What is music therapy?

Music therapy is...

...an established psychological clinical intervention, delivered by HCPC registered music therapists to help people whose lives have been affected by injury, illness, or disability through supporting their psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative, and social needs. British Association of Music Therapy

The Nordoff & Robbins approach...

...to music therapy is rooted in the belief that we are all inherently musical and that we can all respond to and connect with music in our own unique way which relates to the musician within us. 

Common misconceptions

"You have to be able to play an instrument!" 

You do not need to have any prior musical ability instrumentally or vocally to benefit from music therapy.

"You have to be musical!"

Good news... everyone is musical and everyone can respond to music and feel the benefits of listening to music and actively making music with other people. 

"Music therapists are just musicians who play music for people to make them feel better." 

As music therapists, we don't play music for or to people; we play music with people. We work through music to reach non-musical goals, such as improving confidence and self-esteem and social communication and interaction skills.