Community music therapy as participatory practice in a child welfare setting - a Norwegian case study.

In this article, I will focus upon a case narrative described as 'Trine', and her participation in a community group called Come Closer. I relate the discussion within a broader context of Community work and Community music therapy. The article combines vignettes taken from music therapy practice and various theoretical views. I argue that music has a potential as a force for social change and spans an unlimited number of combinations. Music can function as a practice that involves the activity of personal reflection processes and music can function as a sociopolitical force, able to change social realities and alter power relations. In sum, the article concludes that three strategies which might be appropriate for further investigation and implementation regarding music as resource in child welfare work. First, there is the need for an individual strategy. The individual strategy includes person-oriented activities such as conversation, song writing, and the use of music technology. Second, there is the need for a community-oriented strategy wherein activities such as playing in a band or song writing comes into focus. Third, there is a need for a strategy which implies working with networks, social environments, and power relations. The third strategy is very closed related to ideals taken from a traditional community work perspective, whereas ideas such as Arnsteins ladder of participation is prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]