Ted Ficken
Ph.D. in Public Health (Healthcare Administration)
CPHQ (Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality; lapsed due to retirement)
MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified)

​Introducing my new book, Music of Hate - Music for Healing: paired stories from the hate music industry and the profession of music therapy.  Thru stories, the book presents uses of music as a unique way to consider hatred, racism, and discrimination. Fourteen sets of stories illustrate interactions, contrasts, and juxtapositions between two, very different uses of music. Analysis, conclusions, and recommendations for needed actions are included.

Available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or inquire with your local bookstore to special order through Ingram Content Group. Click on book cover above to be taken to Amazon site for this book.

Recent praise and endorsements:
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"Through a careful, rich and fascinating account, Ficken juxtaposes the ways music can both heal and harm - a true testimony to the incredible power of music." - Cheryl Dileo, Ph.D., MT-BC, Laura H. Carnell Professor of Music Therapy Emeritus, Temple University

​"...a must read for persons who want to understand how music intersects with hateful social movements. At the same time, hearing the stories of music therapists gives you hope for what is possible." -  Leonard Friedman, Ph.D., Professor and Director MHA@GW program, George Washington University

"I recently completed Ted's newest publication, Music of Hate, Music for Healing. I highly recommend it as a sociological study, an ethnological study and as a resource describing some of the many positive contributions made by music therapists!" -  John Lawrence, Edmonton, AB

​"In these challenging times, Ficken's Music of Hate, Music for Healing: Paired Stories from the Hate Music Industry and the Profession of Music Therapy shows how music can help us -- all of us -- heal from hate.  Ficken is a marvelous storyteller and the stories he tells reveal how the lives of those who hate and those who heal from hate are inextricably intertwined.  This meticulously researched book is must reading for anyone interested in hate music, music therapy, and the power of love to change society."  - Nancy S. Love, PhD, Professor of Political Science, Appalachian State University, author of Trendy Facism: White Power Music and the Future of Democracy

"Music is an incredibly powerful medium that has the capacity to heal and transform lives yet, in its duality, also possesses the capacity the harm, hate, and ultimately to kill. This excellently researched book explores the many facets and uses for music, both for good and for evil. Ted masterfully curates and pairs particular aspects of music with the opposite manifestations in hate music and its application in music therapy. Whether you are drawn to this book to understand hate music or music therapy, you will finish this book with a deep understanding of both. A very deep and interesting read." - Tony McAleer, author of The Cure for Hate, and founding member of the organization, Life After Hate

Music is often considered from the positive perspective, especially by music therapists. But the possibilities for harm are real too. Ted Ficken (PhD, MT-BC/L, CPHQ)'s book "Music of Hate - Music for Healing" delves into the history of "hate music," current examples and pairs it with music therapists' work that is countering those effects. Additional practice related info is provided such as how to address hate music when it surfaces in preference assessments. I knew there was a history of hate music, but I was surprised to learn how far back it goes and how much it has grown. Read more about the book on his website: https://www.tedfickenmusic.org/
- Dave Knott, Creative Arts Therapy Supervisor at Seattle Children’s Hospital 

Ted Ficken’s book, Music of Hate, Music for Healing, is an eye opening emotional and historical tour of the use and abuse of hateful music through the eyes of the people doing effective therapy using music. Each chapter counters a hateful source with a powerfully armed therapist and delineates the rich background of each side. A book that will alter your perception of the power of music to hurt and to heal.  
-  Steve Bartek, Orchestrator, Guitarist, 08/30/2021

​“Ficken declared that his book is “pro love” and expressed his desire to discuss previously taboo subjects to prompt healing and resolution. Music therapists can contribute to this healing and de-radicalization work. Music of hate, music for healing is a good first step.” 
- Claire M. Klein, MDiv, MT-BC, AccentCare Fairview Hospice at Minneapolis, Journal of Music Therapy
 
“Ted Ficken’s book Music of Hate, Music for Healing heightens our awareness of hate groups in our midst, their use of music, and some of their stories. By studying the history of the rise and fall of some of these groups, he draws attention to the valuable organizations (e.g. ACLU, the SPLC) that push back against the messages of violence and hate, through legal means. We are heartened by their successes.
He pairs that study with stories of the work of music therapists. Their work may be less familiar to us, but in this disruptive time of Covid can be a vital part of restoring us to health, both mentally and physically. In his stories and interviews with music therapists, we see the profound healing work that is possible through the use of music.” - Penny Brill, violist; Founder MUSACO, Musicians as a Community Resource; Co-founder Pittsburgh Symphony Music and Wellness Board; Board member, International Association of Music and Medicine (IAMM)

​Music of Hate Music For Healing, is provocative and enlightening. One not exposed to hate music will likely be shocked by the depth and breadth of its presence, particularly in the United States. But Dr. Ficken balances each chapter’s exposure to examples of hate music with insightful profiles of music therapists, and descriptions of how music can be (properly) used to improve lives, including those of hate music aficionados. The “Recapitulation and Coda” chapter ends the treatise on an optimistic note, and one puts the book down with a renewed sense of wonder at the glorious power of music.  
- Mark Schiveley, Jackson County (Oregon) Circuit Court Judge, Retired

​“…I'm reading it. I hope that it's a textbook required reading in Music Therapy programs. I've been learning quite a bit. You did a tremendous amount of research.”
- Lois Friedlander, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT); CGP; Faculty member, University of California, San Francisco.

"Four stars out of four stars"
- Online Book Club