Ep 91 - Crystal Luk-Worrall
Music Therapy Conversations
In episode 91, Davina speaks to Crystal Luk-Worrall about EMDR and music therapy. Crystal Luk-Worrall is a music therapist and EMDR therapist working with the adoption community in London through her private practice Clap and Toot, as well as working with bereaved families through her work at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. She enjoys exploring multi-modality practice and systemic practice. Crystal also supports fellow freelance therapists and newly qualified therapists through her role as BAMT’s freelance network coordinator.
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Ep 90 Helen Wallace-Bell
Music Therapy Conversations
In this podcast, Martin Lawes talks to Helen Wallace-Bell about SMI and RMI which are part of the contemporary spectrum of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) and Music and Imagery (MI) methods Helen explains what these approaches are and how the recorded music used is chosen collaboratively to help the client develop their inner resources or work on issues. Helen is involved in MI training which also gets discussed. In addition, Helen talks about her work with clients who have PTSD and about online groupwork with carers. She discusses various music used in this work...
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Ep 89 Emi Booth
Music Therapy Conversations
Emi talks with Davina about their recent debut at the BAMT Conference in May 2024 where they spoke about their experiences of being a deaf music therapist. Here are Emi's words of introduction: My name’s Emi and my pronouns are they/them. I’m a deaf music therapist who currently works in older people’s mental health in the NHS. I graduated from the University of Derby in 2022 with my master’s in music therapy, where I became passionate about making music therapy more accessible to deaf people. Ever since, I’ve been working on publishing my independent scholarship on how my experience...
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Ep 88 BAMT Conference 2024 Roundtable Discussion
Music Therapy Conversations
This is the recording of the live discussion from the BAMT conference at the Curve Theatre Leicester on 18 May 2024. The conference panel was Luke Annesley, Rachel Darnley-Smith, Tilly Mutter and Davina Vencatasamy. Surprise special guests were Wendy Magee and Joy Gravestock, who happened to be in the audience, and excerpts were included from previous episodes from Wendy and Joy, along with Denise Wong and Mercedes Pavlicevic. The episode includes discussion about the genesis of the podcast, the processes of interviewing and being interviewed, and closer examination of excerpts from episodes...
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Ep 87 Karen Goodman
Music Therapy Conversations
Karen D. Goodman, PhD., Professor Emerita of Music, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA., has been the primary figure in designing and developing both the former undergraduate and graduate music therapy programs at Montclair over forty years. Professor Goodman’s research-based clinical work, at ten clinical settings, includes music therapy practice in child and adult psychiatry and developmental disabilities at New York Hospital- Cornell Medical Center, Creative Arts Rehabilitation Center-NYC and educational programs in the Greater New York area. Currently an Associate...
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Ep 86 Holly Shirra
Music Therapy Conversations
Holly Shirra is a qualified music therapist who holds her focus on helping people connect in community and express themselves creatively and authentically. With classical piano training from a young age, Holly discovered a passion for free improvisation while studying music therapy, which she completed in 2020. To help her understand further how people spontaneously create in groups, Holly founded 'Cambridge Music Improv' - a community project that gathers people from diverse backgrounds in public spaces to improvise music together. This supportive environment allows participants to tap into...
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Ep 85 Jessica Leza
Music Therapy Conversations
Jessica Leza is a board-certified music therapist, author, and multimedia artist. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Leza’s music therapy scholarship and advocacy centers around neurodiversity, disability justice, culture, and LGBTQ+ liberation and includes publications in The Neurodiversity Reader, Sociocultural Identities in Music Therapy, and The Oxford Handbook of Queer and Trans Music Therapy, as well as the solo-authored An Introduction...
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Ep 84 Den Vecchio
Music Therapy Conversations
Luke talks to Den Vecchio, a play therapist living and working in Bristol, UK. They discuss the principles of play therapy, why play therapy has become more available in mainstream schools in recent years, and overlaps with music therapy practice. Also - why every play therapist should have snakes, spiders and crocodiles in their collection! Den is a thoughtful practitioner and was a very entertaining and engaging podcast guest. As a music therapist, you're perhaps unlikely to have come across her, but don't let this discourage you from listening to this fascinating episode. There's lots of...
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Ep 83 Evelyn Mason
Music Therapy Conversations
Evelyn Mason is an experienced music therapist and Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Student at the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge. Chroma Therapies and the Independent Neurorehabilitation Providers Alliance (INPA) are collaborating with ARU on this study which focuses on music therapy to address the emotional challenges of family caregivers of people with Huntington’s disease. As a practising clinician, she has specialisms in brain injury rehabilitation, adoption, dementia, learning disability and hospice care. Having completed her MA...
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Ep 82 Elaine Streeter
Music Therapy Conversations
Elaine is a BAMT registered clinical supervisor, and consultant lead visitor for the HCPC. She studied piano and composition at GSMD, and trained as a music therapist with Dr Paul Nordoff and Dr Clive Robbins in London. After running the music therapy service at the CDC, Charing Cross Hospital for several years, and completing an MA research thesis in music therapy at the University of York, Elaine was appointed Senior Lecturer at the Roehampton Institute where she developed a new post-graduate course in Music Therapy. Her music therapy practice with children, young people, and adults...
info_outlineLuke spoke to music therapist Alphonso Archer about his career in music, music education, music therapy, and football coaching. This has included big personal challenges, inspiring moments and the development of innovative and creative approaches.
Alphonso says:
I spent over 25 years immersed in IT, Software, and Artificial Intelligence, building a career rooted in technological expertise. However, a personal diagnosis of prostate cancer and a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in 2016 marked a pivotal moment, guiding me towards the world of music therapy.
My transition was also profoundly influenced by my personal experiences. Growing up with a father diagnosed with schizophrenia offered me firsthand insights into the complexities of mental health. My academic exploration in this area led to a dissertation titled "Ambiguities in the Diagnosis of Schizophrenia Amongst Ethnic Minorities", shedding light on mental health nuances within the black community.
I trained as a music therapist at the University of the West of England (UWE), graduating with distinction in 2022. As a newly qualified freelance music therapist, I work with neurodiverse children, particularly those with autism and other co-occurring conditions. My therapeutic approach also encompasses adults with autism and those managing mental health challenges. Collaborating with a cancer charity, I facilitate music therapy sessions tailored for those navigating the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis.
I am publishing my master's dissertation, which centres on "How Black Men Use Music to Cope with the Psychosocial Symptoms of Their Prostate Cancer Post Treatment". This research underscores my interest and commitment to understanding the intricate connections between music, therapy, race, and health outcomes.
At the 2022 European Music Therapy Conference, I had the opportunity to co-present with Dr Kate Jones, who introduced her music therapy toolkit designed for children with selective mutism. I was also involved in workshops and discussions surrounding race and belonging, social dreaming matrix and shared my thoughts on the future trajectory of the music therapy profession.
Music has been a constant as a multi-instrumentalist, starting in church and rich experiences such as playing guitar in the Derbyshire Youth Jazz Orchestra to jazz piano lessons with composer and recitalist James Harpham. For over two decades, I have taught piano, guitar and bass, instruments that I've been connected to since my early years.
You can contact me via my new website:
www.livingwellthroughmusic.com
Twitter: @AlphieArcher