In this insightful book, Oldfield and Carr draw together persuasive arguments for combining aspects of music therapy and dramatherapy, whilst retaining their unique facets. Building on the many links between music and drama and the compatibility between the two disciplines, the authors explore how artistic aspects of each therapy can be drawn on to create fresh ways of working. This approach enriches the practice of professionals working to support people with special needs, people recovering from trauma and social deprivation and a wide range of other service users. Despite the significant overlap in music therapy and dramatherapy techniques, this is the first book to directly explore the vast potential of elements of the two disciplines being brought together. Covering a range of different perspectives and practice contexts, this book demonstrates just how much the professions can offer each other both from a clinical perspective and from the point of view of training therapists.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. Amelia Oldfield, music therapist, UK and Mandy Carr, dramatherapist, UK. 1. If music be the food of love....; the dance of music and drama in the early years of creative arts therapies. Sue Jennings, dramatherapist, UK. 2. Dramatic role play within improvisational music therapy: Joey's story. Grace Thompson, music therapist, AUS. 3. Notes of recognition and connection: music within dramatherapy when working with adults who have challenges in their verbal capacity or are non-verbal. Jane Jackson, dramatherapist, UK. 4. The use of puppets in music therapy in a school for children with special educational needs. Jo Tomlinson and Susan Greenhalgh, music therapists, UK. 5. "You are the music while the music lasts": songs, memories and stories within a story. Christine West, dramatherapist, UK. 6. Humour, play, movement and kazoos; drama in music therapy with children and families. Amelia Oldfield. 7. Collaborations and transitions between schools and arts therapy modalities. Jessica Ellinor, dramatherapist, UK and Alexandra Georgaki, music therapist, Greece. 8. Love songs for my perpetrator: a musical theatre-based drama therapy intervention: dimensionalising the traumatised self through musical theatre. Adam Reynolds, dramatherapist and social worker, USA, and Catherine Davis, dramatherapist, USA. 9. Lullaby for butterfly: drama and music therapy projects for young people who have experienced social deprivation. Ludwika Koniecna-Nowak, music therapist, Poland. 10. Past and current influences between music therapy and dramatherapy in collaborative training, practice and research. Helen Odell-Miller, music therapist, UK and Ditty Dokter, dramatherapist, the Netherlands. 11. Music therapy and dramatherapy students improvising together: using playback and other forms. Amelia Oldfield, Mandy Carr, Ditty Dokter and Eleanor Richards, music therapist, UK. Reflections. Mandy Carr. About the Contributors.