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Jeanette Milford
Regional Liaison for Australia/New Zealand
Contact: australianewzealand@wfmt.info[/caption]
It is indeed a privilege to be invited to continue the great work of Anja Tait who was the inaugural Australia/ New Zealand regional liaison for WFMT. Thanks and congratulations to Anja for her achievements, including leading the working group which revised the WFMT definition of music therapy.
I have heard glowing reports of the World Congress in Seoul from our region. Anja described an intellectually stimulating conference with dazzling music, dance and theatre performances introducing the cultural heritage with a contemporary fusion of old and new creative practices. She and other Northern Territory music therapists stayed with their children in a traditional guest house and enjoyed immersing themselves in local culture, from supermarkets and subways to temples and girl scouts!
Dr. Daphne Rickson, (President of Music Therapy New Zealand) was also impressed by the friendly hospitality and professionalism of the first Asian World Congress. Music therapy is developing strongly in Korea and the conference attracted 1400 delegates from over 45 countries. Daphne shares the rich diversity of congress experiences and her personal highlights in the October 2011Must Newsletter atwww.musictherapy.org.nz
The NZ newsletter also updates us on the continuing stress and trauma in Christchurch, a region which has reverberated with more than 8,000 earthquakes in the past year! Damaged buildings and relocation has disrupted the work of Christchurch music therapists who have appreciated the many offers of support from their colleagues, including petrol vouchers and a ‘Singing for the Spirit’ workshop donated by the New Zealand School of Music.
This school is hosting a music therapy conference in Wellington in November with Professor Denise Grocke and Assoc Prof Deborah Fraser as keynote speakers. The conference is titled "Performing and Enquiring" and reflects the strengths of NZ practitioners in diverse areas of music therapy and special education in particular.
It certainly seems to have been conference season, with the ecology of music therapy being the focus of the AMTA national conference in Queensland in September. Speakers highlighted the social and organisational contexts in which we work, in particular the importance of music therapy research and practice with families of vulnerable clients.
At the AGM, Louise Miles completed her 5 years of excellent leadership of the Australian Music Therapy Association and handed over the reigns to Dr Felicity Baker. We are confident that the sound financial position of AMTA will assist us in needed developments to our website, professional standing and publications. Have a look at our great new brochures onhttp://www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au/case-studies
As the long hot days of summer holidays and the frenzy of Christmas approaches us in this region, we think of our music therapy colleagues and communities around the globe and wish you all joy and peace for the festive season and New Year.
Jeanette Milford
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