Geena Cheung is a Registered Music Therapist with a passion for aged care. Since graduating from Western Sydney University in 2018, she has had the privilege to work with a diverse range of clinical populations at Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs), a women's refuge, multiple aged care homes, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and in private practice. She also has strong interests in research and has been involved in projects as Co-Researcher and Research Assistant. Outside of music therapy, Geena is a Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) Young Ambassador and a hobbyist of too many (or just enough) things.

Ali is a Registered Music Therapist, an Academic and a Music Tutor. She currently works part-time for Sing&Grow Australia, working to promote secure attachment with vulnerable families with young children 0-5 years old. She also works casually at Both Worlds School of Music teaching clarinet, piano and musicianship, casually as an academic for the Music Therapy Course at Western Sydney University, and casually as a professional development workshop facilitator. 

After completing a Bachelors in Music Education and Masters in Creative Music Therapy, she continued on to further research. In 2014, she completed a PhD in how the experience of mother-infant singing interaction contributes to attachment. In 2017, she completed a Masters in Special Education (deaf and hard of hearing) and since becoming a mother, she has also completed courses to facilitate The Circle of Security Parenting Program and Bringing Up Great Kids program.

She is passionate about empowering others to reach their full potential, whether this is facilitating positive parent-child interactions and building parenting skills, helping students to develop a system for building an essay argument or finally mastering a tricky note on the clarinet.

In the episode, Ali and Joe discuss connection and attunement - between parents and children, clients and therapists and introspectively within oneself.

Tom is a Hobart-based freelance composer and pianist, with a bachelors of music from the university of Tasmania and a masters of composition from the university of Melbourne. Tom has composed pieces for some of Australia’s most notable musical ensembles, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Ensemble Offspring, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Tasmania Symphony Orchestra.

I approached Tom to be interviewed because of a commission he received in 2018 to compose a piece for the Hush Foundation. Tom and I chat about his commission, the Hush foundation, and the parallels between music therapy and music in medicine.

Matthew Breaden is a Registered Music Therapist and has worked with children and adults of all ages in allied health centres, private practice, school, and home settings. Matthew focuses on strengths-based approaches to intervention and has a particular interest in ecological appoaches to therapeutic work, including the involvement of families. His PhD investigated the applicability of using Figurenotes in music therapy by children with autism and their families. Matthew also works as a Research Officer and Casual Academic at Western Sydney University and believes strongly in the need for integration of practice and research.

Matthew and Joe discuss the content of Matthew's PhD research and its implications, as well as what to expect next in the field of music therapy research.

Al has been a Registered Music Therapist for over 25 years, focusing on
children and family-centred practice with children on the autism spectrum,
children experiencing hearing loss, families from diverse cultural backgrounds
and families with complex needs. She is a Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT),
with advanced training in this approach and a fellow of the Academy of
Neurologic Music Therapy. Her present roles are as Lecturer, teaching into
the Masters of Creative Music Therapy at Western Sydney University, and
Director of MusicConnect, a music therapy service provider for families with
complex needs. Al is a current PhD candidate at Western Sydney University
where she is completing her doctorate in the use of visual supports within
music therapy practice across face-to-face and telehealth platforms. In
addition, Al is the invited guest editor for the upcoming special edition of the
Australian Journal of Music Therapy titled: “This is Australia… Music Therapy
Down Under During & Beyond Covid19”.

In this episode, Joe and Al discuss what changes Al has witnessed over her years of practice, and how she brings this to her teaching role. They also cover Al's extensive contribution to telehealth practice. 

Shae Davison is a Registered Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist. Shae is a casual academic with Western Sydney University for the Masters of Creative Music Therapy course. Shae is currently working predominantly with children through to adults of all abilities in an Allied Health setting at Macarthur Allied Health Services. In conjunction with the clinical director of the business, Shae created a music therapy role within the clinic in 2019 which has now equated to a permanent full-time role. Shae has since progressed to being the executive of the music therapy department within the clinic. Shae is passionate about using her voice therapeutically, creating an inclusive therapeutic space and celebrating the strengths of her clients. You can contact Shae at [email protected] should you want to chat further. 

In this episode Shae and Joe discuss the topics such as the importance of assessment and supervision, as well as what it means to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

Lesa has been a registered music therapist since 2014 and has worked with a range of populations right across the life span. In the last 6 years, Lesa has primarily worked in aged care. Prior to studying music therapy, Lesa completed a jazz performance degree at the Sydney Conservatorium. Lesa is also currently the vice-chair and secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Music Therapy Association.

In this episode, Lesa and Joe chat about specialisation as a music therapist, and the unique approach an RMT needs to take in an aged care setting.

Matt is an RMT and head of clinical practice at Noro music therapy in western Sydney. Most of his work as a therapist has involved individual clinic-based music therapy sessions, although he also has experience working with military and emergency services veterans and in schools. A key part of his current role is overseeing a team of RMTs as they write music therapy programs for different populations and settings.

In this episode, Joe and Matt discuss how Matt views the role of music in the therapeutic journey, as well as the relationship between community and music therapy into the future.