Kia Ora!

Emma Makes Music (EMM) is a music therapy business founded in 2022 by Emma Matthews. With clinical experience since 2009 and based in the Nelson/Tasman region, EMM delivers music therapy and music therapy workshops in specialist education settings across Aotearoa. Through making music therapy available, EMM is supporting tamariki, whānau, and educators through accessible and meaningful music-based practice.

The goal for EMM is to make music therapy resources and sessions visible and widely available for our community, and across Aotearoa - So Emma opened The Nest at Nelson Centre of Musical Arts in February 2026.

Emma is an experienced music therapist and special education practitioner. With many years of running her own business, working with or coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and consulting for outside agencies - she loves working in a client focused way, incorporating other therapeutic goals into a fun and inclusive environment. She is a prolific songwriter, creating bespoke resources for the organisations she works with, and is currently busy releasing new music on streaming services.

Emma is the Top of the South representative for Music Therapy New Zealand, and holds qualifications in music performance, music therapy and early childhood teaching. She hopes to undertake her training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), increase resources available on streaming services, and play as many new instruments as possible!

When Emma isn’t making music she is wrangling a busy household, putting more pink dye in her hair, getting out in nature, or making the garden more sustainable.