A philosophical inquiry of music therapy: Seeking points of unification

Music therapy is a diverse and broad profession that eludes definition and lacks unity. There are many theories that guide practice, but there is no single theory that binds the various approaches. Instead, a multitude of approaches segment the field, creating inner tensions and frustrating communication both within and outside of the profession, resulting in an identity problem for music therapy. On a simplistic level the field appears to be divided into two primary groups, the Creative Music Perspective and the Functional Music Perspective, possibly suggesting the existence of two different fields of practice. The purpose of this historical-philosophical inquiry was to ask if there are any premises that bind the whole profession, or is music therapy in fact two (or more) separate professions under one label? Information pertinent to answering the question was sought in four areas: a historical investigation of music's role in society and of music therapy's development as a profession, a review of seven primary approaches to music therapy practice, an examination of meta-theoretical and philosophical thought within the field, and twenty-four interviews with music therapy educators from eleven countries discussing the topics of diversity and unity. Based upon the results of the four pools of data, it was concluded that, though there are a number of shared premises that could form the basis of foundation for the profession, music therapy is currently an umbrella term used to describe a multitude of approaches that purposefully use music to try to affect the human experience.;Key words: music therapy, foundational theory, diversity, unity, history.