Let's Talk Music - A Model for Enhancing Intercultural Communication: Trying to Understand Why and How Music Helps

Authors

  • Avi Gilboa Bar-Ilan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v16i1.819

Keywords:

musical identity, music therapy, musical group work, conflict resolution, identity issues

Abstract

This article presents the Let's talk music model, in which people from different cultural backgrounds work in a group setting to address and resolve cultural and identity conflicts. The model is based on musical activities and the goal of this article is to understand why and how music helps to promote this cause. To do this, a careful analysis of the components of "musical identity" was conducted (My music, My culture's music, Other's music I do not like, and Other's music I do not know) and thereafter ways by which music was used to bridge the musical identities of people from different (sometimes opposing) backgrounds were found. The Let's talk music model is then described and examples are given to show how this model enables the interplay within the components of one's musical identity and between the musical identities of different people. It is shown that this interplay eventually enables Let's talk music participants to gain a more developed, more tolerant identity. The article concludes with remarks on the importance of such processes to enable a better society.

Author Biography

Avi Gilboa, Bar-Ilan University

Dr. Avi Gilboa is senior lecturer at the music department in Bar-Ilan University. He is a music therapist with clinical experience working with children with various disabilities. He initiated, developed, and implemented the Let's talk music model, which is intended to enhance intercultural communication. He is currently the head of the Music Therapy Program at the Haredi College of Jerusalem, and a lecturer at the Music Therapy Program at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. His fields of research include music therapy, social aspects of music, and musical development.

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Published

2016-02-09

How to Cite

Gilboa, A. (2016). Let’s Talk Music - A Model for Enhancing Intercultural Communication: Trying to Understand Why and How Music Helps. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v16i1.819

Issue

Section

Research