Australian Music Therapy Association

30/07/2026

Imagine a young patient in hospital who has trouble finding words at the right time... and then he sings. Share the moment when Xavier - offered the right amount of time, space and support from his deeply skilled registered music therapist Jo Rimmer RMT - sings along to the alphabet song. Here's what Jo told the wonderful team at Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne:

“For Xavier, he wasn’t able to verbalise on cue. So if you said to him, ‘Say “p”,’ he wasn’t able to do that.

“But if you gave him that lead-up, that predictability, with the rhythmic structure, he could.”

It’s a powerful, moving moment – and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to share it. AMTA sends enormous thanks to Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Xavier and his family, and Jo Rimmer RMT for permission to share.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ntOgDkwOQBA

Imagine a young patient in hospital who has trouble finding words a...

30/07/2026

Imagine a young patient in hospital who has trouble finding words at the right time... and then he sings. Share the moment when Xavier - offered the right amount of time, space and support from his deeply skilled registered music therapist Jo Rimmer RMT - sings along to the alphabet song. Here’s what Jo told the wonderful team at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne:

“For Xavier, he wasn’t able to verbalise on cue. So if you said to him, ‘Say “p”,’ he wasn’t able to do that.

“But if you gave him that lead-up, that predictability, with the rhythmic structure, he could.”

It’s a powerful, moving moment – and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to share it. AMTA sends enormous thanks to Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Xavier and his family, and Jo Rimmer RMT for permission to share.

28/07/2026

This year's Census marks a milestone for registered music therapists.

For the first time, registered music therapists across Australia will have the opportunity to write 'Music Therapist' as their occupation in the Australian Census.

AMTA worked with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to clarify the new Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OCSA). The new occupation code for 'Music therapist: 261933' will:

- enable collection of high-quality data about our profession
- inform and shape educational pathways
- support workforce planning
- inform skilled migration programs.

We look forward to Census night on 11 August!

📷 A mock-up of one question in the Australian Census paper, asking "In the main job held last week, what was the person's occupation?" In the answer section, the occupation listed is "Music Therapist". Below the mock-up is a pencil and a notepad open to a page headed "Census night".

24/07/2026

Music Therapy Matters #5 has landed! Our quarterly newsletter is full of good news, including the remarkable moment when Xavier, who couldn't talk, sang.

Catch up on advocacy news, a wrap on World Music Therapy Week, and Australian registered music therapists honoured at the World Congress of Music Therapy.

https://mailchi.mp/016e6fbcf9f8/music-therapy-matters-edition4-9316761?e=[UNIQID]

The music therapy profession in Australia has always held a strong place in the global community. That was really on show this month at the World Congress of Music Therapy in Bologna, Italy! Many Australian registered music therapists were delegates and presenters - and several were honoured with aw...

23/07/2026

Advocacy update: AMTA welcomed the opportunity to have our say on the forthcoming changes to the legislation that supports the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

In the association's submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee on the NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2026, we acknowledged the need for a sustainable and effective NDIS and that the proposed changes are the most significant to be proposed in the history of the NDIS.

We also expressed our concerns around evidence and oversight, pricing and accessibility, and more. We supported calls to allow more time to understand the overall impact and undertake meaningful consultation.

AMTA continues to engage in consultations on the NDIS and Thriving Kids. To learn more about our advocacy, visit the AMTA website
https://www.austmta.org.au/advocacy/music-therapy-advocacy/

17/07/2026

We’ve published a news article all about AMTA’s recent First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath, Lullaby training, as well as an update on music therapy practice in neonatal intensive care units in Australian hospitals.

While a major part of the training was for registered music therapists who wish to work with newborn babies, the first day was designed for health professionals from all areas, not just music therapists.

It was a pleasure to strengthen connections between professional communities and, hopefully, inspire even more hospitals to integrate music therapy programs into their systems of care.

Read the article: https://www.austmta.org.au/news-item/24081/amta-hosts-internationally-recognised-nicu-music-therapy-training

📷 Dr Andrew Rosetti, with his guitar, sits with a mother and her baby in a hospital ward.

16/07/2026

Congratulations to the Australian registered music therapists honoured in this year's awards ceremony at the World Congress of Music Therapy in Bologna, Italy.

🎼King Man Chung RMT - Advocate of Music Therapy Award
🪇 Dr Emma O'Brien OAM RMT - Crisis Response Award
🎤 Dr Katrina McFerran RMT and Prof. Denise Grocke AO RMT - Outstanding Publication Award
🎶Anuudari Enkhnasan RMT: Outstanding Student Award (represented on stage by Dr Alison Short RMT of MusicTherapy@Western at Western Sydney University)

Australians made up a large contingent at the event, with many AMTA members making presentations and connecting with the global music therapy community. Congratulations all round.

World Federation of Music Therapy |

09/07/2026

Like all health professionals, registered music therapists work to a set of professional standards that guide our practice.

AMTA's Professional Standards for Music Therapy help ensure anyone who engages a registered music therapist receives care that's safe, ethical and of the highest quality.

🖼️ Download the poster:https://www.austmta.org.au/public/151/files/Poster_professional%20standards.pdf

Learn more about regulatory standards for registered music therapists:🔗 https://www.austmta.org.au/about/about-amta/regulatory-standards/

Contact AMTA to check someone is a qualified and registered music therapist.
🌐https://www.austmta.org.au/contact/contact-amta/

08/07/2026

It was an honour to host international guests, led by Professor Joanne Loewy from the Louis Armstrong Centre for Music and Medicine, to deliver training in First Sounds: Rhythm, Breath Lullaby in Melbourne recently.

Over 3 days, 65 participants extended their knowledge of music therapy in the neonatal ward.

We were particularly pleased to welcome other health professionals on day 1, including our friends from the Australian College of Neonatal Nurses ACNN. What a pleasure to share some of our music therapy knowledge with you and strengthen connections between our professional communities.

AMTA's registered music therapists continued their training for an additional 2 days, to gain specialist skills in music therapy in the neonatal care ward.

Thank you to Prof. Loewy, Andrew Rossetti PhD, LCAT, MT-BC, nurse practitioner Ann-Marie Dassler and neonatologist Dr Lawrence Fordjour.

Thanks also to Helen Shoemark RMT and Dr Cindy Lai RMT for your presentations and support - wonderful to hear wisdom from RBL grandparents, and about Tier 3 of the training for registered music therapists.

And very special thanks to our own Lauren Salib RMT and Phoebe Stretton-Smith RMT for making it happen, and to Miracle Babies and The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne for your support.

📷 1 - Lauren Salib RMT, centre, with (from left) Dr Lawrence Fordjour, Annie Dassler, Prof. Joanne Loewy, Dr Andrew Rossetti.
2 - Anuudari Enkhnasan RMT gets some hands-on practice at the workshop.