The course aims to realise the full potential of students' individual musicianship and to apply this clinically in a variety of fields. The course is structured to include weekly clinical practice in three settings, supervised by qualified music therapists. A regular experiential music therapy group is a new and central part of the training. Academic and clinical tutorials help students with written work, case presentation and understanding of clinical practice. Both aim to inegrate the above programme and regular clinical lectures from visiting specialists with experience on placement.
Guildhall professors teach first and second study instruments.
Piano need not be the candidate's first study. Relevant experience in hospitals or schools is considered invaluable, as is counselling or personal therapy prior to training. The course is essentially practical, with emphasis on clinical work with children, adolescents and adults, undertaken by the students under close supervision. Students observe ongoing work by qualified music therapists and visit schools and hospitals to familiarise themselves with the various music therapy contexts. Students are given a grounding in some of the theoretical aspects of research and submit a dissertation.