Music Therapy
What is Music Therapy?
Download: About Music Therapy: Easy English (AMTA)
Music therapy is a profession where music is used to support people to reach their health and wellbeing goals. Registered music therapists are allied health professionals and highly skilled musicians with tertiary qualifications in the provision of music therapy services. Music therapists work in partnership with individuals, families and communities to listen to their interests and concerns and identify ways that music can be a resource for fostering change. Therapeutic interventions are supported by an extensive body of research, and music therapists are bound by the Australian Music Therapy Association and National Alliance for Self-Regulating Health Professionals code of ethics.
Music therapy can involve a range of musical experiences including, listening to music, writing songs, playing instruments, creating playlists, performing, and organising community music events. You don’t need to know how to sing or play an instrument to do music therapy. Registered Music Therapists support people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Music Therapy and the NDIS
Music Therapy is an approved therapeutic intervention under the NDIS. Unfortunately, Alice is no longer providing NDIS-funded sessions.
For NDIS-funded music therapy services for children under 12 years, please contact Early Start Australia (Darwin office) to inquire about sessions with one of their Registered Music Therapists.
For NDIS-funded music therapy services for youth and adults, you may like to trial telehealth/videolink music therapy services. Appropriately qualified music therapists offering telehealth services can be found at the Australian Music Therapy Association - Find a Registered Music Therapist website: https://www.austmta.org.au/find-an-rmt/directory/
Unfortunately, there are no other Darwin-based Registered Music Therapists with availability for face-to-face services for youth (over 12 years) and adults.
Download: Music Therapy - Disability Evidence Summary 2024
Services
With an emphasis on family-centered care and community participation, Alice provides music therapy to support people to improve their health, functioning and well-being.
Accessible music and performance workshops aim to provide skill development in song-writing, playing instruments and performing, improving access to music for disabled folks in Darwin.
Music and Performance Workshops
Learn skills in songwriting, playing in a band, and performance. This group program of music based workshops aims to increase access to and participation in music for disabled people in Darwin. The 60 minute groups will develop skills in creating music, performance, and creative practice, and provide a relaxed space to make music with others and share a cuppa together.
You don’t need to have any experience or training in music! The workshops are all abilities and are open to anyone interested in music and creativity.
Participants are invited to join in a relaxed performance every few months, as either audience member or performing artist.
Music Therapy with Children
Music often brings great pleasure to young children, and it can be a motivating way to enjoy interactions with others and learn new skills. Music therapy offers a fun and encouraging environment for children to increase their social skills, optimise development, and enhance self-regulation, in a way that the entire family can enjoy.
Music Therapy with Adults
Music allows people and communities to engage, interact and build positive relationships. Through participation in music therapy, people are able to build on their interest in music to address personal goals, such as mood regulation, social interaction, communication skills, and community engagement.
Accessible Music Lessons
Supported music lessons are available for people who would like to learn a musical instrument and may have difficulty accessing mainstream music education. Alice Cotton offers tailored music lessons that cater to individual’s needs in a flexible and encouraging environment. Supported music lessons are available for guitar, voice, flute, piano and ukulele.
Telehealth Services
Music therapy and supported music lessons are available via telehealth for clients outside of Darwin, in remote communities, or for people needing to maintain social distancing. To have a telehealth session with Alice, you will need access to a stable internet connection and the camera function on your phone or computer.
Please note, we are no longer accepting referrals for individual sessions.
Referrals
Map of Darwin by soil type (Katy Moir)
Thank you for your interest in music therapy and accessible music services.
Unfortunately, Alice's books are currently full. We are no longer accepting referrals for individual sessions.
To make an inquiry about group sessions and performance workshops, please click the link below.
For NDIS-funded music therapy services for children under 12 years, please contact Early Start Australia (Darwin office) to inquire about sessions with one of their Registered Music Therapists.
For NDIS-funded music therapy services for youth and adults, you may like to trial telehealth/videolink music therapy services. Appropriately qualified music therapists offering telehealth services can be found at the Australian Music Therapy Association - Find a Registered Music Therapist website: https://www.austmta.org.au/find-an-rmt/directory/
Unfortunately, at this time there are no other Darwin-based Registered Music Therapists with availability for face-to-face services for youth (over 12 years) and adults.
Publications
Music therapists and inclusive arts partnerships.
Some music therapists are partnering with arts workers to promote participation in the arts for people with a disability. However, there is little research into the perspectives of arts workers or on the role of music therapists during these partnerships. This research aims to address this, by asking: “What roles do arts workers identify music therapists as playing during inclusive arts partnerships?”
Cotton, A. (2017). Arts workers’ perspectives on a music therapist’s role during an inclusive arts partnership. Australian Journal of Music Therapy, 28, 34-46.
Music and Dementia Care.
The resources involved in delivering a clinical trial in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are significant and the success of a trial is dependent upon adequate planning, including appropriate timelines for each component of the study and the required budget. This paper describes process and resource assessment during recruitment, collection of outcome measures and intervention delivery, and presents learnings and considerations for conducting trials in RACFs with people living with dementia.
Baker, F. A., Stretton-Smith, P. A., Sousa, T., Clark, I., Cotton, A., Gold, C., Young-Eun C. L. (2020). "Resource assessment in trials Undertaken in residential care homes: Experiences from the Australian MIDDEL cluster randomised controlled trial research team." Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications: 100675.