About us

The Music Therapy Charity aim to advance music therapy as a powerful, evidence-based treatment option accessible to all who could benefit from it

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Founded in 1969, the Music Therapy Charity (MTC) is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to advancing music therapy research.

The Charity was established by Clive Muncaster, with the aim “to prevent, relieve and cure sickness and ill health of every kind, whether physical or mental… and to promote research into the use of the arts for the above purposes.” From the outset, MTC has focused on the therapeutic power of music and the importance of evidence-based practice.

Lady Alexander Trevor-Roper was invited to chair the Board of Governors, and in its early years, the Charity raised significant funds through the Churchill Memorial Concerts at Blenheim Palace, which continued for many years.

When Clive Muncaster relocated to the United States, the Charity’s centre of activity shifted from Oxford to London. This move aligned with the growing momentum in music therapy education and practice in the UK—particularly the pioneering work of Juliette Alvin, who launched the first UK music therapy training course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1968. Around the same time, the influential work of Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins led to the establishment of the Nordoff-Robbins training course at Goldie Leigh Hospital in South London in 1974.

Over the past 30 years, the Music Therapy Charity has focused primarily on being a grant-giving organisation, supporting:

Postgraduate music therapy students through scholarships and bursaries
Academic and clinical research projects
The development of the profession through strategic initiatives

In 1980, Professor Malcolm Troup, then Head of Music at City University, initiated a Research Fellowship co-founded with the Charity. For the past 15 years, MTC has taken full financial responsibility for funding Music Therapy Research Fellows, helping to build a strong foundation for academic leadership in the field.

The Charity also offers small grants to support clinical research and research development, encouraging innovation and evidence-based practice among music therapists.

In 2007, MTC hosted the Ammerdown Conference, bringing together leaders from all UK postgraduate music therapy courses, senior researchers, and key figures in the profession. The conference explored the future direction of music therapy and how the Charity could best fulfil its mission to advance the field and support practitioners.

One key outcome of the conference was the recognition of a need to broaden access to music therapy, particularly for groups who may be underserved. In response, MTC commissioned a review of music therapy for disenchanted school children and launched its first community initiative: the Disenchanted Youth Project, now known as Youth at Risk.