Music Therapy: An Art beyond Words (2Nd Ed.)

Music Therapy: An Art Beyond Words (2nd ed.) by Leslie Bunt and Brynjulf Stige. Routledge, 2014. ISBN 978-0-415-45068-3 (hbk); 9780-415-45069 (pbk); 978-1-315-81798-9 (ebk)In Music Therapy: An Art Beyond Words, Leslie Bunt and Brynjulf Stige revisit an earlier edition of a text of the same title (Bunt, 1994). Given the growth and development of the profession in the past 20 years, a revision seems important and warranted. While the authors state that the form of the text is largely unchanged, they imply that there is an added emphasis and reflection cultural and socioecological aspects of music therapy as it is practised in Europe.The text is written for the novice student of music therapy as well as the curious enquirer (p. viii) and thus should be understood as an introductory text. It may be important to note that the most common entry-level degree in music therapy in Europe is the master's degree. The book reads both as a survey text and as a theoretical reader, offering theoretically and in-depth, critical perspectives. Refreshing, contemporary, and more pluralist than essentialist, Music Therapy: An Art Beyond Words integrates a world of voices and perspectives while maintaining a particularly European position.One could be tempted to reduce or diminish this text by referring to it as yet another introduction to the practice and profession of music therapy- albeit a European perspective, which in itself is a refreshing prospect-but that would be a mistake. Within these covers, a high-quality contemporary discourse takes place that will broaden the perspective of the student or novice while simultaneously offering new ideas and potentials for the music therapy educator, whose task it is to bring freshness, potency, and debate to the classroom. Whether this text would be as appealing to everyday practitioners is less clear, although the discourse social justice, community music therapy, and ecological approaches would be useful to music therapists whose embraces these ideologies.Among the many fine points to illumine in this review, the graceful and skillful weaving together of theory and practice stands out. It is always a challenge for those who are in practice to wade through theoretical treatises, yet this text is not at all ponderous. It is accessible to the practitioner, inviting the readerto think about one's through the broader contexts contexts that music therapy theory offers. In a discipline where practice and theory seem at times to be at odds with each other, here the reader has the sense that the authors got on very well, modelling a discourse that connects theory with practice organically.Primarily, this is what I feel this book offers to CJMT readers: many Canadian music therapists (if pressed) describe Canadian context as being grounded in the work and less theoretically oriented than European practice. This text succeeds in discussing theory through the lens of practice rather than as theory alone. Indeed, the pairing of Bunt and Stige reads as a conversation between a respected senior clinician and one of the discipline's most prominent theorists. This collaboration works because each author treats both theory and practice respectfully. Moreover, cultural-environmental theory resonates with Canadian social values-which are admittedly diverse. In this way, the text has much to offer; indeed, it could not be a finer fit for Canadian music therapists had it been written by Canadian authors.After an informative introduction, the book is structured in a logical fashion, beginning with a chapter the growth of the profession.Chapter 2 offers some new perspectives the familiar treatment of the traditional theoretical perspectives that have historically informed practice: medical, behavioural, psychodynamic, humanistic, and transpersonal. The authors then present more contemporary perspectives culture-centered and music-centered foundations for music therapy practice. …

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