Career Profile – Music Therapist

The work

As a music therapist, you would encourage clients to explore sound and communicate through music, which can help them to:

• express themselves
• develop insight and create ways of relating to other people
• become aware of their feelings
• interact with other people more confidently
• bring about positive changes in their lives.

Before starting the music therapy, you would agree on a programme of activity with your client which you would review at regular intervals.

You would hold group and one-to-one therapy sessions to encourage your clients to explore sound and music. These sessions would involve you and your clients playing musical instruments, singing, listening and improvising together.

Your clients could include children or adults with learning disabilities, emotional or behavioural problems, speech and language difficulties, mental health problems, and those recovering from addictions.

You would monitor the effectiveness of the therapy sessions, and write case notes and reports.

Many music therapists work in the NHS, although there are opportunities for work in private practice. You could also be self-employed as a freelance music therapist.

If you are a music therapist within the NHS, you would work closely with other health care professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and speech and language therapists.

Hours

Your typical working hours would be between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, although some jobs may involve evening or weekend sessions. Part-time and freelance work is common.

Your work would usually take place in a specially equipped music room.

You would normally see the same client or clients, in the same place at the same time each week.

Depending on the client group you were working with, you could work in various settings such as schools, hospitals, prisons and day centres. You may need to travel between different locations during your working day.

Income

The pay system in the NHS is called Agenda for Change (AfC).

Music therapists usually start on AfC band 6, earning between £25,783 and £34,530. With experience you could progress to band 7 and earn up to £40,558.

If you became head of a music therapy department, you could earn up to £47,088 on band 8.

Fees in the private sector would be similar to NHS salaries.

Entry requirements

To work as a state-registered music therapist, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions council (HCPC). You can only register if you have completed a master’s qualification accredited by the British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT) and recognised by the HCPC.

Check the BAMT and HCPC websites for details of approved courses.

• British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT)

• HCPC

To get on to a master’s in music therapy, you will usually need a three-year diploma or graduateship from a college of music, or a degree in music from a university. You may be accepted with a degree in education or psychology, as long as you have a high standard of musical ability. Check with course providers for exact entry details.

Many institutions will also expect you to have experience of working with children, people with mental health issues or learning disabilities. Contact Volunteering England for details of local volunteering opportunities.

• Volunteering England

With some NHS Trusts, you could start out as an assistant therapist. For this role, you may not need any qualifications, but relevant paid or voluntary experience would be useful. Check NHS Jobs for vacancies.

• NHS Jobs

You may have an advantage if you have a background in teaching, community or social work. A career as a professional musician would also be helpful.

Training and development

Once you are on an approved course, you will cover areas such as psychology, early infant development, psychodynamics, psychiatry, and the theory of music therapy. You will develop clinical music skills and attend work placements in hospitals, schools and other centres in the community, working with adults and children.

Courses will take two years if you are studying full-time, and three to four years if you do it on a part-time basis.

Once you have completed the course and registered with the HCPC, you can begin practising as a music therapist. In your first role, you will receive regular supervision from an experienced therapist who is trained as a supervisor.

You can keep your professional skills and knowledge up to date by attending short courses or workshops and becoming involved in research.

Skills, interests and qualities

To be a music therapist you should have:

• a high level of musical ability and knowledge of different styles of music
• a genuine desire to help people
• excellent communication skills
• creativity, intuition and imagination
• the ability to relate to people from all backgrounds
• a non-judgemental attitude
• emotional strength and the ability to cope with challenging situations
• an interest in psychology.

More information

Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM)
10 Stratford Place
London
W1C 1AA
Tel: 020 7629 4413
www.ism.org

NHS Careers
PO Box 376
Bristol
BS99 3EY
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk

Health and Care Professions Council
Park House
184 Kennington Park Road
London
SE11 4BU
Tel: 020 7582 0866
www.hpc-uk.org

British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT)
24-27 White Lion Street
London
N1 9PD
Tel: 020 7837 6100
www.bamt.org

Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850

Opportunities

You will find most opportunities in the NHS and local authorities. You could also find work with voluntary organisations, the Prison Service, or in private practice.

Some posts are part-time or temporary, and often depend on organisations gaining funding for particular projects. This could mean that you combine work as a music therapist with another job, or have more than one employer.

With experience, you could go on to lead a team of therapists or manage a music therapy unit.

You could also find a job in research, supported by a charity or a university.

There are also opportunities to work in education, by teaching other music therapy students on one of the recognised training courses.

You may find the following useful for details of vacancies and further information.

• NHS Jobs

• Sound Sense