Dancing our Dreams

Abstract

The articles of this issue present a breadth of subjects and approaches. Each one of them however shows in its own unique way how the conception of an idea, the inspiration of a dream, becomes practice and develops in an enduring dance through time.

Carl Bergstrøm-Nielsen explores the use of graphic notation in music therapy - a subject he introduced in 1987 in the music therapy training program at Aalborg University, Denmark and which is nowadays applied and further developed by various music therapists and researchers around the world. In his article he presents various graphic notations from different authors which he studies comparatively, showing thus the range of possibilities that graphic notation holds for music therapy practice and research.

The following two texts inaugurate a new section of the journal that includes book reviews and reviews of other published material (such as DVDs and CDs). Claus Bang in particular, presents the multimedia production “A world of sound and music”. Through the narration of personal experiences and historical facts, and the interweaving of those with theoretical and research findings, the author does a retrospect of his pioneering work in the field of music therapy with individuals with hearing impairment in Denmark, but also in other countries, from the 1960s until today. In this context, the author reminds us that the realisation of innovative ideas and practices requires hope. “To hope”, as he writes, is “to turn dreams into reality”.

Maria Froudaki reviews Fraser Simpson’s book “The Nordoff-Robbins Adventure: Fifty Years of Creative Music Therapy” and through a critical viewpoint she shows us how the conception of an idea and its realisation always includes the element of ‘radical change’; it is an ‘adventure’.

Completing in this issue the greeting of Approaches – of another ‘adventure’ which is just in its initial steps - we include welcome letters from Merete Birkebaek, Lori Custodero, Isabelle FrohneHagemann, Alison Levinge, Eleanor Richards and Kay Sobey. This issue includes also a brief tribute to Sandra Brown, who died in autumn 2009. Sandra was a distinguished figure of the international music therapy community, who showed us through her own example until the last moment of her life how to “dance our dreams”.

In concluding this editorial, I would like to mention some important news and developments regarding the operation of the journal and its wider action. In September 2009 an agreement was signed between Approaches and the Greek Association of Qualified Professional Music Therapists (ESKEM) which defines their cooperation for the publication of the proceedings of the first one-day music therapy conference that was held by ESKEM on the 13th December 2008, at the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens. The publication of the proceedings is planned to be completed in the course of next year, when they will be published as a special issue on the Approaches website. The publication of the proceedings will contribute essentially to the enrichment of the Greek music therapy bibliography, as well as to the establishment of a collective, collaborative spirit between scientific and professional bodies in the field of music therapy in Greece for the accomplishment of a common purpose.

The team of Approaches has three new members whom we welcome warmly. Stuart Wood joined the music therapy editorial board of the journal, Ergina Sampathianaki became the links and upcoming events manager of the website, while Pavlos Papadakis became the administrator of the website of Approaches.

These developments are also accompanied by the upgrade of Approaches website (http://approaches.primarymusic.gr), as well as by the activation of Approaches mailing list. The members of the mailing list will be informed regularly via emails on the news of Approaches, about upcoming events in Greece and internationally, as well as about other important developments in the field worldwide. The subscription to the mailing list is free of charge through the website of Approaches and I encourage you to become members.