When Music Therapy Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives was first published in 1995, it was the first collection on music therapy research covering both quantitative and qualitative perspectives giving it international significance. Music Therapy Research Second Edition in some ways seems a misnomer, as a second edition often includes only minor amendments and updates. This ‘second edition’ is such an expansion of the previous edition that one nearly would be forgiven for questioning the relationship between the two. As the editor states in the preface, the first edition brought a large amount of information together for the first time, whereas the new edition reflects the vast developments which have taken place in music therapy research in the passing ten years. This second edition is a veritable feast on a wide range of topics pertinent to planning, doing, funding and communicating about research in music therapy. It is difficult to review the new edition without making constant reference to the previous edition, making an assumption that the reader is familiar with it. However, I feel this comparison is important because the second edition is just so different from the previous one.

Firstly, the new edition looks entirely different: it is a A4 sized and hardback. Similar to the original edition, it is presented in ‘parts’ or sections, with the four sections in the original being expanded to five in the new. However, the organisation of the sections in the new edition is quite different. Qualitative and quantitative research chapters, which had been separated in the first edition, now have been combined throughout the first two sections of the book. This offers a more integrated perspective reflective of current research trends in the wider field of health sciences. Immediately noticeable is the greater international focus, with contributors from nine countries in three continents. This provides a widened perspective, including European research which was absent from the earlier edition, making it easier for researchers from all traditions and nationalities to relate to this book.

Part I offers an overview of music therapy research with relevant issues. Whilst the opening chapter has the same title as in the first edition, the content is thoroughly updated and presents important thinking on topics such as the relevance of research to practice. Additions such as this give the book prescience and challenge our thinking from the start, particularly considering the prominent emergence of evidence-based practice as an issue in the profession since the publication of the first edition. Historical perspectives of music therapy research in Chapter 2 by Jane Edwards is new material and offers a context for the reader for what follows. Chapter 3 by Even Ruud offers an invaluable introduction to and overview of differing philosophical stances of research methodologies with concise critiques on each stance including the relevance to music therapy. Carol Prickett’s Principles of Quantitative Research in chapter 4 has been included in this initial section, and has expanded a little from the first edition although surprisingly the useful additional suggested readings list remains the same. Wheeler and Kenny’s chapter on the principles of qualitative research offers entirely new material from the first edition. Whilst concise, it is particularly thorough and is offers a good introduction for those embarking on the research journey. The final chapter of Part I by Edwards and Burns offers wisdom which is hard to come by about funding research. This is an insightful inclusion to the book and a rare opportunity to learn from the experts! Whilst I found the specific information geared towards US funding, the tips and advice proffered are essential reading for anyone considering applying for grants.

Part II provides what the editor describes in her preface as ‘the focus of reading for …. music therapy research courses’ (p. ix) and covers the steps of the research process. Chapters 7 and 8 cover the early steps of developing research from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This material has been expanded from the first edition and is presented with greater clarity. Dileo’s chapter on reviewing the literature provides the student with a structured guide to searching, managing and using literature. The chapters on designing quantitative and qualitative research are presented separately. Whilst the chapter on quantitative principles is based on the material in the first edition, Bruscia’s chapter on qualitative principles has been thoroughly revised. DeCuir’s chapter on the statistical methods most frequently used in published music therapy research has been improved through the situating the examples within the main body of text rather than as appendices. An additional useful chapter has been added on the basic functions of the Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) which is widely used in research. The figures provided are clear and informative. The chapters on qualitative data analysis provide much greater detail than in the previous edition with an additional chapter comparing the range of software tools available. Writing up quantitative and qualitative reports are presented independently, and Aigen’s chapter on preparing the qualitative report provides particularly good guidance for those who have survived being drowned in qualitative data only to find communicating the results to be an even greater challenge. Dileo’s chapter on ethical precautions has been thoroughly revised, and whilst specific information given on governmental regulations is solely US based, other useful information includes detailed guidance on consent documentation. Two new chapters cover the evaluation of both types of research, offering insightful information for the student and those wishing to be published.

Parts III and IV present in greater detail types of quantitative and qualitative research. These are expanded from those offered in the earlier edition, considerably so in the case of qualitative research which presents a vast amount of completely new material. Twelve different ‘types’ of qualitative research are provided, including research which may be unfamiliar to many music therapists, such as first-person research, ethnography, morphological research and personal construct psychology and the repertory grid technique. Austin and Forinash’s chapter on arts-based research is a particularly interesting read, and it is great to see such a radical, relevant and creative approach to research included here. Throughout the chapters detailed examples are given of music therapy research which assist the reader in understanding the research concepts being presented. These examples mostly make interesting reading. In the quantitative section, two new chapters on survey research and meta-analysis illustrate current practice and emerging trends in music therapy. A new chapter on quantitative single-case design complements the chapter by Suzanne Hanser on Applied Behaviour Analysis, a welcome addition given the importance of single-case designs in research with complex populations where group studies are not viable. It is reflective of developments in music therapy research that in this edition a greater proportion of the book is given to qualitative research, whereas in the previous edition quantitative and qualitative research were given roughly equivalent weight.

Finally, Part V presents ‘other’ types of research, including philosophical inquiry, historical research, developing theory, and an entirely new chapteron approaches to researching music.

Music Therapy Research is invaluable both for music therapists coming to research for the first time, as well as for those some experience of research already. However, it is not only for those engaging in research. Discussions in Chapter 1 highlight the interface between research, practice and theory which is relevant to us whether or not we see ourselves as ‘researchers’. The frequent illustrative examples of research provided can inform clinicians as well. The juxtaposition of the qualitative and quantitative perspectives in Parts I and II is a welcome development in thinking and presentation, reflecting the profession’s journey away from the divorced standpoints of previous times. Although the references to music therapy research are exceptionally varied and multinational, it was disappointing to note that several well-published British researchers had somehow slipped acknowledgement in the examples used. It is true that good quality research should seek guidance from a wider range than just one text offering unidisciplinary examples. However, this book has provided examples of research processes which I have sought in other research texts but not readily found (e.g. ‘member checking’). The index is thorough although I will miss the glossary of terms provided in the previous edition.

As a researcher with some experience in a limited range of designs, I will find this book an invaluable resource. In the process of developing a programme of research with multiple projects, I will be using this book as a single source which provides wide ranging examples. It wouldn’t be the only research text to which I would refer when planning a single project, as a chapter may not provide enough depth to guide me in any one single approach. However, as a source book it provides a wide range of information on differing designs which have been used in music therapy research and practical illustrations of these. It will stand as a record of music therapy research at this point in its evolution.

Wendy L. Magee PhD NMT
International Fellow in Music Therapy
Institute of Complex Neuro-disability
London

Book Review In Press
Volume 17, 2006 Australian Journal of Music Therapy
Wheeler, B. (Ed.) (2005). Music Therapy Research. Second edition.
Gilsum NH: Barcelona Publishers. ISBN: 1-891278-26-6 Hard-back:
US$72.

Review by:
Helen Shoemark MME RMT_
Senior Music Therapist – Neonate & Infant Program, Music Therapy Unit,
Royal Children’s Hospital_
Honorary Research Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute_
PhD Candidate, National Music Therapy Research Unit, University of
Melbourne

The over-riding impression one has from reading Music therapy
research is that every music therapist will need to access it at some point in his or her career. In reviewing this text it may useful to understand my perspective as a clinician, who completed an experimental study for my Masters (Kansas University 1986) and is mid candidature for a PhD involving a qualitative inquiry for the dissertation (NaMTRU, Uuniversity of
Melbourne) In the ten years since Barbara Wheeler produced the first edition of Music therapy research: Quantitative and qualitative perspectives, music therapy research has grown exponentially. This is reflected in the diversity of topics and richness of material offered in the new volume. At 41 chapters, in an A4 hardback format, the second edition of Music therapy research may well kill you if you fall asleep reading it in bed! This foreboding format actually belies the user-friendly contents within.

Barbara Wheeler has utilised several devices to promote access
throughout the text. The book is formulated into five contained sections – an
overview, the research process, types of quantitative research, types of
qualitative research and other types of research. Within each section the
chapters unfold in a logical process, building the reader’s understanding of
underpinning and practical issues on each topic. Where viable, the chapters
themselves have a common format allowing the readers to skip between
chapters to compare features. Some chapters are particularly succinct
offering a sharp burst of pithy insight into the topic. Others take time to
unfold through rich discussion of complex topics and issues.

There are two further devices which make this text easy to traverse.
While each chapter is a self-contained unit, clear links are offered to other
relevant chapters. When the reader finds a model or concept that is pertinent
to their project, it is easy to develop an understanding across several chapters
without always needing to search the index. While building this full picture,
the other powerful device is the central use of music therapy research to
illustrate concepts. Where a new concept might be difficult to appreciate in
the abstract, the music therapy example provides a pertinent illustration.
Twelve authors from outside the USA contribute significant chapters to
the book. These authors also enhance their chapters with examples of music
therapy research giving us access to research from their own regions and rare access to key research completed in other languages. This helps the reader to access outstanding theses, dissertation, and projects described in key literature outside the dominant journals.

The remainder of this review will overview the five sections. Section
one provides a broad framework which could serve a stand alone primer for
clinicians and new researchers, but also serves to introduce deeper concepts in subsequent sections of the book. Of particular note is Chapter 2 Developments and issues in music therapy research (Jane Edwards), which
provides a useful history of music therapy research, but also a challenge for
us to engage intelligently with the international literature.

Chapters 4 and 5 serve as clear indicators of the benefits of the ‘cut and dry’ quantitative methods we are more accustomed to, and the nebulous and enticing world of qualitative research. The only chapter that seems somehow out of place is Chapter 6 Funding music therapy research but it is difficult to see where this functional chapter might have otherwise been located.

Section 2 provides 14 chapters which outline the processes for creating effective quantitative or qualitative research from topic development through to writing a report. The quality of writing in this section is exemplified by indepth concept delineation and functional instruction. The opening chapter Research topics and questions in music therapy by Ken Bruscia is an elegant articulation that heralds the pithy content in chapters to come. Chapter 8 Developing a topic provides an exposition of a critical step not often presented in detail. The ‘how-to’ chapters on reviewing literature (Dileo) and statistical analyses (DeCuir) demonstrate the a fuller potential and finer execution than we often see in such a text. Unfortunately, chapters explaining computer software (13 and 15) will have a short shelf life. QSR International has already released NVivo 7 making the explanation of NVivo 2 redundant. It was in this section that I re-engaged with an awareness that the language and concepts we use when discussing research are historically derived from our basis in quantitative research. This section provides a primer to expand the reader’s vocabulary and conceptual understanding for qualitative research. For the researcher interested in making a shift, chapters on designing research (11), data analysis (14), writing and evaluating qualitative research (17 and 20) may overwhelm the novice, but the music therapy illustrations keep new concepts clearly connected to a reality we already understand.

Sections 3 and 4 are dedicated to quantitative and qualitative
methodology respectively. Case study research, in both its quantitative and
qualitative forms (chapters 24 and 35 respectively), clarifies essential
foundations and components for anyone who is interested in writing about
their work. Further chapters on meta-analysis and applied behaviour analysis offer step-by-step instruction so that the independent music therapist could be confident in pursuing such methods.

The twelve chapters of Section 4 herald the burgeoning application of
qualitative inquiry. Authors such as Ken Bruscia, Kenneth Aigen, Brynjulf
Stige, Carolyn Kenny and several others leave us in no doubt about the rigor
of the methods and the significant contribution such studies will make to the
quality of music therapy clinical work. The surprises come in an excellent
chapter on first person research (Bruscia) which straddles so many parts of
clinical work and research, and innovative methods such as morphological
research (chapter 34) and arts-based research (chapter 36).

The final section presents just four chapters of intense information on
essential topics such as researching music itself and developing theory. These concluding chapters are truly international in nature and elegant in
presentation.

This is an essential first text for anyone embarking on music therapy
research. The concepts are beautifully presented, but perhaps most powerful
of all is the inspiration to be gained by the rich display of music therapy
research itself.

Music Therapy Research, 2nd Edition
Barbara L. Wheeler, Editor
Barcelona Publishers

Review by:
Monika Nöcker-Ribaupierre
Musiktherapeutische Umschau 1/2006

This book is huge – in A4 format, with 600 narrow printed pages – covered in black linen with silver letters. At the first glance it reminds me of seeing a bible. But indeed it is a kind of a collection of legacies – legacies of music therapy researchers dedicated to the next generation.

“Beginning to read this book may be the beginning of a journey – a life journey and also a research journey. Reading this book may open up new ways of looking at research and life. That is because there are ways in which research and life parallel one another – just as there are many ways to do research, there are also various ways to look at life. Much of how one chooses to do research reflects one`s beliefs and the choices that one makes about life. This extends to the question of what we mean by truth, whether it is possible to be objective, and what knowledge we find meaningful.” This is the beginning of Barbara Wheeler`s introduction to her second edition of Music Therapy Research.

This new edition is a complete revision and extension of the first edition. It is arranged into five parts, 41 articles from 30 music therapy researchers from nine different countries – this time including also three German authors: Langenberg, Tüpker and Weymann. The challenge of this new edition is described by Wheeler as to incorporate the changes and growth especially in the field of qualitative research, and to take into account what was learned and experienced from the first edition.

Talking about details would break any review frame – but this overview will hopefully meet the reader`s interest.

The new edition is arranged so that each part covers a different aspect of research and can be read alone.

Part 1 gives a brief overview on the diversity and complexity of music therapy research, with the main focus on the overall definition and content of quantitative and qualitative research.

Part 2 is intended to describe theoretical and methodical aspects of research. Those two parts may be read also by students who want to understand much about research without going too much in detail.

Part 3 deals with Quantitative and Part 4 with Qualitative Research; both provide detailed descriptions of the numerous research methods including practice. Part 5 is aimed at meta -levels, by including chapters on music research, philosophical inquiry, developing theory and historical research. These three parts provide comprehensive information in the form of 21 different methods of music therapy research. Each chapter describes its own research design, in a density and complexity that is hardly to be found in music therapy literature. All chapters are really treasure chests for those who are interested practical, professional, and enthusiastic researchers – and need to be read with peace of mind and pleasure. They are written by music therapists such as Aigen, Amir, Bruscia, Dileo, Grocke, Hanser, Ruud, Wigram or Wheeler, just to name some of them.

While reading across and through these chapters I often thought of the parallel situations in research and life, the being inspired by research and personal experience - which indeed reminds me of personal legacies.

After the generation of music therapy pioneers there now is this generation of music therapy researchers who provide a broad music therapy foundation with the help of great personal engagement. (or with great personal engagement – as you like, this sounds better for me too). In my opinion the next step has to be to use this valuable treasure for professional politics.

If a book is dedicated to become an international standard reference for music therapy research and research methodology for music therapy students and professionals – then it is this one.

Wheeler, Barbara L. (2005). Music Therapy Research: Second Edition. Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.
586 pages. ISBN 1-891278-26-6.
Reviewed by Rudy Garred, Ph.D.
Bergen University, Norway.

Barcelona Publishers with Barbara Wheeler as editor have done a great service to the field of music therapy with the release of the second edition of Music Therapy Research. This is a major revision of the first edition, with new chapters, new authors and new themes included. It is quite a lot more comprehensive, making it a major advance compared to the first edition. This book actually replaces the first one, which Wheeler also edited, and which itself was a major step forward within literature on music therapy research. The first edition was a pioneer work, being one of the very first, if not the first, to bring together two different main approaches to music therapy research in one volume, that is to say, both quantitative and qualitative research. But even so, the second edition is upgraded now to such a degree that it leaves the first entirely behind.

Let me state this right at the outset: This is a must-have. If you do not purchase it yourself, tell your local university or college librarian that the first edition now is outdated, and that it will no longer do. Any serious library having any kind of music therapy collection should have this book as a necessary part of their collection. This means to say that it is more than recommended, I would say that it is mandatory. Anyone engaged in the theme of music therapy research will need to know this book, unless credibility is to drop dramatically. Why? - For several reasons. This book is an excellent collection of articles covering just about the entire spectrum of music therapy research. Barbara Wheeler has done a very good job in getting the most representative writers within their respective specialities to cover their own areas. But this does not mean that this is just a collection of well-edited, competently written articles covering a wide range of relevant issues. The book is also put together in a systematic way which makes it useful far beyond any such collection of articles; however intrinsically interesting each may be. The choice of themes, some of them actually new to the music therapy literature, and the way they are put together is well considered, and constitutes a very appropriate collection both as a whole, and as a set of interrelated, crossreferenced parts, chapters and sections within the whole.

The book is divided into five parts. The first part is a general overview of the field of music therapy research. Now although it is true that this part indeed may serve as a general introduction, as Wheeler suggests, anyone, on any level actually, may benefit from reading these systematic introductions, on account of their quality and systematic expositions. In the first chapter Wheeler gives an overview of music therapy research, according to some of the distinctions into various kinds of research that are in common use. Furthermore, she asks some highly relevant, not to say crucial questions regarding the relation between research and clinical practice. This is a pertinent opening for a book as comprehensive as this one. It is about the basic question regarding what research is good for. And Wheeler does not point to, or even suggest that there are simple, straightforward answers here. But she does bring out the issue in a way that makes it not dismissible from any side you want to look at it. It actualizes the contents of all the following articles of the book.

Jane Edwards gives a comprehensive overview of the (English language) research sources, and points to the relative lack of cross-citations between refereed journals within the field. - An opportune reminder. With this kind of chapter at hand there is less of an excuse not to include the full range of research articles available! Even Ruud draws a broad picture, in a necessarily limited space, of the field of philosophy and theory of science. He stresses the need for multiple perspectives and for reflexivity, which this chapter indeed may spur. In this first part of the book two chapters follow on principles of quantitative and qualitative research respectively. Carol Prickett gives a straightforward, informative account of different kinds of quantitative research within the field. Barbara Wheeler and Carolyn Kenny outline different approaches to qualitative research, and finally Jane Edwards and Debra Burns give some valuable advice regarding research-funding and applying for grants, this practical side to research also being attended to.

Whereas the first part of the book gives an overview of kinds of research within the field, both quantitative and qualitative, the second part deals with the research process, starting with Kenneth Bruscia’s exposition of research topics and questions in music therapy. This is thorough and systematic, as might be expected by anyone familiar with Bruscia’s writings. The chapter contains a veritable checklist of kinds of research questions that may be asked. And Bruscia also gracefully suggests going further on one’s own. Wheeler continues with a chapter on developing a topic, which constitutes a next natural step in the logic of a research process, pointing to inherent differences here between qualitative and quantitative research. Cheryl Dileo then gives a no-nonsense practical chapter on writing a literature review, in a step by step "how to" manner. Then follow a series of chapters dealing with the research process, as this relates somewhat differently to quantitative and qualitative approaches. Designing research, statistical methods of analysis, computer programs for quantitative research, data analysis and software tools for qualitative research, writing the research report, and evaluating each kind of research respectively, and also, importantly, the ethical precautions that necessarily are involved.

There is a lot of highly relevant material presented here as to the research process, and that is presented by well-informed, experienced researchers within the field. I have to say I did like, for instance, Ken Aigen’s chapter on writing the qualitative research report, which goes far beyond just writing technicalities, into problems and issues related to different aspects of writing, brought out in an exciting way as to all the kinds of options that may be available here. This of course reflects some of my own bias towards qualitative approaches. But whatever one’s own bias or orientation may be, I think it is a great bonus of the book, taking both qualitative and quantitative research into account, in this way clarifying each by comparison with the other. This becomes clear in Aigen’s chapter where he brings out the features of qualitative report writing by contrasting it with the quantitative.

The authors on the whole take somewhat converging stances, some stressing more than others that methods or at least techniques, to use Wheeler’s distinction, could be combined or mixed, while others, without necessarily being unduly one-sided, still adhere to a particular position. Of course, nothing else would be possible, given the diversity of approaches. The book on the whole strikes a delicate balance both ways, it seems to me, not ruling out one part entirely in favour of the other, still leaving room enough for each side to take a stand. But most of all there is an inclusive attitude manifested, opening for multiple approaches and perspectives.

The three last parts of the book deal more in depth with as much as 21 different methods of research under the headings of quantitative, qualitative and "other research", which is to say musical, philosophical, theory development, and historical research. I would not even want to pretend that I was an expert or in any way similarly versed in each and every of these methods and their various techniques, based on different paradigms. But reading through them all certainly constitutes a tour de force of what kinds of research that has been carried out within the field of music therapy, because each chapter not only presents and gives an exposition of the research method at hand, but illustrates in each case how and to which extent each has been carried out related to music therapy research. This makes reading these chapters intrinsically interesting and informative, and taken together they give an overview of the state of music therapy research. In addition to this, and primarily of course, these chapters are designed as tools for carrying out music therapy research projects, by each giving a clear and focused exposition of the principles and techniques involved. The instances of music therapy research referred to in each chapter serve as examples or models of research in this context.

These chapters will not by themselves give a sufficient background to carry out all these respective approaches to research, though. Conferring with a psychology professor colleague of mine well versed and experienced in quantitative research methodology, it became clear that the chapters and sections on quantitative research were uneven as to their precision and content, at least as he regarded them. He was very critical to some chapters, finding them lacking in many respects, and actually containing quite some amount of misunderstandings and faults. Without going into any detail here, this might serve as a reminder that the authors represented in this book are not necessarily experts in the respective research methods and techniques as such, but rather have used what they have found to be relevant and appropriate methods specifically for music therapy research. This means that the chapters are kept close to the field of music therapy, which is the main strength and usefulness of the book, without necessarily being the most qualified presentations to be found of the different research methods presented. In other words, the book needs to be supplied with the literature dealing with the particular method or technique of choice. This of course goes for both qualitative and quantitative methods. In this way the book serves mostly as an overview, opening doors into many different approaches to research. And this, obviously, is what it has been intended to do, rather than giving the readers complete and accurate accounts of each and every research method as such.

Given this angle, I would say that Barbara Wheeler has done a very good job in finding the right person (or persons), being (relatively) most competent and experienced for each topic, often what must be regarded as a leading figure within each approach. I addition to this there seems to have been a very structured frame for writing each chapter that each author has had to adhere to, and a thorough editing process, making each chapter accessible and also comparable to the others. The format of each chapter seems to be long enough to convey quite a wealth of information, though overall not too long, to become redundant, or overly packed and unmanageable. This makes this collection a very useful tool for browsing, reading different chapters up against each other, in order to make one’s own, preliminary at least, judgment as to the relevance of each method or technique according to the research one is planning to carry out. And having decided one way or the other the references constitute a path for further explorations, as necessary.

The topics that are covered for quantitative research are experimental research, survey research, meta-analysis, which has gained an increased importance in documenting effects of music therapy, (which, by the way, my psychology professor colleague actually rather liked), qualitative single case designs, and applied behaviour analysis. This does seem to cover the most central research methods within this paradigm. Coming to qualitative research there are chapters on phenomenological, hermeneutic, and naturalistic inquiry, sorting out their respective features and characteristics; grounded theory, already going back some 40 years now; first-person research, an exciting and actually many-sided method that Bruscia brings out the relevance of; ethnography and participatory action research which Brynjulf Stige recommends and claims holds great promises for future research; narrative inquiry, with Carolyn Kenny as a natural author of choice, having made ample use of narrative in her own research and writing. In addition to these come Morphological Research (E. Weymann and R. Tüpker) mainly a German tradition, and of which it should be noted that it is a significant contribution in itself to make this available to an international (that is to say English speaking) audience. Furthermore there is a chapter on the qualitative case study, complementary to the chapter on quantitative case-studies; arts-based research, which Diane Austin and Michele Forinash are proponents for; and finally personal construct psychology and the repertory grid technique, which has also been applied to music therapy research. This represents indeed a broad and representative it seems, spectrum of qualitative methods.

In the last part of the book, as previously mentioned, comes music research, of which Lars Ole Bonde does give a very thorough and informed treatment, within the confines of this chapter. Then philosophical research, with Aigen as a profiled author, and a new chapter on developing theory in music therapy, an appropriate and timely theme to include, and which Bruscia delves into and brings to light. Lastly we find historical research in music therapy.

The great value of this work is that all chapters relate to music therapy research that has been carried out, at the same as possible future developments are pointed at. - Now music therapy has its own handbook of research, as other fields, like music education for instance, have had for some time now. Music therapy research, reflecting the diversity of the fields of practice, is indeed very wide. The ambitions are high. Of course, at the same time being relatively new, and also relatively – no, very – small, the levels attained within each of the diversified approaches may vary somewhat, and which is what must be expected. Nevertheless, bringing all this material, containing, on the whole I dare say, at least "good enough" presentations of what has actually been attempted within music therapy research, together in one volume may serve the practical purpose of becoming a common reference, which I believe it should. I expect it will be put up in the reading lists of music therapy courses, at all levels, around the world. Not as the final word, but maybe as the "first word", the initial literature to check out. There will obviously be much to discuss and to critique, and to develop further, and to supply, but I do expect this will become a primary reference source for music therapy research for some time to come now. As a "map of the territory" it might well acquire a classic status. All in all I believe it is simply destined to become a much used and useful book.

This bookreview was released December 4, 2006©2006 Nordic Journal of Music Therapy