Imagining the world with music at our core: Part 4

On the last day of the conference, I was struck by how conference presentations are as much about the discussion that is generated, as they are about the content shared. This strikes me as especially important when we think about pedagogy in general – education should never be just about imparting facts, and should always be about inspiring thinking. And when we begin to hold firm to one way of knowing, we endanger this sacred tenet.

Socrates said that “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” I hope that we, as professionals, teachers, therapists, and colleagues, remember this as we move forward in sharing our wisdom and experiences with others — let’s not be too attached to having people subscribe to our respective approaches, and allow others to grow and expand in many and diverse ways.

Imagining the world with music at our core — the theme for this year’s AMI conference — is an invitation that requires tremendous openness, space-making for cultural diversity, and encouragement of diversity of thought and practice.

Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Association for Music and Imagery conference so meaningful.