Music Therapy in a Multicultural Context

There has never been a more important time to consider multicultural perspectives within the practice and discipline of music therapy. The interconnectedness of the world is abundantly clear, as is our task of paying respect to diversity rather than tolerating it. This book provides a beacon for action, grounded in practice examples, with questions and prompts to reflect on why we do what we do with diverse people in different contexts. -- Prof Katrina Skewes McFerran, The University of Melbourne, Australia Cultural practices unite and divide us, and participation in intercultural communication is at the heart of what music therapy is about. The chapters of this stimulating book illuminate how processes of bridging cultural differences involve awareness, active listening, humility, and creativity. -- Brynjulf Stige, Professor of Music Therapy, the Grieg Academy, University of Bergen, Norway This handbook overall offers unique and much-needed information for clinicians, educators, and students alike. The chapters address a variety of indispensable topics related to the individuals served within music therapy, with the intention of allowing readers to examine their own backgrounds, biases, and perspectives. The handbook style of the book provides an added element of usability, with key resources for educators to facilitate discussion, critical analysis, and synthesis of the topics presented in the book. Likewise, the information can be easily understood and transferred by clinicians with the multiple case examples presented. The book helps to advance the profession of music therapy by bringing to light relevant and necessary content related to multicultural needs and how to incorporate this lens into clinical practice. -- Adrienne C. Steiner, PhD, MT-BC * Dialogues in Music Therapy Education *