Working in the Music Therapy Profession

Music therapists are psychological therapists who are trained and have experience in therapeutic interventions, using music as their main mode of communication. They are Allied Health Professionals and Psychological Professionals and work in a variety of settings including NHS care, education settings, social care and the voluntary sector (NHS England, n.d.). Music therapy is defined by the British Association for Music Therapy as providing support for people of all ages and abilities by engaging in a therapeutic relationship where both the therapist and client are interacting with musical elements (British Association for Music Therapy, n.d.). These elements can include voice and any instrument. The music is often improvised to provide the client with an opportunity to communicate in the ways which work best for them. Music therapy is becoming more common as a form of treatment in the UK and recognises that “we are a musical species – our ancestors have been healing with sound for millennia, and today many of us play music to alter our moods” (Young, 2015).

What are the (academic and professional) qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession?

In order to be a qualified music therapist in the UK you have to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). HCPC approved courses are at post graduate level and are offered at eight different institutions in the UK. The qualifications can either be an MA or MSc and can be taken over 2 years full-time or 3 years part-time (British Association for Music Therapy, n.d.). To enter these courses requires a music degree or another suitable degree course in the field of social work or teaching. Demonstration of a high level of proficiency in an instrument will be required, where music isn’t the main area of study (NHS Health Careers, n.d.). Work experience is also required in a care-work field and/or extensive experience as a musician. I am interested in volunteering or working for organisations such as Made with Music (Made with Music, n.d.), a Leeds based charity who provides people with disabilities access to community music workshops, or Live Music Now who work in a variety of settings bringing music to communities and schools (Live Music Now, 2025).

At the University of Edinburgh, they offer an MSc which does not require you to play a specific instrument or prove certification of a certain grade, just that you have a strong interest in music in your personal life and are keen to be involved in therapy. This makes the course more flexible for entry and more inclusive. They do require at least one year of work experience in a community, education or care work field as “Lived experience is a huge asset.” (Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, 2022). The University of South Wales MA also honour a diversity of applicants where a degree is not mandatory to apply or grades in any instrument. You will need to show through audition a high level of musical proficiency in a group setting. An accompanying instrument and singing are also ideal, but no official training is needed (Univesity of South Wales, n.d.). Piano or keyboard can be preferred in music therapy, where piano is not the main instrument, or another harmony instrument at a grade 5 ABRSM standard (University of Roehamptom, n.d.). Alternative to a degree you can apply for a master’s course with a Level 7 apprenticeship in music, art or drama (NHS Health Careers, n.d.). It has been recognised that the transition from training as a music therapist to a full practice life is difficult, so the British Association for Music Therapy offer a mentor scheme for newly qualified music therapists (British Association for Music Therapy, n.d.). This was piloted in 2023 and a new cohort will be supported in 2025. Therapists are offered monthly mentoring for their first year and bi-monthly for the second year in practice, with regular CPD programmes. This programme is fully funded.

What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success within the profession?

As music therapy is a therapeutic as well as musical profession, there is a requirement for certain personal qualities when engaging with clients, such as being able to form empathic relationships. A strong level of self-awareness is important for this role as is flexibility; to adapt to potentially unpredictable situations with a client and to support the differing needs within a range of people. Further important personal skills are “emotional-literacy, robustness and an ability to be self-reflective” (University of Roehamptom, n.d.). At Roehampton this is assessed at interview stage. Claire Oppert who began her career as a cellist and then went into a music therapy profession states “What pushed the musician I was toward a care profession wasn’t a moral imperative but something natural, instinctive; something innate.” (Oppert, 2024). These skills and qualities whether nurtured or innate amount to a desire for the opportunity to share and access the healing nature of music. Other personal qualities listed by courses are; to work and think creatively, to be able to problem solve, have a resourceful nature, resilience, and patience. These are needed to manage other people’s emotions when working with people from different walks of life and with a range of diverse needs (NHS, n.d.). I feel that most of these qualities will be gained from extensive experience working in care-work settings. The music therapist called Katya works with children in Great Ormond Street Hospital. In this video (Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charity, 2020) she demonstrates strong listening skills and is fully aware of the child’s needs and wants in the session. She shows how she’s flexible and is adapting to how the patients would like the time to go and the music to be played, bringing playfulness and energy into their lives with a therapeutic aim.

During an organisation call for the Music Leaders project with Orchestras Live and Leeds Conservatoire (Orchestras Live and Leeds Conservatoire, 2025), we discussed upsides to being able to play a harmony instrument. The music leader James Redwood spoke about the versatility of this skill and the wider opportunities available to take on more projects. He had knowledge over a wide range of instruments and keys that are easiest to play for beginners. James also discussed that using your intuition is a fundamental way to work with children (Redwood, 2025). I aim to use my knowledge and experience gained from working in this school setting and alongside James to build up my cv in order to apply for a music therapy masters course in the future.

What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?

A typical days’ work will vary hugely depending on whether you choose to be employed or self-employed, the type of institution you decide to work in, and whether you’re working with adults or children. Hospital work with children or working in a school is a desirable goal that I have. The video from The Great Ormond Street Hospital website shows the music therapist Katya working with children for a period of time in their ward or room, bringing along instruments and improvising music with them. She then goes on to work with the next patient (Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charity, 2020). The day will depend on who’ll you’ll be working with, but you’ll have to plan the sessions as well as being able to go with the flow, have a bank of resources/songs to pull from, and record what happens in a session so you can see the progress in the following session. Clients could be long-term, or short term for a few months in a hospital or even just a few weeks.

Charlotte Miller is an early-years music therapist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In this video she speaks about her work in a number of different settings including group music therapy, individual music therapy, health promotion early intervention service, and therapy assessments (Careers Box, 2017). The health promotion early intervention group consists of 10 parents with their 8-week to 6-months old babies in a 6-week treatment block, in order to promote a more healthy relationship and communication between the parent, often mother, and baby.

What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?

As a UK resident, fees for the master’s course are higher than undergraduate fees except that the course can be taken part time and so there’s an option to work alongside studying. However, this could be challenging to meet the academic requirements whilst working simultaneously. There are post graduate master’s loans available. The amount of money you get can depend on the date of study e.g., £12,471 if course starts after 1August 2024 (GOV.UK, n.d.). Other funding options are available such as charities, grants and trusts. Music therapy can come under a wide range of criteria for eligibility so it’s good to thoroughly look at the options available (British Association for Music Therapy, n.d.). A number of scholarships are provided for master’s students for example at Roehampton University they offer the Roehampton Music Scholarship and Postgraduate Academic Excellence Scholarship (University of Roehampton, n.d.). There will be an expense for accommodation for the duration of study as well as a requirement to take personal therapy. Other additional costs stated by the Music Therapy MA at the University of South Wales include: an enhanced DBS (£64.74) and the DBS update service (£16 annually), professional indemnity insurance for the duration of study (£45-77 annually), access to the network and opportunities of the BATM (£55 student rate fee), and personal therapy (£200-500 per academic year) (Univesity of South Wales, n.d.). A typical salary of a music therapist at the beginning of their career is £30,000 a year on 37-39 hours a week and at £53,000 a year with more experience (National Careers Service, n.d.). You will be moving up the pay band with more experience gained. It is also stated that there is extra pay available if you work in high-cost areas including in and around London (NHS Health Careers, 2018).

After graduating you have to be able to legally meet the requirements of HPCP. There are 15 different points on requirements, examples include ensuring the quality of the practice and maintaining records appropriately (The Health and Care Professions Council, 2023). Registered music therapists must engage in and keep up to date to the HCPC standards of CPD (continuing professional development) (The Health and Care Professions Council, 2017). Working privately as a music therapist, you’ll rely on payments from sessions with clients rather than a regular rate. Fees are negotiated between the therapist and client, factoring in the costs of running the sessions, however the BAMT suggests a rate of £40-£60 an hour (O’Brien, 2024).

What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?

I would prefer to work for an organisation such as a school or hospital, therefore promotional aspects would be working on a strong and thorough cv with relevant work experience. There would be marketing for myself if I chose to be self-employed in order to build a client base (O’Brien, 2024). I would want several years working before I did this. Promotion for self-employed work would involve the specificity of an area of work revealed after several years working in the profession.

What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with? 

A personal challenge to enter the profession would be that I’ve never had therapy, however this would get easier over the duration of the master’s. The intellectual challenge of master’s level education will be new to me coming from an arts bachelor. Working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities, communication styles and challenging behaviours or medical conditions will also present many personal challenges for me, in order to offer the best care and support. As a practical learner I will gain as much experience as I can to find my confidence in a caring role. Setting up a private practice will have challenging steps, however promoting myself as a self-employed therapist would be more relevant after a significant amount of work experience. Other future challenges presented by the profession are meeting the requirements of the HCPC and keeping up to date with CPD. I will strive to find the area I work best in to offer the best support I can, however this could take time. There is safeguarding criteria to meet when working in schools and hospitals. As music therapists often work part-time alongside teaching or performing, or working in a private practice in addition to employment (O’Brien, 2024), there will be challenges in going between different job roles.

What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession?

There is some scope as a music therapist for a career progression. You can become self-employed and build up a private practice or move into teaching music therapy. Other options are to become a senior therapist and manager of a team of therapists or to work on academic research (National Careers Service, n.d.). You can do a PhD in music therapy in order to specialise in a particular area (O’Brien, 2024). Developing your practice and profession can make a huge difference to the patients you work with.

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