As the year comes to a close, it’s a natural time to reflect on all that has happened in the past 12 months. From major world events and cultural shifts, to accomplishments and challenges, it’s been a year like no other.

As we look back on the year, it’s important to remember all that we’ve been through and to recognize both the highs and the lows. In this year in review blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the most significant moments of the year for IAMM. We’ll also take some time to think about what we’ve learned and how we can move forward in the new year.

Join us as we reflect on the past year and consider what the future holds!

IAMM2022 Conference

The biggest highlight for the IAMM in 2022 was the 7th International Conference in Athens, Greece. Amidst a volatile climate, uncertainty and hesitation, we were able to plan a very successful conference which not only took place in Greece, but it was also transmitted digitally, making this our very first Hybrid Conference. 

With 160 Presenters, 80 presentations, and 40 hours of learning spread over 7 days and available for two years, this was a momentous event that will continue to resonate for years to come.

Taking place in a variety of forms, from presentations to workshops, keynotes to round table discussions, exciting and insightful topics such as “Music and the Unconscious”, “Cosmic Harmony, Creation and Art”, “The Role of Music for Exercise and Sports Activities,” and many more were presented and explored. 

The best part of it is, all presentations were recorded and people can still access the content through a library we put together! Learn more about this opportunity here.

Website in Spanish, Greek and German

At the IAMM we are constantly seeking ways to increase accessibility and inclusion. This includes accommodating the different languages that members speak. This is not an easy task but we have started working on it as we have translated the main pages on our website to Spanish, Greek, and German, with more languages on the way.

Blog and Events

Our blog serves as a platform for public and open access content. This growing library was accessed by hundreds of people in 2022 and we hope for it to continue and expand in 2023. Additionally, we hosted several online events throughout the year, including a Book Club on the book “Breaking Strings: Explorations of Mistakes in Music Therapy.” 

We also had the pleasure of having Professor Chi Kim join us for an event on “Assistive Music Technology: Creating Opportunity for Visually Impaired Musicians.” This presentation featured the innovative work Berklee is doing to expand the boundaries of music education for visually impaired students, and demonstrate different assistive music technology available today for visually impaired musicians.

Special Interest Groups

In 2019, for the first time, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) were selected by an IAMM review committee for inclusion at the following IAMM conference. As well as being active for the IAMM 2020 and IAMM 2022 Conferences, SIGs are active throughout the year planning events, presentations, courses, and more. 

Please find here a list of SIG’s for each Conference and have a read about their content.

Music and Medicine

This year also saw 4 new volumes of IAMM’s flagship journal, Music and Medicine. With over 25 new articles, editorials, and book reviews, this new content adds on to the treasure trove of content and research that has been published through the journal. We invite you to explore our archives here and consider joining IAMM to get access to all this content. 

Improved communications

Our monthly newsletters, email communications, and social media posts have kept thousands of people informed about events and news directly from IAMM and also from around the world. This includes over 500 members, more than 1500 interested individuals in our email list and over 4000 people following our social media accounts. 

With a cycle of email and social media communications we hope to keep our audiences engaged and informed about music medicine and music therapy related news! 

Strategic Planning 

In conjunction with the IAMM Board of Directors, Mohan Sundararaj and the Committee on Development and Finance have been working hard on a process for our Strategic Planning. In 2022 this process was started with a Stakeholder Survey which has been disseminated and is still open for submissions. 

We are confident that this process will give IAMM direction in setting its mission, vision and strategy for years to come and we thank Dr. Sundararaj and his committee for their initiative. 

And much more

This is only the surface! Hundreds of communications, connections, and ideas have been born in connection with the IAMM. With 550 members, the IAMM is a strong international and multi-disciplinary network that has the potential to change the world of medicine and healthcare through music. Whether it’s been a year filled with highs or a year that presented its fair share of challenges, there’s no denying that 2022 has been a year like no other.

As we look ahead to the new year, it’s important to hold on to the lessons we’ve learned and the progress we’ve made, while also being open to new opportunities and experiences. No matter what the future holds, we can approach it with hope, resilience, and determination.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the past year. We hope you’ve enjoyed this year in review and we look forward to sharing more with you in the year to come.