In episode 103, Crystal Luk-Worrall interviews Carine Ries. Crystal is a new addition to the Music Therapy Conversations team of interviewers - more interviews from her coming soon! (You can also listen to Davina's interview with Crystal, if you haven't already, as this is episode 91.)

Carine completed her undergraduate degree in Music & Psychology at the University of Leeds before moving to London to complete her MA in Music Therapy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2010. Carine has since also qualified as a Music and Imagery therapist and GIM fellow. Carine completed her 200hrs yoga teacher training in 2017 and has presented internationally on the benefits of using a combined approach in therapy. She has experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings and with a range of needs, including mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, and profound and multiple learning disabilities. In her private practice Carine works with children and adults offering music therapy, GIM, yoga, and animal assisted therapy.

They discuss numerous topics, including: developing a diverse practice, supporting a team of music therapists, combining modalities, the importance of supervision, making music therapy accessible in the community, and leading from the heart.

In this episode, Martin Lawes talks with Tim Honig, PhD, MT-BC

This podcast conversation about Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) includes discussion about how the cultural context may affect practice, about the music's role as co-therapist, and about the use of different types of music. The ongoing development of GIM worldwide is also considered where Music and Imagery (MI) methods are becoming increasingly important in Europe.

Tim Honig, PhD, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist and a Fellow of the Association for Music and Imagery. He is Assistant Professor and Director of Music Therapy at Westfield State University in Massachusetts, USA. A practitioner of the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), he provides depth-oriented music therapy in private practice and provides supervision for therapists in GIM training with the Appalachian GIM Institute. Tim's music therapy research and clinical practice have focused on music therapy in mental healthcare in acute settings and private practice.

Reference

Yoshihara, N., Acebes de Pablo, A., & Honig, T. J. (2024). Relationships between cultural factors and engaging in Guided Imagery and Music: An exploratory qualitative study. Journal of Music Therapy, 61(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thad022

Episode 101 is Luke's interview with Tina Warnock. This took place online in April 2025. Their conversation had a strong focus on vocal psychotherapy, including Tina's personal process of discovering this powerful therapeutic practice, and her current roles in developing training and research in this area.

Tina Warnock is originally from Hertfordshire in England and has been based in Brighton, East Sussex since her undergraduate studies in Social Psychology in the late 1980s. She grew up playing the piano and in her late teens began singing and songwriting. The personal growth she experienced through singing with others and later vocal training led to a life-long interest in the connection between the voice and the self.

Since qualifying as a music therapist in 2000, Tina gained extensive experience in a wide range of clinical settings including child and adolescent mental health, child development, special education, elderly mental health and learning disabilities. Her current practice includes vocal psychotherapy with people in cancer care, women with a history of trauma and abuse, and private practice with adults.

In 2009 Tina established Belltree Music Therapy in Brighton (www.belltree.org.uk) which is now a thriving music therapy service. Between 2009 and 2013 she served on the BAMT board of trustees and was joint PR officer. Since 2016 she has focussed on developing the Austin Vocal Psychotherapy (AVPT) Distance Training Programme with Dr Diane Austin.

In 2016 Tina invited Diane Austin to the UK to give some introductory workshops in vocal psychotherapy. The interest shown, combined with Tina's passion for the work led to her working intensively with Dr Austin over three 2-year programmes and in 2026 she will take on the role of lead trainer for this programme.

Tina has been affiliated with Roehampton as a visiting lecturer and lecturer on the MA Music Therapy course. She regularly presents at music therapy conferences and has published several articles and book chapters on the voice and the self in music therapy. She is currently undertaking doctoral research at the Cambridge Institute of Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, investigating the impact of Austin Vocal Psychotherapy training on a music therapist's voice, sense of self and therapeutic practice.

(3) Tina Warnock | LinkedIn

https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/tina-warnock

www.belltree.org.uk

www.austinvocalpsychotherapy.com

The 100th episode is here!

Luke and Davina look back on the podcast - how it started out, where it has come to, what they have learned so far. They also go on conversational detours, considering their own perspectives on this profession, including current discussions about diversity, inclusion and race, along with the nature of music in music therapy, and how individual, as well as multi-faceted, this work is. What were the original intentions for the podcast? Who helped get it started? What's Luke's favourite episode? All will be revealed!

Thanks are also given to all those people who have helped with the podcast, including all the interviewees to date.

More podcasts to come, but this was a moment to look back and reflect.

For those people who have been asking Luke, 'When will you be interviewed?', this is (sort of) an answer to that question.

For anyone interested in getting involved as an interviewer, please contact Luke via email: [email protected]

References and links

Annesley, L. (2014). The music therapist in school as outsider. British Journal of Music Therapy, 28(2), 36-43.

Vencatasamy, D. (2023). The importance of being diverse: Exploring the journey from Brexit to Belonging. British Journal of Music Therapy, 37(1), 28-35.

Ethan Hein's podcast episode about 'Stormy Monday', referred to in the conversation:

https://ethanhein.substack.com/p/they-call-it-stormy-monday

Davina talks to Michele Forinash DA, MT-BC, LMHC about her experiences working with AIDS patients in hospice in the 1980s, topics around white supremacy and colonialism in music therapy, Michele's experiences as a queer music therapist, and the decolonisation of research and practice. This is a rich and inspiring interview with a music therapist with deep insights from a long and varied career to date.

Michele is Professor & Director of the PhD program in the Expressive Therapies Department at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA. Michele, a white, cis, Queer woman, has been involved in music therapy since 1981. Michele's research and publications have focused on supervision, doctoral education, LGBTQIA+ topics, arts-based research, and music therapy history. Michele is a former President of the American Music Therapy Association and former Chair of the National Coalition of Creative Arts Therapy.

Tessa Watson is a music therapist and trainer. She is Associate Professor and Programme Leader for the MA Music Therapy at University of Roehampton and works in that setting with colleagues across the Arts and Play Therapies and other HCPC registered professions. She has extensive clinical experience in mental health and learning disability work and her current music therapy work is with the children and families who use Alexander Devine Hospice. Tessa has an interest in co-production and is one of the founders of HENCoP (The Health Education Network for Co-Production).

Tessa has published and spoken widely about her music therapy work to support adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities, the experience of women in secure psychiatric settings, multi-disciplinary work and learning and teaching music therapy. She has contributed to the development of the profession in the UK (BAMT) and internationally (EMTC) and in 2020 led the BAMT online conference which attracted over 570 delegates. Tessa is an HCPC partner, working on CPD and FTP schemes. She plays cello and sings in local amateur musical groups.

Tessa's most recent book, written with Cathy Warner is Contemporary Issues in Music Therapy Training, A Resource for Trainees, Trainers and Practitioners (Routledge 2024).

Some other notable publications are 'Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities - a view from the United Kingdom' in The Handbook of Music Therapy (2024), 'Supporting the Unplanned Journey' in Collaboration and Assistance in Music Therapy Practice (2017), 'The World is Alive! Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities' in the Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy, OUP (2016), Integrated Team Working: Music Therapy as Part of Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches, London; Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2008) with Karen Twyford, and Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities, London; Routledge (2007).

Links:

https://www.routledge.com/Contemporary-Issues-in-Music-Therapy-Training-A-Resource-for-Trainees-Trainers-and-Practitioners/Watson-Warner/p/book/9781032853963?srsltid=AfmBOoqv92gfeHbBxe_zmiemr1pyCC769xqTMPqxlu1E7Hfqo-imlCXw

https://alexanderdevine.org/

https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught-courses/music-therapy/

In episode 97, Davina Vencatasamy talks to her friend and distinguished colleague Jasmine Edwards.

Jasmine Edwards, MA, LCAT, MT-BC (she/her) is a doctoral candidate and fellow within Steinhardt Music Education with a focus in music therapy at New York University. Jasmine holds a BM and MA in music therapy from Florida State University and NYU, respectively. Her clinical experiences include private practice, outpatient, school-based, community, and medical pediatric settings, and she is trained in NICU-MT, First Sounds: RBL, and Austin Vocal Psychotherapy. Jasmine has a vested interest in elevating dialogues about cultural humility within music therapy education and clinical practice within both her teaching and academic writing. She has served as an adjunct faculty member in the music therapy departments at Howard University, New York University, Montclair State University, Nazareth College, Duquesne University, and Molly University.

Tamsin is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with roots in the traditional dance tunes of the British Isles. Her debut solo album FREY (2022) established her as a rising star on the folk scene, with The Guardian praising her "beautiful, filmic compositions for accordion, harp, whistle and voice". In this work Tamsin explores themes of limbo, pain, healing and acceptance, reflecting on the microcosm of her personal experience of chronic illness alongside wider themes of societal disconnection and environmental grief. Her forthcoming record The Meeting Tree celebrates connection, nature and the joy of sharing tunes with friends.

Tamsin's critically-acclaimed collaboration with Egyptian oud player Tarek Elazhary explores the parallels and celebrates the idiosyncrasies of Egyptian Maqam music and English folk traditions. Their friendship and resulting duo album So Far We Have Come is a testament to the unifying power of music, and won them a place in The Guardian's Top Ten Folk Albums of 2023, as well as a nomination for Best Group at the Songlines Music Awards.

A versatile composer-performer, Tamsin also contributes to chamber-folk quintet Hedera and festival-favourite Mediterranean fusion band Solana. As a Musician in Residence at UHBW NHS Trust, she channels her musical passion into healing and connection, writing new music on lever harp and playing for patients on wards including the ICU.

This episode was recorded in Tamsin's studio in Bristol and it includes performances recorded especially for the podcast. Luke and Tamsin also discuss her work as a musician in residence and her cross-cultural musical collaborations.

Tamsin's website, which includes details of recodings and forthcoming live dates, is here.

In this episode, Davina Vencatasamy talks to Dr Chamari Wedamulla.

Chamari is an independent researcher specialising in music education, with expertise in integrating music therapy approaches to enhance student mental health and well-being. Previously affiliated with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Birmingham City University, Chamari contributed to the Fair & Inclusive Music Midlands (FIMM) project commissioned by Arts Council England, exploring the perceptions of the Midlands music education landscape and current learning barriers faced by young people, while coordinating with a range of key stakeholders and organisations within the field. Chamari's PhD in Music Education and Music Therapy (Kingston University, London) focused on employing music therapy techniques in education to support adolescents' mental health. She was a steering group member of EDI MS, which is a cross-organisational network which aims to promote, support and share good practice in relation to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Music Higher Education in the UK. Chamari has co-authored reports for Arts Council England and contributed to publications such as The Routledge Companion to Women and Musical Leadership (2024).

Luke speaks to Jonathan 'Jaytee' Tang about his PhD research, which makes links between music therapy, music psychology and cultural psychology. They discuss the concepts of independent vs interdependent self-construal, and the relevance of this to musical interactions. This has some fascinating implications for music therapy practice.

Jonathan (Jaytee) Tang has over nine years of international clinical experience as a music therapist, having worked in medical, special education, and mental health settings. His work with individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds fueled his passion for exploring the interconnections between culture, music, and well-being. Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Sheffield, Jonathan's research focuses on how culture shapes emotional responses to music. His doctoral project specifically investigates the influence of cultural models of selfhood on affective experiences with music.

Reference

Taylor, S. E., Welch, W. T., Kim, H. S., & Sherman, D. K. (2007). Cultural differences in the impact of social support on psychological and biological stress responses. Psychological Science, 18(9), 831–837. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01987.x