Sing4Change

So, what is music therapy? Well, it is pretty much what it sounds like: music being used for therapy purposes. And, at the same time, it is so much more. And sometimes what one believes to be music therapy is, actually, not music therapy at all. Confused? Good. Let us dive in.   Music therapy elevator pitch The best 10-second pitch on music therapy I have arrived to after practising for nearly 15 years sounds as follows: Music therapy is the professional use of live and recorded music and its elements (rhythm is one example) with the goal to improve health, wellbeing and social connectedness of people and communities. Music therapy is a vast and powerful field (as you can easily gather from these music therapy definitions offered by professional associations from around the world ). If we went for a cup of coffee together, I could easily go on for a couple of hours telling you about all the wonders and secrets of the music therapy profession. Luckily, you are safe from my enthusias...

Hiya. I am Alisa Apreleva, PhD, MT-BC, NMT, music therapist , singer , neuromusicology researcher and storyteller, community singing coach , based in Oxford, UK. This is an introduction entry, brief and sweet - just so you know what to expect reading this blog. Please do share your thoughts in the comments: I’d appreciate if this is a conversations rather than my monologue. Cheers! What dreams may come When I was six and a well-meaning adult would ask me what I wanted to be, I answered without hesitation: “I am going to be a doctor. And in the evenings I am going to sing in the circus”. The inquisitor would laugh, my mom would sigh, everyone present would usually agree about me being a very imaginative child, then proceed with their business of being sensible.  “I am going to be a doctor. And in the evenings I am going to sing in the circus” Quarter of a century forward (ugh!) - and, after curious and educational spells in forensic linguistics, journalism, music performance, clini...