JAM music therapy

05/10/2025

Celebrating 50 Years of the Australian Music Therapy Association Conference

The upcoming annual Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) Conference will be a special occasion as it marks its 50th year. The conference is scheduled to take place from 17 to 19 October, offering a unique opportunity to celebrate five decades of significant achievements in music therapy throughout Australia.

As part of the conference, Helen, the Director of JAM, will be hosting an insightful panel discussion titled "Bridging Five Decades of Innovation in Music Therapy Practice." This session will bring together highly respected and innovative music therapists who have made remarkable contributions to the profession over the past 50 years.

The panelists include Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO, Associate Professor Clare O'Callaghan AM, Associate Professor Alison Short, and Beth Dun, RMT, the inaugural music therapist at RCH. They will share personal insights on the establishment of the country's first music therapy training programs, discuss the challenges and successes they encountered, and highlight their pivotal roles in shaping music therapy into a respected allied health profession in Australia. Their stories will provide valuable perspectives on the progress and evolution of the field over the past five decades.

Australian Music Therapy Association

13/09/2025

Huge congratulations to our colleague Helen Cameron and co-author Grace Thompson on their published research! Their article "Enhancing connections: A phenomenological study of support workers' perceptions of assisting participants in group music therapy" has just been published in Music Therapy Perspectives!

Abstract. Support workers often provide valuable assistance to music therapists in their work with people with disabilities, enabling access and participat

08/08/2025

Today we observe International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. We at JAM recognize the strength, knowledge, and deep connection to land, language, and culture that Indigenous Peoples carry across the globe. We also acknowledge the concerns expressed below that AI can have on Indigenous Peoples and that we believe that these effects should receive strong consideration.

This year's theme: Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures.

"Most AI systems are built without Indigenous input, risking the misuse of their data, knowledge, and identities. Besides, massive data centers can also impact Indigenous lands, resources, and ecosystems. This is a new issue added to the barriers to accessing new technologies, especially in rural areas, excluding Indigenous from full participation in AI-related processes." - United Nations.

[Image description:JAM logo positioned in the top left corner. Centered text reads "International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, August 9th" displayed in black. The design features an orange background decorated with peach-colored circles and orange leaf icons.]

27/07/2025

'Quote of the day:
" 'You’re the voice,' as John Farnham sings in his same-titled song, can have a significant meaning for many who have been silenced. Silenced because of war, silenced because of violence, silenced because of dehumanization. Music can be an offering, a present, a bridge to overcome the silence and learn to speak again..”(Möller, 2025).

Full citation: Möller, J. (2025). Building Bridges with Music: A Qualitative Analysis Exploring the Use of Music and Music Therapy in Peacebuilding from Different Perspectives. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v25i2.3987

[Image description: A white blank with green and black music notion on the top left corner, JAM logo on the top right corner, in the middle is a quote " 'You’re the voice,' as John Farnham sings in his same-titled song, can have a significant meaning for many who have been silenced. Silenced because of war, silenced because of violence, silenced because of dehumanization. Music can be an offering, a present, a bridge to overcome the silence and learn to speak again..". Bottom left is an animated photo of 2 people with guitar and singing. Bottom right is a man singing at the piano.]

24/07/2025

Curious about the role of dosage in music therapy? Check out our latest blog post where we examine the critical considerations for effective music therapy practices! Read more at https://wix.to/cv2KTUH

13/07/2025

A quick look at how we set up for group music therapy at Hampton Community Centre, from loading the car to laying out the instruments. Every step helps shape the space for connection through music 🎶

05/07/2025

Still buzzing from our amazing mid-year concert last week. Thank you to everyone who came out to support our performers. So many beautiful moments captured!

JAM groups are taking a two-week break and will restart on July 16th.

29/06/2025

We had our mid-year concert last Wednesday - what a night! Ever wonder what goes into making it happen? Check out our amazing team setting everything up together. More highlights coming soon!

17/06/2025

FINAL WEEK countdown! 🗓️
Our mid-year concert is almost here! 🎵 Come support our wonderful participants as they take the stage to share their music and celebrate how far they've come! See you there!

13/06/2025

JAM newsletter and mid year Concert, June 25

You are invited to the 26th annual JAM mid year concert June 25th, 2025 Hampton Community Centre 14 Willis Street, Hampton 6-8 pm Come and witness the talent of our JAM members as they sing and play in our live concert. This is your chance to experience the power of music therapy in action. Don't mi...

25/05/2025

It's that time again - The JAM mid-year concert is back!

Mark your calendars for June 25th for an evening of music, connection, and celebration. Our performers have been working hard and can't wait to share their sounds with you!

Date: Wednesday June 25th
Time: 6pm to 8pm.
Location: Hampton Community Centre 14 Willis St, Hampton.

RSVP to Helen at info@jammusictherapy.com or call her 0414 753 420

18/05/2025

At JAM, we love to see our participants take their creativity, skills, and confidence into the community.

Ruby is one of our participants who is strongly musical with a lovely voice, yet her mother was told she would never talk. Ruby recently created a cover of the song A.P.T. with her support worker, Ana Hansen, who is also an Australia-based DJ and producer. The song they produced aired on the Regroovenate show with Timmus on 20/2/2025.

You can hear their track at 1:29:27.
https://omny.fm/shows/regroovanate-3mdr/regroovanate-podcast-2025-2-20

We’re so proud of Ruby and the many ways she continues to express herself through music.

[Description of image: Ana Hansen (left) and Ruby (right) are sitting on a couch, smiling at the camera. Ana is wearing a dark dress, and Ruby is in a colourful shirt and light shorts, holding a microphone. A keyboard is in front of them, and the couch is decorated with man soft toys].