Arts and Health 2025: Music Therapy Without Borders. A Challenge of Professionalism and Rigor

We are pleased to celebrate the 10th EDITION of Arts i Salut – International Conference on Music and Neurology. And we announce it in capital letters, because it is no small thing. Ten! Yes, we insist! Edition number ten — TEN — and since this is our tenth edition, we commit ourselves to this deu, this spring of water, this flowing source that preserves the unique character of each of its drops: science, emotion, health, art, learning, growth, harmony, solfège, music, humanity, therapy, generosity, teamwork, community, movement, vision, mission, honesty, professionalism, life, presence, memory, rigour, vibration, limit, no-limit, essence, mastery, perseverance, companionship, dialogue… and more drops of water whose names we must continue to find.

This natural fountain of goosebumps that ESMUC offers to everyone is meant to remain the professional meeting point we all need. We speak of continuing to research with both scientific and artistic certainty, to reach those places where we know Music Therapy belongs: within the medical, social, educational, and personal spheres. And we work so that the arts as a whole may also be recognised for their transformative power.

And we let this spring of realities flow and reflect beyond our borders. How? This year, the conference is held alongside the MDW (Vienna) and the Norwegian Academy of Music (Oslo). Together we can live — truly live — these new shared challenges, the similarities that unite us, and the differences that make us stronger in our courage to move forward with Music Therapy.

These ten editions have marked a profound journey through our professional, family, and personal lives. And above all, what we know for certain is that we continue — and want to continue — on this path of deep, coherent work for the dignification of Music and the Arts as a therapeutic reality.

May this tenth edition once again become a celebration of art and science in the service of people, from people. From knowledge. From sensitivity. We feel joy and gratitude for your presence. If this is your first time: we’re glad you’re here! If you’re returning: we hope to remain worthy of your trust — thanks to you as well! Let’s celebrate the TENTH FESTIVAL, the steadfast gathering of MUSIC THERAPY.

Speakers

Dra. Gro Trondalen

Dr. Gro Trondalen, PhD, music therapist and AMI member, is Professor of Music Therapy at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway. An experienced educator, clinical music therapist, researcher, and supervisor, she also maintains a private practice in Guided Imagery and Music. Her extensive expertise is reflected in a prolific research output and a strong academic background in theory development, particularly in music, relationships, and ethics, including her books on Relational Music Therapy and Ethical Musicality.

Monika Overå

Monika Overå, MA-MT, registered GIM therapist (EAMI), is Assistant Professor and Head of the Master’s in Music Therapy program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. Her main areas of expertise include improvisation, music listening approaches, and empirical research. She also has extensive clinical experience in music therapy in the fields of addiction treatment and pediatrics.

Ingeborg Nebelung

Ingeborg Nebelung, MA-MT, is an experienced music therapist and supervisor. She has worked full-time as a music therapist for more than 20 years, primarily with children in schools and kindergartens. She is Assistant Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, where she teaches and heads the supervisor training program for practicum tutors. She recently presented her doctoral thesis, which focuses on expectations toward music therapy with children and adolescents in complex life situations.

Thomas Stegemann

Prof. Dr. Thomas Stegemann is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, certified music therapist, family therapist, and supervisor. He is Head of the Department of Music Therapy at the MDW – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. He is a founding member and co-chair of MDW’s Ethics Committee. A prolific author and frequent speaker at both national and international conferences, his main research interests include ethics in music therapy, the neurobiological aspects of music and music therapy (with a focus on EEG hyperscanning), and music therapy in family contexts.

Santi Serratosa

Santi Serratosa is a musician, percussionist, and music therapist. He holds a degree in music from the Aula de Música Moderna of the Liceu Conservatory (1999) and in drumming from the Drummers Collective in New York. In 2011, he earned a Master’s in Music Therapy from UPF and later trained in Systemic Pedagogy at the Gestalt Institute of Barcelona (2019). He has furthered his studies in body percussion with teachers such as Anna Llombart, Stéphane Grosjean, Keith Terry, and Fernando Barba, and teaches courses and workshops worldwide using his own SSM Method. As a drummer, he has collaborated with numerous bands of various genres and currently performs and records internationally with Astrio and Gossos.

Anna Jarque

BA in Dance and Choreography – Institut del Teatre, 1988. University specializations: Culture, Human Rights and Activism (UB); Behavioral Disorders – Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (UAB); Neuroscience – Applications in the Classroom (UBLL). She has choreographed for theatre and film, and directed chamber operas. With thirty years of experience as an educator and cultural manager in performing arts, social, and educational contexts, she is a board member of AEGPC (Cultural Heritage) and País Conscient (Symposium of Committed Interiorness). Author of the chapter “Panikkarian Dance” in Panikkar avui (Fragmenta Editorial).a Panikkariana” a “Panikkar avui” de Fragmenta editorial.

Melissa Mercadal

PhD, MT-BC, SMATE, Psychologist–Music Therapist. Doctorate in Music Education (University of Oregon, USA, 1993). Professor and Coordinator of the Master’s in Music Therapy at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). Deputy Director of Academic Planning and Organization (ESMUC). As a music therapist, she participates in various music therapy programs, particularly in geriatrics and mental health. She is a member of the European Music Therapy Standards of Training group (European Music Therapy Confederation) and the Special Interest Group on Dementia (International Association of Music and Medicine).

Programa

Friday 14 November

Time	Activity
15:30	Registration
16:00-16:15	Welcome
16:15-18:00	Presentations Dr. Thomas Stegemann – Polyvagal Theory: Critiques and Implications for Music Therapy. Prof. Monika Overå – Using Video in a Music Therapy Research Project in the Paediatrics: Possibilities and challenges. Prof. Ingebor Nebelung – From lost to found: Creating a musical space for connection with a boy with autism. Dr. Gro Trondalen – Songwriting as a creative health resource after the terror attack in Norway on July 22, 2011.
18:00-18:30	Break
18:30-19:45	Workshops 1 (You must select one of the options when registering) Workshop on ethics – Dr. Thomas Stegemann Relational Improvisation: A Workshop Exploring Voice, Rhythm, and Interaction – Prof. Monika Overå i Prof. Ingeborg Nebelung
19:45-20:00	Break (classroom change)
20:00-21:15	Workshops 2 – (You must select a second option) Workshop on ethics – Dr. Thomas Stegemann Relational Improvisation: A Workshop Exploring Voice, Rhythm, and Interaction – Prof. Monika Overå i Prof. Ingeborg Nebelung

Saturday 15 November

Time	Activity
09:00	Doors open
09:15	Welcome to the second day
09:30-10:30	Dr. Gro Trondalen: Introduction from NAM on their doctoral programs Phd student 1: Anne Karine Råmunddal Kippenes: “Bhutanese caregivers’ experiences with Early Childhood Music in Community Health Services” Phd student 2: Guro Cornelia Almenningen Høimyr:  ”School was draining me — I just needed something different» - Exploring Norwegian school revues as spaces for youth wellbeing
10:30-11:00	Break
11:00-11:30	Concert of the Supercapacitats Project
11:30-12:30	Dr. Thomas Stegemann: Music therapy doctoral dissertations and post-doctoral projects (cont.) (online). Presentation doctoral programs (Mdw) Phd student 1: Susanne Korn: “The Development of the ERMS-Study: Effect of Receptive Music Therapy with Treatment Monochord on Stress – Assessment using fMRI” “ Phd student 2: Leslie Schrage-Leitner: “Music therapy as an accompanying intervention in inpatient preterms at risk”
12:30-13:30	Panel of professionals discussing the current state of music therapy: education, practice, and research. IN.TUNE Alliance: Dr. Thomas Stegenmann Dr. Gro Trodandalen Prof. Monika Overa Prof. Ingeborg Dr. Melissa Mercadal Dr. Catherine Clancy
13:30	Final activity led by Santi Serratosa.
14:00	End of the Conference

Conference Focus Areas

Background

In 2015, coinciding with the launch of the Master’s in Music Therapy, ESMUC held a conference dedicated to the eminent neurologist Oliver Sacks, which served as a precursor to the International “Arts and Health” Conferences on Music and Neurology. The following year marked the first official edition, focused on music’s therapeutic potential for people with neurological disorders.

Subsequent editions have delved into the intersection of music and neurology as a framework for pedagogical, social, and professional reflection, or have explored music as a unifying element across the arts. Leading up to this year’s edition, the conferences have examined topics such as mental health, music therapy across life stages, and musicians’ health.

We now approach the tenth edition with confidence in the path built so far and a firm commitment to maintaining the high level of professionalism that has always characterized our invited speakers.

Partner Institutions

Conference Directors: Melissa Mercadal and Anna Jarque

Acknowledgements: Catalan Association of Music Therapists