Music Therapy Conversations

Crystal spoke to Sarah Hodkinson in advance of their participation in the Roundtable Keynote discussion , entitled 'Navigating the Music Therapy Landscape: Considering the challenges and opportunities facing the profession in the UK', which will be part of the forthcoming BAMT online conference in November - Music Therapy in a Changing Landscape. Sarah is a clinical academic, music therapist and EMDR therapist with more than 20 years' experience in paediatric palliative care. She is Head of Psychosocial Services at Shooting Star Children's Hospices, leading a thriving multidisciplinary team of arts therapists and family support workers providing holistic, family-centred care across London and Surrey. Sarah continues to work clinically alongside her leadership role, giving therapy to children with life-limiting conditions, their siblings and parents, families experiencing bereavement and those living with the impact of traumatic experiences. She designed and leads an award-winning Specialist Bereavement Servic

Luke spoke to Naviella Dowds about her journey to music therapy. This includes some discussion of her challenging experiences during training, which she initally discussed in a public forum at the most recent BAMT conference in Leicester, in 2024, as part of a keynote. Naviella Dowds is an HCPC-registered music therapist, PhD researcher at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and Founder and CEO of Lyrical Minds, a pioneering organisation specialising in rap, Hip-Hop and DJ-informed creative practice within music therapy and wellbeing. Naviella's journey into this work is deeply personal. During her own cancer recovery, she discovered rap and songwriting as powerful tools for processing emotions, finding her voice and supporting her mental wellbeing. This experience, alongside her academic and professional journey, led her to explore how rap, Hip-Hop and DJ culture can be meaningfully and ethically integrated into music therapy. Her PhD research, "Finding Voice: Exploring Rap-Informed Creative Practice

In this episode, Crystal Luk-Worrall talks to Sally Bouwman. This is the first time that a senior member of staff from a school has been on the podcast, so this episode will be of special interest to any music therapists working in schools.  Sally is an assistant head and SENCO with over 30 years' experience as a teacher working in primary and secondary settings. She has always had an interest in children who may find the classroom and playground experience and school based learning challenging at times. 

In Episode 110, following a discussion on social media, Luke talks to Ben Richardson about the language around music therapy, Relational Frame Theory, commissioning, and whether music therapy is actually 'functional all the way down'. You'll be hearing more from Ben at the BAMT conference in November 2026, and no doubt in future publications, but Music Therapy Conversations got here first! Ben Richardson is a music therapist and the Therapy Lead at the National Online School, a large multi-disciplinary team of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, creative arts therapists, and therapy assistants. His clinical and academic work focuses heavily on the intersection of music therapy and contextual behavioural science. By integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), Ben wants to build a framework of Process-Based Music Therapy, exploring clinical musical interactions as a rich, complex form of verbal behaviour, whilst honouring the importance of the ae

Mary-Clare Fearn is a HCPC registered music therapist, neurologic music therapist, supervisor, trainer and consultant with many years of experience working with children, young people and adults across education, healthcare and community settings. She is recognised for her integrative and collaborative approach, combining relational, trauma-informed and neurologic frameworks to optimise therapeutic outcomes for clients and the wider systems supporting them. She is currently working with children with SEMH needs, autism, and learning disabilities, as well as providing music therapy on a paediatric hospital ward. Alongside her therapy work Mary-Clare has worked extensively with staff teams. Her work incorporates attachment-informed approaches, including the principles of PACE from Daniel Hughes' Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.  Mary-Clare is a BAMT registered supervisor and provides supervision, consultation and reflective support for therapists and multidisciplinary professionals, with an inclusive approac

Dr Sami Alanne, DMus, music therapist, training psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, is an Adjunct/Associate Professor of music therapy and a researcher at the University of the Arts Helsinki. His studies include traumas, refugeeism, mental health, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy relating to music, culture, philosophy, and society. He is the author of the books The Theory and Practice of Psychodynamic Music Psychotherapy (Barcelona Publishers) and Music, Music Therapy and Refugees: Aspects of Trauma (Palgrave Macmillan). Dr Alanne graduated as a music therapist at the Sibelius Academy in 1999 and the Master of Philosophy in music therapy at the University of Jyväskylä in 2001. He has worked in music therapy and mental health fields for over 30 years. As a music therapist and a psychotherapist, he has worked with children, adolescents, their families, and adult clients providing individual and group therapy at his private practice and health care company Apollo Terapiapalvelut (Apollo Therapy Services) in Helsin

This is the second instalment of Anita Connell's recorded interviews from the Australian Music Therapy Conference, following on from episode 104. Dr Grace Thompson is a registered music therapist and Associate Professor in Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne. Grace has lived experience of disability, and has worked with disabled children, young people and their families for over 20 years within the early childhood and special education sectors. As part of her PhD research, Grace developed and evaluated a collaborative approach to music therapy practice with families guided by ecological theories and family-centred philosophy. Her research continues to explore the ways music therapists can foster relationships and social connection through participating in engaging and accessible music making. Grace is past president of the Australian Music Therapy Association, author of "Goal Processes in Music Therapy Practice", and co-editor of the book "Music Therapy with Families: Therapeutic Approaches and Theor

Tamar Hadar, PhD, is co-head of the Music Therapy Program at the School of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa, where she leads the program together with Dr. Maayan Salomon-Gimmon. She completed her M.A. and PhD in Music Therapy at Bar-Ilan University. Her doctoral research - supervised by Prof. Dorit Amir - compared clinical improvisation and jazz improvisation. Tamar's first postdoctoral fellowship was at NYU under the mentorship of Prof. Kenneth Aigen, where her work centered on analyzing Nordoff and Robbins's clinical improvisations and developing a theory of time around them. Her second postdoctoral fellowship, under Dr. Tal-Chen Rabinowitch, focused on applying a sociological theory, tight-loose (T-L) in music therapy, alongside a musicological, multicultural perspective.  Tamar is a music therapist, supervisor, and lecturer, working with children and families in an early intervention unit and in private practice. She specializes in child - parent interventions, particularly in the context of t

Episode 105 is another interview from Crystal Luk-Worrall. In this episode, Crystal talks to music therapist Hugh Anderson. Hugh is a freelance Music Therapist and currently runs his own private practice, Thame Music Therapy, in South Oxfordshire. He trained at The Guildhall from 2014-2016 and has had a wide range of experiences working in mainstream and specialist schools and nurseries, as well as in different charity and community settings. The latter included eight years at the charity Resources for Autism in north London, where he was Head of Therapies from 2020-2023. Before training as a Music Therapist, Hugh worked for the charity Kids Company for six years, was a peripatetic piano teacher and was a songwriter and performer within a number of different bands.  Two years ago, Hugh discovered a different kind of improvisation in the form of improvised theatre and comedy, aka Improv. He is exploring the overlaps between Improv and Music Therapy and is currently collaborating with Dramatherapist Tim Goldman

In this episode, first Luke talks to Anita, then we hear Anita's interviews with Professors Denise Grocke and Alison Short. Sandwiched between these two longer interviews there are some shorter conversations with Pip Reid, Lucy Bolger, Wendy Magee, Helen Cameron, Catherine Threlfall and Emma O'Brien. This all took place at the AMTA conference in October 2025, in Melbourne. Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke PhD, RMT, RGIMT, FAMI, L. Mus. Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke completed her music therapy qualifications at Michigan State University, USA, and holds a Masters degree in Music Therapy, and a PhD in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), both from the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a music therapist with people living with mental illness, neurological disorders and dementia. She is trained in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music, and is a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery in the U.S. She established the music therapy course at the University of Melbourne in 1978, and for 33 years

In episode 103, Crystal Luk-Worrall interviews Carine Ries. Crystal is a new addition to the Music Therapy Conversations team of interviewers - more interviews from her coming soon! (You can also listen to Davina's interview with Crystal, if you haven't already, as this is episode 91.) Carine completed her undergraduate degree in Music & Psychology at the University of Leeds before moving to London to complete her MA in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2010. Carine has since also qualified as a Music and Imagery therapist and GIM fellow. Carine completed her 200hrs yoga teacher training in 2017 and has presented internationally on the benefits of using a combined approach in therapy. She has experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings and with a range of needs, including mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, and profound and multiple learning disabilities. In her private practice Carine works with childre

In this episode, Martin Lawes talks with Tim Honig, PhD, MT-BC This podcast conversation about Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) includes discussion about how the cultural context may affect practice, about the music's role as co-therapist, and about the use of different types of music. The ongoing development of GIM worldwide is also considered where Music and Imagery (MI) methods are becoming increasingly important in Europe.   Tim Honig, PhD, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist and a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery. He is Assistant Professor and Director of Music Therapy at Westfield State University in Massachusetts, USA. A practitioner of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), he provides depth-oriented music therapy in private practice and provides supervision for therapists in GIM training with the Appalachian GIM Institute. Tim's music therapy research and clinical practice have focused on music therapy in mental healthcare in acute settings and private practice.  Refe

Episode 101 is Luke's interview with Tina Warnock. This took place online in April 2025. Their conversation had a strong focus on vocal psychotherapy, including Tina's personal process of discovering this powerful therapeutic practice, and her current roles in developing training and research in this area. Tina Warnock is originally from Hertfordshire in England and has been based in Brighton, East Sussex since her undergraduate studies in Social Psychology in the late 1980s. She grew up playing the piano and in her late teens began singing and songwriting. The personal growth she experienced through singing with others and later vocal training led to a life-long interest in the connection between the voice and the self. Since qualifying as a music therapist in 2000, Tina gained extensive experience in a wide range of clinical settings including child and adolescent mental health, child development, special education, elderly mental health and learning disabilities. Her current practice includes vocal psychot

The 100th episode is here! Luke and Davina look back on the podcast - how it started out, where it has come to, what they have learned so far. They also go on conversational detours, considering their own perspectives on this profession, including current discussions about diversity, inclusion and race, along with the nature of music in music therapy, and how individual, as well as multi-faceted, this work is. What were the original intentions for the podcast? Who helped get it started? What's Luke's favourite episode? All will be revealed! Thanks are also given to all those people who have helped with the podcast, including all the interviewees to date.  More podcasts to come, but this was a moment to look back and reflect.  For those people who have been asking Luke, 'When will you be interviewed?', this is (sort of) an answer to that question.  For anyone interested in getting involved as an interviewer, please contact Luke via email: luke.annesley@uwe.ac.uk  References and links Annesley, L. (2014). The m

Davina talks to Michele Forinash DA, MT-BC, LMHC about her experiences working with AIDS patients in hospice in the 1980s, topics around white supremacy and colonialism in music therapy, Michele's experiences as a queer music therapist, and the decolonisation of research and practice. This is a rich and inspiring interview with a music therapist with deep insights from a long and varied career to date.  Michele is Professor & Director of the PhD program in the Expressive Therapies Department at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. Michele, a white, cis, Queer woman, has been involved in music therapy since 1981. Michele's research and publications have focused on supervision, doctoral education, LGBTQIA+ topics, arts-based research, and music therapy history. Michele is a former President of the American Music Therapy Association and former Chair of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapy.  

Tessa Watson is a music therapist and trainer. She is Associate Professor and Programme Leader for the MA Music Therapy at University of Roehampton and works in that setting with colleagues across the Arts and Play Therapies and other HCPC registered professions. She has extensive clinical experience in mental health and learning disability work and her current music therapy work is with the children and families who use Alexander Devine Hospice. Tessa has an interest in co-production and is one of the founders of HENCoP (The Health Education Network for Co-Production). Tessa has published and spoken widely about her music therapy work to support adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities, the experience of women in secure psychiatric settings, multi-disciplinary work and learning and teaching music therapy. She has contributed to the development of the profession in the UK (BAMT) and internationally (EMTC) and in 2020 led the BAMT online conference which attracted over 570 delegates. Tessa is an

In episode 97, Davina Vencatasamy talks to her friend and distinguished colleague Jasmine Edwards. Jasmine Edwards, MA, LCAT, MT-BC (she/her) is a doctoral candidate and fellow within Steinhardt Music Education with a focus in music therapy at New York University. Jasmine holds a BM and MA in music therapy from Florida State University and NYU, respectively. Her clinical experiences include private practice, outpatient, school-based, community, and medical pediatric settings, and she is trained in NICU-MT, First Sounds: RBL, and Austin Vocal Psychotherapy. Jasmine has a vested interest in elevating dialogues about cultural humility within music therapy education and clinical practice within both her teaching and academic writing. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the music therapy departments at Howard University, New York University, Montclair State University, Nazareth College, Duquesne University, and Molly University.

Tamsin is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with roots in the traditional dance tunes of the British Isles. Her debut solo album FREY (2022) established her as a rising star on the folk scene, with The Guardian praising her "beautiful, filmic compositions for accordion, harp, whistle and voice”. In this work Tamsin explores themes of limbo, pain, healing and acceptance, reflecting on the microcosm of her personal experience of chronic illness alongside wider themes of societal disconnection and environmental grief. Her forthcoming record The Meeting Tree celebrates connection, nature and the joy of sharing tunes with friends. Tamsin’s critically-acclaimed collaboration with Egyptian oud player Tarek Elazhary explores the parallels and celebrates the idiosyncrasies of Egyptian Maqam music and English folk traditions. Their friendship and resulting duo album So Far We Have Come is a testament to the unifying power of music, and won them a place in The Guardian’s Top Ten Folk Albums of 2023, as well as a nomi

In this episode, Davina Vencatasamy talks to Dr Chamari Wedamulla. Chamari is an independent researcher specialising in music education, with expertise in integrating music therapy approaches to enhance student mental health and well-being. Previously affiliated with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University,  Chamari contributed to the Fair & Inclusive Music Midlands (FIMM) project commissioned by Arts Council England, exploring the perceptions of the Midlands music education landscape and current learning barriers faced by young people, while coordinating with a range of key stakeholders and organisations within the field. Chamari's  PhD in Music Education and Music Therapy (Kingston University, London) focused on employing music therapy techniques in education to support adolescents’ mental health. She was a steering group member of EDI MS, which is a cross-organisational network which aims to promote, support and share good practice in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclus

Luke speaks to Jonathan 'Jaytee' Tang about his PhD research, which makes links between music therapy, music psychology and cultural psychology. They discuss the concepts of independent vs interdependent self-construal, and the relevance of this to musical interactions. This has some fascinating implications for music therapy practice. Jonathan (Jaytee) Tang has over nine years of international clinical experience as a music therapist, having worked in medical, special education, and mental health settings. His work with individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds fueled his passion for exploring the interconnections between culture, music, and well-being. Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Sheffield, Jonathan’s research focuses on how culture shapes emotional responses to music. His doctoral project specifically investigates the influence of cultural models of selfhood on affective experiences with music.  Reference Taylor, S. E., Welch, W. T., Kim, H. S., & Sherman, D. K. (2007