Dear Students

Welcome tothe student section of the World Federation of Music Therapy website!

We believe you are avaluable and essential component of our organization, as you are the next generation of professionals and leaders in the field of music therapy.

Under the direction of Dr. Petra Kern, WFMT President 2008-2011, the WFMT for Students section of the website was developed in 2009. Responding to student feedback, three ongoing projects were initiated: Window to the World, Info Cards, and Student Connect. Dr. Kern and her team also created the first World Congress of Music Therapy Scholarship for Students, which continues to be awarded ahead of each World Congress.

Two new student membership categories were also developed to promote engagement with the organization – Student Organizational Membership and Student Individual Membership – the latter for students who do not have student organizations in their countries or who wish to connect directly to the WFMT.Under the guidance of Dr. Kern and Ms. Rose Fienman, Executive Assistant 2010-2011, the World Federation of Music Therapy Assembly of Student Delegates (WFMT ASD) was established in 2011 to improve student involvement in the WFMT. With the ASD, our intention isto enhance students’ knowledge of the profession; to provide a forum for international student activities; to facilitate the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and opinions; and to assist in preparing responsible, politically aware, and skillful leadership of WFMT. The inaugural Assembly served 2011-2014, overseeing several projects, including development of student resource videos, creation of a student contact network, and organization of ASD-hosted World Congress events.

During the following term, the 2014-2017 ASD prepared numerous events for the 2017 World Congress of Music Therapy and maintained connections with students around the globe. Finally, the 2017-2020 WFMT ASD further expanded ASD projects to include a Global Classroom series, as well as worked to develop a more present online community through our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/2441473419412119). They also hosted student events at the first online World Congress of Music Therapy in 2020. The most recent ASD continued these projects and facilitated student events at the 2023 Congress in Vancouver, Canada.
The current ASD (2023-2026) looks forward to expanding our projects and resources to enhance your professional development and to strengthen your connection to the WFMT.

As the WFMT Executive Assistant, I function as the liaison between the WFMT Council and the Assembly of Student Delegates. Please feel free to contact the student representative in your region, the Executive Assistant (assistant@wfmt.info), or any Council member if you have any questions or wish to contribute to the WFMT for Students pages.

We hope you will join us and contribute to our projects as we aim to inspire future professionals and leaders in our field.

Kaitlyn Kasha, WFMT Executive Assistant