehabilitation but never truly understood where this stemmed from. Drawing upon accessible music making, my PhD research developed and trialed a novel approach for post-stroke rehabilitation: an intervention created to simultaneously address arm/hand function and well-being outcomes. The focus of the research was to empower stroke survivors with limited to no movement in their arm/hand, as this subset of survivors are generally overlooked by the medical system (due to a projected poor prognosis of recovery). In 2020, during my engagement with the PhD research, the Black Lives Matter movement was reignited in response to the death of George Floyd. As a Woman of Colour, this movement deeply impacted me and led to reflection about my personal experiences of adversity. Through deep reflection, I started to understand the impact of my adverse experiences on my passion for advocacy in stroke rehabilitation. This paper explores the impact of my complex identity on my current approach to music therapy research and advocacy in stroke rehabilitation. Positioning myself as an Australian of Indian origin, I share personal reflections about my journey to research with the intent of highlighting the importance of visibility and change in music therapy research and practice.
It is necessary to recognise that this paper was written on the lands of the Eora Nation. I would therefore like to acknowledge the Gweagal, Bidjigal and Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Positioning myself as an Australian of Indian origin, I recognise that I have personally benefitted from the colonisation of this country and its rightful custodians. This is a heavy reality that I must consciously reflect upon, especially as a PhD graduate researcher affiliated with a tertiary institution. It is therefore necessary for me to acknowledge the opportunities that I have been afforded over the course of my life. With these opportunities come the immense gratitude that my family and I have to the traditional custodians of the land; we are grateful for our life on this land and, as a result, our opportunity for accessing education and healthcare. However, along with our feelings of gratitude, we continue to experience ongoing racialized adversity.
The fundamental notion of this paper was conceived as a direct response to the
widespread media coverage of the reignited Black Lives Matter protests of 2020,
following the death of George Floyd. Whilst I acknowledge that I will never understand
the hardships faced by those central to this movement, both in Australia and overseas,
it led me to more deeply reflect upon my own adverse experiences as a Person of
Colour…more specifically, as a
It is important for me to make clear that the intent of this reflective piece is to
highlight the importance of education, advocacy, and change within the profession of
music therapy. With this in mind, I have purposefully chosen to redefine my adverse
encounters in an attempt to rewrite the narrative and therefore take the power back. And
so, this paper will explore my life-long experience with societal assumptions (“Do you
speak
Assumptions are a part of our very existence. Historically, such thought patterns played
a role in humankind’s protection of the self, specifically in relation to the
identification of danger in the environment (
In reviewing the literature surrounding unconscious bias, there is much discussion about
its unintentional nature (
Within the context of my clinical work and research, I have been subject to untrue
assumptions by peers, colleagues and patients
Music therapy courses all over the world foster the development of the students’ clinical skills through the use of scenarios and case studies. Predominantly centred around the patients, the family/caregivers and the treating team, this approach to learning is beneficial to the student music therapist as it helps them to gain confidence in working with the various networks and thus different aspects of their work. However, this approach is also missing a central element: the therapist’s unique identity. Even though our role as music therapists is centred around our patients, we need to remember that we are people too…many of whom have incredibly complex identities. Take me for example: my identity encompasses both historical colonisation (Goa, India) and immigration (Sydney, Australia).
In considering my complex identity, I wanted to learn more about the history of music
As a minority profession within the medical model, assumptions are often made about what music therapy entails. It seems that many hospital-based music therapists work hard to explain what we do so that our profession may become identified as equal to that of the other disciplines. In striving toward greater music therapy understanding and access in this setting, we make an effort to attend more team meetings and push for collaboration. In doing so, we are able to challenge and potentially change the incorrect assumptions made about the profession of music therapy in the hospital context…And so I ask you this: if we are already equipped with the capacity and thus mindset to challenge untrue assumptions about the profession of music therapy, then why not channel this skill by taking a stand against the biases experienced by our fellow music therapists who experience adversity? This can be your small step toward social change.
Up until recently, I had not consciously considered that the colour of my skin had certain implications in the modern world. Without even realising, I started to ask myself: “why was my experience of the world so different to my Caucasian counterparts?” In an attempt to make sense of it all, I decided to share these thoughts with my close friends and family. In doing so, I started to feel validated and understood. Through the process of sharing and reflecting upon our adverse experiences as People of Colour, we became unified: we each possessed the all-to-familiar feelings that were directly related to racialized bias.
Through my brown skin and big dark brown eyes, I have been told that my cultural
heritage has been somewhat
Even though discrimination had a presence in the context of my personal life, I never
felt equipped to respond to it in the context of my work as a music therapist. During
these moments, I would either try to awkwardly laugh it off or pretend it never
happened, and in doing so, somewhat validate the instigator. In my mind, this was the
only way forward for me—this was the only way for the inappropriate moment to conclude
so that I could do my work as a music therapist. Over time, I started to realise that
the more subtle encounters of discrimination came in the form of my opinions, knowledge
and clinical experience being overlooked. In challenging why this was the case to those
more senior, my being overlooked often became
As music therapists, we tend to look deeper than the
Them: Where are you from?
Me: Australia.
Them: …
Me: I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia.
Me: Oh…do you mean my cultural background?
Me: Oh. My parents are from India.
Them: I thought so!
My sense of curiosity seems to now extend whenever my place of origin is questioned. Though the posing of this question fills me with discomfort, my inner self wants to learn why it is so frequently asked. With this in mind, the inclusion of the term “really” is worth dissecting further. In asking someone where they are really from, assumptions are made. In asking someone where they are really from, judgements are made. In asking someone where they are really from, a person’s sense of self is being questioned. Even though we know that this question is based upon the unconscious bias of an individual, the fact that many people constantly ask this question to People of Colour highlights that it is a pervasive issue. Though my response to this interrogative question is generally consistent (as above), the overwhelming confusion of being perceived as untruthful is consuming: if I respond by identifying that I am from Australia, what warrants further questioning? After much consideration, the only possible explanation seems to (once again) be in relation to the colour of my skin. The fact that I speak the national language (English) with an accent that is somewhat typical of the nation seems to (once again) be overlooked.
In returning to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, to “overlook” is “to fail to see or
notice something” (
The first step toward discovery was to look within. In considering the origins of my
researcher self, and thus where these motivations were
Looking back in history, I have now learnt about the presence and impact of colonisation
in India. From the years 1858 to 1947, India was under the direct rule of the British
(“The British Raj”). Though the documented intention of this rule was to increase Indian
participation in governance, it dismissed the voice of the Indian citizens and, as a
result, led to a national independent movement to reclaim the country (
When I think about the stroke survivors who have been part of my research, I can’t help but consider the impact of their intersectional identities within the context of the medical system. Those who were central to my PhD research had limited to no functional movement in their arm/hand. Through discussions with clinicians working in this area, I started to learn that this subset of stroke survivors are generally overlooked by the system as a result of the intersections of their age, level of active movement (in the arm/hand), and time since their stroke onset. The alarming reality is that if a stroke survivor has limited to no active movement in their arm/hand, if they are older, and if it has been quite some time since the onset of their stroke, they do not receive as much care and attention for the recovery of their movement in comparison to someone who is younger, has more active movement, and has had a more recent stroke onset.
Upon reflection, I now feel as though my lived experiences of adversity led to my growing passion for advocacy in stroke rehabilitation. In understanding what it is like to be overlooked by society, I feel driven to instigate change for others. As therapists, it is important to use our voices to empower and thus advocate for the people we work with, especially if they too are being overlooked by the system. And so, I now believe that my adverse experiences are my strength and superpower in approaching music therapy research and practice: it is through these moments of adversity that I have become who I am today.
Since commencing my PhD research, I have noticed a change in the way that others in the medical field engage with me. The same people who seemed to overlook my contributions now listen with open ears. The title of “PhD Graduate Researcher” (if it is even a title) has now afforded me a sense of visibility within the wider medical field. In working hard to be seen, I have consciously chosen to draw upon my adverse experiences to advocate for both the patients that I work with and my fellow music therapy colleagues who experience adversity. Now visible, I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that others too are seen and heard. As music therapists, we are able to draw upon our unique knowledge and skill-set to give space to our patients’ unique “voices”, whether this be in a musical or verbal manner…And so I ask you: if we are already equipped with the capacity and thus mindset to creatively advocate for the unique voice of our patients, then why not channel this skill into taking the time to learn from the unique stories of our fellow music therapists who experience adversity? This can be your small step toward social change.
Music therapists are great collaborators. Many of us collaborate with other disciplines to advocate for the people we work with and, in doing so, the profession of music therapy. The intervention that was created as part of my PhD research encapsulates just that: this intervention combines music therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy approaches to advocate for stroke survivors with very limited arm/hand function. It is through this collaborative approach that I have made stronger connections with other disciplines, which have resulted in more music therapy advocacy opportunities.
Working within a strengths-based model, we, as music therapists, see the person for who
they are: the person behind the condition. We draw upon their strengths to drive the
therapeutic process. So, if one of our strengths, as music therapists, is in
collaboration, then why not follow this model in combatting racialized bias in the
profession? This time, instead of collaborating with other disciplines,
In order to recognise the complexities faced by many music therapists all over the world, we need to unite. Based on my experiences alone, I would like you, the reader, to consider how you can start to:
Actively collaborate with your music therapy colleagues who identify as Indigenous, Black, and/or People of Colour
Actively dialogue about the issues related to racialized bias
Actively expand your understanding of cultural competency
Actively encourage clinical placement supervisors to extend their understanding of potential cultural differences with student music therapists
Actively recognise the significance of music in other cultures, as part of our music therapy training
Actively learn how to stand up to biases for our colleagues who experience adversity
The year 2020 presented circumstances that forced the world to think more consciously
about the systemic nature of racialized biases. We took the time to learn how to
unlearn. We marched as one to push the urgency of social change. We paused, reflected
and gave space to others…and now, on some level, we know that the only way forward is
through change. The fact that many of these thoughts and reflections are not unique to
me warrants a call to action for us as a music therapy community to more actively
instigate changes at a systemic level. Given that many music therapists, such as myself,
experience adversity as part of our professional roles, we do not have the luxury to
separate or compartmentalise the burden of complexity that we are left with. Therefore,
we must unite together, on all fronts, because “…to think that we can keep our
professional roles separate from the political is to come from a position of privilege
in our society” (
Tanya Marie Silveira is a Registered Music Therapist and PhD Graduate Researcher based in Sydney, Australia. Tanya's PhD research examines how accessible music-making can impact the hand function and wellbeing of stroke survivors. In 2019, Tanya was invited to speak about her PhD research at the inaugural TEDxNewtown event. Over the years, Tanya has presented internationally and nationally on her research and clinical work. Her publications can be found in academic journals and books. Tanya has also established multiple ongoing music therapy programs in Australia and India. Identifying as an Australian of Indian origin, Tanya is now working hard to advocate for the importance of visibility and representation in music therapy.
I have purposefully used the term ‘patients’ as I work predominantly within the Medical setting