Information on the Japanese Music Therapy Association International Exchange Event
As a member of the International Exchange Committee of the Japanese Music Therapy Association, I am pleased to share information about a training and seminar session to be held at Showa University of Music on Sunday, February 1, 2025.
This is a collaborative project between the International Exchange Committee, led by Chair Satomi Kondo, and the Training and Seminar Committee. We will be inviting music therapists from Asia (Taiwan and South Korea) to join us. Facilitated by committee member Rika Ikuno, three music therapists, including myself, will engage in a lively discussion!
This project was planned as a space for us to share our honest thoughts and challenges, and to learn from one another regarding education, clinical practice, research, and social roles. It centers on three music therapists who share a common Asian cultural background but have each practiced within different historical and social contexts. This is a project I have poured my heart into, working alongside the esteemed members of the International Exchange Committee (Chair Kondo, Michiko Kato, Rika Ikuno, and Hiroshi Igari)!
The following is an excerpt from the announcement published in the Association's Newsletter No. 50.
The three music therapists taking the stage—from Japan (myself, Ueba), South Korea (Aimee), and Taiwan (Yen-Po)—are mid-career practitioners with 10 to 20 years of experience who are involved in education and research in addition to clinical practice. 'This generation is truly "living in the moment," experiencing the gap between ideals and reality firsthand while believing in the potential of music therapy and constantly searching for what can be passed on to the next generation.' We planned this project with an emphasis on the value of 'learning from each other' rather than 'being taught one-sidedly' by such music therapists. The event is scheduled to focus on the challenges and future prospects that emerge as we look back on our training and clinical practice. By keeping the past, present, and future in view, this will be a space where music therapists from each country can share experiences and exchange opinions, allowing us to think together about how we engage with music therapy. In particular, this time we have adopted a casual dialogue style with a facilitator rather than a one-way lecture format, aiming for a vivid learning experience that cannot be gained through lectures alone.
Music therapy is often an endeavor that is difficult to put into words, which is precisely why this is a valuable opportunity to reconsider our own expertise from multiple perspectives through dialogue. I sincerely look forward to the participation of many of our members!
The other day, we held an international meeting via Zoom with the International Exchange Committee members and the speakers! Both Yen-Po (Taiwan) and Aimee (South Korea) are brilliant, up-and-coming music therapists full of ideas. Thanks to Ms. Ikuno's expertise, it looks like we will have such an interesting conversation that we might run out of time.
Why not join us at the venue to think about the future of music therapy together? The application deadline is 3:00 PM on Thursday, December 25🎅🎵 (The application period has been extended to Monday, January 5, 2026!)
I would be happy to see you at the venue✨️
