This book takes the reader on a journey through the historical and contemporary landscape of the field of music therapy, updated with the latest practical, sociocultural and theoretical perspectives.

Leslie Bunt is Emeritus Professor in Music Therapy at the University of the West of England, Bristol. He trained with Juliette Alvin and Maggie Pickett in 1976-1977 (at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London) and from 1995-1999 in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) with Dr Kenneth Bruscia. Leslie has practised and researched music therapy with children and adults across the lifespan, has been involved in training since 1980 and is Founding Director of The MusicSpace Trust. He was awarded the first PhD in music therapy in the UK (City, 1985). Leslie is widely published, including the second edition of Music Therapy: An Art Beyond Words (with Brynjulf Stige). He was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June 2009 for services to music therapy. Leslie is also a freelance conductor.

Sarah Hoskyns (she/her) is a registered music therapist in New Zealand and the UK and is currently Director of the Master of Music Therapy Programme at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. She trained in London with Juliette Alvin, Leslie Bunt and Maggie Pickett (at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and was Head of the Music Therapy Department there from 1991-2004, when she emigrated to Aotearoa with her family. Her PhD (from Victoria and Massey Universities) explored the integration of practice and research in music therapy education. Sarah's practitioner experience has been in the Probation Service, neurodisability and with children and families. She maintains active musical interests, playing mandolin and mbira and learning oud. Her research interests are in music therapy education and intercultural practice.

Sangeeta Swamy (she/they) is Associate Professor and Co-Chair of the Integral Counseling Psychology Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Dr Swamy trained in music therapy and transpersonal counseling psychology at Naropa University and received her PhD in expressive arts therapy from Lesley University. A licensed psychotherapist, board-certified music therapist and award-winning violinist, she currently uses Culturally Centred Music and Imagery with adolescents and adults to address ethnic identity conflict and acculturative stress and to negotiate intersectional identities. She is an experienced Vipassana meditator and specialises in culturally responsive pedagogy, scholarship and practice, bringing mindfulness and her lived, intersectional experience into the classroom and music therapy space.