Flexibility is an essential musical attribute for music therapists that equips us to adapt our playing to incorporate and respond to the subtle nuances in clients’ musical cues. Many of us have minimal training on the guitar, yet the guitar is increasingly becoming the go-to instrument in music therapy workplaces around Australia. This mismatch can limit our responsiveness when we do need to use the guitar.

Malleably Musical (MM) is a professional development program designed for music therapists by a music therapist, tested collaboratively with 19 music therapists. MM breaks guitar technique down into manageable component skills, then progressively integrates the components into a flexible and responsive approach. The Guitar Technique Rating (GTR) is an evaluation tool, developed alongside MM, to monitor progress as component skills are combined to form a flexible guitar technique through self-guided professional development.

This Masterclass introduces the GTR and other key practical and conceptual elements of the MM program. Participants will learn how to use the GTR to evaluate the flexibility and responsiveness of their guitar skills and use this information to focus their ongoing professional development.