This special issue of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy (NJMT) focuses on research and practice related to arts technologies applied to music therapy in rehabilitation settings. Arts technologies may include digital musical instruments, neurotechnology, and virtual reality experiences. Within rehabilitation contexts, these technologies have the potential for learning and embodied cognition, understanding that the mind and body influence each other in a reciprocal relationship. Arts technologies also have the potential to holistically drive motor performance, enhance emotional reward, facilitate social processes, and stimulate neuroplasticity.
This special issue will embrace theoretical discussions, experimental studies and perspectives on practice in which music is used in therapy and enhanced through digital media. Authors are invited to include interdisciplinary perspectives and critical reflections on the impact of arts technologies in music therapy practice. Discussions are encouraged regarding human dignity, philosophy of mind, and responsibility, recognizing the importance of upholding ethical principles and maintaining a client-centered approach to ensure the highest standard of care in practice. We encourage submissions that explore the role of arts technologies in promoting sustainable ecological balance to enhance relationships between individuals, communities, and the environment but also the limitations that arts technologies have in terms of longevity beyond the therapist-client relationship.
Overall, this special issue aims to bring together a collection of manuscripts that explore the symbiosis between music (in its widest definition) and information technology at the intersection of art, health, science, culture, performing arts, media, and technology.
