Annual Conferences
Check out our Conference archive.
Annual Conference '23
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Music therapy - the sooner the better
Saturday Nov. 18th,
Winchester University.
We returned this year to our favourite conference venue - walking distance from
Winchester train station – an hour from Waterloo.
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The day focussed on working with children and the importance of
early childhood intervention.
We were delighted to welcome as our KEYNOTE:
Dr. Claire Flower, Consultant Music Therapist, Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The day was intended to appeal to music therapists as CPD, to student music therapists, to other professionals working with vulnerable children and to parents wanting to find out more on behalf of their child.
Each half of the day contained a music therapy case study, a discussion group on how music therapy benefits the child, an opportunity to play, and a KEYNOTE presentation.
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Members of the Key Changes therapy team.
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Each year Key Changes runs a conference
which is open to all who are interested in finding out more about music therapy, either as CPD, a future career or for accessing on behalf of potential therapy recipients.
This annual conference is a well-established event in the UK music therapy calendar, attracting delegates from around the country. Eminent professionals from the world of music and music therapy have presented or run workshops at this highly regarded event, including:
Luke Annesley, Ros Blackburn, Catherine Carr, Rachel Darnley-Smith, Mary-Clare Fearn, Risenga Makondo, Helen Odell-Miller, Dr Julian O’Kelly, Amelia Oldfield, Martin Read, Stephen Sandford, Valerie Sinason, Elaine Streeter, Julie Sutton and Tony Wigram.
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Each year there is a different focus. Recent topics having been:
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Time-limited music therapy
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Evaluating music therapy
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Mental health
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The music in music therapy
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The use of technology in music therapy
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Edges and endings
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The bigger picture
A look back at our previous Conferences...
Annual Conference 2022:
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'Just when we thought it was safe...'
Our annual conference was held in Itchen Abbas, near Winchester.
Reflecting the rapidly changing times we find ourselves in, we heard from music therapists working in neonatal terminal care, homelessness, biodiversity & PMLD bereavement and we discussed what we needed in order to survive as therapists.
Our Key Note, presented by Anna Seymour, Professor of Drama Therapy was on:
Being with Change.
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One delegate, on being asked of their expectations for the day, said:
'to hear interesting presentations, reconnect with colleagues, improvise together...'
Have your expectations been met?
'Exceeded.'
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For further information on Conference content, please take a look at the
Annual Conference 2019:
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Music therapy – joining the dots
This conference looked ahead to the BAMT conference: Belfast April 2020, focusing on
Partnerships through music therapy.
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In a day full of presentations from therapy work across all ages and wide-ranging needs,
we heard from
Key Changes therapists and co-workers, on:
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working with parents and their special needs early years children;
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new work in dementia care - responses from the therapist, student and care home manager;
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combining music therapy and physiotherapy – evaluating work with adults who have PMLD.
Practical sessions included:
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Approaches developed in an art therapy-music therapy group in a special school;
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Multi-cultural workshop led by Helen Loth - Anglia Ruskin - with grateful thanks to Hampshire MusicSpace (Hampshire hub partner) for the loan of the gamelan.
This year’s Key Note presentation was from:
Amelia Oldfield – Anglia Ruskin,
with Max Thompson – film director and past client:
Music therapy follow-up project – 16 years on.
Excerpts from the documentary film:
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'I was expecting an inspiring day and wasn't disappointed!'
Conference delegate.
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See the Conference Programme for more details
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Annual Conference 2018:
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Music Therapy - the BIGGER PICTURE
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The 2018 conference looked beyond the music therapy room to the impact that music therapy has on the lives of clients, therapists and support staff.
The Bigger Picture considered:
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a needs-led role change from therapist to teacher in work with a young client;
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severely learning disabled adolescents - hearing their feedback;
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how music therapy in dementia care can support staff training;
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self-care for music therapists, and
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how professional practice in learning disability health teams is on the change.
There were 2 concurrent practical sessions, one involving improvisation and discussion, the other considering the supervisory relationship.
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Presenters:
Owain Clarke, Veronica Austin, Lucy Pickering, Christina Lydon, Juliet Wood,
Leigh Warren-Thomas and Amanda Lapping.
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summaries and presenter biogs
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Annual Conference 2017:
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Music Therapy - edges and endings
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Grateful thanks to our presenters:
Luke Annesley, Catherine Carr, Mary-Clare Fearn,
Anouska Henderson, Belinda Lydon,
Beccy Read & Debbie Mellors,
and facilitators:
Jonathan Booth & Leigh Warren-Thomas
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Alongside our profession's necessary discussions around assessment, evaluation and research, there is a need to consider other boundaries affecting our work. At this conference we discussed the issues and obstacles often to be got around before therapy can start; and the many and various types of endings, some beyond our control as therapists, yet...
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‘So important to get the ending right’ - client with mental health needs.
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