Nordoff Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, together with Sony Music UK, is offering two bursaries for its internationally renowned two-year Master of Music Therapy programme. Applications for the September 2022 bursaries to study in London, worth £10,000 each, close on Monday 17th January 2022.

The initiative will cover tuition fees for the two-year course, and aims to remove financial barriers to the Masters-level programme for musicians who would not otherwise have the opportunity or resources to access it. Applications are welcomed from musicians of all ages and backgrounds who want to pursue a rewarding career in music by improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable people. Musicians interested in the Sony Bursary or finding out more about the Master of Music Therapy programme are welcome to attend Nordoff Robbins open evenings running in December and January.

Nordoff Robbins believes in the power of music to enrich lives for all people in society. Its trained music therapists work with children and adults affected by life limiting illness such as dementia, mental health issues, physical disability and learning disabilities including Autism. In 2020, Nordoff Robbins’ music therapists helped the lives of 5,782 individuals throughout the year.

The London places are available following the successful launch of the Nordoff Robbins and Sony Music UK Bursary in January 2021 which saw four recipients take up their places in Manchester and Newcastle in September this year.

Emily Whitewick, a recipient of the 2021 Nordoff Robbins/Sony Music UK Bursary said: “The Sony Music UK bursary has relieved myself and my family of a huge financial pressure and allowed me to focus on becoming the best Music Therapist I can without any distractions. Until I came across Nordoff Robbins, I didn’t understand the transformative nature of music or its ability to reach people when other methods of communication could not. When I saw their work in action, I realised that performing and studying music simply wasn’t enough for me when it had the ability to do so much more in people’s lives. It was then that I decided I wanted to apply for the Masters in Music Therapy with Nordoff Robbins. I will take this opportunity and use it to bring the benefits of Music Therapy to more people; showing just how powerful music can be in enhancing people’s experiences of themselves and the people around them in their lives.”

Another recipient of the 2021 Bursary said: “The Nordoff Robbins and Sony Music Bursary has brought my dream into actualisation. Coming from a family with a lifetime of financial hardship, it has afforded me the relief to focus on my Masters. I hope to be able to help as many people as I can with music therapy.”

Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff Robbins said: “We’ve seen first-hand the incredible impact that music has for the people that we work with – it is quite simply life changing. We want to encourage a diverse range of talented musicians to apply for our bursary in order to use their skills to help people access music making and all the joy that it can bring. We believe that all people in our society – including those who may feel isolated through physical or mental illness – have a limitless potential to be empowered by music.”

Liz Jeffery, VP of Human Resources at Sony Music UK said: “I’m delighted that these bursaries have already made a meaningful difference to the lives of many. This partnership builds on our existing work to prioritise and raise awareness of disability and demonstrates the immeasurable impact that music can have on people’s lives.”

Musicians interested in the Sony Bursary or finding out more about the Master of Music Therapy programme are welcome to attend Nordoff Robbins open evenings running in December and January. Sign up to an open evening here.

Open Evening Dates:

Monday 13th December – Online
Wednesday 19th January – In person
Thursday 20th January – Online