1st Edition
Where Music Helps: Community Music Therapy in Action and Reflection
This book explores how people may use music in ways that are helpful for them, especially in relation to a sense of wellbeing, belonging and participation. The central premise for the study is that help is not a decontextualized effect that music produces. The book contributes to the current discourse on music, culture and society and it is developed in dialogue with related areas of study, such as music sociology, ethnomusicology, community psychology and health promotion. Where Music Helps describes the emerging movement that has been labelled Community Music Therapy, and it presents ethnographically informed case studies of eight music projects (localized in England, Israel, Norway, and South Africa). The various chapters of the book portray "music's help" in action within a broad range of contexts; with individuals, groups and communities - all of whom have been challenged by illness or disability, social and cultural disadvantage or injustice. Music and musicing has helped these people find their voice (literally and metaphorically); to be welcomed and to welcome, to be accepted and to accept, to be together in different and better ways, to project alternative messages about themselves or their community and to connect with others beyond their immediate environment. The overriding theme that is explored is how music comes to afford things in concert with its environments, which may suggest a way of accounting for the role of music in music therapy without reducing music to a secondary role in relation to the "therapeutic," that is, being "just" a symbol of psychological states, a stimulus, or a text reflecting socio-cultural content.
Biography
Brynjulf Stige, PhD, is Professor in Music Therapy at the University of Bergen and Head of Research at GAMUT, The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, Uni Health. Gary Ansdell, PhD, is Director of Education at Nordoff-Robbins, UK and Co-Director of the MA in Music Therapy (Community Music Therapy / Nordoff-Robbins). Cochavit Elefant, PhD is Associate Professor in Music Therapy at the University of Bergen. Mercédès Pavlicevic, PhD, is Director of Research at Nordoff-Robbins, UK and Associate Professor in Music Therapy at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. .
'This remarkable book, which describes results from an international, multi-sited study of community music therapy, conceptualizes music therapy as social action and as interaction in particular contexts. The eight case studies it presents show us that, far from being like a drug, music’s healing powers emerge from within communities of practice. Where Music Helps shows us where and how music offers us ways of making environments hospitable, often under the deceptively simple rubric of having fun.' Tia DeNora, Professor of Sociology of Music, University of Exeter, UK ’... an enjoyable read... A valuable resource in sociology, education, and community-service studies, as well as music... highly recommended.’ Choice '... single situations are described in the book with which the reader can feel touched by and can share this special CoMT experience and results. In a unique way this book brings together practice and theory. It is highly recommended for music therapy clinicians, researchers and students.' Approaches
