Our history and philosophy

Photograph: Clive Robbins at work in Australia

Nordoff-Robbins music therapy, also known as creative music therapy, is the use of improvised live music to build a relationship between therapist and clients where clients participate in, interact and communicate directly through music. Out of this interaction therapeutic goals are identified by the therapist and evaluated through regular session recordings on video/audio.

Creative music therapy is used with individual clients or groups. Group work has a broader social and interactive perspective but the goals of therapy maintain an individual focus. In group work music is composed and adapted as well as improvised.





Key dates for Nordoff-Robbins in Australia are:

• 1984 Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia (NRMTA) founded by Enid Rowe to promote the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy - or ‘Creative Music Therapy’


• 1994 – 1996 Private training courses conducted at Warrah Village, Dural


• 1997 NRMTA becomes a non-profit company limited by guarantee


• 2000 The University of Western Sydney (UWS) and Nordoff-Robbins jointly deliver the first Graduate Diploma in Creative Music Therapy and develop a plan for a purpose-built music therapy facility based at the University of Western Sydney


• 2001 1 November – the official opening of the Golden Stave Music Therapy Centre at the Penrith campus of the University of Western Sydney at Kingswood


• 2004 The University of Western Sydney and Nordoff-Robbins offer the Master of Creative Music Therapy

Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia is part of a network of Nordoff-Robbins centres and training programs throughout the world that includes England, Scotland, USA, Germany, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.