March 2021… a long time between posts…

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As the Life Rhythm Health community grows and my music therapy practice builds, I am fascinated by the different people I am meeting, the ways in which we are able to work together, and the impact that music can have in people’s lives.

After the tumultuous year that was 2020, it’s refreshing to be gently emerging from all that chaos and uncertainty and be able to do great work with wonderful clients and families. The range of situations I find myself in continues to amaze me – from aged care to early childhood and disability support, to community-building activities and mental health support, rehabilitation, and relationship-strengthening, music therapy has a lot to offer.

It’s gratifying to see too, that the public perception and awareness of music therapy is expanding, with such things as the endorsement through NDIS, the recent Aged Care Royal Commission Report, and the discussions at various levels of healthcare and legislative counsel around the implications for music therapy for mental health support, all adding weight to the groundswell calling for more access to services.

From contexts as wide-ranging as Early Childhood development and positive parenting support, to palliative care and bereavement support, music therapy offers capacity-building in so many dimensions and I am thrilled to be a part of this evolving profession.

December 2018…

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Having successfully achieved the first goal of gaining a place to return to study in 2019, now the real planning begins, and a new chapter opens.

After almost 19 years in practice as a chiropractor, I worked my final session at Connect Chiropractic in Noble Park on December 18. Another chapter closes… Dr Nicole now confidently at the helm, has made this practice her own. With Dr Mai by her side and the support staff in place, they will continue the proud legacy of personalised care we have been renowned for.  It has been said that Connect Chiropractic is like ‘Hotel California’, in that I might check out for a bit, but there’s a fair chance I’ll never really leave.  I suspect that’s true…

BUT for now… a return to full-time University study awaits me!  This time in 2 years – all things being equal – I’ll be a registered Music Therapist as well as a registered Chiropractor. I can safely say I carry equal parts of excitement and trepidation, and I’m quite confident that I’ll bring a whole new meaning to ‘mature age’ as far as my fellow students are concerned 😉  Let the adventure continue!

November 2018…

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With an extra year under my belt of regular practice and performance, a couple of further examinations, some successful conference presentations, and even a trip to Tuscany for a wonderful singing programme, I applied again.  The written application and video audition again afforded me a face-to-face interview…  the big test!

For better or worse, my interviewer remembered me from the previous year, and began the session by reminding me how poorly I had performed when last we met…  Oh dear!  This was make -or- break time.  Thankfully the hours of practice and repetition served me well, and a few weeks after my interview, I received an email welcoming me into the 2019 Melbourne University Much Therapy Masters cohort – HOORAY!!!

The Adventure Begins…

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This is a Journey which begins in August of 2016…  The question arose: Is it possible to combine chiropractic care with another modality, such as music therapy, to gain even greater access to the potential that neuroplasticity offers us in healthcare?

The empirical answer is yes… but the full exploration and training will take time!  So the adventure begins, wiht a return to music lessons and performance training, in a quest to enrol in the music therapy Masters programme at the esteemed Melbourne University.

Fast-forward to April 2017…

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April 2017 saw Dr Kath’s Chiropractic practice of almost 18 years change hands, and a return to part-time study, to fulfil the requirements for application to Melbourne University’s music therapy training…  Psychology subjects, a return to singing lessons, purchasing – and then learning how to play a guitar, music theory studies, and the necessary examinations that are part of that process.  Plenty of fun and learning, some sore fingers as the calluses developed, and surprisingly, no complaints from the neighbours who were putting up with the throes of early skill acquisition and restoring old ones…