Sony Music UK opens bursaries for Nordoff Robbins Masters programme

Applications are now open for two bursaries for UK music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins’ Master of Music Therapy programme. The 2022 Sony bursaries, supported by Sony Music UK, will cover tuition fees for the two-year course.

The bursaries, worth £10,000 each, aim to make the Masters-level programme more accessible. Training in the Nordoff Robbins approach to music therapy is registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is validated by Goldsmiths, University of London.

Applications are welcomed from musicians of all ages and backgrounds. Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff Robbins said: ‘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.’  

Nordoff Robbins is the UK’s largest music therapy charity, supplying trained music therapists to children and adults affected by illnesses such as dementia, mental health issues, physical disabilities and learning disabilities. The charity runs a range of sessions for children and adults in centres across the UK as well as partnering with over 280 organisations including schools, care homes, hospices, hospitals, mental health services, and brain injury units.

A recipient of the 2021 Nordoff Robbins/Sony Music UK Bursary who requested to remain anonymous, said: ‘following my studies in Classical piano at St Mary’s Music School and later the Royal Northern College of Music, I continued to pursue work as a pianist. It has always been my dream to work as a music therapist since witnessing first-hand the profound effect music can have as a therapeutic medium.’ They added: ‘As a recent graduate, a musician surviving the Covid-19 pandemic and being from a low-income household, I felt my main obstacle … would be funding the cost of my studies. It is without a shadow of a doubt that I owe Nordoff Robbins and Sony Music UK a huge thank you as I would not be able to pursue this incredible opportunity or career without their financial support.’

Applications for the September 2022 bursaries for study in London close on Monday 17th January 2022. You can find out more about the 2022 Sony Bursary and the Master of Music Therapy Programme at the Nordoff Robbins website.