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Program

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Arrival – Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre
6:00 PM - 6:20 PM Welcome and music
6:20 PM - 7:35 PM Panel – 50 years of orchestrating impact: Music therapy across the lifespan
Bronwyn Morris-Donovan (moderator), Professor Felicity Baker RMT, Dr Emma O’Brien OAM RMT, Dr Carmen Cheong-Clinch RMT, Rebecca Eager RMT
7:35 PM - 7:50 PM Music performance
Tanya Prasad
7:50 PM - 8:00 PM Closing
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Drinks, canapes and networking
9:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration concludes
Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Arrival – Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre
6:00 PM - 6:20 PM Welcome and music
6:20 PM - 7:35 PM Panel – 50 years of orchestrating impact: Music therapy across the lifespan
Bronwyn Morris-Donovan (moderator), Professor Felicity Baker RMT, Dr Emma O’Brien OAM RMT, Dr Carmen Cheong-Clinch RMT, Rebecca Eager RMT
7:35 PM - 7:50 PM Music performance
Tanya Prasad
7:50 PM - 8:00 PM Closing
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Drinks, canapes and networking
9:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration concludes

Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration
5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Arrival – Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre
6:00 PM - 6:20 PM Welcome and music
6:20 PM - 7:35 PM Panel – 50 years of orchestrating impact: Music therapy across the lifespan
Bronwyn Morris-Donovan (moderator), Professor Felicity Baker RMT, Dr Emma O’Brien OAM RMT, Dr Carmen Cheong-Clinch RMT, Rebecca Eager RMT
7:35 PM - 7:50 PM Music performance
Tanya Prasad
7:50 PM - 8:00 PM Closing
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Drinks, canapes and networking
9:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Inside Music Therapy: A Public Celebration concludes

Friday, October 17, 2025

Stream One
Stream Two
Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Lived Experience
Infant | Paediatric Cancer | Early Childhood
Technology
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Learning from lived experience research: Understanding what matters for people with mental ill-health and how we can learn from it to challenge the status quo
Dr Jennifer Bibb 		Making sense of and sharing parenting experiences through Reflective Parent-Infant Songwriting: A Grounded Theory study
Amy Howden 		Sound Decisions: Engineering Music-supported Innovations for Stroke Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality
Thomas Beltrame
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM “Pah!” d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing sensibility in a musical world: How lived experiences of deafness challenge us to redefine “listening” and provide insight into music therapy practice.
Brodie Henry & Zoe Kalenderidis 		Bonding With Bubs: A practice-based music therapy group supporting early infant-caregiver relationships and a future vision for applications in perinatal outpatient care
Tara Del Borrello 		“Just be Yourself”: The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in paediatric palliative music therapy
Verena Clemencic-Jones
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM I forgot about the music: An autoethnographic case study of a music therapist's learnings during 5 weeks of radiotherapy treatment
Fiona Lamb 		Two Cribs, One Rhythm: Exploring the use of music therapy with infant twins and their family from the perspective of an early-career clinician.
Kristin Gibbon 		Orchestrating parent-child engagement by embracing innovations in digital technology: Impacts on future music therapy practice for children with hearing loss.
Dr Vicky Abad & Thomas Hockey
Disability
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Gestalt Language Processing and Music Therapy: Looking at the Whole Picture
Anna Kirkman 		“When the heart sings the mind heals”: Improving the lives of children living with a brain tumour through an innovative national music therapy service.
Annette Baron 		Extending the impact of music therapy in traumatic brain injury care: A systematic review and survey study from the Music Attuned Technology – Care via eHealth (MATCH) Project
Ash Rowbottom
Innovative Practice
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM “I Do It My Way!” Reflections on Music Therapy with Autistic Children with PDA Characteristics
Saiya Deehan 		"Music is the highlight of my week"-: Reflections on case studies of community-based music therapy for paediatric recipients living with a brain tumour.
Megan Cotter 		Music therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy: past, present and future of music therapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Carlos Riegelhaupt Landreani
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM The impact of community music therapy on the long-term rehabilitation of a 43 year old female with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A case study from the client and clinician's perspective
Carena Khoo 		Innovative Partnerships: Expanding the Reach of Music Therapy in Early Childhood
Pip Reid 		Development of Therapists’ Clinical Musicianship in Group Supervision
Tsz Kwan Chan and Hok Tsun Ma
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Panel discussions
Innovative Approaches to Working in different systems
Families and Young Children
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM Exploring the role of music therapy within the emerging social prescribing framework in Australia
Amy Cooper, Dr Jeanette Kennelly, Associate Professor Alison Short 		A Place-Based Narrative Inquiry in Regional Australia - Looking to the Future of Rural Community Music Therapy Through Situated Storytelling of Musicking in Families with Young Children.
Catherine Threlfall
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Advancing Music Therapy with Adaptive Technologies
Panel moderator - Kingman Chung | Panelists - Lea Cheung, Kiki Cheung and Bradley Maquinad
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM It takes a village: Orchestrating systemic change through innovative approaches to music therapy skill sharing and practice
Erin Skinner & Natalie Willson 		Family-centred music therapy in Australia: Professional reflection on the past, present and future
Dr Grace Thompson
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM Who Really Appreciates Us? A Professional Reflection on the Current Pursuit of Legitimacy within Western Medical Systems and Healthcare Frameworks.
Emily Vittone Taylor 		Music Therapy and Preschool Readiness: Supporting Educators and Families through Targeted Early Childhood Initiatives
Rowan Harding
Music Therapy Training and University
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM Becoming a 'Sole Trader in Rural Land'
Kyong-Tae Kim 		Experiential Learning as a Student Music Therapist
Ayleen O'Hanlon
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM A reflexive history of Sing&Grow: Impacts that inform future innovation
Thea Maxwell 		Evaluating the RAP...SEC Framework in Music Therapy Education: Student and Graduate Perspectives
Dr Al Fuller & Lauren Bortolazzo
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 1 From Silence to Synchrony: Establishing a University-Based Community Music Therapy Program for Student Mental Health
Althea Danielle Tolentino
Personal Reflection / Lived Experience
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Harmony Is The Answer
Ma Fatima Cayetano 		Pecha Kucha Q&A 3
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Bridging Five Decades of Innovation in Music Therapy Practice
Panel moderator - Helen Cameron | Panelists - Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO, Associate Professor Clare O'Callaghan AM, Associate Professor Alison Short and Beth Dun
Oncology
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM Music Therapy for Taboo Topics - Death, Dying and Bereavement in Asia
Ka Yin Chan 		Connecting people and spaces through Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) in Integrative Oncology
Dr Lucy Forrest
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM Bridging Music Therapy and Religion: A Multifaith Perspective Community-Based Music Therapy for Children with Cancer: Evolution of a Hybrid Service Model
Tanya McKenna
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM Towards neurodiversity-affirming creative self-expression in music therapy: A lived experience perspective
Ryan Nicholas 		Orchestrating Calm: The impact of Music Therapy in Paediatric Radiotherapy and Anaesthetic Care
Hayley Miller
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM Authenticity in Practice: Reflections from an Autistic Music Therapist
Lydia Zahra 		Inner Peace, Outer Impact: Orchestrating Legacy Through Music Therapy
Lisa Dowling
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 2 Pecha Kucha Q&A 4
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party
Stream One
Stream Two
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Lived Experience
Infant | Paediatric Cancer | Early Childhood
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Learning from lived experience research: Understanding what matters for people with mental ill-health and how we can learn from it to challenge the status quo
Dr Jennifer Bibb 		Making sense of and sharing parenting experiences through Reflective Parent-Infant Songwriting: A Grounded Theory study
Amy Howden
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM “Pah!” d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing sensibility in a musical world: How lived experiences of deafness challenge us to redefine “listening” and provide insight into music therapy practice.
Brodie Henry & Zoe Kalenderidis 		Bonding With Bubs: A practice-based music therapy group supporting early infant-caregiver relationships and a future vision for applications in perinatal outpatient care
Tara Del Borrello
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM I forgot about the music: An autoethnographic case study of a music therapist's learnings during 5 weeks of radiotherapy treatment
Fiona Lamb 		Two Cribs, One Rhythm: Exploring the use of music therapy with infant twins and their family from the perspective of an early-career clinician.
Kristin Gibbon
Disability
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Gestalt Language Processing and Music Therapy: Looking at the Whole Picture
Anna Kirkman 		“When the heart sings the mind heals”: Improving the lives of children living with a brain tumour through an innovative national music therapy service.
Annette Baron
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM “I Do It My Way!” Reflections on Music Therapy with Autistic Children with PDA Characteristics
Saiya Deehan 		"Music is the highlight of my week"-: Reflections on case studies of community-based music therapy for paediatric recipients living with a brain tumour.
Megan Cotter
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM The impact of community music therapy on the long-term rehabilitation of a 43 year old female with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A case study from the client and clinician's perspective
Carena Khoo 		Innovative Partnerships: Expanding the Reach of Music Therapy in Early Childhood
Pip Reid
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Panel discussions
Innovative Approaches to Working in different systems
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM Exploring the role of music therapy within the emerging social prescribing framework in Australia
Amy Cooper, Dr Jeanette Kennelly, Associate Professor Alison Short
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Advancing Music Therapy with Adaptive Technologies
Panel moderator - Kingman Chung | Panelists - Lea Cheung, Kiki Cheung and Bradley Maquinad
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM It takes a village: Orchestrating systemic change through innovative approaches to music therapy skill sharing and practice
Erin Skinner & Natalie Willson
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM Who Really Appreciates Us? A Professional Reflection on the Current Pursuit of Legitimacy within Western Medical Systems and Healthcare Frameworks.
Emily Vittone Taylor
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM Becoming a 'Sole Trader in Rural Land'
Kyong-Tae Kim
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM A reflexive history of Sing&Grow: Impacts that inform future innovation
Thea Maxwell
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 1
Personal Reflection / Lived Experience
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Harmony Is The Answer
Ma Fatima Cayetano
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Bridging Five Decades of Innovation in Music Therapy Practice
Panel moderator - Helen Cameron | Panelists - Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO, Associate Professor Clare O'Callaghan AM, Associate Professor Alison Short and Beth Dun
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM Music Therapy for Taboo Topics - Death, Dying and Bereavement in Asia
Ka Yin Chan
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM Bridging Music Therapy and Religion: A Multifaith Perspective
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM Towards neurodiversity-affirming creative self-expression in music therapy: A lived experience perspective
Ryan Nicholas
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM Authenticity in Practice: Reflections from an Autistic Music Therapist
Lydia Zahra
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 2
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party

Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Technology
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Sound Decisions: Engineering Music-supported Innovations for Stroke Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality
Thomas Beltrame
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM “Just be Yourself”: The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in paediatric palliative music therapy
Verena Clemencic-Jones
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Orchestrating parent-child engagement by embracing innovations in digital technology: Impacts on future music therapy practice for children with hearing loss.
Dr Vicky Abad & Thomas Hockey
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Extending the impact of music therapy in traumatic brain injury care: A systematic review and survey study from the Music Attuned Technology – Care via eHealth (MATCH) Project
Ash Rowbottom
Innovative Practice
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Music therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy: past, present and future of music therapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Carlos Riegelhaupt Landreani
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Development of Therapists’ Clinical Musicianship in Group Supervision
Tsz Kwan Chan and Hok Tsun Ma
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Families and Young Children
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM A Place-Based Narrative Inquiry in Regional Australia - Looking to the Future of Rural Community Music Therapy Through Situated Storytelling of Musicking in Families with Young Children.
Catherine Threlfall
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM Family-centred music therapy in Australia: Professional reflection on the past, present and future
Dr Grace Thompson
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM Music Therapy and Preschool Readiness: Supporting Educators and Families through Targeted Early Childhood Initiatives
Rowan Harding
Music Therapy Training and University
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM Experiential Learning as a Student Music Therapist
Ayleen O'Hanlon
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM Evaluating the RAP...SEC Framework in Music Therapy Education: Student and Graduate Perspectives
Dr Al Fuller & Lauren Bortolazzo
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM From Silence to Synchrony: Establishing a University-Based Community Music Therapy Program for Student Mental Health
Althea Danielle Tolentino
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 3
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Oncology
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM Connecting people and spaces through Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) in Integrative Oncology
Dr Lucy Forrest
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM Community-Based Music Therapy for Children with Cancer: Evolution of a Hybrid Service Model
Tanya McKenna
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM Orchestrating Calm: The impact of Music Therapy in Paediatric Radiotherapy and Anaesthetic Care
Hayley Miller
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM Inner Peace, Outer Impact: Orchestrating Legacy Through Music Therapy
Lisa Dowling
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 4
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party

Stream One
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Lived Experience
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Learning from lived experience research: Understanding what matters for people with mental ill-health and how we can learn from it to challenge the status quo
Dr Jennifer Bibb
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM “Pah!” d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing sensibility in a musical world: How lived experiences of deafness challenge us to redefine “listening” and provide insight into music therapy practice.
Brodie Henry & Zoe Kalenderidis
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM I forgot about the music: An autoethnographic case study of a music therapist's learnings during 5 weeks of radiotherapy treatment
Fiona Lamb
Disability
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Gestalt Language Processing and Music Therapy: Looking at the Whole Picture
Anna Kirkman
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM “I Do It My Way!” Reflections on Music Therapy with Autistic Children with PDA Characteristics
Saiya Deehan
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM The impact of community music therapy on the long-term rehabilitation of a 43 year old female with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND): A case study from the client and clinician's perspective
Carena Khoo
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Panel discussions
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Advancing Music Therapy with Adaptive Technologies
Panel moderator - Kingman Chung | Panelists - Lea Cheung, Kiki Cheung and Bradley Maquinad
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Bridging Five Decades of Innovation in Music Therapy Practice
Panel moderator - Helen Cameron | Panelists - Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO, Associate Professor Clare O'Callaghan AM, Associate Professor Alison Short and Beth Dun
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party

Stream Two
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Infant | Paediatric Cancer | Early Childhood
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Making sense of and sharing parenting experiences through Reflective Parent-Infant Songwriting: A Grounded Theory study
Amy Howden
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM Bonding With Bubs: A practice-based music therapy group supporting early infant-caregiver relationships and a future vision for applications in perinatal outpatient care
Tara Del Borrello
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Two Cribs, One Rhythm: Exploring the use of music therapy with infant twins and their family from the perspective of an early-career clinician.
Kristin Gibbon
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM “When the heart sings the mind heals”: Improving the lives of children living with a brain tumour through an innovative national music therapy service.
Annette Baron
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM "Music is the highlight of my week"-: Reflections on case studies of community-based music therapy for paediatric recipients living with a brain tumour.
Megan Cotter
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Innovative Partnerships: Expanding the Reach of Music Therapy in Early Childhood
Pip Reid
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Innovative Approaches to Working in different systems
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM Exploring the role of music therapy within the emerging social prescribing framework in Australia
Amy Cooper, Dr Jeanette Kennelly, Associate Professor Alison Short
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM It takes a village: Orchestrating systemic change through innovative approaches to music therapy skill sharing and practice
Erin Skinner & Natalie Willson
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM Who Really Appreciates Us? A Professional Reflection on the Current Pursuit of Legitimacy within Western Medical Systems and Healthcare Frameworks.
Emily Vittone Taylor
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM Becoming a 'Sole Trader in Rural Land'
Kyong-Tae Kim
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM A reflexive history of Sing&Grow: Impacts that inform future innovation
Thea Maxwell
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 1
Personal Reflection / Lived Experience
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Harmony Is The Answer
Ma Fatima Cayetano
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM Music Therapy for Taboo Topics - Death, Dying and Bereavement in Asia
Ka Yin Chan
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM Bridging Music Therapy and Religion: A Multifaith Perspective
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM Towards neurodiversity-affirming creative self-expression in music therapy: A lived experience perspective
Ryan Nicholas
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM Authenticity in Practice: Reflections from an Autistic Music Therapist
Lydia Zahra
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 2
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party

Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day one - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day one - arrival tea and coffee
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Poster presentations
Posters will be displayed digitally throughout both days of the conference in the delegate catering space.
8:30 AM - 8:50 AM Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country - Conference Convenor
Dr Janeen Bower
8:50 AM - 8:55 AM Parliamentary Keynote Address
Ms Susan Templeman MP
8:55 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome - Scientific Chair
Dr Zara Thompson
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM National Keynote Address - Beyond a broken c(h)ord: Marking anniversaries, finding harmony: Stories of resilience and reinvention
Caleb Rixon | Sponsored by Genyus Network
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day one - morning tea
Technology
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Sound Decisions: Engineering Music-supported Innovations for Stroke Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality
Thomas Beltrame
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM “Just be Yourself”: The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in paediatric palliative music therapy
Verena Clemencic-Jones
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Orchestrating parent-child engagement by embracing innovations in digital technology: Impacts on future music therapy practice for children with hearing loss.
Dr Vicky Abad & Thomas Hockey
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Extending the impact of music therapy in traumatic brain injury care: A systematic review and survey study from the Music Attuned Technology – Care via eHealth (MATCH) Project
Ash Rowbottom
Innovative Practice
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Music therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy: past, present and future of music therapy in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Carlos Riegelhaupt Landreani
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Development of Therapists’ Clinical Musicianship in Group Supervision
Tsz Kwan Chan and Hok Tsun Ma
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Day one - lunch
Connect and engage
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Speed networking – Centre Stage 2
Families and Young Children
1:30 PM - 1:40 PM A Place-Based Narrative Inquiry in Regional Australia - Looking to the Future of Rural Community Music Therapy Through Situated Storytelling of Musicking in Families with Young Children.
Catherine Threlfall
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
1:40 PM - 1:50 PM Family-centred music therapy in Australia: Professional reflection on the past, present and future
Dr Grace Thompson
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM Music Therapy and Preschool Readiness: Supporting Educators and Families through Targeted Early Childhood Initiatives
Rowan Harding
Music Therapy Training and University
2:00 PM - 2:10 PM Experiential Learning as a Student Music Therapist
Ayleen O'Hanlon
2:10 PM - 2:20 PM Evaluating the RAP...SEC Framework in Music Therapy Education: Student and Graduate Perspectives
Dr Al Fuller & Lauren Bortolazzo
2:20 PM - 2:30 PM From Silence to Synchrony: Establishing a University-Based Community Music Therapy Program for Student Mental Health
Althea Danielle Tolentino
2:30 PM - 2:40 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 3
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Oncology
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM Connecting people and spaces through Environmental Music Therapy (EMT) in Integrative Oncology
Dr Lucy Forrest
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM Community-Based Music Therapy for Children with Cancer: Evolution of a Hybrid Service Model
Tanya McKenna
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM Orchestrating Calm: The impact of Music Therapy in Paediatric Radiotherapy and Anaesthetic Care
Hayley Miller
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM Inner Peace, Outer Impact: Orchestrating Legacy Through Music Therapy
Lisa Dowling
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 4
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Day one - afternoon tea
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM Digital Book Launch: AMTA at 50: A Snapshot
Emeritus Professor Denise Grocke AO
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM Spotlight panel – Practice wisdom in music therapy: Reflections on pivotal moments that shape music therapy practice
Facilitated by Emeritis Professor Denise Grocke AO | Panelists - Associate Professor Clare O’Callaghan AM, Izumi Nago and Catherine Threlfall
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day One presentations
6:30 PM - 11:00 PM Conference Party

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Stream One
Stream Two
Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Research
Culture and Practice
Palliative Care
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM The Effects of Arts-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analyses
Professor Felicity Baker 		Tone, melody and meaning: Understanding music therapists’ perspectives on therapeutic songwriting in Cantonese-speaking contexts
Yat Cheong Wong 		Balancing Systems and Humanity: Navigating Moral Distress and Ethical Practice in Paediatric End-of-Life Music Therapy
Jack Thomas
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM Centering musical pleasure as the heart of music therapy’s impact: From lived experience to fMRI research.
Dr. Lucy Bolger 		Journeying Towards a Praxis of Cultural Reflexivity
Amodini Jayawardena 		The impact of moments of music in end-of-life-care in an acute care hospital
Dr Lucy Forrest
Dementia Research
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Music Attuned Technology Care via eHealth (MATCH) within an acute psychogeriatric ward – findings from a mixed methods feasibility study
Dr Ajay Castelino 		Islam and Music: how to orchestrate greater understanding with communication and respect
Miriam Cromie & Samantha Lee-Shipley 		A professional reflection on leading and advocating for music therapy within a specialist palliative care unit in Queensland: Honouring innovation, impact, and the challenges faced along the way.
Tracie Wicks
Reflections on Practice
Innovative Practices
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Sustaining Access to Safe and Effective Music-Experiences in Dementia Care Through Music Therapy Leadership and Innovative Practice.
Hayley Antipas 		From Body to Being: Reclaiming Whole-Person Foundations in Music Therapy Practice
Xiaodan Zhu 		A Qualitative Study on Receptive Music Therapy in a Paediatric Hospital: Orchestrating Innovations for Future Service Delivery.
Melina Roberts
Innovative Research
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Empowering Sustainable Therapeutic Engagement with Music (ESTEEM): Let's Make a Lasting Impact!
Napak Pakdeesatitwara 		DEATHWALL!!! From Game Play to Stage Play: Co-Creating a Student-Led Band with Neurodivergent Youth in an SSP
Kia Jiau Edwin-Jia Yao Chian
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM Being Differently : Innovative and Impactful Music Therapy Practice in Complex Systems
Dr Meg Steele, Pip Reid, Minky van der Walt, Dr Liz McLean and Dr Kate McMahon
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM DBT-Informed Music Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Cross-Regional Survey of Clinical Practice in the Asia-Pacific
Jing (Leona) Yang 		Learning and growing together: A music therapy student's experience of interprofessional care in the acute setting.
Emma Hyam
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Roundtable – Innovative Approaches to Practice
Families and Children
Technology and Innovation
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM Orchestrating Responsive Practice in ECIS: Impact & Innovation by Combining Music Therapy with the Key Worker Model
Dewi Pearce 		Songwriting with GenAI in a one-off session in a mental health setting
Theresa (Wing Tao) Au-Young
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM Voices of Country: Empowering Aboriginal Families Through Song, Play, and Connection
Kristy Biber & Breanna Large
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM Developing industry partnerships for education and research: Innovations for music therapy practice
Associate Professor Alison Short 		Recording and Production Technology in Music Therapy: Transforming a Potential Disruptor into a Medium for Connection
Thomas Hockey
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM Shared Rhythms: Co-Regulation and Collaborative Practice in Music Therapy with Complex Needs
Yimin Chau 		Harmonising Innovation and Authenticity: AI-Enhanced Songwriting in Music Therapy Practice
Tsz Ying Venus Kwong
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM Enhancing Family Therapy Outcomes Through Dyadic Music Therapy in a Child and Youth Mental Health Day Program
Aniek Janssen
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM Dischord: how do we make music from this?
Katja Enoka 		Embracing Healthy Aging and Changing the Narrative: Innovative Approaches to Music Therapy in Residential Aged Care
Tamia Hawkins
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM Beyond ‘Treatment’: Music Therapy as Preventative Care
Dr Anita Connell
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM Round table conversations Orchestrating Change: How Music Therapists are Shaping Inclusive Education Through the DIP and Mental Health Menu
Dylan Corcoran
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 5
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations
Stream One
Stream Two
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Research
Culture and Practice
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM The Effects of Arts-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analyses
Professor Felicity Baker 		Tone, melody and meaning: Understanding music therapists’ perspectives on therapeutic songwriting in Cantonese-speaking contexts
Yat Cheong Wong
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM Centering musical pleasure as the heart of music therapy’s impact: From lived experience to fMRI research.
Dr. Lucy Bolger 		Journeying Towards a Praxis of Cultural Reflexivity
Amodini Jayawardena
Dementia Research
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Music Attuned Technology Care via eHealth (MATCH) within an acute psychogeriatric ward – findings from a mixed methods feasibility study
Dr Ajay Castelino 		Islam and Music: how to orchestrate greater understanding with communication and respect
Miriam Cromie & Samantha Lee-Shipley
Reflections on Practice
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Sustaining Access to Safe and Effective Music-Experiences in Dementia Care Through Music Therapy Leadership and Innovative Practice.
Hayley Antipas 		From Body to Being: Reclaiming Whole-Person Foundations in Music Therapy Practice
Xiaodan Zhu
Innovative Research
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Empowering Sustainable Therapeutic Engagement with Music (ESTEEM): Let's Make a Lasting Impact!
Napak Pakdeesatitwara
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM Being Differently : Innovative and Impactful Music Therapy Practice in Complex Systems
Dr Meg Steele, Pip Reid, Minky van der Walt, Dr Liz McLean and Dr Kate McMahon
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM DBT-Informed Music Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Cross-Regional Survey of Clinical Practice in the Asia-Pacific
Jing (Leona) Yang
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Roundtable – Innovative Approaches to Practice
Families and Children
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM Orchestrating Responsive Practice in ECIS: Impact & Innovation by Combining Music Therapy with the Key Worker Model
Dewi Pearce
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM Voices of Country: Empowering Aboriginal Families Through Song, Play, and Connection
Kristy Biber & Breanna Large
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM Developing industry partnerships for education and research: Innovations for music therapy practice
Associate Professor Alison Short
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM Shared Rhythms: Co-Regulation and Collaborative Practice in Music Therapy with Complex Needs
Yimin Chau
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM Enhancing Family Therapy Outcomes Through Dyadic Music Therapy in a Child and Youth Mental Health Day Program
Aniek Janssen
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM Dischord: how do we make music from this?
Katja Enoka
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM Round table conversations Orchestrating Change: How Music Therapists are Shaping Inclusive Education Through the DIP and Mental Health Menu
Dylan Corcoran
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations

Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Palliative Care
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Balancing Systems and Humanity: Navigating Moral Distress and Ethical Practice in Paediatric End-of-Life Music Therapy
Jack Thomas
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM The impact of moments of music in end-of-life-care in an acute care hospital
Dr Lucy Forrest
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM A professional reflection on leading and advocating for music therapy within a specialist palliative care unit in Queensland: Honouring innovation, impact, and the challenges faced along the way.
Tracie Wicks
Innovative Practices
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM A Qualitative Study on Receptive Music Therapy in a Paediatric Hospital: Orchestrating Innovations for Future Service Delivery.
Melina Roberts
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM DEATHWALL!!! From Game Play to Stage Play: Co-Creating a Student-Led Band with Neurodivergent Youth in an SSP
Kia Jiau Edwin-Jia Yao Chian
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Learning and growing together: A music therapy student's experience of interprofessional care in the acute setting.
Emma Hyam
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Technology and Innovation
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM Songwriting with GenAI in a one-off session in a mental health setting
Theresa (Wing Tao) Au-Young
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM Recording and Production Technology in Music Therapy: Transforming a Potential Disruptor into a Medium for Connection
Thomas Hockey
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM Harmonising Innovation and Authenticity: AI-Enhanced Songwriting in Music Therapy Practice
Tsz Ying Venus Kwong
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM Embracing Healthy Aging and Changing the Narrative: Innovative Approaches to Music Therapy in Residential Aged Care
Tamia Hawkins
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM Beyond ‘Treatment’: Music Therapy as Preventative Care
Dr Anita Connell
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 5
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations

Stream One
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Research
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM The Effects of Arts-Based Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analyses
Professor Felicity Baker
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM Centering musical pleasure as the heart of music therapy’s impact: From lived experience to fMRI research.
Dr. Lucy Bolger
Dementia Research
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Music Attuned Technology Care via eHealth (MATCH) within an acute psychogeriatric ward – findings from a mixed methods feasibility study
Dr Ajay Castelino
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Sustaining Access to Safe and Effective Music-Experiences in Dementia Care Through Music Therapy Leadership and Innovative Practice.
Hayley Antipas
Innovative Research
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Empowering Sustainable Therapeutic Engagement with Music (ESTEEM): Let's Make a Lasting Impact!
Napak Pakdeesatitwara
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM DBT-Informed Music Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Cross-Regional Survey of Clinical Practice in the Asia-Pacific
Jing (Leona) Yang
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Roundtable – Innovative Approaches to Practice
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM Orchestrating Responsive Practice in ECIS: Impact & Innovation by Combining Music Therapy with the Key Worker Model
Dewi Pearce
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM Developing industry partnerships for education and research: Innovations for music therapy practice
Associate Professor Alison Short
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM Shared Rhythms: Co-Regulation and Collaborative Practice in Music Therapy with Complex Needs
Yimin Chau
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM Dischord: how do we make music from this?
Katja Enoka
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM Round table conversations
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations

Stream Two
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Culture and Practice
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Tone, melody and meaning: Understanding music therapists’ perspectives on therapeutic songwriting in Cantonese-speaking contexts
Yat Cheong Wong
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM Journeying Towards a Praxis of Cultural Reflexivity
Amodini Jayawardena
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM Islam and Music: how to orchestrate greater understanding with communication and respect
Miriam Cromie & Samantha Lee-Shipley
Reflections on Practice
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM From Body to Being: Reclaiming Whole-Person Foundations in Music Therapy Practice
Xiaodan Zhu
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM Being Differently : Innovative and Impactful Music Therapy Practice in Complex Systems
Dr Meg Steele, Pip Reid, Minky van der Walt, Dr Liz McLean and Dr Kate McMahon
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Families and Children
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM Voices of Country: Empowering Aboriginal Families Through Song, Play, and Connection
Kristy Biber & Breanna Large
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM Enhancing Family Therapy Outcomes Through Dyadic Music Therapy in a Child and Youth Mental Health Day Program
Aniek Janssen
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM Orchestrating Change: How Music Therapists are Shaping Inclusive Education Through the DIP and Mental Health Menu
Dylan Corcoran
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations

Stream Three
7:30 AM - 7:30 AM Day two - registration desk open
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM Day two - arrival tea and coffee
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
Music performance by Nat Bartsch
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM International Keynote Speaker Presentation: Balancing Consonance and Dissonance to Orchestrate Impact for the Future
Professor Wendy Magee | Sponsored by the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Day two - morning tea
Palliative Care
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM Balancing Systems and Humanity: Navigating Moral Distress and Ethical Practice in Paediatric End-of-Life Music Therapy
Jack Thomas
10:50 AM - 11:10 AM The impact of moments of music in end-of-life-care in an acute care hospital
Dr Lucy Forrest
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM A professional reflection on leading and advocating for music therapy within a specialist palliative care unit in Queensland: Honouring innovation, impact, and the challenges faced along the way.
Tracie Wicks
Innovative Practices
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM A Qualitative Study on Receptive Music Therapy in a Paediatric Hospital: Orchestrating Innovations for Future Service Delivery.
Melina Roberts
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM DEATHWALL!!! From Game Play to Stage Play: Co-Creating a Student-Led Band with Neurodivergent Youth in an SSP
Kia Jiau Edwin-Jia Yao Chian
11:50 AM - 12:30 PM
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Learning and growing together: A music therapy student's experience of interprofessional care in the acute setting.
Emma Hyam
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Day two - lunch
Connect and engage:
Student music performances – Centre Stage 1, Paediatric music therapy special interest group – Centre Stage 2, Aged care special interest group – Terrace Room 1&2, AMTA Operations Committee Meeting – Terrace Room 3
Technology and Innovation
1:45 PM - 1:55 PM Songwriting with GenAI in a one-off session in a mental health setting
Theresa (Wing Tao) Au-Young
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM
1:55 PM - 2:05 PM Recording and Production Technology in Music Therapy: Transforming a Potential Disruptor into a Medium for Connection
Thomas Hockey
2:05 PM - 2:15 PM Harmonising Innovation and Authenticity: AI-Enhanced Songwriting in Music Therapy Practice
Tsz Ying Venus Kwong
2:05 PM - 2:25 PM
2:15 PM - 2:25 PM Embracing Healthy Aging and Changing the Narrative: Innovative Approaches to Music Therapy in Residential Aged Care
Tamia Hawkins
2:25 PM - 2:35 PM Beyond ‘Treatment’: Music Therapy as Preventative Care
Dr Anita Connell
2:25 PM - 2:45 PM
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM Pecha Kucha Q&A 5
2:45 PM - 3:15 PM Day two - afternoon tea
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM Book Launch: Music Therapy with Displaced Persons: Trauma, Transformations and Cultural Connections
Dr Emma O’Brien OAM
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spotlight Speaker: Reimagining accessibility in music therapy: Connecting culture, systems, and the stories we carry
Dr Tanya Silveira-Price
4:30 PM - 5:15 PM Closing Ceremony
Including registration ceremony and conference awards
5:15 PM - 5:15 PM
End of Day Two presentations

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Stream One
Stream Two
Stream Three
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Sing, Sign & Say: Innovative Use of Key Word Sign, AAC and Music for Communication
Robyn Fernandez-Baca 		Authentic Voice and Therapeutic Voice in Practice: Learning from Vocal Psychotherapy
Dr Lucy Bolger 		Let’s Build It! A LegoTM Serious Play workshop to create a vision for the future of music therapy advocacy
Dr Jennifer Bibb
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Sing & Say: Co-creating GAP Verb Songs for Collaborative Communication Goals
Christie Cula-Reid, Hilary Baxter, Jacinta Calabro and Dr Ajay Castelino 		Advocacy, Creativity and Diversification: Strengthening Your Music Therapy Practice in an Evolving Business Landscape
Natalie Oliveri 		The Musical Container- Music therapy, Trauma Care, Creating Safety
Dr. Hsin-i Cindy Lai
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Sounding Change: Music Therapy Practices for Systems Transformation
Meagan Hunt and Rachael Comte 		Jack of all trades, master of none: Tackling imposter syndrome in music therapy
Jacinta Calabro and Natalie Jack 		Unmasking - challenging neuro-normative constructs to orchestrate social change and positively impact autistic/ADHD individuals’ wellbeing
Ann Lehmann-Kuit and Megan Murray
Stream One
Stream Two
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Sing, Sign & Say: Innovative Use of Key Word Sign, AAC and Music for Communication
Robyn Fernandez-Baca 		Authentic Voice and Therapeutic Voice in Practice: Learning from Vocal Psychotherapy
Dr Lucy Bolger
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Sing & Say: Co-creating GAP Verb Songs for Collaborative Communication Goals
Christie Cula-Reid, Hilary Baxter, Jacinta Calabro and Dr Ajay Castelino 		Advocacy, Creativity and Diversification: Strengthening Your Music Therapy Practice in an Evolving Business Landscape
Natalie Oliveri
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Sounding Change: Music Therapy Practices for Systems Transformation
Meagan Hunt and Rachael Comte 		Jack of all trades, master of none: Tackling imposter syndrome in music therapy
Jacinta Calabro and Natalie Jack

Stream Three
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Let’s Build It! A LegoTM Serious Play workshop to create a vision for the future of music therapy advocacy
Dr Jennifer Bibb
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM The Musical Container- Music therapy, Trauma Care, Creating Safety
Dr. Hsin-i Cindy Lai
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Unmasking - challenging neuro-normative constructs to orchestrate social change and positively impact autistic/ADHD individuals’ wellbeing
Ann Lehmann-Kuit and Megan Murray

Stream One
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Sing, Sign & Say: Innovative Use of Key Word Sign, AAC and Music for Communication
Robyn Fernandez-Baca
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Sing & Say: Co-creating GAP Verb Songs for Collaborative Communication Goals
Christie Cula-Reid, Hilary Baxter, Jacinta Calabro and Dr Ajay Castelino
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Sounding Change: Music Therapy Practices for Systems Transformation
Meagan Hunt and Rachael Comte

Stream Two
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Authentic Voice and Therapeutic Voice in Practice: Learning from Vocal Psychotherapy
Dr Lucy Bolger
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Advocacy, Creativity and Diversification: Strengthening Your Music Therapy Practice in an Evolving Business Landscape
Natalie Oliveri
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Jack of all trades, master of none: Tackling imposter syndrome in music therapy
Jacinta Calabro and Natalie Jack

Stream Three
8:30 AM - 8:30 AM
PDS - Registration desk open
PDS - arrival tea and coffee
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Join the Crowd: Reimagining Collective Music Making for All
Tania Balil-Lozoya
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PDS - morning tea
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Let’s Build It! A LegoTM Serious Play workshop to create a vision for the future of music therapy advocacy
Dr Jennifer Bibb
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDS - lunch
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM The Musical Container- Music therapy, Trauma Care, Creating Safety
Dr. Hsin-i Cindy Lai
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
PDS - afternoon tea
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM Unmasking - challenging neuro-normative constructs to orchestrate social change and positively impact autistic/ADHD individuals’ wellbeing
Ann Lehmann-Kuit and Megan Murray

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