Yes, but, No, but: A contrarian response to Cross (2014). (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ansdell, Gary
• Other Names: Spiro Neta guest-editor.; Schober Michael F. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Psychology of music. Volume 42:Number 6(2014:Nov.)
• Page Start: 820
• Page End: 825
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: communication -- contrarianism -- methodology -- music psychology -- music therapy; Music -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 781.11
• DOI: 10.1177/0305735614544189
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-7356

Abstract

This text responds to Ian Cross' article 'Music as Communication' from a music therapist's perspective. Its response is both appreciative – acknowledging the emerging consilience between aspects of music psychology and music therapy at a disciplinary level – but also contrarian, challenging whether a materialist-reductionist epistemology/methodology can form a sufficient framework for understanding how music helps within music therapy and other music and wellbeing practices. The article suggests that a broader conceptual frame of 'musical relationship' is substituted for the narrower one of 'musical communication, ' and a more expansionist perspective is taken to tracing and exploring the health-promoting ecology of musical people, musical things, and musical situations.