We are delighted to have been nominated as a chosen charity in the Archbishop of Wales’ Lent Appeal!

The appeal asks members of the parishes of Swansea and Brecon Diocese to consider supporting one of four chosen charities. Nordoff Robbins was nominated to benefit from the appeal by Reverend Alison Jones, the Vicar of Swansea St Nicholas on the Hill and St Jude Parish.

Alison has been a great supporter of our work in the community of Townhill, Wales, where our music therapist Jo runs weekly community music therapy sessions at St Nicholas Church Hall. The service provides one day a week of music therapy sessions for children and adults, who are living with a range of challenges including autism, learning disabilities, mental health problems and acquired brain injuries. People travel from across Swansea and the wider South Wales area to access the service, as well as pupils from the local primary school and residents from the local community.

Our music therapist Jo spoke of the support Alison has given saying:

“Alison has been a huge supporter of Nordoff Robbins from the beginning, allowing us to rent St Nicholas’ Hall at a reduced rate and being proactive in promoting the service and helping us make vital links in the local community. She has been incredibly welcoming and supportive and even invited one of the individuals I work with to perform at St Nicholas’ community carols service last Christmas, which was an enormously positive and enriching experience for the person involved.”

Reverend Alison said:

“Jo is an amazing music therapist who uses our church hall each week and is a really good community resource for such an area, which has a high rate of deprivation. She has brought real fun and laughter to our seniors group as well as to the individuals she helps, and to the school SDF unit... a bit of extra help might mean Nordoff Robbins could work in other parts of Wales as well.”

All of us at Nordoff Robbins are incredibly grateful to Reverend Alison, and to the parish members who are supporting our life-changing music through the Archbishop of Wales’ Lent Appeal. Thank you for helping us to reach even more vulnerable and isolated people with music!

Find out more about Archbishop John’s Lent Appeal

Jonathan

Six year old Jonathan is currently receiving treatment for a neuroblastoma in the oncology ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital. His parents were given a worrying prognosis when he was first diagnosed at 18 months.  Since then, Jonathan has been through a number of gruelling treatments, including chemotherapy and has undergone surgical interventions in order to fight his cancer.

For Jonathan, life has not been a typical child’s life. He has gone through painful and exhausting treatments which have kept him in hospital for long periods of times.

Frequently, he’s not even able to leave his hospital room due to the high risk of infection. As a result, he has limited opportunities to develop his skills, interact with others or explore the world around him, at a time in life when development and playing are crucial. This also affects Jonathan’s mood, where it's easy to become bored and lose interest and motivation.

However, even from the confines of his hospital bed, music allows Jonathan to express himself and brings him joy! The simple action of hitting a cymbal is powerful in giving him the responsibility of controlling something, namely the song's rhythm. For a child in Jonathan's position, this is crucial.

Music therapy also provides Jonathan with an opportunity to spend time with his parents, who face constant uncertainty about his future, and who also fear the damage the treatments could cause to Jonathan’s organs. His parents love music too and usually join in with Jonathan and his music therapist's music-making. 

When taking into account the limitations of Jonathan’s life, music allows him to experience meaningful social engagement where he can freely explore, in addition to having a sense of control and responsibility. Most of all, he gets to experience the indescribable joy of playing music!

Jonathan's mum says:

"Despite all the treatments, we are very thankful that his organs are not damaged. Actually, he’s got an excellent ear!
It’s such a joy to see and hear Jonathan in music therapy. He connects so deeply with music that he can be fully himself, music brings the best energy and positivity out of him.
Jonathan’s favourite activity in the hospital is spending time with people, especially making music"

We’re delighted to have received substantial funding from Global’s Make Some Noise to support our work delivering life-changing music therapy to children in Scotland.

Global’s Make Some Noise is the official in-house charity of Global, the media and entertainment group. Each year, they award grants to specially selected projects up and down the country, which provide vital support for disadvantaged children, young people and their families.

The grant we’ve been awarded by Global’s Make Some Noise will help us to increase the number of music therapy sessions we’re able to run at our Glasgow centre as well as enabling us to continue to deliver music therapy sessions to children attending a Special Educational Needs school in Glasgow.

The grant will also allow us to continue our work at a project in Ayrshire, where our music therapist has been using music therapy to support young children, nursery staff and family members at a nursery school.

Connor Moore from our Trusts and Grants team said of the grant:

“This game-changing funding will be crucial in enabling us to continue our provision of life-changing music therapy to vulnerable and isolated children in Glasgow and Ayrshire. We’re incredibly grateful to Global’s Make Some Noise for their generosity, which will allow us to deliver music therapy to over one hundred children over a two-year period.”

Thank you everyone who donated to, and fundraised for Global’s Make Some Noise. We’re incredibly grateful for the support!

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In celebration of our Bedroom 2 Dancefloor competition, which is offering aspiring DJ’s the chance to win the ultimate DJ experience, we’re looking at how technology can contribute to providing people with life-changing music therapy.

Increasingly, our music therapists are using electronic music and technology in their work, as it offers such a wide scope for different forms of music making. It can provide individuals with very limited movement the ability to create complex musical sounds, often with just a few finger taps. 

In Charlotte’s case, technology has provided an opportunity to record a song about her personal journey to recovery.

Charlotte has been in hospital since December last year, recovering from meningitis encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Initially the condition affected the use of both of her arms and legs, her head control and her speech. It was challenging for her to find the right word to use in her head, and when the words did come out, they were often disjointed.

During her stay in hospital, she has been having music therapy with our music therapist Alan, who has worked with her to write a song “Change” about her experience. By re-discovering her love of music in her music therapy sessions, and processing her challenging recovery through writing her song, her mood was lifted and she started to see a light at the end of the darkness; words which eventually became a part of her song. The lyrics reflect her positivity as she sings:

“Keeping smiling, keeping going, getting Stronger day by day, looking forward, feeling hopeful, there’s a change coming my way.”

Using Garageband technology, Alan and Charlotte have created a mash-up of her song with “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics! Speaking of recording the song, Charlotte said:

“I liked the range of sounds on Garageband which I could experiment with and it was interesting how that brought different dimensions to the song we’d already created. This led on to experimenting using different songs such as Sweet Dreams, and it turned into a bit of a mash-up. I really liked using the strings sounds as I liked the drama of them and it was lovely to hear it become an orchestral version of my song. It reminded me of being in a recording studio and I felt like we were creating something really professional and long-lasting. I liked that feeling, which was so separate to my current normal life and it made me feel like I was in a different place and not in hospital. It was something new and lots of fun.” 

Explaining how he uses technology in his sessions, music therapist Alan said:

“On the laptop I tend to use Garageband to record songs with patients. We record the keyboard on one track, and then, using headphones the beneficiary can sing live on top of the this. From here we can easily adjust volumes and add effects and mix it down to create a finished piece. It’s possible to record each new instrument in turn to create a layered piece which is very rewarding.

“Just yesterday, I used the guitar sound on the tablet with a gentleman who is recovering from a stroke. He is no longer able to use his left hand - and as a guitar player, this is devastating for him. Whilst clearly not the same, he said he had really enjoyed playing the interactive guitar on the iPad and being able to recreate familiar chords with his stronger hand whilst singing over the top. For people with limited movements, the tablet can be a wonderful source of musical interaction by their bedsides – as with just one touch it is possible to produce beautiful string sounds, with options for ‘autoplay’ which continues to play the music and chosen chord until they have enough energy to change it.”

Find out more about our Bedroom 2 Dancefloor competition.

Today we’re announcing that our CEO of five years Julie Whelan will be retiring from the post at the end of the year.

Ms Whelan is not moving on to any other role and is in effect retiring from permanent work. She said: “My time at Nordoff Robbins has been the most fulfilling ever as I’ve seen on a daily basis the positive impact that our music therapy has for those living with life-limiting illnesses, disabilities or isolation.

“I’ll miss the organisation deeply but I am at an age where I want to take time to travel and have new adventures personally and then undertake some volunteering after a rest. I’ll be in the enviable position to do a comprehensive handover when my successor is appointed and move on knowing the charity is in a good place to carry on its important work.”

David Munns, Chairman of Nordoff Robbins, said:

“During her five year tenure here Julie has doubled the number of people we support through our music therapy, led the merger with our sister organisation in Scotland, expanded sites and partnerships right across the UK and made sure we now employ more music therapists than ever (now circa 75% of our workforce). The Board has just signed off a new strategy to significantly increase access to our services for those who need it most. We are confident we will be able to secure an outstanding successor to Julie to take this forward.”

Anyone interested in applying should contact Juliet Brown at Gatenby Sanderson on 01132 056089 or via email: Juliet.brown@gatenbysanderson.com

HELP SOMEONE LIKE pATSY WITH MUSIC THERAPY

For people whose lives are limited by illness, isolation or disability, music has a power unlike anything else. Every single person deserves the undeniable joy of music, and Nordoff Robbins' mission is to provide the transformative power of music to everyone that needs it, but we can only do this with support from generous people.

Please consider setting up a regular gift today, to provide long-lasting support FOR people THAT NEED music therapy. please donate here

Patsy's story, as told by her mum Kathy

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"Patsy is 7 years old and has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition. She is home schooled and is on a therapy programme due to her complex needs. 

Patsy's inability to communicate makes her very frustrated, which results in meltdowns during which she harms herself, which is beyond distressing and upsetting. 

I knew my little girl could achieve if she just got the right support, and I also knew that music could be the key.

So, in 2016 Patsy started music therapy with Nordoff Robbins.

To this point my little girl had been unable to speak - and here she was communicating through music. At Nordoff Robbins, Patsy didn't need words to have a voice.

Music therapy has been amazing. Life-changing in fact.

My beautiful daughter is learning to play with other children - any parent will tell you the sheer significance of that. I cannot stress how important this charity is and the opportunities it gives to less fortunate people than ourselves.

If you give a regular gift today, I can assure you that it will be money well spent".

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As Patsy's story shows, music therapy makes such a significant impact. But we can only expand and offer music therapy to more people like Patsy through long-lasting support from our generous donors.

Please do something incredible and donate here to set up a regular gift today, providing life-changing support for people like Patsy through music.

Making music with our music therapist Alan helped Chris to express himself and re-gain his musical identity during his recovery from meningitis in hospital last year. Read his story:

Chris was found unconscious on his floor in August last year, and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in hospital. He was in a coma for three days and when he did re-gain consciousness, he was unable to talk or co-ordinate movements. Despite this, Chris’s mind was still active and he became frustrated by his lack of independence which left him feeling depressed and bored.

Whilst working as a joiner, Chris had been a keen guitarist, singer, songwriter and performer, and was referred to music therapy as a positive way to channel his creativity. The sessions soon became a key highlight of Chris’ week where he was able to express himself and keep his mind active. His dad commented saying: “When I talked to Chris after his sessions I could tell he had been lifted in a way that nothing else could reach. Whilst occupational therapy and physio were getting his body back on track, it was the music therapy that was getting his mind and creative juices cranked up again.”

Working with Alan, Chris started to write some lyrics, slowly putting into words how he was feeling, what kind of day he was having and his wishes for the future: “I just want to get better and talk again, walk out the door and play my guitar”. Each week a little bit more was added to the song and it slowly took shape, musically and lyrically. Despite tiring easily, Chris practiced his vocals each week, working hard on both his diction and performance.

Music therapy, and writing his song with Alan, was a powerful reminder for Chris of his musical identity in a time of illness and great change.

Chris concluded: “Music means the world to me and writing the song was all I thought about. It was my first step again towards normality.”

Our Summer School offers professional music therapists from around the world the opportunity to engage with key aspects of the Nordoff Robbins approach and share their practice. Find out more:

The annual four day Nordoff Robbins Summer School, open to music therapists from around the world, will take place from 22nd – 25th July 2019. It will be held in our London Centre, the world’s largest dedicated music therapy centre which is a focal point for music therapy worldwide. The Summer School gives music therapists a chance to develop their musical awareness and creativity, to discuss their own work, and to learn about the principles of the Nordoff Robbins approach to music therapy. It’s run by a range of experienced Nordoff Robbins music therapists and researchers, and is a lively and active event, full of music making, discussion and sharing of points of view.

Here’s what previous participants have said about the energy and variety of the Summer School:

“It was a fantastic course and I particularly valued the reflective practice and opportunities to make music with others. The tutors were excellent in the approach, knowledge and encouragement to 'have a go.’ Thank you!”

“The combination of therapy theory and praxis / practical parts and practical exercises and experiences during reflecting group was eye opening.”

“All of the presenters were so incredibly passionate about what they do, so excited and so enthusiastic, just awesome!”

Find out more: https://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/short-courses

THE BRIT TRUST CELEBRATES ITS 30TH BIRTHDAY AND ANNOUNCES THAT IT HAS NOW GIVEN OUT WELL OVER £25 MILLION TO WORTHY CAUSES, INCLUDING NORDOFF ROBBINS.

The Brit Trust – the official charity of the BRIT Awards and of the BPI and wider recorded music industry is celebrating its 30th birthday with the news that it has now distributed £26.5 million to a range of worthy causes since it was first set up in 1989. At Nordoff Robbins we are hugely grateful to have been the main recipient of this support over the past three decades, alongside the BRIT School in Croydon, where we have our Andrew Lloyd Webber Music Therapy Centre. 

The Trust’s long-time mission has been to promote education and wellbeing through music, and over three decades it has provided thousands of young people of all backgrounds with extensive opportunities in the music and creative industries.

The BRIT Trust receives its income from The BRIT Awards, and The Classic BRITs, both of which are charity shows, as well as the annual fundraising dinner the MITs (Music Industry Trusts Award), which started in 1991.

Our CEO Julie Whelan said of the support we’ve received from the BRIT Trust:

“The BRIT Trust has been one of our longest standing supporters. Their generous funding over the years has allowed us to use the power of music therapy to enhance the lives of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, disabilities and feelings of isolation. In the last four years alone we’ve been able to double the number of people we’re supporting to over 10,000 - we couldn't have done this without the amazing support of The BRIT Trust.”

Chairman of The BRIT Trust, John Craig OBE, added:

“At the Trust we recognise how important it is to provide opportunities for young people to express their creativity, often through music. More than ever, in today’s society, it is critical to give students life skills that convert into jobs. Over the last four years, 99% of students leaving the School have either gone into higher education or jobs within the creative economy which is growing faster than any other sector.

“Over £25 million is an extraordinary figure made possible by all the artists who have appeared at the BRIT Awards over the years, the acts who performed at Knebworth 29 years ago and all who have performed at the MITS dinners.  This sum has only been made possible through their generosity of spirit and the Trust works hard, and will continue to do so, to ensure that as many young people as possible can benefit at a time when the social, cultural and economic importance of the arts in this country are under threat.”

Happy birthday to The Brit Trust, and thank you for enabling us to reach even more vulnerable and isolated people with the power of music therapy!

HELP SOMEONE LIKE pATSY WITH MUSIC THERAPY

Please consider setting up a regular gift today, to provide long-lasting support FOR people THAT NEED music therapy. Please donate here.

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Patsy's story, as told by her mum Kathy:

"Patsy is 7 years old and has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition. She is home schooled and is on a therapy programme due to her complex needs. 

Patsy's inability to communicate makes her very frustrated, which results in meltdowns during which she harms herself, which is beyond distressing and upsetting. 

I knew my little girl could achieve if she just got the right support, and I also knew that music could be the key.

So, in 2016 Patsy started music therapy with Nordoff Robbins.

To this point my little girl had been unable to speak - and here she was communicating through music. At Nordoff Robbins, Patsy didn't need words to have a voice.

Music therapy has been amazing. Life-changing in fact.

My beautiful daughter is learning to play with other children - any parent will tell you the sheer significance of that. I cannot stress how important this charity is and the opportunities it gives to less fortunate people than ourselves.

If you give a regular gift today, I can assure you that it will be money well spent."

Please do something incredible and donate here to set up a regular gift today

As Patsy's story shows, music therapy makes such a significant impact. But we can only expand and offer music therapy to more people like Patsy through long-lasting support from our generous donors.

Nordoff Robbins CEO Julie Whelan responds to the DCMS Committee’s report into the social impact of culture and sport.

At Nordoff Robbins, we welcome the publication of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee’s Changing Lives: the social impact of participation in culture and sport report. The report outlines the significant contribution that culture and sport play in enriching the value of our lives, in addressing a range of long-standing social problems, and the clear impact they have on positive outcomes in health, education, criminal justice and urban regeneration.

The report finds evidence that reoffending rates can be reduced through access to cultural or sporting programmes, and that involvement in the arts and sports provides a constructive influence on young people with positive role models. It highlights how music provision for young offenders and those at risk of offending improves their educational skills and transferrable employment skills, as well as increasing their confidence and self-esteem. In schools, it demonstrates how sport and culture improve educational attainment, as well as the wellbeing of students, with social activities like group singing improving the health of those who take part. The report also champions the creative arts organisations taking the lead in regenerating communities.

At Nordoff Robbins, we know the profoundly positive impact that the arts can have on our health and wellbeing, and I feel privileged to witness day-in day-out how music can improve people’s quality of life, their communication and their relationships. As the UK’s leading music therapy charity, we are committed to championing this through our policy work and research, and it is heartening to see that this report aligns with many of our current focus areas – on the social value and impact of music, music education, social prescribing, and how music can help prevent the big issues facing society, including mental health problems and crime.

However, despite the clear social impact and importance that culture and sport have on society, the report also highlights a reduction in funding across these areas, including in schools and prisons, and the ever-increasing gap between the private and state education sectors.

The committee shared that 59% of nearly 500 state schools in England responded to the Live Music Report survey that the English Baccalaureate has had a negative impact on the provision of music in schools. Furthermore, in 2018/19 music was only a compulsory part of the curriculum in 50% of schools in England at Year 9, and that this decline in music in state schools affects students from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds disproportionately.

Arts participation through social prescribing has the potential to vastly reduce costs to the NHS, with some data showing a saving of £168.8 million annual cost savings. Social prescribing is being used by around 60% of local health commissioners, and evidence suggests that social prescribing is playing an increasingly important role in connecting health and the arts – but that the potential of the scheme is yet to be realised. This report highlights how many projects, both sporting and cultural, depend heavily on short term funding, and so they are unable to create effective long-term change.

The committee question how the government can better harness this positive social impact, and among their recommendations, they suggest an increase in cross-governmental coordination to encourage the participation in social prescribing schemes. They recommend a review of statutory funding streams, to explore whether these can move to a more long-term and sustainable funding approach for culture and sports organisations. They also recommend that DCMS’s work, in bringing social value into central government commissioning, should include explicit consideration of the social value delivered by cultural and sporting organisations.

We at Nordoff Robbins wholeheartedly support these recommendations. As a charity working to improve the lives of the vulnerable and isolated through music therapy, we are always working to reach more people in need, and this report recognises and supports the value of what organisations like ourselves do. We look forward to seeing how this work is taken forward, and we stand ready to assist in whatever way we can, as we continue to champion the incredible social value and impact of music.

Read the full report here. 

Today, along with Hard Rock Hotel London, we’re unveiling the victor of our nationwide search to discover Britain’s next big DJ star.

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We’re delighted to announce that Connor Scott, from Birmingham, won over the British public in a voting victory - as well as an elite judging panel of music experts - in becoming Britain’s best bedroom DJ.

In a commitment to support budding talent and champion health and wellbeing within music, we launched the national competition, along with Hard Rock Hotel London, to encourage aspiring DJs making beats behind bedroom doors to upload their own music mix to the Bedroom 2 Dancefloor website. The most popular pieces were then judged by an expert panel of electronic aficionados, who then selected the top 5 finalists to be put forward for the people’s choice.

Winning the competition after going head-to-head with five finalists in a public vote, Connor Scott from Birmingham spoke about the inspiration behind his mix:

“Winning the bedroom to dancefloor competition has opened up so many opportunities for me. I’ve always wanted to work in big music events - seeing how a DJ can change the hype of a crowd and the whole experience of an event or even a night out, made realise that is what I wanted to be. Playing to different crowds, meeting new people, travelling and being able to work with and make music is what I love most.

Music is very important to me, and Nordoff Robbins are a charity that I think is doing amazing work. Music has had a massive benefit on my own mental health and I’ve seen how it can give someone who maybe can’t speak or communicate easily, an outlet”

Connor was crowned champion from the five finalists who were judged and selected by an expert panel of electronic dance music’s (EDM) best in the business. The judges included world-famous DJs and industry experts across club land, labels, music schools, equipment and media. The esteemed panel of experts included:

• Sister Bliss from Faithless
• Happy Days for Everyone, Brandon Block
• BBC 6 Music, Chris Hawkins
• Ministry of Sound, George Thomas
• DJ Mag, Carl Loben
• Point Blank Music School, Rob Cowan
• Sentric, Mark Lawrence
• Toolroom, Stuart Knight
• Native Instruments, David Eserin

The competition unveils our new long-term partnership with Hard Rock Hotel London. Nordoff Robbins is the hotel’s official charity partner through Hard Rock’s charitable foundation, Hard Rock Heals, with guests and locals alike offered the chance to support Nordoff Robbins through a variety of fundraising initiatives within the hotel.

Congratulations to Connor on his well-deserved victory and thank you to all the talented DJs that entered the competition. We would also like to thank our expert panel of judges for giving their time and expertise to support the competition, and to Hard Rock Hotel London, Soho Radio, Native Instruments and Point Blank Music School for generously donating the incredible prizes!

Train to be a Nordoff Robbins music therpist in Newcastle.

The Master of Music Therapy (Nordoff Robbins): Music, Health, Society is an internationally renowned Masters level programme, validated by Goldsmiths, University of London. 

Successful completion of this two-year course gives you eligibility to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council for registration as a music therapist, the UK legal prerequisite for working in the profession. If you’re passionate about what music and music-making can achieve, download our prospectus and a look at the FAQs to find out more.

Our new training base in Newcastle will launch in September 2019. This is subject to approval from the HCPC and validation from Goldsmiths University.

To apply for September 2019, please submit your application by June 14th. If you’d like to contact us to discuss your potential application in the meantime, you are of course welcome to do so.

GET IN TOUCH

If you're interested in signing up, or want to find out more information about what's involved, get in touch with the team at education@nordoff-robbins.org.uk.

the annual o2 silver clefs awards raises vital funds to help us support even more vulnerable and isolated people through music therapy.

We’re delighted to announce that Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, The Black-Eyed Peas, Years & Years, Mabel and The Chemical Brothers are amongst the winners at this year’s Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Awards which will be held on Friday 5 July at Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

The awards, presented by Edith Bowman for the third year running, recognise and celebrate the powerful impact of music. Our music therapy sessions can help a child with autism to communicate, unlock forgotten memories for those living with dementia or provide moments of peace for someone living with depression and anxiety.

The O2 Silver Clef Awards bring the finest of the music industry together with celebrity supporters and influencers to vital funds for our life-changing music therapy.

The ‘+’ and ‘x’ solo Brit artist Ed Sheeran is being presented with the overall O2 Silver Clef Award.

Ed Sheeran said: “I want to thank Nordoff Robbins and 02 for the award...this means a lot and I want to applaud Nordoff Robbins for all the wonderful work they do through music therapy”

Global singing sensation Sam Smith and British singer songwriter Dua Lipa will take home the AEG Best Male Award and the Smule Best Female Award respectively. American musical dance-pop music band, The Black-Eyed Peas pick up The Raymond Weil Best International Group Award and electro-pop band Years & Years are awarded Hard Rock Café Best Group.

Other acts receiving awards this year include rising star Mabel who will be presented with the TicketmasterBest Newcomer Award. Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the bright young star on the classical music scene who performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Merkle’s wedding last year, picks up the PPL Classical Award and legendary giants of music The Chemical Brothers take home the Bose Innovation Award.

Ticketmaster said: “We see the profound effect that music has on people every single day, and we’re very proud to have worked with Nordoff Robbins for over a decade, supporting the incredible work that they do for thousands of people every single year.” 

Olly from Years and Years said: We are really happy to be accepting the Hard Rock Cafe best group award at the o2 silver clefs this year!  The work Nordoff Robbins are doing is really incredible so it’s very exciting to be involved. Offering people a lifeline by giving them a chance to express themselves through music, like Nordoff Robbins do, reminds us how lucky we are as a band to do what we do. We all experience tough times and any of us can find ourselves in a vulnerable situation, music can be so healing for us in those moments. 

Dua Lipa said: “A few years ago, I performed at a Nordoff Robbins event which was raising funds for their music therapy work, so it’s a real pleasure to be back supporting this charity again through the O2 Silver Clef Awards. Music is my life, so I can’t think of a better charity to be supporting than one which uses music to enrich the lives of others. I can’t wait to be there on the day to receive this award!”

Mabel said: "I’m so happy to be accepting the Ticketmaster Best Newcomer Award! Making music is such a fun but also emotional process, so being able to support a charity who helps others in really tough situations through music holds a special place in my heart."

Chemical Brothers said, "We are delighted to be part of the O2 Silver Clef Awards this year and to be supporting this very special charity. We love expressing our inner selves creatively, forging connection and escape through music. Music therapy which helps people to do the same is incredibly important and inspiring for us. We're grateful to be associated with the provision of this opportunity for people to find their voice through music. We look forward to collecting the Bose Innovation Award on the day and meeting the people involved in this wonderful work.”

Gareth Griffiths, Head of Sponsorship, O2, commented; “This is our 17th year supporting this brilliant charity. It has been amazing to see the wealth of positive change that has taken place over the last year for Nordoff Robbins, we feel privileged to be involved. The O2 Silver Clef Awards gives us the opportunity to honour some truly outstanding musical talent – both in respect of our esteemed award winners and the work of Nordoff Robbins, and for that we couldn’t be prouder”

Nordoff Robbins CEO Julie Whelan says: “Each year through the O2 Silver Clef Awards we get to celebrate the best names in music and raise crucial funds to help our charity enrich the lives of even more people living with life-limiting illness, disability or isolation. In the past year we merged with our sister charity in Scotland and were able to increase the number of people we could support by a third. None of this would be possible without the tremendous support the Silver Clefs receive every year.”

Find out more about the O2 Silver Clefs

Life changing Music 2019 - share your life changing music story to be in with a chance of joining O2 Silver Clef winners 2019

Each year, in partnership with O2, Nordoff Robbins hosts the O2 Silver Clef Awards. A music industry fundraising event that recognises and celebrates the talent of some of the world’s biggest artists while raising vital funds for our life changing music across the UK. 

This year, in partnership with O2 and Nordoff Robbins, Radio X are giving you the chance to get involved. 

NORDOFF ROBBINS CHANGES LIVES THROUGH MUSIC… LET US KNOW HOW MUSIC HAS CHANGED YOURS.

Share your #lifechangingmusic story with O2 Music and Nordoff Robbins on Twitter or Instagram to be in with a chance of winning your very own award at the event alongside some of the UK’s biggest artists. 

One winner will receive the coveted O2 Silver Clef Fan of the Year Award, an award that celebrates what it means to be a music fan,  at the event that has honoured the likes of One Direction, Little Mix, Mumford & Sons and Anne-Marie. Alongside receiving the award, the winner will take a VIP trip to the event on 5 July 2019, walk the carpet with the stars, and enjoy a night’s stay in a London hotel. Runners up will win a pair of tickets to a show of their choice at an O2 Academy venue.

Find out more here

O2 Silver Clefs - This year's winners

The  O2 Silver Clef awards are one of the highlights of the music industry calendar and have raised almost £10million for our life-changing music therapy work since they started in 1976. In anticipation of the event taking place next month, we’re sharing the amazing life changing music stories of some of the people we work with. Read Charlie’s story:

Three year old Charlie had regular music therapy sessions with Alison during his sixth month stay on a paediatric oncology ward, where he was undergoing intensive treatment for Leukaemia.

Charlie’s parents were concerned that he was missing out on the social interaction he would have received outside of hospital, as well as worrying about the development of his communicative needs, particularly as a young child with Down’s Syndrome. In sessions, Alison was able to use Charlie’s natural responses to music to build interactions with him, as well as introducing activities and songs that supported his verbal development, listening skills and response skills.

Additionally, music therapy gave Charlie a space to simply enjoy himself and have fun! Music Therapist Alison said:

“From the very first session I was struck by Charlie’s appetite for making music. I wheeled the instrument trolley into Charlie’s hospital bay and his eyes lit up as he pointed at the drums with enthusiasm! I placed the bongos in front of him and took a guitar for myself. He immediately began to play with great excitement and I matched his speed and energy to make him feel in control – something that is often stripped away from individuals during cancer treatment. Charlie’s desire and need to be playful was clearly evident throughout his music therapy sessions, and it was my role to support and encourage this essential activity for any child. In music Charlie could experience himself as a child who is well, not as an individual being “treated”, but as a child who is able to be spontaneous and able to just play.”

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The music therapy sessions also provided Charlie’s mum with time to play with her son. She said of the experience:

“Charlie spent almost 6 months on the oncology ward and had to endure some extremely traumatic, painful and distressing times as part of his treatment for Leukaemia and the music therapy sessions were literally the highlight of our week. Charlie spent much of his time in isolation due to various infections and so rarely made it to the group sessions. Instead Alison came to his room and delivered a personal session for Charlie. Sometimes he had a lot of pent up frustration that he needed to release on the drums, tambourine and bells whilst bouncing up and down on his bed with delight. On other occasions Charlie would make special requests for Alison to play his favourite Mary Poppins tunes. One occasion that really comes to mind is when Charlie needed sedation for a procedure but due to the various drugs that he was already on, his body was fighting sleep. Alison turned up with her collection of musical instruments and soothed Charlie to sleep with Golden Slumbers and other lullabies. It was simply magical seeing how Charlie responded by drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Other times Charlie was simply very frail and just seeing Alison turn up on the ward brought a huge smile to his face and made his day so much better. The music therapy sessions were an absolutely invaluable part of Charlie's treatment; soothing and bringing happiness to a very poorly child fighting cancer. Seeing Charlie happy made everyone in the room happy - the music would literally transform our day.”

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