Appropriate Qualifications for Music Therapy

ryanlikealion

Senior Member
Hi all - I'm hoping to speak with some folk who've had experience in music therapy or who are interested in this area.

I'm running a lot of community music sessions at the moment. People tend describe these sessions as Music therapy although I don't advertise them as that as I am not yet qualified. Hoping to study music therapy as a masters qual. I am gaining excellent experiences but am severely under qualified.

In fact the only music qualifications I have are a grade 8 rockschool performance certificate and grade 2 violin which I took when I was about 10.

I can play guitar, 5 string banjo, drum set, vocals and have a strong interest in tuned percussion. Im wondering where to put my energies - ABRSM tuned percussion grades? CXlassical guitar grades?

Any experienced music therapists OUT there? Can anyone recommend any good literature?
 
I'm not a music therapist but I know people that have an interest in/are studying music therapy.

The people I met had degrees in music. Music Therapists are 'Allied Health' professionals (i.e. those that are not Doctors or Nurses (or HCA's)) which means that regulation is complex. I would get in touch with a professional body and ask them for routes into employment. The list of musical experience is, sadly, irrelevant - they want to see hard qualifications (that aren't about your musical ability) so I would contact the professional bodies involved.

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/ahp.shtml

That may be of some help.

My family work in Healthcare (as have I in the past) and I can't even begin to explain how complicated a lot of the bureaucracy is! I was a professional bureaucrat for each summer for the last few years! Good luck with your search.

EDIT: Also useful:

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=432
 
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