Evidence-based music therapy for meaningful change
What is Music Therapy?
Music Therapy (MT) is an evidence based allied health profession that uses music as a therapeutic tool within a clinical relationship. Guided by a registered and experienced practitioner, It supports wellbeing, development, and connection through musical engagement. In New Zealand Music Therapy is a highly regulated service, with qualified, registered therapists being governed by the Music Therapy New Zealand registration board. More information can be found at www.musictherapy.org.nz
Why Choose Music Therapy?
Music has the unique power to connect, calm, and communicate what words alone sometimes can’t. For tamariki with diverse needs, music therapy offers a safe, creative space to explore emotions, build relationships, and develop essential skills, without the pressure for verbal communication, or expert musicianship.
Therapy doesn’t happen in isolation. Emma often consults as part of a wider team—alongside families, educators, and allied professionals—in multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary practice. This integrated approach helps ensure each child is supported consistently across home, school, and therapy settings, and their individual goals are supported in music therapy sessions.
Music therapy provides a dynamic, evidence-informed approach to fostering connection, supporting growth, and enhancing wellbeing.
Who is Emma Makes Music?
Emma is a fully trained and registered New Zealand music therapist and registered ECE trained teacher. Since gaining her Masters in Music Therapy and registration, Emma has been working in specialist education in various centres around the motu. Returning to Nelson in 2019, Emma has been working within a specialist school environment, and launched her sole trading business, Emma Makes Music in 2022 to support our young population and Kaiako in the early intervention sector.
Accessing Music Therapy
The Nest
The Nest Music Therapy & Specialist Services
The Nest is a face-to-face therapeutic service based in the Nelson/Tasman region. Located at the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts (NCMA) on Collingwood Street—directly opposite Kandy Korner—The Nest provides a welcoming, well-resourced environment for therapy and a safe and comfortable space for service users. With an adjoining waiting space and private entry area, The Nest can accommodate your family or organisations needs, while you can take a break on a comfy couch in the NCMA foyer, or go for a walk and grab a coffee .
The Nest is run by Emma and runs face to face sessions between 9am and 5pm on Tuesdays and 9.00-3.00 Wednesdays - and it’s available throughout most term breaks.
The Mobile Nest - Availability for term 2, 3 and 4, 2026
Are you unable to leave your nest? is transport for your Tamaiti/Akonga a challenge?
Emma offers flexible, term-based music therapy packages designed to meet the unique needs of your child. Services can be delivered on site at your school or centre, depending on available space and travel arrangements.
Packages typically run for a school term with regular face-to-face individual or group sessions scheduled to best suit your timetable and goals.
In-home sessions can be run with siblings or family members present or 1:1 in an agreed space. Parents can feel free to go do other activities around the house, or even have a sleep if they need!
The Mobile nest operates on a case by case basis
Consultation and Resource Creation
Want to enhance your own practice?
Emma Makes Music offers a range of services tailored to early childhood and specialist education settings, including professional learning and development for educators, collaborative consultation with teaching teams, and customised programmes for centres. Bespoke resources such as original songs and activities are also created to meet the unique needs of each community.
Emma is also availiable for workshops, community events, and public speaking events within your organisation
All email inquiries welcome - For costs, see the Pricing Guide
Current availability - consultation spaces are booked up for term 4, 2025 and term 1, 2026. Outreach for term 1 is by negotiation. For private sessions, please inquire through inquiry form, or through the NCMA booking process
Funding Options for Music Therapy
At Emma Makes Music and The Nest – we believe access to music therapy should be equitable and inclusive. Below are several funding options that may help support you or your whānau to access services. The hope is that Music Therapy is a sustainable, engaging intervention for whānau and organisations
Individualised Funding (IF) & Enabling Good Lives (EGL)
For people with disabilities, IF and EGL provide flexible funding that allows families to choose music therapy as part of their personalised supports. Funded through Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People.
Music therapy can be funded in schools and early childhood centres through several funding streams
We work closely with teaching teams to integrate therapy into a child’s Individual Plan. this is often done through ORS funding
ACC – Rehabilitation Services/Sensitive Claims
A very common question - does ACC fund Music Therapy? The answer is both yes, and no. Emma is currently in negotiations to be able to deliver Music Therapy locally as an ACC accredited Vendor. Music Therapy does not currently have its own coding for its own service, but may be ‘piggy backed’ onto other services. Referrals are usually made through a case manager or provider, and are spearheaded by clients. This is a developing area, so please watch this space!
NASC – Needs Assessment & Service Coordination
Through NASC agencies, individuals with disability-related needs may receive funding for therapeutic supports like music therapy, especially for emotional, behavioural, or developmental needs.
Grants & Charitable Trusts
We’re proud to be supported by both the Lindgren Fund and Ronnie’s Fund, which helps support The Nest. Emma Makes Music will continue to work with community organisations to support this work in our local community. Emma has also been contracted in term 1, 2026 to a local school through the incredible support of the Music Helps Trust.
get in touch
Looking to access music therapy services? Therapist that would like to collaborate? Inquire about a workshop or professional development? please fill out this referral form and Emma will be in contact ASAP
