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Abstr Abstract actIn the present study we conducted a first of its kind online survey of music therapists (MTs) in Israel. Though this field has been growing rapidly and to date includes about 700 MTs, there was not yet a survey conducted to adress their fields of interest, and their clinical and theoretical orientations. A total of 107 MTs, 48 of which had more than 8 years of experience (MEMT) and 57 of which had less than 8 years of experience (LEMT), answered an internet survey examining: (a) the instruments and the techniques they use, (b) the populations they work with, and (c) their theoretical orientation. Results indicated significant differences between MEMTs and LEMTs in almost all fields of inquiry. Generally, most of the younger generation is open to more techniques, proficient with more instruments, and uses more music in their work. In a continuously globalizing world, the results of this study are relevant to not only Israeli music therapists, but others as well since the local situation captured in this study can be compared and related to the situations in other countries. Recommendations are provided for places where such studies and surveys have not yet been conducted.

Koolulam is a social musical initiative launched in 2017. The aim of Koolulam is to strengthen the fabric of society through mass singing - collaborative singing in large groups. This is the first study worldwide that examines this social musical phenomenon. The aim of the study to examine the profile of people who participate in Koolulam events and their motives for partaking in such an event, and to examine whether the social, communal and emotional characteristics of mass singing such as in a Koolulam event, include elements that may help strengthen the resilience of individuals in a group.  This study used a mixed method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. The data were collected through questionnaires answered by 914 participants. The findings indicate that Koolulam events are perceived as a unique phenomenon, different from other multi-participant events. The shared singing experience at these events has social, communal and emotional characteristics. Conclusions: The study shows that singing even one song in a large group consisting of a combination of different voice types, fosters harmony and tolerance among the different voices in the group.

(1) Background: Throughout their career, music therapists make decisions regarding the clinical population they choose to work with. Though such decisions can have broad implications on the professional development of the music therapist, not much is known about the reasons for making these decisions and whether they are affected by demographic or professional factors. (2) Methods: In this pilot study, we surveyed 439 music therapists from six countries (i.e., Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Spain, and Switzerland) using an online questionnaire. We asked the respondents to explain why they chose to work with their main clienteles, and we examined whether their reasons were connected to demographic factors such as country of origin, gender, and seniority, and professional factors such as experience as a music therapist and population one works with. (3) Results: The category analysis of these responses pointed at nine distinct reasons that could be grouped into “practical reasons”, “reasons of connection”, and “innovation”. There were differences in reasoning between music therapists from different countries, and with different degrees of seniority, but not between male and female music therapists. (4) Discussion: The implications on training programs and on policy makers are discussed as well as the importance of this subject to the development of music therapists’ professional identity.

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