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Updates from the Western Pacific Region!
Greetings from the Western Pacific Region. I am thrilled to bring you exciting news on the development of music therapy in Hong Kong.
Music therapy was first brought to Hong Kong in the early 1990s by Mr. Paul Pang. Together with 2 other music therapists, Ms Piera Lee and Ms Alice Kong, they established “The Hong Kong Music Therapy Association” (The HKMTA). It is currently the primary organizational agency for music therapy professionals in Hong Kong. It strives to promote, improve and advance the use of music therapy in clinical, educational and rehabilitation settings for the betterment of public health and
welfare in this metropolitan city.
For over 2 decades, locals have flown overseas to become trained and registered music therapists so that they can return home and offer the benefits of our work to the locals. The past decade has seen a sudden bloom in numbers of music therapists returning from different parts of the world to Hong Kong, and this has evidently enhanced the growth of our profession. One of the highlights in our recent development was the establishment of our very first “Masters of Music Therapy” program back in July 2017, offered collaboratively by The University of Melbourne and The Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE). With the gradual increase in demand for music therapy services and for a local professional music therapy training program, the generous and professional guidance and support of The University of Melbourne has made this step forward a possibility!
Furthermore, a team of local music therapists, aspired to enhance the advancement of music therapy in Asia, have come together in collaboration with the HKMTA, The University of Melbourne, and HKU SPACE to hold the very first international Music Therapy Conference in the history of Hong Kong from August 3-6, 2018. With the theme “Music · Healthcare · Diversity”, the conference focuses on exploring the diversity of our profession and how music works as therapy in various healthcare settings.
With Hong Kong being an international gateway into Asia, the conference aims to promote and create a presence for music therapy among locals and allied health professions, such as creative arts therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, nurses and doctors, clinical psychologists and teachers across major Asian countries, particularly in China, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, etc. The conference also offers a nurturing platform for valuable exchanges of information and experience among professionals in Asia for mutual learning and support.
The conference hosts an interesting blend of presentations and experiential workshops by internationally renowned overseas music therapists and local music therapists to offer participants a well rounded and comprehensive experience of our profession. Keynote and guest speakers for the conference include Alan Turry, Barbara Wheeler, Eleanor Richards, Katrina McFerran, and Leslie Bunt. For more information about the conference, please visit www.hkmtc2018.com. Come join us in August to celebrate and support the growth of music therapy in Hong Kong and in Asia!!!
If you have updates and news on the development of music therapy in your country within this region, and would like to share them with us, please do not hesitate to contact me for possible mention in future blogs at westernpacific@wfmt.info.
Vivian Chan, MMT, MTA, MT-BC
WFMT Regional Liaison, Western Pacific Region
