Celebrating Music Therapy at Western Sydney University, Past Present and Future

This presentation celebrates the past, present, and future of music therapy training at Western Sydney University, highlighting the enduring legacy and evolving identity of MusicTherapy@Western. It traces the program’s foundations in the influential work of Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins, and acknowledges the pivotal contributions of Robin Howat and Enid Rowe in establishing Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Australia and shaping early developments at Western. The presentation then outlines the current Master of Creative Music Therapy (MCMT), a blended-learning program that foregrounds creativity as both a philosophy and practice, preparing career-ready music therapists through improvisational, re-creative, compositional, and receptive methods. Strong institutional connections within the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, along with research links to MARCS and the Institute for Culture and Society, are also noted. Looking ahead, the opening of the MusicTherapy@Western Centre is positioned as a key milestone, expanding low-cost community services and Work Integrated Learning opportunities, while Commonwealth Supported Places further strengthen access and growth. The presentation concludes by recognising staff, students, and community partners whose collective efforts continue to advance innovative, inclusive, and creative music therapy practice.