Training and education
To meet growing demand, we train and develop the music therapists of tomorrow, offering everything from introductory courses to PhDs.
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Make a difference
Help support some of the UK’s most isolated and vulnerable people, train the music therapists of tomorrow, and fund the research that makes our work increasingly effective.
Who we are
Nordoff and Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, with a unique approach shaped by more than 60 years of practice.
Who we help
By harnessing the power of music, we help break through the barriers caused by life-limiting illness, disability and social isolation.
The difference we make
Our work can be transformative, from an adult with dementia reconnecting with family to a child with autism finding their voice.
Music therapy
Music therapy as unique as every person
Working one-to-one or with small groups, our therapists create a platform for people to express themselves and share a connection. No one is being taught, no one is being fixed. Therapist and client make music together as equals, responding to each other’s cues. No two sessions are the same, because no two clients are the same.
Our history
Sixty years of innovation
In 1959, American musician Paul Nordoff and British teacher Clive Robbins pioneered a new approach to collaborative music-making, designed to engage vulnerable and isolated children.
In the 1970s, a charity was formed to develop and deliver their radical but highly impactful form of music therapy. Over the decades, our work has continued to broaden and evolve.
Music is in our DNA
We believe that music is a human right
We’ve all felt music’s potency, how it unlocks feelings and memories and brings us together. It’s a universal language, a mode of communication. Imagine if music alone gave you the power to communicate. Then imagine a life without music.
For some of the people we work with, this is their reality. We work to ensure that everyone who could benefit from music therapy does.
Thinking about a new career? Interested in our research?
Latest events
November 6, 2023
Music Industry Trusts Award
Since 1992, the MITS Award has recognised the outstanding individuals that have made the UK music industry what it is today, all while raising millions for charity.
December 12, 2023
Carol Service
The much-loved Nordoff and Robbins Carol Service has brought us together to celebrate all things festive since 1996. On an evening full of traditional carols, cherished celebrity readings and stand-out musical performances.
Latest blogs
Making music without traditional instruments: 4 different ways
There really are endless ways to make music and sounds using things that you may already have access to. Find out how, and get creative.
How music therapy helped Ruthie express their LGBTQ+ identity
Music therapy provided a space for Ruthie to express their LGBTQ+ identity. This National Coming Out Day, we’re sharing their song.