Therapy, with a side of…Spud?

So, we all know that people can be pretty scary, right? Unpredictable, judgemental, noisy, tall….Especially so when we are feeling a bit shy and we are really in an environment that we are not so confident in.

Dogs are amazing in the fact they do not judge. They listen, they want to be with you, and they provide an amazing sense of wellbeing. Patting an animal helps our mind and our body relax, and give us something other than ourselves to focus on.

So, meet the Emma Makes Music employee of the month, Rory, The Potato. In Dog Form.

Rory is 5 years old, and a therapy dog in the making.

Rory has occasionally been coming to work with me for the past few months in the classrooms, and she loves meeting new people, especially if pats are involved.

We adopted her in September 2025, and ever since getting her, we knew she was something a bit special. She is gentle, quiet (except for the odd snort), and is well behaved. And she loves sitting on her bed while I am working - at home in the office, or in the classroom. Rory’s rates include free home and board, beach walks, raspberries from the garden, and dried venison sticks from the pet shop.

She is great to write songs with, talk to, hug, read to..anything gentle is her jam.

If your classroom or centre would like a visit from Snory Rory (and yes, me and some instruments) just hit the ‘contact Emma’ button on the home page.

A small, grey, potato dog, hopeful in the kitchen for treats from above

A short, but busy week.

What a super duper busy time it is here at EMM. Things are heating up! As well as the inevitable late night in the office, I have had some incredibly wonderful conversations with whānau, educators, and health professionals - and although things are a little unbalanced in the work/life balance situation right now - well, it's temporary and hey, I only need to set The Nest up once, right?
I am absolutely loving this process - particularly the conversations, the clients, working out schedules and sessions and researching. I am also trying to make sure that I set some time aside for wellness, and on Tuesday that looked like a walk in the rain with a true crime podcast. Reward loading is something I really like doing. It's a good motivator knowing that I can't listen to the next chapter until I get out for another walk!

Over the next few days and weeks I will be settling in to the new routine fully. Music Therapy is a dynamic, ever changing profession, and as I am developing new working realationships with clients and their families, I am reminded of how wonderful our community is here in Nelson/Tasman. There is so much aroha, and I am so grateful for all that I am receiving. I am also realising that setting up a new business is not something that has a defined completion date, and things will evolve and change as we go.

So, a few updates for the next few weeks:

• Mondays are now full for term 1. The waitlist for term 2 is now open.

• Tuesdays @ The Nest - We aren’t quite there yet with the completed room setup, as we have been waiting for funding streams to allow for our vision to grow. However, On the first day, there will be all the important things there - a range of instruments - a lovely soft mat to lounge about on - a safe, tidy room to play in - an area for families to wait if they wish - and a music therapist that is really looking forward to seeing you! The room is going to develop as we settle in. I’m excited to see where we go from here. Oh, and we are just about full. OMG!

• Wednesdays @ The Nest - More bookings will be avaliable from mid March between 12.30 and 3pm.

• Thursdays - There is availability for kindergarten or school based work for the last part of the school day, and availability for consultative work after 3pm.

• Fridays - Tasman! I see you! I will be in Motueka and available from approximately 1pm for school or home visits between Motueka and Nelson.

And of course - Telehealth - coming soon - Music Therapy can be delivered effectively via Teams - particularly creative or conversation based sessions - a great option for those that are health compromised or unable to leave their space.

So, with Waitangi Day tomorrow and my 5pm sign off time looming, I say ka kite. See you soon!

Em

All Apologies!

Well. Today I have realised that there were secret parts to this site that I did not realise were there…

Part of the adventure of beginning a new business venture, and using a platform that you are not ENTIRELY familiar with - is that you will inevitably make a boo boo - or two. I designed this website myself, and well, safe to say - I won’t be applying for any web design jobs!

Today’s wave of shock and horror was realising I have had MULTIPLE lovely people trying to contact me through the ‘contact Emma’ button on the top left. I am SO happy that it is being utilised, and look forward to connecting to inquiries in this way.

I expected when using this feature thatI would get a notification to my email, letting me know that an inquiry had come through….well…no that didn’t happen. So, lesson learned the hard way, and those of you that have reached out - I have sent an email to you today with a big ol knot in my stomach.

So, that being said, I now know how to find inquiries. And for those of you I IGNORED for months - gulp. Arohamai.

Welcome 2026!

A brand new year, and a new opportunity to refocus, re-organise, and refocus on the things that are important or give you joy, and to declutter from the things that aren’t really that important. Let’s do this!

This year brings about a lot of change for me, both personally and as a practitioner. After many years of delivering music therapy and music education predominantly at one school, I am taking a year to reassess how I want to work, and explore other spaces to deliver music therapy.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the summer about how important music is in our lives, whether we are musicians or not. The world is full of natural rhythm and tone - how we walk, talk, play, work - and it’s full of vibration - giving our bodies helpful feedback to how we interact with the world around us - the feeling of the grass under our feet, the thud when we jump into a pool of water, the crash of the waves on the sand as we sit on the shore… music is not just in song - it is everywhere.

A new year for me means sharing a therapeutic space with new groups and individuals - helping families develop and use their musical skills to strengthen relationships, explore communication and express themselves. I have an overarching goal of delivering therapy in a safe and inclusive environment, and to learn and research more so that I can inform myself and deliver a fun and research informed service. I look forward to working alongside the lovely folk at Nelson Centre of Musical Arts, meet new people at schools and kindergartens, and say hello again to those clients continuing to work with me.

Songwriting wise, I plan to write, record and release my own music independently, and to explore goal based musical activities that are helpful for everyday life. I hope to create online resources and tutorials that can be easily accessed at home or in the learning space

And finally I hope to have a happy year, filled with music and memory making. I’ve been looking forward to 2026 for so long, I can’t quite believe it’s here!

I hope you are all enjoying the last of your summer, and spending time with people that you love, and doing the things you enjoy.

Emma

Ps, the picture below…. watch this space!

Rainy Sunday

Kia Ora from a rainy Nelson.

It’s been an inside day today, so I’ve been working on a new song and some light admin tasks.

The term is ticking on, and time is getting closer to The Nest being open, and me focusing solely on my own work for the next year.

Outreach for Term 1 is now full, but if your organisation has a request for music therapy, now is the time to book for term 2.

This year has been such a learning curve for me - I really recommend anyone that is thinking of opening a business - do not underestimate the organisation process!

I’m really excited to be taking this next year to grow The Nest and to work on lots of songs and resources - keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for an introduction and a tutorial or two soon.

Stay dry and warm!

ma te wa

Emma

I’ve really enjoyed creating the artwork to go with my songs. This is one that I am working on at the moment.

Blog Post One

First off - Thank you for visiting my site! It’s been a big learning curve setting this up - and it’s been a massive journey getting to this stage in building this business baby

This year has gone SO fast and has been filled with work, family life, writing songs….I’ve actually written SO many more songs than I usually do. this whole journey has been so inspiring, and so good for my creativity - I look forward to much more of it next year!

There are so many more things to explore and a lot of tips and tricks I am picking up along the way, but I have been so well supported by my family and my community, that I feel that what will grow is going to be so special. Here is to the next few weeks - filled with funding applications, emails and meetings - and music!

Here is my latest recording - Rowboat. It’s a movement activity. Grab your partner, be creative, make waves and row FAST!

Ma te wa - bye for now!

Em