In this book, Even Ruud argues for the value of humanities as a basis for the theory and practice of music therapy. With the humanities he includes a broad range of academic disciplines, such as those from the social sciences as well as from philosophy, education, and not least, systematic musicology. Through ten chapters, the author discusses some basic principles of a humanistic outlook and how these may affect music therapy. He takes departure from the relational turn in psychotherapy and discusses concepts such as communicative musicality, “thirdness” in improvisation and the concept of recognition, as it relates to critical philosophy. Continuing the thread from his earlier book, Ruud goes on to discuss musical identity, but this time from a developmental point of view, i.e. how music serves different functions in the formation of our identities throughout life. Basic to the humanistic outlook on music therapy will be a concern for our conception of music, and how we deal with aesthetic theories. Drawing from the recent philosophies of body and gesture, Ruud suggests a bodily foundation for the experience of meaning in music, with implication for our understanding of therapeutic improvisation, such as in creative music therapy, or listening, as exemplified by the BMGIM-approach. The next chapters deal with clinical perspectives, and theories from empowerment theory, and notions on health and quality of life lead into a chapter on community music therapy. A whole chapter is also devoted to philosophies of science. In his concluding chapter, Ruud announces a new direction for music therapy, how the everyday musicking through smart phones and mp3-technology may initiate a new area in the use of music as self-caring technology. |