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I asked Flossie Ierardi to write about the Global Perspectives Session that occurs each year at the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Conference. This is a unique time devoted to hearing about what music therapists are doing around the world. It is a fun way to access a lot of information since presentations are generally limited to 8 minutes.Flossie is the chair of AMTA’s International Relations Committee. She and committee member, Melody Schwantes, wrote the following description to share with us. Thank you, Flossie and Melody!Dr. Anita L. Gadberry, MT-BCUSAWFMT Regional Liaison, North AmericaSince 2011, the International Relations Committee of the American Music Therapy Association has offered the Global Perspectives Session at the AMTA national conference, highlighting international music therapy activity. The initial poster session supplemented the International Networking Lunch and has been followed annually by a combined session of PowerPoint presentations and networking time, generously sponsored for 3 consecutive years by the Southeastern Region of AMTA. Presentations have included service projects, exchanges with academic programs, introductory education about music therapy, and responses to natural disasters. Important annual contributions have been made by WFMT with information about the World Congress, the Canadian Association for Music Therapy, Latin American Music Therapy Symposium, and the Online Conference for Music Therapy. The program has been shared each year by students and professionals presenting a total of 35 innovative and diverse projects.Academic exchanges and service projects have included: South Korea and Japan (2011, Soo-Jin Kwoun, Maryville University), Guatemala (2011, Cynthia Briggs, Maryville University), Thailand (2011, Dena Register, University of Kansas), Haiti (2012, Elizabeth York, Converse College), Connecting Music Therapy Students and Professors around the Globe (2012, Anita Gadberry, Marywood University), Transatlantic Bridges in Music Therapy (2012, Karen Miller, Sam Houston State University), rural Malawi (2014, Trish Winter, Radford University), and frequent student presentations describing the Jamaica Field Service Project. A 2015 offering related to academic work was from Seung-A Kim at Molloy College: Supporting the Transition for Music Therapy Education and Training in the US for International Students.Music therapy response within disaster relief has also been of interest. In 2011, Gene Ann Behrens represented WFMT with Global Crises Interventions. This was followed in 2012 by presentations about work in Haiti and in disaster-stricken areas of Japan. In 2013, Elizabeth York again spoke about use of the arts in Haiti, a combined art therapy and music therapy project from Converse College. Zhou Shibin gave a moving presentation in 2013 about music therapy after the earthquake in China. In addition to mass trauma, the service projects listed above demonstrate music therapists’ interest in the ongoing trauma experienced by those living in poverty. Such projects supported by academic programs also demonstrate recognition by faculty of the importance of service learning in the education of music therapists.Presenters have brought music therapy education to other countries, such as Japan and Bali (Michael and Sue Rohrbacher), Trinidad and Tobago (Jean Raabe), and Sweden (Anna Andersson). WFMT has been a constant and crucial presence in Global Perspectives Sessions. One of the tasks of the International Relations Committee is to share information about international conferences with the membership; previews and reviews of the World Congress are vital contributions each year.Another of the committee’s tasks is to share information about the global impact of music therapy. Attendance at the Global Perspectives Session has grown each year, and AMTA has supported our efforts to welcome international guests to the conference. We look forward to a new group of inspiring presentations at Global Perspectives 2016!!
