Global Cafe Southeast Asia Spotlight - Music Therapy in Medical Setting
2023-06-13 08:00 - 09:30 (America/New_York) | Online
The music therapists and medical professionals from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia will share their pioneering work and collaboration in the hospitals in Southeast Asia. Attendees will have the opportunity to converse with the panelists as well as each other.
The Global Café is open to IAMM members and public with the registration. Please join us with a cup of coffee, tea, or your choice of libation, and enjoy the conversation!

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Sandra Cheah, MoPC, MT-BC and Dr. Lee Ai Chong will offer their perspectives on starting the first music therapy program in a government university hospital in Malaysia. Toungporn Puwajaroonkul (Ajay), RMT and Dr. Chavit Tunvirachaisakul, PhD will share their music therapy program that serves patients in the dementia day center, acute stroke units, palliative care, and acute psychiatry in the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) in Bangkok, Thailand. Jessica Hariwijaya, S.Sn., MT-BC and Nindi Nastiti, STr.Kes will introduce Indonesia’s first medical music therapy program at Siloam International Hospital, one of the country’s largest hospital chains.
IAMM Global Café – Southeast Asia Spotlight is hosted and curated by Ming Yuan Low, Ph.D., MT-BC, Nordoff-Robbins music therapist and assistant professor of music therapy at Berklee College Music, and Jingwen Zhang, Ph.D., MT-BC, Chair of the IAMM Global Reporting Committee, Music Therapist at Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Malaysia

Sandra Cheah, MoPC, MT-BC
Sandra Cheah, MoPC, MT-BC, is a professional counselor and board-certified music therapist based in Malaysia. Her previous experience includes specialized work in the Neonatal and Pediatric ICU of UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles. Currently, she provides rehabilitation services through music across all ages in Malaysia including volunteering in government hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, offering perinatal and pediatric bereavement services. With a Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling, Sandra combines her knowledge and skills to create impactful music psychotherapy sessions and shares her expertise as a speaker, delivering inspiring mental wellness talks globally to corporations and universities.

Lee Ai Chong, MD
Lee Ai is a pediatrician and she currently heads the Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care Unit at University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Unit was recognised by the hospital in 2018. She has received undergraduate training in Australia and has continued with training in Paediatrics, Paediatric Oncology, Bioethics and Palliative Care. She is a co-founder of MyStarfish, a non-profit set up to supplement the palliative care services for children at the hospital.

Thailand

Toungporn Puwajaroonkul (Ajay), RMT
Ajay is a devoted music therapist who currently serves as a full-time member of the music therapy service at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. With a compassionate approach, Ajay offers her expertise in various medical settings, including dementia day centers, acute stroke units, palliative care, acute psychiatry units, and other inpatient facilities. Her primary focus is to utilize music’s power to improve patients’ quality of life.
Ajay earned her Master of Music Therapy degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and she is a registered member of the Australian Music Therapy Association as a Registered Music Therapist (RMT). Her specialization lies in working with adults and older adults in Dementia and Palliative Care.

Dr. Chavit Tunvirachaisakul, PhD
Dr. Chavit Tunvirachaisakul is a geriatric psychiatrist who completed his training at Chulalongkorn University and obtained a PhD from King’s College London. He played a key role in developing and running a dementia day service at King Chulalongkorn MEmorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, where he also trained aspiring psychiatrists.
Dr. Tunvirachaisakul’s research focuses on dementia and cognitive disorders, employing innovative techniques such as brain imaging and biological markers. He is particularly interested in using activity monitoring devices and virtual reality to gather data and enhance cognitive abilities in patients. Additionally, he is exploring the potential of music therapy in older adults with mental illness. Through his work, Dr. Tunvirachaisakul aims to improve the lives of elderly patients and advance the field of Old Age Psychiatry.

Indonesia

Jessica Hariwijaya, S.Sn., MT-BC
Jessica Hariwijaya is a dedicated board-certified music therapist who has played a pioneering role in establishing Indonesia’s first medical music therapy program at Siloam International Hospital, one of the country’s largest hospital chains. With her extensive experience and expertise, Jessica has focused her therapeutic efforts on patients in various medical specialties, including oncology, cardiology, and pediatrics, with a particular emphasis on neurologic and neurodegenerative diseases. Her educational endeavor also extends to her affiliation as a member of The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy.
Recognizing the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration, Jessica advocates for the integration of music therapy into comprehensive care teams. Her dedication to promoting the field of music therapy extends beyond her direct patient care, as she conducts and participates in nationwide seminars and workshops regularly. To further her professional growth and contribution to the field, Jessica is currently pursuing graduate studies in Music Therapy at Temple University.

Nindi Nastiti, STr.Kes
Nindi Nastiti is an accomplished Occupational Therapist with expertise in the fields of physical and pediatric therapy. She obtained her formal education at Surakarta Health Polytechnic, graduating in 2018. During her studies, she had published her research project focusing on the meaning of wellbeing in patients with cancer diagnosis. This research allowed her to delve deeper into the psychological and emotional aspects of care for individuals battling cancer.
During her tenure at Siloam International Hospital, Nindi provided compassionate care and effective treatment approaches to patients coming into the Medical Rehabilitation department. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in cases requiring specialized treatment for children, she has redirected her focus toward the pediatric area of occupational therapy.

Co-Hosts:

Ming Yuan Low, Ph.D., MT-BC, is a Nordoff-Robbins music therapist and assistant professor of music therapy at Berklee College Music. His clinical work and research center on community-informed music therapy practices and supports for folks who locate in marginalized identities. His scholarship focuses on critical explorations in music therapy theory and practice, as well as participatory action research with autistic and BIPOC communities. Low received his B.S. and M.A. in music therapy from Texas Woman’s University, and his Ph.D. in creative arts therapies from Drexel University. He has worked as a research fellow at Drexel University in two different research labs, one examining chronic pain in patients with advanced cancer and opioid use in cancer survivors with chronic pain, and the other exploring care-coordination factors affecting health care transition from pediatric services to adult services for minimally verbal autistic youth. Low has presented his research and clinical work at national and international conferences, and has authored and coauthored peer-reviewed journal articles. He has also served in various elected and appointed positions in the American Music Therapy Association, World Federation for Music Therapy, and Malaysian Music Therapy Association. He is on the editorial board of Music Therapy Perspectives and is an article editor for Voices.

Jingwen Zhang, PhD, MT-BC is a music therapist at Music Therapist at Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City.

IAMM with You: Launch of the Music and Medicine Special Issue on Music Therapy and Chronic Pain
2023-06-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online
This roundtable will launch the special issue of Music and Medicine on Music Therapy and Chronic Pain. Authors included in the issue will be asked about the findings from their papers, as well as their work in the area of music therapy and chronic pain. Guest editors Professor Hilary Moss and Katie Fitzpatrick will introduce the event and chair the discussion. Register here:

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Alexandra Ullsten, PhD, Post Doc, holds a research and clinical music and art therapist position at the Central Hospital in Karlstad, specializing in music therapy as procedural support in neonatal and paediatric care.

Amy Clements-Cortés, is Assistant Professor, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto; a credentialed Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist and Fellow in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, as well as in Neurologic Music Therapy.

Hilary Moss is Associate Professor of Music Therapy at University of Limerick and co-chairs the Special Interest Group on music therapy and chronic pain at the International Association of Music Medicine.

Joanne Loewy is the founding director of the Department of Music Therapy and the Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine in the Mount Sinai Health System, NYC.

Katie Fitzpatrick is Senior Music Therapist with the pain service at the University of Limerick Hospitals Group and a PhD researcher at the University of Limerick, Ireland looking at the topic of music therapy and chronic pain.

Patricia O’Shea is a retired Primary School Physical Education Teacher and PPI member with a BSc. in Health and Fitness. She is a PPI member and service user.

Introducing CLAM and its Impact in Latin America
2023-08-03 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Sao_Paulo) | Online
Join us for an exciting one-hour webinar where we will introduce the Latin American Committee of Music Therapy (CLAM) and explore their important work in the field of music therapy in Latin America. During this event, you will have the opportunity to learn about CLAM’s history, projects, and contributions, as well as their impact on promoting music therapy in our region.
This webinar is a unique opportunity to expand your knowledge about music therapy in Latin America. Additionally, we will have a discussion on the ways in which IAMM and CLAM can find paths of collaboration. Don’t miss this chance to connect through music and learn from leaders in the field of music therapy in our region!

Presenters:

Patricia Zarate, Assistant Professor, Music Therapy Department, Berklee College of Music
Zarate Perez graduated with the first generation of students from the music therapy department at Berklee College of Music in 1999, where she met her mentor Colin Lee. She worked as a music therapy intern at the Psychiatric Unit of the New Hampshire State Hospital, where she provided music therapy services to acute psychiatric patients. She later worked at the Boston Institute For Arts Therapies and Arts in Progress where she worked with children with behavioral difficulties, autism, and Down Syndrome. While pursuing her Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies at New York University, Patricia met Clive Robbins and volunteered at the Nordoff & Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Zarate Perez has published in the Journal of Medicine and Pediatrics in Chile, and Panama. In 2013 she founded the Latin American Music Therapy Symposium in Panama City, Panama. In 2014 she founded the Latin American Music Therapy Network in Boston, USA, and in 2015 founded the Music Therapy Center of Panama. In 2017, she opened the diploma program in Music Therapy with the University of the Americas (UDELAS) in Panama City, Panama. In 2018 she founded the Boston Center for Multicultural Music Therapy in Boston, MA. That same year she helped found RED MUSA, a Chilean network that expands music therapy services to the neurology department of the University of Chile. In 2020 Zarate founded the (virtual) Global Center for Music Therapy in Boston, MA.

Lorena Buenseñor
Lorena holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy (CEDIIAP) and is a Neurological Music Therapist (NMT). She also has a Diploma in Child Neuropsychology (CEDIIAP), along with specialized training in Music Therapy evaluation (Heartbeat, Brazil) and Individualized Music Therapy Assessment Profile (IMTAP, Argentina).

With extensive experience in Music Therapy in Emerging Fields, Lorena has conducted workshops in Music Therapy for Nursing and has been working at the Integral Neurological Rehabilitation Center since 2005. She has also collaborated with Pereira Rosell Hospital and Asencio Psychiatric Clinic (Halfway Home), and served as a lecturer at the CEDIIAP University Institute (Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning Information).

In her private practice, Lorena provides therapy to patients with various conditions referred by other healthcare professionals, including Parkinson’s, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Generalized Developmental Delay (TGD), Alzheimer’s, Cognitive Impairment, Down Syndrome, among others.

Additionally, she holds the position of President of CLAM for the 2023-2025 term.

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Harmonizing Healing: AI's Intersection with Music and Medicine
2023-08-28 17:00 - 18:00 (Australia/Adelaide) | Online
Explore the industry’s present and future in our webinar focused on music therapy and AI in South Australia. We start with an in-depth look at current music therapy practices, spotlighting techniques, patient outcomes, and local successes. The conversation will then transition to the exciting potential of AI in this field, discussing transformative implications, potential challenges, and ethical considerations. Be part of a dialogue that navigates the present landscape while envisioning the future of music therapy in South Australia.
Notice that registrants will receive a recording of the event!
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Jarran Zen, a dedicated Music Therapy student at the University of Melbourne, combines his foundational knowledge in audio engineering and production from his studies in London to add a unique technological perspective to his work. Deeply fascinated with technology’s potential in music, Jarran has been producing music for online platforms and delving into the intersection of music and technology.
His vision extends to harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence to catalyse advancement in the field of music therapy. He believes in the potential of AI not only to alleviate music therapists from administrative tasks, allowing more focused and present interactions with participants, but also to drive forward and deepen music therapy research.
Jarran is excited about the possibility of AI accelerating research outcomes, providing profound insights, and ushering in a new era of evidence-based practice in music therapy. Join him in this intriguing discussion about the intersection of music, therapy, and technology and be part of shaping the future of therapeutic practices.

Dr. Patsy Tan is a United States of America Board-Certified and Australian Registered Music Therapist with more than 25 years’ experience in healthcare and educational settings in the United States, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia.
Patsy started her music therapy career in the United States in the 1990s before accepting an invitation to pioneer medical music therapy at the Singapore General Hospital in 2005 whereby she established the first music therapy program specially designed for children with cochlear implants in SE Asia. For the past 11 years before her relocation to Adelaide, she worked closely with Neuro-rehabilitation department providing music therapy services to patients with stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease as well as those in Intensive Care Unit, General Medicine, Burns, Heart and Lung Transplant, Renal, Oncology and Geriatric Medicine at the Singapore General Hospital. She was also involved in clinical research and supervision to music therapy interns from the United States and Australia.
Patsy is currently a full-time music therapist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital under the Hospital Research Foundation and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.

Tune into Inclusion: Bridging Gaps through Music in Uganda
2023-09-11 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Moscow) | Online
Growing up as a person with a disability or a special condition in a society that is not sensitive to one’s challenges and needs can be extremely limiting, frustrating and isolating. We use music to ensure that children and young people living with a disability, or a special condition are included and that they get an equal opportunity to showcase their potential and thrive. Brass for Africa has in the past 3 years implemented music-based interventions for children and youth living with autism with majority being severe and non-verbal. We have also used music to improve life and bring joy for severe CP cases. Brass for Africa also brings the joy of music to a Rehabilitation Hospital that performs hundreds of rehabilitative surgeries on children. All our work takes a community approach, working with caregivers and the trained staff at the homes, centres and hospitals and none of our musicians and teachers are trained therapists. This area is very new in Uganda and we are leading the pack in using music to develop the understanding of inclusion
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Speakers

Andrew Agassi, Chief Operating Officer at Brass for Africa

Andrew Agassi is the Brass for Africa’s Chief Operating Officer (Global) and also serves as the Uganda Country Director. Agassi is an IT specialist who turned to NGO and Development work previously overseeing development work in the East African Region and Namibia. In 2017, Agassi was driven by curiosity joined Brass for Africa to see and experience how music can be used to bring about social transformation affecting individuals and whole communities.
7 Years later, Brass for Africa is a leading music organization that has applied the power of music to address diverse issues affecting people in Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia

Mugisha GIlbert
Mugisha Gilbert is a Music and Life-skills teacher at Brass for Africa. Like all his teaching colleagues, he is an alumnus of one of Brass for Africa’s programmes. He was instrumental in the initial stages of Brass for Africa’s work at Neuro Development Centres in Kampala. He led a team and was key in documenting lessons around inclusion where both neuro-typical and non-neurotypical participants were engaged.
As a young man who grew up in Uganda and in exclusion, his exposure to the myths and stereotypes about disability now drives his passion to influence change.

Nakachwa Florence
Nakachwa Florence is a Music and Life-skills Teacher at Brass for Africa. Like all her teaching colleagues, Florence is an alumnus of one of Brass for Africa programmes in Kampala, from where she did her Brass for Africa music qualifications to become a teacher. Florence is very passionate about community and inclusion both for persons living with disability and displaced persons.
She is one of the pioneers of the LAB UGANDA and Community Music project that serves the South Sudanese refugees living in the BidiBidi Refugee Settlement in Northern Uganda. She has also been part of projects working with children living with Autism with a keen interest of creating awareness. Nakachwa is currently a Firebird Fellow under the Hilti Foundation’s Academy for Impact Through Music (aimpowers.org).

Perceptions and Experiences in Telehealth Music Therapy Provision from around the Globe
2023-10-17 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Toronto) | Online
Join us for an in-depth discussion led by the IAMM Special Interest Group, a collective dedicated to advancing the field of telehealth music therapy. Our focus spans the entire lifespan and encompasses both individual and group therapy settings, delivered from a variety of locations such as homes, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and group homes. Comprising music therapists with specialized expertise in demographics, diagnoses, and clinical approaches like NMT and The Bonny Method, our team has been collaborating since 2020. We have contributed to multiple presentations and spearheaded two major international studies: a comprehensive survey and a follow-up interview study.
In this presentation, we will delve into a groundbreaking International phenomenological mixed-methods study that engaged 572 participants from 29 countries. The study employed an anonymous online survey to gather data on demographics, clinical practice, telehealth provision, and perceptions of telehealth. Our analytical approach included both qualitative and quantitative methods. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the data and inferential statistics to explore relationships between variables. The presentation will conclude with an overview of our findings, limitations of the study, and avenues for future research.
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Speakers

Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, RP, MT-BC, MTA, Assistant Professor, Music and Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, Managing Editor, Music & Medicine Journal, Canada
Melissa Mercadal-Brotons, PhD, MT-BC, SMTAE; Vice-director of Academic Affairs; Director of Master Program in Music Therapy (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya; Barcelona, Spain). Past-president WFMT.
Marija Pranjić, MA, MMus, MT-BC, is a PhD candidate in Music and Health Sciences with a specialization in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto. Marija gained her academic and clinical experiences in Croatia, United Kingdom, USA, and Canada.
Indra Selvarajah, PhD (USA), MMT Equivalency (USA), MA(UK); Chair, Global Crises Intervention Commission, WFMT; Founding President, Malaysian Music Therapy Association (MMTA), Music Therapy Lecturer (University Putra of Malaysia).
David Knott, MM, MT-BC is Supervisor of the Creative Arts Therapies at Seattle Children’s Hospital. His clinical and research interests focus on pediatric music therapy service development and telehealth. His creative work centers on improvisation and seeks to invoke resonance in materials and in others.
Lisa Kelly, BA, MA is a music therapist based in Galway, Ireland. She is currently completing PhD research at The University of Limerick in the area of telehealth music therapy for community dwelling people living with dementia and their family caregivers where she also works as an Associate Teacher in Music Therapy.
Rebecca Vaudreuil, MSW, EdM, MT-BC. Independent Researcher (Massachusetts, USA).

Introduction to the Music Breathing Method
2023-10-23 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Music Breathing (MB) is an adaptation of the “Guided Imagery and Music” (GIM) method. It is an advance technique designed for work with stress/anxiety disorders and trauma. Music Breathing can be applied for fostering resilience in times of increased societal stress. The emphasis is on the awareness and modulation of the breathing that is used to regulate arousal evoked by selective music listening in an altered state of consciousness.
The Music Breathing introduction presentation is suitable for all professionals from the fields of health/mental healthcare with experience and/or interest in working with resilience and emotional regulation, stress, anxiety disorders, trauma and general wellbeing.
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Speakers
Evangelia Papanikolaou, PhD, FAMI, EAMI accred
Music therapist-GIM therapist and trainer, supervisor, program coordinator for IMAGEing & scientific director of SONORA. Specialised in psycho-oncology, anxiety disorders/psychological trauma & creative development. Board member of the European Association for Music and Imagery

Angela Shum
Angela Shum has been a RN for more than 10 years before becoming a music therapist in 2008.She worked as a music/rehabilitation therapist at the Provincial/State hospitals in both Canada and USA previously. Presently, she has her own private practice in HK, is involving several research with local institutions. She has the passion of educating nurses about Focused Music Imagery, (FMI) Music Breathing (MB), GIM & expressive arts therapy (FOAT), supporting health care professional for self-care using all these approaches. Angela is a fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery (USA).

Joyu Lee
Joyu Lee (she/her) is a Senior Music Therapist at UNC Health, and the owner of Music and Your Mind, LLC. She is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery, a Music Breathing practitioner, a professional cellist, and a Narrative Therapist practicing in the Triangle Area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) in NC, USA. Joyu primarily works with teens and young adults (inpatient, outpatient, and private practice) with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and crisis intervention.

Music Therapy and Music-Based Interventions in Neurology
2023-11-03 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Neurological conditions often encompass a wide range of physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges that require a comprehensive and multifaceted approach. By embracing a holistic perspective and drawing from the insights of individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise, music-based interventions can address the complex interplay of these dimensions in a patient’s life. In this webinar, we aim to underscore the significance of an integrated approach to music therapy and music-based interventions in the field of neurology. We will illuminate the pivotal role of embracing multiple perspectives when utilizing music in neurological care. Additionally, our discussions will delve into the important interconnections between research endeavors and practical applications of music therapy, as well as the concept of co-treatment as an essential facet of neurological care.

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Speakers

Alexander Pantelyat, MD

Alexander Pantelyat, MD is a clinician-scientist and movement disorders neurologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research explores music-based rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases and biomarker development for parkinsonian disorders. He earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine (elected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society). He completed neurology residency and movement disorders fellowship training in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a 2014-15 American Academy of Neurology Emerging Leader. He currently leads several NIH-funded projects, including a K23 Career Development Award (Multi-modal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) and a U01 award (Biomarker development and validation in PSP).

Kyurim Kang, Ph.D., LPMT, MT-BC, NMT

Kyurim Kang, Ph.D., LPMT, MT-BC, NMT (she/her) is a postdoctoral research fellow and a neurologic music therapist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine. She holds a Ph.D. in Music and Health Science / Collaborative Program in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto. Her research goal is to bridge the gap between scientific evidence-based music research and clinical practices. She has been also working as a music therapist in the U.S., Canada, and South Korea with various clinical populations.

Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC

Kerry Devlin, MMT, LPMT, MT-BC (she/her) is senior music therapist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Music & Medicine. She has worked as a music therapist for nearly a decade and is currently a Ph.D. researcher in the Doctoral Programme in Music Therapy at Aalborg University. Kerry is also adjunct faculty at Shenandoah University, where she teaches courses centered on disability and justice-oriented music therapy practices. As a disabled clinician, Kerry understands the unique experience of moving through the health care system as both a patient and a provider. She is passionate about disability justice and affirming the lived experience of therapy participants through co-constructed music experiences and research.

Music Therapy and Music-based Interventions for People with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Need for Collaboration
2023-11-28 10:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The Special Interest Group on dementia of the IAMM seeks to advance knowledge, grow awareness and advocate for the global recognition of Music therapy in Dementia care as a rehabilitative service. The aim of this presentation/discussion is to share the work accomplished since 2019 by this group, listen to new ideas and to reflect together on how music therapy professionals and other professionals from related areas, who use music-based interventions, can collaborate and work together to offer the best and healthiest interventions to people with dementia and their caregivers. Projects such as collecting, comparing and evaluating music-based protocols exist in different parts of the world and should be collected and made known to as many professionals as possible in order to test specific interventions as well as specific elements of the interventions from an international perspective, just to mention a few. We hope that these international collaborations can contribute to drive new innovation in healthcare.

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Speakers

Melissa Mercadal-Brotons, PhD, MT-BC, SMTAE: Vice-director of academic affairs and director of the Music Therapy Master’s Program at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. Leader of the IAMM SIG on music therapy and dementia. Her research and clinical work focus on the area of dementia. She has been president of the WFMT (2017-2020) and currently she is on the board of directors of the IAMM. She has published extensively nationally (Spain) and internationally. She serves of the editorial board of the Journal of Music Therapy.

Dr. Concetta Tomaino is the Executive Director and co-founder, with renowned author neurologist Oliver Sacks, of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in New York, USA. Dr. Sacks book Musicophilia is dedicated to her. Dr. Tomaino is internationally known for her 40 plus years of research in the clinical applications of music and neurologic rehabilitation. She is Past-President of the American Association for Music Therapy and was Vice President and founding board member for the International Association for Music and Medicine. In 2014, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Music Therapy Association.
Ayelet Dassa, Music Therapist, Ph.D. She is a senior lecturer in the Music Therapy M.A Program at Bar-Ilan University. For the past twenty-five years, she has been working with older adults and mainly with people living with dementia. Her research focuses on music therapy with dementia and she supervises music therapists and Ph.D students.
Suzanne B. Hanser, Ed.D., MT-BC is Founding Chair Emerita & Professor of Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music and President of the International Association for Music & Medicine. She is Past President of the World Federation of Music Therapy and National Association for Music Therapy. Her books include:The New Music Therapist’s Handbook, Integrative Health through Music Therapy: Accompanying the Journey from Illness to Wellness and Manage Your Stress and Pain, book and CD, with Dr. Susan Mandel. Her most recent book, Music for Wellness: Feel the Music, See the Light will be published in 2024, and her courses on music and wellness may be found on Coursera and Berklee Online. She has published research in multi-disciplinary journals, and is recipient of many awards, including AMTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, RP, MTA, MT-BC is an Assistant Professor, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto; Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist and a Fellow in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, and Neurologic Music Therapy. She has authored 50+ peer reviewed journal articles, multiple book chapters, co-edited 2 books, and provided 250 conference and/or invited academic presentations. Her research contributions have had a significant impact in the understanding of understudied phenomenon, resulting in excelled treatments provided by professionals in music and medicine. This includes: relationship completion for individuals at end-of-life, vibroacoustic therapy and singing protocols for persons diagnosed with dementia, as well as experiences in music therapy internships.
Dr. Kendra Ray is a research assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and dementia program director at Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care. Dr. Ray is a music therapist whose research focuses on discovering the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions for people with dementia and their paid and informal caregivers. Other research interests include risk factors and biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease as well as the use of music therapy for chronic health conditions like HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder and depression.
Dr. Tereza Raquel Alcantar-Silva: Professor and researcher at the School of Music and Performing Arts (EMAC) of Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Brazil; PhD in Health Sciences (UFG); Master in Music (UFG); Post-Graduate in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation at University of São Paulo, Brazil (USP); Graduated in Music Therapy (UFG); Neurologic Music Therapist (Colorado State University). Member of the International Special Group SIG-Dementia of the “International Association for Music and Medicine”. Researcher in the areas of Music Neuroscience and Clinical Music Therapy.
Shirlene Vianna Moreira: PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil; MSc in Music at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; Professor of the lato Sensu postgraduate program in Psychology at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Specialist in Neurologic MT from the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy at the Center for Biomedical Research in Music at Colorado State University/USA. Fellowship in Art-Thérapie Musicothérapie at the Center Hospitalier Georges Mazurelle in France. Researcher and speaker in Neuropsychology, Neurologic MT, and Cognitive Rehabilitation.

Presenting The International Music Therapy Clinical Trial Network
2024-03-01 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Join Felicity Baker, Joke Bradt and Catherine Carr to learn about the International Music Therapy Clinical Trials Network (IMTCTnet). IMTCTnet has been established with the primary aim of advancing the field of music therapy by facilitating the planning, implementation, and dissemination of high-quality clinical trials.
Conducting trials can be challenging, involving substantial costs and demanding specialized skills. Furthermore, many music therapists and their institutions face challenges in allocating time and resources to initiate and lead such trials.

Felicity, Joke and Catherine will discuss how the IMTCTnet helps to fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and support for those interested in conducting clinical trials in music therapy.
About the speakers:
Professor Felicity Baker is Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and Director, International Research Partnerships for the Creative Arts and Music Therapy Research Unit at The University of Melbourne and former Australia Research Council Future Fellow (2011-2015). She has attracted more than $18 million in research funding and is the author of over 150 publications. Her latest book is Leadership and Management of Clinical Trials in the Creative Arts Therapies, which is the first book to provide guidance on clinical trial implementation in this field.
Dr Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC is Professor and Director of the PhD program in Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University. She is a board-certified music therapist and her federally funded research program has focused on the development and testing of music therapy interventions for chronic pain and symptom management. She has completed several NIH-funded music therapy clinical trials for chronic pain. She is the co-PI on a large comparative-effectiveness trial funded by PCORI to compare the effects of virtual music therapy with virtual CBT on anxiety in cancer survivors. She is the lead author of several Cochrane Systematic Reviews on music interventions with medical patients. Finally, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy from 2015-2023.
Dr Catherine Carr, PhD PGDip, initially studied Music Technology at the University of York, before training as a music therapist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She undertook an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship at Queen Mary University of London which focused upon modelling of processes and outcomes of intensive group music therapy for acute adult psychiatric inpatients. Since then, Catherine has completed a number of studies funded by an NIHR Clinical Lectureship and a further study on group songwriting for chronic depression (SYNCHRONY study), funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit. In 2019, she completed an NIHR Clinical Trials Fellowship and is now leading a multicentre trial, funded by the NIHR HTA programme in collaboration with East London NHS Foundation Trust. Catherine continues to work as a music therapist in the NHS and is currently a music therapist in Mental Health Care for Older People’s services in East London NHS Foundation Trust, where she provides group and individual music therapy, alongside staff psychological supervision. Catherine is currently training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music and has completed training in Music Imagery methods.

Please register using the form below. If the form does not work for you, please email us at sgracida@iammonline.com

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IAMM Global Café - Japan Spotlight
2024-04-22 08:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | Online
IAMM Global Café (IGC) is a virtual networking event for IAMM members across the world. These Cafés are hosted by members of IAMM’s Committee on Global Reporting.
The next IGC focuses on the intersection of music and medicine/health in Japan. Hikari Sandhu will host a panel of practitioners actively engaged in music and medicine/health in Japan. Participants will have the opportunity to converse with the co-hosts, as well as each other.
This event is free and open to the public. Registrants will receive a recording of this event. This event is scheduled to last for one hour.
Please join with a cup of coffee, tea, or your choice of libation, and enjoy the conversation!

Host:

Hikari Sandhu, Ph.D., RMT/Founder of MusicAid LLC./Visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo
Hikari is a Japan-based registered music therapist with seven years of working experience at the end of life settings in the U.S. and Japan. She completed her master’s degree at New York University and her doctoral degree at the Department of Community of Global Health at the University of Tokyo. Her passion is using music to bring meaning to an individual’s life with cultural consideration and enhance their mental well-being. She is a post-doc researcher of an international Joy research project led by the Department of Anthropology, University College London, UK.
Panellists:

Mariko Hara, Ph.D.
HARA Mariko (sociologist) After obtaining Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Exeter in the UK, she moved to Norway. Currently runs “Music and Arts in the Milieu” that is involved in local and international (action) research projects on music and art activities in Scandinavian care environments. Recent work includes contributions to “The Routledge Companion to Music, Mind and Well-being”, “Musical Gentrification Popular Music, Distinction and Social Mobility”

Rieko Eguchi, MA, MT-BC, CCLS
Rieko Eguchi, MA, MT-BC, CCLS, currently works as a music therapist in the neonatology unit at Saitama Children’s Medical Center in Japan. She is a grandparent of RBL (Rhythm, Breath, and Lullaby) and holds a M.A. in Music Therapy from Montclair State University in the U.S. She was an intern and research scholar and assisted with various research studies at The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine in New York, September 2015 – February 2018. She also completed a child life clinical internship at the center. Her clinical experiences are diverse, including NICU, pediatrics, outpatient radiation oncology, and palliative care. She has several publications related to NICU music therapy and has published a research paper in Japanese medical journals. She is a member of Japanese Association for Promotion of Medical Music Therapy.

Tatsuya Honda, PhD./ Ontenna Project Leader, Fujitsu Ltd.
Tatsuya holds a Ph.D. in Design. During his university years, he was involved in sign language interpreting, founding a sign language club, and establishing a non-profit organization. His research focuses on developing new auditory perception devices in collaboration with the deaf community. His work has been recognized with several awards, including Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 and the Forbes 30 UNDER 30 JAPAN 2019 Special Award. He is also an MIT Innovator Under 35 in Japan for 2020, a Falling Walls 2021 Winner, and a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow.
Discussion Topic: ‘Possibility of Music as a Care Resource’
Questions

What are the challenges of your work? (Rieko, Tatsuya)
What do you think of the unmet needs of the health and well-being of the Japanese? (Everyone)
How can we innovate health/healthcare with music in Japan? (Everyone)

Background
Japan is experiencing rapid population aging and is ranked as the most aged society globally. Diversity and inclusion are critical to maintaining and developing the Japanese economy. Isolation and loneliness are epidemic, and old communities are collapsing. Japan is in the transition, and technology, humanities, and the arts need to collaborate to enhance well-being nationwide.
Perspectives
Mariko Hara
The disparity between community and healthcare is concerning. Music is an everyday resource that everyone can engage with. Music has been medicalized, and Japanese healthcare is transitioning to using music for health and well-being, as evidenced by the national licensing of music therapists.
Rieko Eguchi
In the field of pediatric medicine, where the bond between newborns and mothers is crucial, the use of music therapy can be transformative. Often, mothers are unable to physically connect with their babies due to medical reasons, leading to a questioning of their own value. However, introducing music therapy research, which shows that a lullaby sung by a mother can increase the vital levels of newborn babies, can empower these mothers.

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The Center for Performing Arts in Medicine at Houston Methodist
2024-06-18 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) at Houston Methodist stands at the forefront of innovative healthcare integration, merging the realms of performing arts and medicine. Dedicated to optimizing health and wellness for both artists and the general population, CPAM embodies a holistic approach to healthcare. Through specialized education, clinical therapy, research, and community outreach, CPAM addresses the unique needs of performing artists while leveraging the transformative power of the arts to enhance patient care and hospital environments.
With a mission to translate the collaborative potential of arts and medicine into the healthcare landscape, CPAM supports diverse initiatives including wellness education tailored for performing artists, integration of arts into hospital settings, and innovative therapies utilizing the arts to support patient goals. Moreover, CPAM serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering partnerships between healthcare professionals, artists, educators, and researchers to drive innovation and promote holistic well-being.
As a leader in the field, CPAM has garnered recognition for its comprehensive programs, receiving prestigious awards such as the Texas Medal of the Arts and the International Hamilton Award. Through its dedication to advancing the intersection of arts and healthcare, CPAM continues to inspire creative thinking, facilitate healing, and enrich the cultural fabric of the community it serves.

Participants:

Todd Frazier, Director of Center for Performing Arts Medicine
Todd Frazier, the Gerald H. Dubin, M. D. Presidential Distinguished Centennial Director in the Art of Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital’s System Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM), is a visionary composer and advocate. With degrees from Eastman and Juilliard, he champions the fusion of arts and medicine, fostering innovation and humanity. Over 30 years, Frazier established transformative collaborations, creating institutions and employment opportunities. Leading CPAM since 2011, he elevates healthcare through arts integration, earning prestigious awards. As a composer, Frazier’s works, like “Buffalo Altar” and “We Hold These Truths,” illuminate history. He cofounded initiatives like the National Organization for Arts in Health, leaving an indelible mark on the arts landscape.

Shay Kulha MFA, MBA, Operations Manager for CPAM
Shay Thornton Kulha, a dynamic arts administrator, excels in connecting arts, health, and business domains. As Operations Manager at the Center for Performing Arts Medicine, she oversees strategy, implementation, and finances, leading one of the nation’s premier arts in healthcare organizations. Previously, she directed programs at the Arts Council for Long Beach, facilitating grants and fostering community partnerships. A Notre Dame graduate with dual Master’s degrees in Fine Arts and Business Administration from California State University, Long Beach, Kulha blends her expertise in film, theatre, and education with a passion for arts advocacy. A member of the National Organization for Arts in Health, she continues to innovate at the intersection of arts and well-being.

Jennifer Townsend MMT, MT-BC, Manager of Creative Arts Therapies
Jennifer Townsend, Manager of Creative Arts Therapies at the Center for Performing Arts Medicine and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Academic Institute, holds the esteemed Susie and Tommy Smith Chair in Music and Creative Arts Therapies at Houston Methodist. Fascinated by music’s profound impact on health, she embarked on a journey studying its therapeutic potential from her teenage years. Armed with a Bachelor’s in Music Therapy from Sam Houston State University and a Master’s from Temple University, Jennifer has dedicated over a decade to pediatric care before transitioning to adult medicine. At Houston Methodist, she pioneers creative arts therapy initiatives, conducts groundbreaking research, and advocates tirelessly for arts in healthcare on local and national platforms.
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IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition
2024-06-27 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Online
IAMM Connected is a pioneering initiative within the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), aimed at fostering global connections and collaboration within the diverse realms of music and medicine. This innovative group hosts monthly virtual networking meetups tailored to specific linguistic communities, breaking barriers and facilitating dialogue across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Our inaugural sessions feature Spanish-speaking and Chinese-Mandarin-speaking groups, offering a platform for professionals from these linguistic backgrounds to share insights, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful connections at the intersection of music and medicine.
Join IAMM Connected to engage in enriching conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Chinese Edition
2024-07-09 08:00 - 09:00 (America/New_York) | Online

IAMM With You - Sound Health Network: Opportunities to Collaborate
2024-07-18 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The mission of the Sound Health Network in the USA is to promote research and public awareness about the impact of music on health and wellness. The Sound Health Network attempts to engage a broad range of multidisciplinary stakeholders – including scientists, music therapists, musicians, clinicians, patients, music and arts organizations, funders and the general public. Through their coordinating role, they facilitate individual and collaborative efforts that promote the quality, quantity, and relevance of research at the intersections of music, neuroscience, health, and wellness across the lifespan, advancing the potential of music to improve all our lives.
The Sound Health Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Renée Fleming. The Network emerged from the Sound Health Initiative.
Moderated by Dan Cohen, Dr. Julene Johnson will talk with us about opportunities to join and collaborate with the Sound Health Network.
Julene K Johnson is a cognitive neuroscientist with an undergraduate degree in music. She is a Professor in the UCSF School of Nursing’s Institute for Health & Aging and co-director of the Sound Health Network. She has a long-standing interest in studying music and health in both healthy aging and persons living with dementia. She also leads the Music & Dementia Research Network, which aims to accelerate mechanistic studies of music in the context of dementia. Her previous work investigated preserved music skills in persons with Alzheimer disease and understanding the relationship between brain and music recognition in various neurodegenerative diseases. In 2010, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Jyväskylä, Finland where she studied how community choirs help promote wellbeing among older adults. Funded by the National Institute on Aging, Dr. Johnson led the Community of Voices study, a large cluster-randomized trial that examined the effects of a community choir on the health and wellbeing of culturally diverse older adults. Dr. Johnson also examines the historical roots of music in nineteenth-century neurology and psychology literature, which helps frame interdisciplinary research questions about music, brain, and health. She is a co-author of the NEA Guide to Community-Engaged Research in the Arts and Health. In her spare time, she plays the flute and kantele and sings in community choir.
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IAMM Reading with Renée Fleming - Music and Mind
2024-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The IAMM summer reading book is “Music and Mind” by Renée Fleming! This inspiring book explores the powerful connection between music and the mind, highlighting its potential for health and wellness.
You can purchase the book [here].
Get your copy and start reading today!
Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time. Honored with five Grammy® awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Super Bowl. A 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, she is also a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health for the World Health Organization.
Renée’s anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, was published in April. A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience, as Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center, Renée launched the first ongoing collaboration between America’s national cultural center and the National Institutes of Health.
Renée is Co-Artistic Director of the Aspen Opera Theater and Advisor for Special Projects at the Los Angeles Opera. Other awards include the 2023 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum, the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, and honorary doctorates from ten leading universities.
http://www.reneefleming.com
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IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition
2024-08-22 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Online
IAMM Connected is a pioneering initiative within the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), aimed at fostering global connections and collaboration within the diverse realms of music and medicine. This innovative group hosts monthly virtual networking meetups tailored to specific linguistic communities, breaking barriers and facilitating dialogue across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Join IAMM Connected – Spanish Edition #2 to engage in enriching conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition #3
2024-11-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online
IAMM Connected is a pioneering initiative within the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), aimed at fostering global connections and collaboration within the diverse realms of music and medicine. This innovative group hosts monthly virtual networking meetups tailored to specific linguistic communities, breaking barriers and facilitating dialogue across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Join IAMM Connected – Spanish Edition #3 to engage in enriching conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Chinese Edition #2
2024-11-19 20:00 - 21:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Online

IAMM Connected - German Edition #1
2024-11-27 18:30 - 19:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Online
IAMM Connected is a pioneering initiative within the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), aimed at fostering global connections and collaboration within the diverse realms of music and medicine. This innovative group hosts monthly virtual networking meetups tailored to specific linguistic communities, breaking barriers and facilitating dialogue across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Join IAMM Connected – German Edition #1 to engage in enriching conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Portuguese Edition
2025-02-19 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Sao_Paulo) | Online
IAMM Connected é uma iniciativa pioneira da Associação Internacional de Música e Medicina, com o objetivo de promover conexões e colaborações globais entre os diversos campos da música e da medicina. Este grupo inovador organiza encontros virtuais periódicos de networking, direcionados a comunidades de idiomas específicos, derrubando barreiras e facilitando o diálogo entre diferentes culturas e idiomas.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Chinese Edition #3
2025-02-21 20:00 - 21:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | Online
IAMM Connected is a pioneering initiative within the International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM), aimed at fostering global connections and collaboration within the diverse realms of music and medicine. This innovative group hosts monthly virtual networking meetups tailored to specific linguistic communities, breaking barriers and facilitating dialogue across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Join IAMM Connected to engage in enriching conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition #4
2025-03-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
The International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM) is pleased to invite you to a special “Conectados” session for Spanish speakers, where we will be honored to have Dr. Amy Clements-Cortés, a leading figure in the field of music therapy internationally. Dr. Clements-Cortés, who currently serves as Executive Editor of the Journal of Music and Medicine, will share her vast experience as a certified music therapist, registered psychotherapist, educator and researcher.
Her specialized training and research contributions in end-of-life, vibroacoustic therapy, dementia, music therapy internship experiences and telehealth promise an enriching conversation. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate for free in this interactive interview where you can ask your questions with live translation to one of the most influential voices at the intersection of music and health.
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IAMM With You - SIG on Music Therapy and Displaced Persons
2025-04-03 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join us for a conversation with IAMM’s Special Interest Group on Music Therapy and Displaced Persons! This SIG sees a world where music and music therapy are recognized as an integral part of support and care for persons with lived experiences of forced displacement. By promoting this vision, they hope to add to the ecological well-being of displaced persons, and support those working in these communities.
Aims
This SIG has the following aims:

Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration: To bring together researchers, clinicians, and persons with lived experiences of forced displacement, ensuring diverse voices shape a collaborative space for sharing, discussing, and developing theoretical, methodological, and practical insights.
Development of Accessible Resources: To provide access to resources including articles, films, podcasts, webinars, and other media, to support learning, engagement, and capacity-building for all involved in this work.
Produce Practical Recommendations: To create and share practical and accessible recommendations tailored for community musicians, music therapists, and interdisciplinary teams. These guidelines will continue to strengthen and refine the field’s knowledge base, broaden its impact, and support effective ongoing developments in clinical and research practices.
Promote the Integration of Music and Music Therapy in Displacement Support Systems: Advocate for the recognition and implementation of music and music therapy as essential ways of working to improve the mental health, emotional resilience, and overall well-being of displaced individuals.

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IAMM With You: Music and Harm
2025-04-29 18:30 - 19:30 UTC
This event will explore music as a double-edged sword. Whilst attention and development is poured into evidencing the benefit of music for health and wellbeing, there has been relatively scarce attention paid to how music causes harm, in both clinical contexts and in terms of the occupational health of music therapists and musicians working in healthcare contexts. IAMM is leading the conversation as we bring together international experts in this area to share current knowledge, develop priority areas for future work and build a network of interested researchers in this field.
We invite anyone interested in this area of work to join us for this important conversation.
Speakers will include:
Hilary Moss (Chair), Professor of Music Therapy, University of Limerick, Ireland.
She will outline her own research in the area of music and harm in clinical contexts, for example contraindications of music provision for clients, noise pollution and lack of control over music inputs.
Prof Kris Chesky
Chesky is a leading researcher of performing arts health who investigates issues at the intersection of music and health, advocating for health policy and safety standards for music students and performing artists, as well as increased specialized training for music educators to integrate research and clinical care for performing artists into education. Chesky’s groundbreaking research and advocacy have led to unprecedented health and safety accreditation standards for all schools of music accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, as well as mandates for all public school band, choir, and orchestra teachers across the state of Texas to meet learning objectives regarding physical, auditory, and vocal health. He has co-authored crucial advisory materials to assist schools with implementation of these standards. Chesky’s work has also resulted in the development of specialized equipment to mitigate the occupational risks of making music. Chesky’s research areas of interest include epidemiologic studies of musician populations, biomechanics of musical performance, hearing conservation, earplug evaluation and testing, noise measurement and analysis, mental health issues in music, music therapy, ergonomics, and health education policy in the performing arts. Chesky joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2023 from the University of North Texas.
Lori F. Gooding, PhD, MT-BC
Lori F. Gooding, PhD, MT-BC, is Associate Professor of Music Therapy and Area Coordinator for Music Education and Music Therapy at Florida State University. She has explored various topics related to music and harm, including occupational hazards for music therapists and burnout. She is currently exploring mental health among music therapy and other music majors, with hopes to inform proactive strategies and policies to support students across their degree programs.
We invite others with interest in this area to contribute at the event.
Please also take a moment to complete this survey on occupational health risks and clinical harm within music therapy contexts.
https://unioflimerick.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cx0dAkuYDC9biwS

IAMM Connected - Portuguese Edition #2
2025-05-21 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Sao_Paulo) | Online
IAMM Connected é uma iniciativa pioneira da Associação Internacional de Música e Medicina, com o objetivo de promover conexões e colaborações globais entre os diversos campos da música e da medicina. Este grupo inovador organiza encontros virtuais periódicos de networking, direcionados a comunidades de idiomas específicos, derrubando barreiras e facilitando o diálogo entre diferentes culturas e idiomas.
Não é necessário se inscrever novamente se você já se inscreveu no evento anterior do IAMM Connected in Portuguese. Se estiver inscrito, você receberá o link do Zoom.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition #5
2025-06-05 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Our next meeting for Spanish speakers will take place on June 5 at 1 p.m. (Eastern Time). In this meeting, we will talk with Andrew Rossetti.
Andrew Rossetti, PhD, MT-BC, LCAT, is the supervisor of the Music Therapy Program in Radiation Oncology at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine within the Mount Sinai Health System. His clinical practice in medical music therapy spans all areas of oncology, both in the hospital setting and in the neonatal ICU, where he specializes in Environmental Music Therapy in fragile areas and in the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress.
Dr. Rossetti is an international lecturer and has frequently been invited as a keynote speaker at conferences and universities in the United States, Asia, Europe, South America, and Canada. He is Secretary of the Executive Committee of the International Association for Music and Medicine (IAMM) and Chair of its Ethics Committee, as well as a reviewer for the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Dr. Rossetti currently serves on the faculty of Montclair State University, the University of Barcelona, and ArtEZ University of the Arts.
Join IAMM to participate in conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
We look forward to having you at the event.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Spanish Edition #6
2025-09-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
We invite you to participate in the next IAMM Conectados meeting, an initiative by the Communications Committee of the International Association for Music & Medicine that seeks to connect Spanish-speaking communities in the field of music and medicine. In this special session, we will explore the Reporting Guidelines for Music-based Interventions through a presentation on the recent update and validation study, followed by an exclusive interview with the author. The event will feature live Spanish translation to ensure accessibility and facilitate the exchange of specialized knowledge within our international community.
Sheri L. Robb, PhD, MT-BC is a Walther Professor of Supportive Oncology in the Indiana University Schools of Nursing and Medicine. Dr. Robb is internationally recognized for her expertise in pediatric music therapy and behavioral intervention research. Her program of research focuses on development and testing of music interventions to manage distress and improve positive health outcomes in children and adolescents with cancer and their caregivers. Dr. Robb is an established investigator with twenty years of continuous funding from the US National Institutes of Health. She also led publication of Reporting Guidelines for Music-based Interventions to address calls for more transparent and accurate reporting in music intervention research.
David José Gamella González holds a Doctorate in Fine Arts and is a certified Music Therapist. He serves as Academic Coordinator of the Master’s in Music Therapy at Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR) and as Editor-in-Chief of Music Therapy Research. He is part of the Music Department within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at MiSOSTENiDO.
Join IAMM to participate in conversations, expand your network, and contribute to the global advancement of music and medicine.
We look forward to having you at the event.
Register here:

IAMM Connected - Portuguese Edition #3
2025-09-24 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Sao_Paulo) | Online
Nosso próximo encontro do IAMM Conectados para falantes da Língua Portuguesa será na quarta-feira dia 24 de setembro de 2025 — horários a seguir. Será temático, de acordo com o que foi decidido no encontro anterior. Falaremos sobre “Instrumentos Musicais e seus papéis na Saúde e Bem-Estar”. Inscrevam-se, tragam seus instrumentos e depoimentos, nos vemos no Zoom!
Horários: 11h Brasília, 15h Lisboa, 16h Maputo, 19h30 Goa
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IAMM In Conversation with the IAMM2026 Conference Committee
2026-03-23 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a conversation with members of the IAMM 2026 Conference Committee as they share insights into the planning and vision behind the upcoming 9th International Conference of the International Association for Music and Medicine, taking place October 22–24, 2026 in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India, at Christ University.
This session offers participants a chance to learn more about the conference theme, “Shaping Cultural Dialogues within Music and Medicine,” and the ideas guiding the development of the program. The committee will discuss how the conference aims to bring together researchers, clinicians, educators, and artists from around the world to explore the evolving relationship between music, health, and culture.
Learn more about the IAMM2026 Conference here.
