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The Nordoff-Robbins Approach
The genesis of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy lies in the work undertaken from 1959 onwards by Dr Paul Nordoff (pianist and composer, then Professor of Music at Bard College) and Clive Robbins (a teacher working in Sunfield Childrens’ Home, England). The two shared a common desire to explore the use of music as a tool for communication in work with children with special needs. For over fifteen years they worked to do just that, developing a system of music therapy that would enable such children to express themselves and form effective relationships by means of shared music-making.
The pioneering work of Nordoff and Robbins led to the development of the first British training course in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in London in 1974. Today, there are several clinical and training centres using this approach around the world, from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to Germany and the United States of America.
In the field of music therapy, the Nordoff-Robbins approach is internationally recognised as having key importance. In the United Kingdom, three Nordoff-Robbins courses (in Edinburgh, Manchester and London) continue to offer training opportunities to eligible students.
