Gillian Farkas-Blake Music Therapist

04/09/2026

I’m not sure whether it’s my little neurodivergent brain getting excited by the shiny new book that was delivered today but this bit of CPD is genuinely looking quite lovely right now Rick Rubin

Just look at those chapter headings! If Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins were around today I’m sure they’d see the parallels between “Everyone is a creator,” and their concept of The Music Child!

26/08/2026

The sad news of Dolly Parton’s death yesterday has knocked many of us for six. 💔

Walking into the hospital this morning, two of the consultants on a ward where I provide Music Therapy immediately mentioned her passing. It seems Dolly’s loss is being felt far and wide.

My first session of the day was with someone who has a wonderful repertoire of familiar songs — including many Dolly favourites. So today’s “9 to 5” has already had a distinctly Dolly flavour… and I suspect there’ll be more to come. 🎶

Music Therapy, of course, is about much more than pre-composed music. There is plenty of improvisation, creativity, connection and musical conversation. But while Dolly is very much in our thoughts, it feels fitting to honour her extraordinary contribution to music by bringing some of her songs into therapeutic spaces.

Dolly gave us so much: music, stories, laughter, hope — and an extraordinary legacy of generosity and philanthropy.

Today, her music is still doing what music does best: connecting us, evoking memories and helping us express what words sometimes cannot.

Thank you, Dolly. ❤️🎶

9To5 Jolene Legacy

23/08/2026

Gill, how can you be a Music Therapist if you’re hard of hearing? 🎶

It’s a question I’ve been asked more than once — and one I’ve been meaning to write about for a while.

Hearing loss is, unfortunately, the curse of many a musician.

When I started regularly practising high-pitched instruments — first the recorder, then the flute and piccolo — hearing protection simply wasn’t something we talked about. Or, if it was, it certainly hadn’t reached rural West Sussex, where I grew up!

These days, I’m very happy with my NHS hearing aids. Wearing them at work is helpful, but Music Therapy is about so much more than hearing.

Because as Music Therapists, we don’t just listen with our ears.

We listen with our eyes.
We listen with our bodies.
We listen through movement, expression and connection.

Music can be found in the mouthing of words, the tapping of fingers or toes, and even in the rise and fall of someone’s chest as they breathe.

And there is music, too, in the squeeze of my hand from a patient lying in a hospital bed. ❤️

The funny thing is, I probably didn’t fully realise I had hearing loss myself until I started my Masters.

Like many people, I make adjustments every day to help me work and function effectively. As a Music Therapist who wears hearing aids, I’m no different.

I also have to protect the hearing I have — whether I’m working with loud clients, playing in orchestra rehearsals, attending gigs and concerts, or simply practising.

Perhaps that’s the point.

We all make adjustments. Some are visible; some aren’t. But needing an adjustment doesn’t make us less capable of doing what we do.

Sometimes, it simply changes the way we listen. 💛

**What adjustments do you make to help you thrive in your working life?**

📱 *Image: Oticon app showing the level of adjustment in each ear while using the settings for listening to music.*

DisabilityInclusion MusicTherapist

11/08/2026

Delighted to have featured in the Headway Swindon Summer Newsletter.

We had some more lovely musical moments today, including learning a new song and plenty of improvisation using a range of pitched and unpitched percussion.

Music therapy is uniquely placed to support people who have had brain injuries and can provide a nurturing and encouraging space to explore new experiences.

02/08/2026

Anyone in or around the Hitchin area? Abbie is a fab Music Therapist so this will be great!

Details for a summer special ☀️
If you have little ones local to hitchin this will be a wonderful session full of benefits for all.
With instruments, songs and movements - come and have some fun!

17/07/2026

As the summer holidays approach, many of us are looking forward to stepping away from our usual routines and spending time with loved ones — perhaps in unfamiliar places, at festivals, or simply enjoying a different pace of life.

Travel gives us the opportunity to experience different cultures: new languages, foods, customs and, of course, music.

Our summer breaks can also offer time to explore the richness of musical traditions from around the world. From the rhythmic energy of Brazilian samba and the expressive storytelling of flamenco, to the reflective qualities of Indian classical music, the relaxed flow of reggae and the paradoxical emotional depth of Portuguese Fado, music carries meaning, identity and connection.

As a Music Therapist, I know how music can support connection, reflection and wellbeing. In music therapy, rhythm, melody and creative expression can support communication, emotional expression, memory and the creation of new experiences — sometimes without the need for words.

For all of us, music can be a valuable way to create moments of belonging during the summer months, whether through listening, singing, movement, improvisation or simply sharing a favourite song.

I’m particularly looking forward to seeing one of my clients perform a DJ set at a UK festival next month, as well as listening to the many musicians who will be performing at the Medieval Festival of Silves/Xilb in the Algarve.

I’d love to know: what music are you hoping to experience this summer, and who will you be sharing it with? Are there any musical traditions or songs that you associate with summer holidays?

(Video: wall dancing to music at the Medieval Festival of Silves)

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08/07/2026

Lockdown was a funny time for us all, wasn’t it? Not least for us Music Therapists, for whom the world was largely closed off.

Our business is all about human connection so to suddenly be told that we couldn’t carry out our work in the way we had done previously felt very counterintuitive at a time when people needed that connection the most.

But necessity is the mother of invention and, just as families and workplaces across the world started using tools like Zoom and Teams to keep in touch, so too did the Music Therapy community.

Not every interaction was a resounding success. Poor internet connections, time lags, plus the sheer learning curve that we all had to navigate sometimes got in the way.

We soon learned that many of the techniques we use in face to face work just didn’t translate online. Other approaches, such as therapeutic skill development, call and response and so forth, allowed us to keep making those valuable connections nonetheless.

Here’s a beautiful example of how Music Therapy afforded Kirsty connection with her therapist, Felicity, during lockdown.

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30/06/2026

A little postcard from the coalface of Music Therapy...

Last week, on a stiflingly warm hospital ward in the UK, I had the privilege of sharing a quiet musical moment with a patient living with dementia.

When I first met her, she was lying in bed and appeared close to tears. I sat beside her and gently asked whether she would like some music. She nodded and simply said, “Music is beautiful."

My first thought was to set up the piano but somehow that felt a little too formal for the moment. Instead, I picked up my guitar and sat by her bedside.

We began to sing together. At first, I carried most of the melody, leaving space for her to join whenever she felt ready.

She wasn't able to tell me which songs she wanted to hear, so I asked whether she knew the ever-reliable You Are My Sunshine. Gradually, she began to join in, first with the occasional word at the end of a phrase, then by mouthing more of the lyrics, and eventually by finding her voice with growing confidence.

As we moved through other familiar songs, the tears that had seemed so close at the beginning of our time together gave way to a broad, genuine smile.

Moments like these are a powerful reminder that music can reach places words alone sometimes cannot. Even when memory fades, familiar melodies can foster connection, awaken identity and create meaningful moments of comfort, dignity and joy.

It was a privilege to witness, once again, the extraordinary capacity of music to help someone reconnect with themselves—even if only for a little while.

❤️🎶

17/06/2026

As Music Therapists, we often talk about the “ripple effect”.

Unlike many healthcare interventions, music therapy can be difficult to contain. When we’re working with clients in open or shared spaces — particularly in hospital settings — the therapy often extends beyond the individual sitting beside us.

Sound travels. Music travels.

Sometimes this presents challenges. People can feel self-conscious about their musical abilities, especially when it comes to using their voice. That self-consciousness can become a barrier to authentic expression. As therapists, we work hard to create a space of radical acceptance, helping people feel safe enough to participate without fear of judgement. We also need to remain mindful that not everyone sharing the space will welcome a musical intervention.

But often, music’s ability to travel is exactly what makes it so powerful.

It’s the quiet gentleman who thanked the therapist for making music with the patient in the opposite bed because it made his own physiotherapy exercises feel easier.

It’s the staff members who found themselves dancing alongside patients and colleagues, if only for a few moments, and felt the weight of the day lift a little.

It’s the parent who recorded a musical interaction with their baby in the neonatal unit and shared it with family on WhatsApp — only for that song to be recreated by residents in a care home where a family member worked, all wanting to sing back to the baby.

These moments remind us that music therapy doesn’t stop with the person we are directly supporting. It can shape the atmosphere of a room, strengthen connections between people, and reach into families, communities and wider networks in ways we could never fully predict.

Perhaps that’s one of the most remarkable things about music: its ability to connect us. A single musical moment can spark joy, comfort, participation and belonging far beyond its original intention. The ripples may be invisible, but their impact can be profound.

31/05/2026

Delighted to say I’m still working on Jupiter Ward a full seven years later. I also work with older people on Mercury, Teal and Woodpecker wards.

This work can be challenging because many of the patients are living with dementia and are often disoriented and agitated.

Music can be grounding and calming for them and there is a wealth of research which indicates that active participation can help manage and slow the progress of dementias, particularly Alzheimer’s.

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