California Symposium on Music Therapy Education and Training: Summary and Recommendations

Abstract

The California Symposium on Music Therapy Education and Training was held on May 5–7, 1989 at the Fairview Developmental Center, Costa Mesa, California. Carol Bitcon and Dwayne LaFon hosted the meeting. The purpose of the symposium, funded by NAMT, was to evaluate the current status and future trends in music therapy education and to make recommendations regarding the content of music therapy education at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels of training, to consider issues of quality assurance in the education and clinical training standards, and to examine new models for music therapy education and training. Regional representatives and invited guests attending the symposium were Susan Pasquale Murphy, New England; Connie Willeford, Donna Polen, Phyllis Boone, Mid-Atlanlic; Ted Tims, Roy Grant, Southeast; Carla Hoskins, South Central; George Petrie, Mavis Mahlberg, Alicia Gibbons, Midwest; Peggy Codding, Linda Wright, Laurie Farnum, Great Lakes; Michael Cassity, Mary Rudenberg, Southwest; Ron Borczon, Yvonne Soto, Jim Dziwak, Kay Roskam, Weswrn; Jayne Standley, Anthony Decuir, Darlene Brooks, Executive Board; Ed Norwood, Andrea Farbman, National Office; and Ken Bruscia, AAMT representative. After hearing the invited position papers, symposium participants contributed to each of three idea-generation groups on the following topics: quality assurance in music therapy education and training, the present and future status of music therapy education, and the present and future status of music therapy clinical training. A number of suggestions were generated by the “brain-storming” groups. These ideas were presented the following day to the symposium participants for their final consideration and vote.