Over the summer 2026 semester, students in the Master of Music Therapy and Undergraduate Music Therapy programs had the opportunity to travel abroad and engage in a Transcultural learning experience in Bologna and the Tuscany region of Italy! Music Therapy faculty member Jess De Villers had the privilege and pleasure of serving in the role of faculty leader for this experience.
Harmonies Across Italy: Reflecting on Our Transcultural Music Therapy Journey
by Jess De Villers
We started our first week by attending the 18th World Congress of Music Therapy! Music therapists from around the globe attended the conference and presented on various topics in the field of music therapy. This allowed the students to engage in direct learning experiences of cross-cultural care, cultural humility, and culturally responsive music therapy practice.
In the week following the congress, we had the honor of meeting with Music Therapist, Francesca Borghi, founder of Nordoff-Robbins, Italia. We were able to tour one of her clinical
sites, Lega del Figlio d’Oro, a clinical site for neurodiverse, developmentally disabled children. We also had the privilege of meeting two of her clients and observing music therapy sessions with them.
Adventures continued throughout the next week as we headed to Castello Sonnino, located in Montespertoli, Italy in Tuscany. Castello Sonnino is a partner site with Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience. Throughout our time in Montespertoli, we participated in various cultural learning experiences, including an Italian cooking class, touring the grounds of Castello Sonnino which included a wine tasting and learning about the family history of the farm and vineyard. We also had two day trips to Florence and enjoyed learning about the aspects of the Renaissance, and a day in Lucca, the birthplace of Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Everyone headed home after with full hearts, minds, and tummies following our time in Italy!
We are grateful for everyone who made this trip possible! A special thank you to Lena, our program director from Augsburg’s CGEE, and Valentina, Virginia, Caterina, and Leone from Castello Sonnino!