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Music therapy

Music therapy

How musical collaboration helps people break through barriers

What is music therapy?

A platform for connection and expression

The ability to respond to music is universal, but the way we react is unique to our personality and circumstances. By making music together, then tuning into people’s individual responses, music therapists create a platform for connection and self-expression. The positive impact on physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing can be transformative.

Two people laugh as they play the drum together during a music therapy session at Enable Glasgow.

Why does music therapy matter?

Breaking through barriers

Music has the power to connect us, even when words fail. There are many people who, because of the barriers of illness, disability or social isolation, have few opportunities to express themselves and engage with others. Music therapy helps to break through those barriers. By making music in a collaborative way, our clients learn to communicate, connect and be truly present.

A young client stands to perform at a microphone, as a music therapist enthusiastically plays the acoustic guitar

What are the benefits?

Communication, confidence, connection

The benefits of music therapy are as diverse as the people who benefit from it, but there are some common threads.

  • It helps build communication skills and gives people the chance to express themselves in different ways.
  • It boosts confidence and helps people find connection and meaning, positively impacting their mental health.
  • In some cases music therapy aids cognitive function, coordination, speech and physical development.

Who do we support?

Nationwide coverage helping with challenges of almost any kind

Music therapy can help anyone of any age who faces life challenges of almost any kind. We work across England, Scotland and Wales to help people who are feeling isolated or having difficulty finding avenues for communication.

Autism

Autism can affect how people communicate and interact with others, but everyone’s abilities are unique. Music therapy can help celebrate these abilities. It can help unlock their potential, support their communication and social interaction, and build their awareness of themselves and others. Through active music making, we can cultivate self-esteem and confidence.

Brain injury

Whether a brain injury is from birth, or acquired through an accident or illness, music therapy can support people in their communication and offer opportunities for interaction. If a person is experiencing life-changing circumstances through an acquired brain injury, music therapy can, in tandem with other professionals, help support the journey of adjustment and rehabilitation.

Dementia and older age

For people living with dementia, music therapy offers an opportunity for connection with others. It helps unlock memories and retain personal identity and provides a pleasurable and enlivening activity. It can also mitigate other worries and losses associated with older age, such as physical health and mobility problems, bereavement, and the awareness of approaching death.

Learning difficulties

For people of all ages with learning disabilities, music therapy can support cognitive, communicative, physical and social skills, as well as offering opportunities for emotional expression and enjoyment. This in turn has a positive effect on their mental wellbeing and quality of life. Music therapy can also help children with learning disabilities reach towards developmental milestones.

Medical and life-limiting illness

Music therapy can play an important role in recovery from serious illness, but where recovery is not possible it can help maintain quality of life for as long as possible. Even at the very end of life, music making can offer an emotional outlet and a sense of comfort and enjoyment. It can allow people to be playful, interactive and adventurous at the time they need it most.

Mental health

Life circumstances and grief

For those experiencing trauma and grief, the social benefits of music making are particularly strong. It creates opportunities for bonding and collaboration. It helps build resilience. Where experiences are hard to talk about, music allows people to express the inexpressible. Carefully chosen music can bring back happy memories and help with the processing of difficult thoughts.

Wales

In Wales, our services are offered in collaboration with partners across Cardiff, Swansea and Bridgend, in the South Wales valley communities, and up into the north. We have established particularly strong partnerships in the field of brain injury neurorehabilitation, as well as with a number of mainstream schools and hospices.

London and South East

In London and the South East, we support people in a diverse range of settings, including dementia care units, hospitals and community mental health services. We work with children with special educational needs, adults with acquired brain injuries, young people living with cancer, and people experiencing homelessness. We offer open access services at our North London and Croydon centres, and at the Royal Albert Hall.

South West

Together with our partners in the South West, we provide support for adults with learning disabilities and dementia and for refugees, and have established a presence at several hospices in the area. We also work with children in both mainstream and special educational needs schools and have even developed an innovative partnership with Southampton Virtual School.

North East

In the North East, our work spans mental health, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, drug and alcohol recovery, refugees and women experiencing the removal of children from their care. We partner with many special educational needs schools, as well as with care homes, community centres, hospitals, hospices and rehabilitation services. We offer open access services at our centre in Jesmond.

Midlands

In the Midlands, we collaborate with a wide range of organisations including special educational needs schools, care homes, rehabilitation centres, day centres, hospitals and hostels. We work extensively in the fields of mental health, learning disability, neurodiversity and brain injury, as well as with people who are refugees or are experiencing homelessness.

Scotland

Across Scotland, our music therapists work in both mainstream schools and schools for children with additional support needs, such as autism and learning disabilities. We have also established partnerships in a variety of NHS settings and with other charities that support children and adults, including hospice care services. We offer open access services at our centre in Dunfermline.

Give the gift of music therapy today

How to access our services

Nordoff and Robbins music therapy services can be accessed through one of two routes: either directly from us or through one of the dozens of organisations we partner with.

Open access

Access directly from us

Open access services are sessions that are accessed directly from us through a referral. Some of them are based at our own centres around the UK, and some are based within other organisations. Following an initial session, we will recommend the best format of music therapy for each individual, which could be one-to-one, a small group or a larger group. 

Partner organsations

Access through our partners

Our partner organisation services allow us to reach a far wider population. These are delivered in collaboration with education, health and social care organisations, including schools, hospitals, day centres, care homes and hospices. Our music therapists provide a regular service on our partners’ premises, tailored to the specific needs of their community.

Community Choir

Our London choir provides space for anyone, regardless of ability, to experience the joy of collective singing. Anyone can attend and it’s free to join.

Education, training and research

Our commitment to music therapy isn’t limited to the provision of services. Education has always been at the heart of everything we do. Through our short courses and postgraduate degrees, we shape the music therapists of the future. Through our research programmes, we examine our practice, learn from it, and share those lessons with the world.

Find out more

A young client extends out their arm to take a small silver horn instrument, as someone passes this to them

Support our work

To make all this happen, we’re reliant upon the generosity of people like you. We receive no government funding, so the transformative work we do is built upon fundraising, donations and volunteering.