The Oxford Handbook of Queer and Trans Music Therapy

Book excerpt: Music therapy is an established profession that is recognized around the world. As a catalyst to promote health and wellbeing music therapy is both objective and explorative. The Oxford Handbook of Queer and Trans Music Therapy (QTMT) is a celebration of queer, trans, bisexual and gender nonconforming identities and the spontaneous creativity that is at the heart of queer music-making. As an emerging approach in the 21st century QTMT challenges perspectives and narratives from ethnocentric and cisheteronormative traditions, that have dominated the field. Raising the essential question of what it means to create queer and trans spaces in music therapy, this book presents an open discourse on the need for change and new beginnings. The therapists, musicians and artists included in this book collectively embody and represent a range of theory, research and practice that are central to the essence and core values of QTMT. This book does not shy away from the sociopolitical issues that challenge music therapy as a dominantly white, heteronormative, and cisgendered profession. Music as a therapeutic force has the potential to transform us in unique and extraordinary ways. In this book music and words are presented as innovative equals in describing and evaluating QTMT as a newly defined approach.