May Updates

the weather is getting colder, but things are heating up in music therapy.

What a time of growth and development. It has been so exciting to be on the front line of this mahi, and to be able to share all these wonderful alterations in my services, and what’s on offer at The Nest

Here - we - GO!

New Services:

Once registered I can offer Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) sessions. This training deepens how I use neuro research to support clients with a variety of goals. It is a very formalised way of working on non-musical goals. If you are interested in exploring this service, please reach out to discuss my trial, before it is offered as a seperate service

NMT is something that can be done in person AND via Telehealth - which means more accessibility, regardless of distance. As it is a more involved service, it will probably run at a difference price point once established. But for those funding providers that require more empirical evidence- it’s a really, really positive avenue to pursue.

New website developments:

Two new things in regards that: I am working with a designer to create a beautiful space for music therapy. Emma Makes Music will become a hub for creating music, and access to using created resources.

I have purchased the domain for The Nest as a stand alone site. This is so service users will be able to book, be invoiced, and keep up to date with what is going on at the NCMA music therapy centre. I’m a bit excited! LOTS of things to explore there.

Next steps and how you can engage:

• If you’d like early access to the NMT document, Telehealth openings, or to be notified when the website updates launch, reply with your preference and I’ll add you to the list.

• If you’re currently a client and want sessions adapted to incorporate NMT or Telehealth, let me know and I’ll propose a tailored plan.

• if you are a school or organisation, now is the time to explore funding options. Lets get your students on the books!

Thanks for being part of this musical journey — more rhythm, more reach, more reasons to smile.

Em

April Updates

Kia Ora everyone!

Long time between blogs, I know, but I think that looking at these like a monthly newsletter might be the way to go for me.

You may have noticed that there is quite a lot of activity going on with The Nest: Newspaper features, interviews, Workshops…and all amongst that I took 6 days off and went to Fiji for a very special birthday for a very special friend. We got the bonus of being in a grade 3 tropical cyclone for free at the resort!

It was great to have a break, as I have been pretty consistently pulling quite a few late nights to get this business ticking over smoothly.

But now i’m back to it, and straight in! Meetings, sessions, whew!

since my last update…

• The Nest is thriving. With many confirmations for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions, and some others pencilled in, we are just about at capacity - which is incredibly humbling. I’m spending time with the most wonderful individuals and families, and a lot of fun and goal making is happening.

• Outreach has had a lot of interest for term 2, and term 3 and 4 are likely to pretty chocka, also. I am aiming for each school that contacts me to be able participate in a term of music therapy. A wait list exists for those that are looking to access music therapy and/or potential funding this year.

• Consultation is going well, also, with term 2 already full with projects coming up

• Looking forward, I am exploring hybrid models of working - online music therapy may not immediately come up as an option, but in the experience I have delivering sessions with tamariki online, it can be an incredible opportunity for those with barriers to leaving their home.

Sadly, the part of the mahi that is lacking, is that I have not released any of my own music this month! I have been writing a school song, and a kindergarten song, and now that these two projects are nearing completion, I will look at releasing some new material. There are a few i’ve been sitting with for the last few months.. it might be about time to get them done. especially as the weather gets colder.

please keep an eye on my Facebook page for lots of up to date dealings, and any queries, please reach out via the contact tab at the top of the page.

Ma te wa,

Emma

Letter of the Week - F

The "F" Word: Fun and Funding in Music Therapy

Negotiating the world of funding is a journey many families find complex. It isn't always as simple as receiving a diagnosis and immediately accessing the necessary resources.

For those seeking Music Therapy, the process can sometimes feel a bit indirect. Often, I am only contacted after a family has successfully secured their own funding. Lately, this has become a significant "hot topic" in my office—after working on my fourth funding-related inquiry this week, I felt it was time to share some reflections.

As I grow The Nest, a consistent theme has emerged: a high demand for services versus the practicalities of availability and affordability. While some professions have established broad agreements with support agencies across New Zealand and Australia, Music Therapy often operates on a case-by-case basis. This requires a dedicated, individualized approach for every family—a process that requires patience from everyone involved, especially when we can all see the potential benefits of a music therapy intervention.

So, how are we working to make this better? We advocate, we communicate, and we keep learning. I even sat down with an AI tool to better understand the systemic reasons behind these hurdles. Here is a summary of what I’ve gathered so far:

Understanding the Landscape

The distinction in how different therapies are funded in New Zealand can feel like a maze. While both Arts Therapy and Music Therapy involve high-level clinical training and are self-regulated (rather than under the HPCA Act), they often sit under different funding umbrellas.

• ACC Social Rehabilitation: Historically, certain creative therapies have been included in specific counseling frameworks like the Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims (ISSC). While Music Therapy is well-recognized for physical and neurological rehabilitation (such as stroke recovery), it isn't always a "default" selection on every mental health list. However, it can often be approved as "Social Rehabilitation" when it aligns with specific goals like communication or motor skills.

• WINZ Disability Allowance: Work and Income (WINZ) generally considers Music Therapy applications through the Disability Allowance. Success here often depends on how the service is defined. For an application to be considered, a GP must typically certify that the therapy is "essential" and "regular" for the client’s specific needs, distinguishing clinical Music Therapy from general music lessons.

• Professional Advocacy: Organizations like Music Therapy New Zealand (MThNZ) are part of Allied Health Aotearoa NZ and work hard to increase the visibility of Registered Music Therapists (RMTh). While the profession is smaller than some others, there is an ongoing, collective effort to have Music Therapy recognized alongside other established provider lists.

Current Pathways at The Nest

I am currently learning alongside my clients and exploring the following pathways:

ACC can be requested by a case manager as part of a Social Rehabilitation or Training for Independence plan. I am currently learning how to support these requests through case-by-case reporting.

WINZ Accessed via the Disability Allowance. I am happy to provide the necessary clinical information to support applications that a GP may then review.

Ministry of Education Through ORS funding, where Music Therapy is a recognized "specialist service." I value the collaborative relationships I've built with local schools and Ministry office over the last four years.

I Am Hope Some therapists register with the Gumboot Friday platform. I have recently reached out to register my interest in becoming a listed provider and am awaiting further information.

If you are facing challenges with access or funding, please do reach out. Beyond these national pathways, it is often worth exploring local charities and community grants. While I am still navigating these systems myself, I am part of a wonderful network of experienced Music Therapists I can consult for guidance.

Let’s stay hopeful. We are in this together!

Emma

What’s available?

There’s so many moving parts to delivering music therapy. funding blocks close, school referrals change, and then before you know it, it’s term break!

I am not a fan of spamming people with emails, so this is the spot I’ve decided to share what’s on offer, and when there are opportunities to head in for a music therapy session.

I AM a fan of having plenty of time to plan out life things, so here is a little heads up in case you are thinking of checking out my music therapy service.

In term 2, Mondays open up a little, with the closure of my Music Helps pilot project. There are already inquiries coming through in the education sector, so if your school is wanting a visit, then I would recommend hitting that ‘Contact Emma’ button soon. Just remember a 2 hour minimum is required for a visit.

If you are interested in spaces at The Nest and I can’t quite believe I am writing this - in Term 2, Tuesdays are full! I am now welcoming all inquiries for Wednesday sessions at NCMA.

Outreach - Now that I am servicing Motueka, Mapua and Richmond, I welcome inquiries for home based visits on Fridays.

dates to note coming up - The Nest is CLOSED week 1 of the school holidays, with sessions starting again in week 2 of the school break for those that want an early start.

In the first week in May, I am undertaking a week long training, so all Nest and outreach sessions will be paused for that week. I’ll share more about that later…

Have a great weekend everyone, and see you soon!

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