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Felicity Baker is Professor of Music Therapy and Associate Dean of Research at the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. Her research explores how music therapy can support people living with dementia and their family caregivers. She is at the forefront of bringing wearable sensor technology and algorithms to deliver personalised music recommendations into music therapy practice supporting music therapists and caregivers alike. Felicity has published widely and is an Associate Editor at the Journal of Music Therapy. Dr. Tanya Marie Silveira-Price is a Registered Music Therapist and the 2020-2021 inaugural recipient of Australian Music Therapist of the Year. Her PhD research examined how accessible music-making impacts hand function and wellbeing in stroke survivors, work she presented as a TEDx talk in 2019. Tanya has received the Helen Shoemark award for research excellence (2022) and the Ruth Bright award for clinical excellence (2018). In 2025, she gave keynotes at the Australian Music Therapy Association's 50th National Conference and for Meta. Tanya has established music therapy programs across Australia and India and advocates for representation in the field and beyond. Dr Janeen Bower, RMT is a Dean's Research Fellow and Lecturer in Music Therapy and conference convenor for the 50 year celebration of Australian Music Therapy. Her research explores the effect of a song-based intervention on arousal and awareness in children with an acute disorder of consciousness following severe brain injury. She is also researching music processing in children with altered consciousness. Dr Vicky Abad, RMT is the Founder and Managing Director of Music Beat Therapy Services. Her clinical work focuses on parent-child attachment, early learning through music in the home, and early childhood development, grounded in a family and community music therapy approach. Her research focuses on improving how parents can use music in their everyday lives to enhance their mental health and wellbeing, their child's development and parent-child attachment. Referenced in the episode Umbrella review Joke Bradt, Martina de Witte, Supritha Aithal et al. The Effects of Arts-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analyses, 15 September 2026, PREPRINT (Version 2) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5961850/v2] Celebrating 50 years of Australian Music Therapy https://www.flipsnack.com/A6EA7C5569B/celebrating-50-years-of-amta/full-view.html Australian Journal of Music Therapy, Vol 36:2, 2025: Special Issue "The Conference Abstracts" https://www.austmta.org.au/australian-journal-of-music-therapy/read/ Caleb Rixon, keynote at the Australian Music Therapy 50 year conference, is a visionary social change leader, stroke survivor, and accomplished advocate who has transformed his personal journey into a powerful force for healthcare innovation and disability awareness. Caleb is the founder of the Genyus Network and Genyus Foundation. https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/crixon Sing & Grow is an evidence-based music therapy program providing services for young children and their families across Australia https://playmatters.org.au/sing-and-grow Australia's NDIS, Duckett review of art and music therapy and AMTA's response can be found here. https://www.austmta.org.au/index.cfm//advocacy/submissions/

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 Service and is passionate about addressing inequalities in paediatric palliative care through research, knowledge exchange, co-creation, creativity and systems thinking. Sarah is a Principal Teaching Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, where her academic work focuses on music in healthcare and education. Her research includes publicly funded projects exploring music and rehabilitation for adults with cochlear implants, and research into inequalities in specialist bereavement care following child death. She has also developed international work combining music therapy and speech and language therapy in Moldova, where Commusicating is now embedded across six regions. Her work is presented nationally and internationally. Sarah particularly values the opportunity to inhabit both the clinical and academic worlds, where research informs practice and the experiences of children and families shape research and how future generations learn. Music remains an important part of her life: she plays many instruments, most often Celtic harp, guitar, piano and flute, and is Deputy Conductor of a 50-strong vocal ensemble that tours across Europe. At the heart of Sarah's work is a belief in learning from people with lived experience, creating models of care that are meaningful, compassionate and achieve excellent clinical outcomes. If you would like to donate to Shooting Star Children's Hospices, you can do so here.

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 as a Culturally Responsive Approach Within Music Therapy and Wellbeing," explores creative expression, identity, culture and wellbeing, while questioning how the profession can become more culturally responsive and inclusive. Through Lyrical Minds, Naviella delivers training, CPD, workshops, keynote presentations and creative programmes for professionals and communities. She is also a Board Member of BAMT, where she hopes to contribute to the future development of the profession. Looking ahead, Naviella is passionate about expanding opportunities for rap and Hip-Hop-informed practice, supporting greater cultural understanding within music therapy, developing international partnerships and taking Lyrical Minds around the world through training, research and collaboration. Her ultimate goal is to help create a music therapy profession where everyone can find their voice, their culture is respected, and there is space for different ways of making, experiencing and understanding music. Links: LinkedIn post of a video of Nav's performance at age 15, in tribute to her close friends who were tragically killed. Nav's post about the tragic death of Jason Arday Lyrical Minds Website

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 aesthetic and "felt" aspects of the work music therapists do.  Ben is particularly driven by the changing commissioning environment for education, health, and social care, and what music therapists could do to strengthen their position within it.  He will be presenting his research on this at the BAMT conference in November. References Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., Roche, B.  2001.  Relational Frame Theory: A Post-Skinnerian Account of Human Language and Cognition.  Springer. Pavlicevic, M.  1997.  Music Therapy in Context: Music, Meaning and Relationship.  Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Törneke, N.  2010.  Learning RFT: An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory.  New Harbinger Publications.   Links LinkedIn TMTC: The Music Therapy Charity Not referenced in the recording, but Chan et al. (2022) a good example (and open access article) of application of RFT principles to music (not music therapy): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37397135/

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 approach at the heart of her practice.  Early in her career, Mary-Clare established the music therapy outpatient service at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital's Cheyne Child Development Service, supporting children with cerebral palsy, autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs. She has held specialist music therapy roles within SEN schools across Dorset and Somerset. For many years she has been a visiting lecturer at University of Roehampton delivering teaching, workshops and introductory training courses.  Mary-Clare has presented nationally and internationally on music therapy, neurologic music therapy, collaborative practice and attachment-informed approaches. Publications include: Fearn, M-C., Bailey, E., Mitchell, E. (2026) 'Neurologic Music TherapyⓇ with neurodiversity and autism' Presentation at University of Westminster, Neurodiversity in Action during Brain Awareness Week Fearn, M-C (2024)  'Neurologic Music TherapyⓇ with autistic clients' Paper Presentation to BAMT South West Music Therapy Fearn, M-C. & Bailey, E. (2024). International impression. [podcast] Baselines in music therapy. Available at:https://goodpods.com/podcasts/baselines-in-music-therapy-297498/emma-bailey-and-mary-clare-fearn-international-impressions-42878458 Hepper, F., Bartlett, K. and Fearn, M-C. (2021) 'Attachment theory and attachment difficulties: supporting autistic children and young people in residential school settings', Good Autism Practice , 22(2), pp. 51–58 (8).  Fearn, M-C. (2019) 'Edges, Safeguarding and Endings' Paper Presentation at Key Changes Annual Conference, Hampshire Strange, J., Fearn, M-C., & O'Connor, R., (2016) 'Music and Attuned Movement Therapy; How the Facilitator Mediates Between Client and Therapist', Collaboration and Assistance in Music Therapy Practice; Roles, Relationships, Challenges.  Ed: Strange, Odell-Miller & Richards, Jessica Kingsley Publications, , Chap 11, pp 200-226,  Fearn, M-C (2015) 'Flute, Accordion or Clarinet? Using the Characteristics of Our Instruments in Music Therapy' Ed: Oldfield, Tomlinson & Loombe, Jessica Kingsley Publications, Chap 3, pp 76-77 Fearn, M-C. & O'Connor R., (2008) 'Collaborative working at the Cheyne Day Centre, London,'  Integrated Team Working; Music Therapy as part of Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches.  Ed: Twyford & Waston, Jessica Kingsley Publications, Part 1 pp -55-61  Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2005)  'Music and Attuned Movement Therapy' Paper Presentation at the World Congress on Music Therapy, Brisban, Australia, Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2004) Music and Attuned Movement Therapy'. Paper presentation at the British Society of Music Therapy, London Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2003) 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts', BJMT, Vol 17(2) pp 67-75 Fearn M-C., & O'Connor R., (2002) 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts', Paper Presentation at World Congress of Music Therapy, Oxford

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 Helsinki. Besides his clinical work, during his career Alanne has been actively teaching, supervising, doing research, project work, and media appearances relating to music therapy, psychotherapy, health care, social welfare, and mental health services. In 2010, Alanne was awarded the title of Doctor of Music at the Sibelius Academy. His published dissertation was Music Psychotherapy with Refugee Survivors of Torture. In 2011, Alanne graduated as a psychodynamic music psychotherapist at the University of Oulu, and in 2013, as a trainer psychotherapist in music psychotherapy at the University of Oulu, Faculty of Medicine. After his special advanced level training of music psychotherapy at the University of Oulu in Finland, Alanne published another monograph Musiikkipsykoterapia (2014) in Finnish that was a study of psychodynamic music therapy theory, methods, and research. Since then, Dr Alanne continued his research and teaching of music therapy and psychotherapy: He has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles and books and presented them at multiple international conferences. During 2017–2019, he was a member of specialist group and project PALOMA (Developing National Mental Health Policies for Refugees at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland. In 2021, Alanne was awarded with a Title of Docent in music therapy (Adjunct/Associate Professor) indicating high level research and teaching competence at the University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki), and Uniarts Helsinki`s Sibelius Academy, and CERADA (The Center for Educational Research and Academic Development in the Arts). After that he has also worked as a visiting researcher at the Uniarts Helsinki`s Research Institute. In 2022, Dr Alanne graduated as a psychoanalyst and a trainer psychotherapist at the Therapeia Institute and the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine. References   Alanne, S. (2010). Music Psychotherapy with Refugee Survivors of Torture. Interpretations of Three Clinical Case Studies. Sibelius Academy, Music Education Department, Studia Musica 44. Alanne, S. (2014). Musiikkipsykoterapia. Teoria ja käytäntö. [Music Psychotherapy. Theory and Practice.] Acta Universitatis Ouluensis D Medica 1248. Alanne, S. (2023). The Theory and Practice of Psychodynamic Music Psychotherapy. Dallas, TX: Barcelona Publishers. Alanne, S. (2025). Music, Music Therapy, and Refugees: Aspects of Trauma. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

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 Theoretical Perspectives". She is currently Editor of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy. The song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" (performed by Cass Elliot, written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil) captures the sentiment of Grace's music therapy practice and research. Brodie Henry (she/they) is a d/Deaf Registered Music Therapist working in Special Education for many years. She embeds Key Word Sign in her clinical practice and is often called on for her skills in Auslan to support students. Brodie embeds advocacy and principles of disability justice in her daily work to ensure children are appropriately supported in their emotional, developmental, and therapeutic needs in order to thrive. Zoë Kalenderidis (she/her) is a disabled and Hard of Hearing Registered Music Therapist based in Narrm/Melbourne. Her work centres on promoting wellbeing and equitable access to music-making. She holds a Bachelor of Contemporary Music (Voice) from Southern Cross University and a Master of Music Therapy from the University of Melbourne. Since the inception of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra's Adaptive Music Bridging Program, Zoë has served as musical director of the Foundation Groups, supporting disabled children who experience significant barriers to music education. The program fosters accessible ensemble playing using adaptive or standard instruments tailored to each child's interests and needs. Zoë is interested in d/Deaf and disabled aesthetics in music, exploring how musical experiences and creative expression are shaped by diverse modes of listening, embodiment, and sensory perception. She seeks to challenge conventional notions of music-making while celebrating and valuing the artistry of disabled musicians. She is also a published author and co-author, with research that amplifies the visibility and contributions of disabled musicians and Registered Music Therapists. Rob Devlin is a Registered Music Therapist with over 18 years' experience and is also a Director of Sound Expression. He was previously Senior Music Therapist and Head of Business Development for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia. He completed his Masters in Creative Music Therapy through Western Sydney University. He values the use of interactive, improvisational music therapy, as embodied by the Nordoff-Robbins philosophy and approach to clinical music therapy. Rob has extensive experience as a music therapist with many clinical populations, including children and adults with a wide range of disabilities, neuro-divergent children, adolescents and adults with mental health diagnoses, rehabilitation work with clients who have had strokes, acquired brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. He also has extensive experience providing music therapy in aged care settings including clients with dementia. Before coming to music therapy, Rob had many years' experience in the corporate world in various senior sales and marketing roles. He left that world behind to focus on his passion, which is using music to help others live a more fulfilled and rewarding life.

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 trauma and displacement. Her research focuses on clinical improvisation (theory and assessment), music therapy in trauma & displacement, child-parent music therapy, and culturally sensitive music therapy. She also originated a time-model for analyzing clinical improvisations. References Benjamin, J. (2004). Beyond doer and done to: Recognition and the intersubjective third. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 73(1), 5-46. Hadar, T. (2025). Moments of thirdness in music therapy: A qualitative meta-analysis embedded in Jessica Benjamin's intersubjectivity. Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy, 17(3). Hadar, T., & Aigen, K. (2025). A Theory of Time in Music Therapy: A Model for Analyzing Nordoff–Robbins Clinical Improvisation. Journal of Music Therapy, 62(2), thaf014. Hadar, T., & Rabinowitch, T. C. (2025). Tight or Loose? Reframing Musical Relationships Between Client and Therapist in Music Therapy. Music Therapy Perspectives, 43(2), miaf018. Hadar, T. (2024). Parenting in the Face of Trauma: Music Therapy to Support Parent–Child Dyads Affected by War and Displacement. Children, 11(10), 1269. Roginsky, E., Hadar, T., Midhat-Najami, N., Saada, B., Khoury, R., & Hebi, M. (2025). Breathing war, dreaming connection: Dialogue as an ethical foundation for collaborative work of Palestinian and Jewish music therapists in Israel. Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy, 17(1). Hadar, T., & Amir, D. (2018). Discovering the flute's voice: On the relation of flutist music therapists to their primary instrument. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 27(5), 381-398.

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 to set up an adult community group which combines music, movement, drama and free play to support mental health and group connection.  Hugh is a mentor on the BAMT NQMT mentoring scheme, a clinical supervisor and an active member of the BAMT Freelance and BAMT Oxfordshire network groups.  Improv Blog: https://thamemusictherapy.co.uk/improv-theatre-freeze-tag-discovery-and-saying-yes/ Working with parents in MT Blog: https://thamemusictherapy.co.uk/being-a-parent-of-a-child-in-music-therapy/

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 was Head of Music Therapy. From 1998-2012 she was Director of the National Music Therapy Research Unit (NaMTRU), which she established to promote research in music therapy at a national level. She co-founded the International Consortium of Music Therapy Research Universities in 2002, which enabled large international multi-site trials to advance the Profession. She was President of the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT) from 1999-2002, having served three terms as Chair of the Commission of Education, Training and Registration. She co-founded the Australian Music Therapy Association in 1975 and served two terms as its President. Professor Grocke has written extensively on music therapy and Guided Imagery and Music. She is co-author of Receptive Music Therapy (2024, with Dr Katrina McFerran); editor of Guided Imagery and Music: The Bonny Method and Beyond 2nd edition (2019); Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Music Imagery Methods for Individual and Group Therapy (2015; co-edited with Torben Moe); co-author of Receptive Methods in Music Therapy (2007) with Tony Wigram, and co-editor of Music Medicine 3 (1999) with Rosalie Rebollo Pratt. In addition she has published 30 book chapters, 50+ refereed journals articles, Cochrane reviews, and online publications. In 2012 she was presented with an Award of Merit, by the American Music Therapy Association, in recognition of service to the field of music therapy. In 2013 she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Australian Music Therapy Association and Honorary Life Membership of the World Federation of Music Therapy, the Australian Music Therapy Association, and the Music and Imagery Association of Australia. In 2016 she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for services as a pioneering practitioner, researcher, author and teacher in music therapy, and services to professional Organisations. Assoc. Prof. Alison Short Alison Short, PhD, MA (MT), BMus (MThy), GCULT, DipTh, CertIV, RMT, MT-BC, RGIMT, FAMI, is Associate Professor of Music Therapy/Music and Health at Western Sydney University, Australia. Alison trained in the very first music therapy course in Australia at the University of Melbourne, then completed her Masters in music therapy at New York University and her PhD at the University of Technology, Sydney. With over 43 years of practice as an Australian Registered Music Therapist, and 34 years holding Board Certification, Alison's clinical experience encompasses aged and palliative care, mental health and more, in the context of both medical and community settings. In addition, Alison worked for 10 years as a health services researcher on a range of projects and health applications, mostly within the Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia). Alison is an internationally recognised music therapy academic demonstrating innovative evidence-based and music-focussed expertise with an extensive publication record and frequent international invitations. Alison's work has been recognised with Honorary Life Membership of both the Australian Music Therapy Association and the Music and Imagery Association of Australia, and she is currently appointed as Regional Representative to the Council of the World Federation of Music Therapy. References  Gracida, Maclean and Coombes 2025 Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Scrub choir video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YtT0qLjDA

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 children and adults offering music therapy, GIM, yoga, and animal assisted therapy.  They discuss numerous topics, including: developing a diverse practice, supporting a team of music therapists, combining modalities, the importance of supervision, making music therapy accessible in the community, and leading from the heart.

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.  Reference Yoshihara, N., Acebes de Pablo, A., & Honig, T. J. (2024). Relationships between cultural factors and engaging in Guided Imagery and Music: An exploratory qualitative study. Journal of Music Therapy, 61(1).  https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thad022

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 psychotherapy with people in cancer care, women with a history of trauma and abuse, and private practice with adults. In 2009 Tina established Belltree Music Therapy in Brighton (www.belltree.org.uk) which is now a thriving music therapy service. Between 2009 and 2013 she served on the BAMT board of trustees and was joint PR officer. Since 2016 she has focussed on developing the Austin Vocal Psychotherapy (AVPT) Distance Training Programme with Dr Diane Austin. In 2016 Tina invited Diane Austin to the UK to give some introductory workshops in vocal psychotherapy. The interest shown, combined with Tina's passion for the work led to her working intensively with Dr Austin over three 2-year programmes and in 2026 she will take on the role of lead trainer for this programme. Tina has been affiliated with Roehampton as a visiting lecturer and lecturer on the MA Music Therapy course. She regularly presents at music therapy conferences and has published several articles and book chapters on the voice and the self in music therapy. She is currently undertaking doctoral research at the Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, investigating the impact of Austin Vocal Psychotherapy training on a music therapist's voice, sense of self and therapeutic practice. (3) Tina Warnock | LinkedIn https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/tina-warnock www.belltree.org.uk www.austinvocalpsychotherapy.com

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: [email protected]  References and links Annesley, L. (2014). The music therapist in school as outsider. British Journal of Music Therapy, 28(2), 36-43. Vencatasamy, D. (2023). The importance of being diverse: Exploring the journey from Brexit to Belonging. British Journal of Music Therapy, 37(1), 28-35. Ethan Hein's podcast episode about 'Stormy Monday', referred to in the conversation: https://ethanhein.substack.com/p/they-call-it-stormy-monday