Community, Connection, and the Essential Role of Music Therapy

At the time of writing this editorial, Hurricane Helene has devasted the southeastern part of the United States and Florida is bracing for Hurricane Milton. I (Kimberly) have now lived in South Florida for almost 11 years. During this time, I have lived through two hurricanes (Irma in 2017 and Ian in 2022) and multiple tropical storms. I can now add both Helene and Milton to that list.

Despite the stress, uncertainty, and potential for trauma associated with living through events like a hurricane, there are some reassuring, even lovely, moments. These typically center on the support and care we feel from our communities. I am experiencing this now with the texts and DMs I am receiving from family and friends around the world. And it is something I have experienced before. For example, we lost power for many days as a result of Hurricane Ian. I will always remember the neighbor who came around each morning with a carafe of coffee and disposable cups as we cleared debris, as well as the colleague who brought dinner after a day spent tearing out wet carpet and drywall from the flooded condo of a family member.

This type of support and care is reflected in the second article in this issue, a quasi-experimental study conducted by Gvili and Bodner. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic they recognized a need to support older adults, particularly in light of the separation they felt from society and within their families, and how that was impacting their will to live. The authors developed an intergenerational telehealth music therapy group intervention for 44 pairs of grandparents and their grandchildren. Following eight weeks of these sessions, the grandparents reported increases in their will to live and how meaningful they felt their lives to be. These findings, and the fact that there was persistent attendance from all participants across all eight weeks of implementation, led the researchers to conclude that this intervention seemed to create a sense of community around music making and listening.

The other articles in this issue focus on different aspects of understanding the profession of music therapy. The first centers on a critical inquiry of what “musicianship” means in a music therapy context. Matney and colleagues undergo a philosophical exploration of the music training that has historically been provided in music therapy education and clinical training programs in the United States, which have largely centered on the conservatory model and Western classical traditions. They challenge this model and argue that we as a profession need to reconceptualize music therapy musicianship, with a recognition of the necessity of cultivating and training the unique musicality, musical identity, and musicking involved in effective music therapy practice.

The third article in this issue, written by Kantor and colleagues, reports findings from a cross-sectional survey of music therapists in five European countries and Israel, with an aim toward exploring their levels of job satisfaction and factors that contribute to this satisfaction. Despite some challenges associated with, for example, the perceived status of music therapy in their country, survey respondents reported feeling satisfied overall with their jobs. This study provides important preliminary information about the status of music therapy as a profession in a European and Middle Eastern context, with suggestions for what to focus on to move the profession forward in these countries.

The current issue ends with an article that re-focuses on music therapy practice in the United States, specifically in the area of working with autistic individuals. Whipple and Schwartzberg conducted an integrative review of approaches and music interventions used by music therapists who work with autistic individuals, with a specific perspective on comparing their findings to how studies are analyzed by the National Autism Center and National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice. The National Autism Center and National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice both serve as a type of gatekeeper organization; they publish best practice approaches for working with autistic individuals and the information they publish is used by state agencies and funding organizations to help determine what is considered evidence-based practice. Findings from this integrative review highlight inconsistencies in how music therapy is defined, which can contribute to a misunderstanding of the profession and its impact in this area of practice, as well as gaps in the research literature. The authors end by highlighting considerations for music therapy clinicians and scholars to help close these gaps.

We hope the manuscripts in this issue will provide you with points to ponder on themes of community, the use of music therapy, and the ways we reflect on various aspects of our profession. Although we continue to move forward with the work of the JMT, we would like to pause to acknowledge the difficulties that many individuals in our communities face, from the devastation of natural disasters to the impact of conflicts, and the challenge of navigating uncertain times. As a community of individuals dedicated to fostering connection and offering spaces for release, reprieve, expression, reassurance, and even those “lovely moments,” we are reminded of the essential role that music therapists can play in bringing comfort and resilience to those in need.

Take care.

Kimberly and Blythe