14/04/2026
“No, you don’t want to hear me sing. Anyway, I wouldn’t know what to sing!”
In the neonatal intensive care unit in hospital, a premature baby settles as their parent hums a familiar melody. But it doesn't always just happen that way. Registered music therapists in this space help families in a scary place at a scary time. Connecting with music therapy can make a big difference – for the whole family. Registered music therapists in the NICU use musical interventions to support parent–baby bonding, improve the healing environment, support babies’ neurodevelopment, help them feel calm and much more.
One of the hospitals in Australia that engages registered music therapists is the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) in South Australia, where Maybelle Swaney RMT and her team provide individual and group support for patients. To connect with music therapy this World Music Therapy Week, you might like to start by reading Maybelle’s wise words on the AMTA website:https://www.austmta.org.au/news-item/17227/music-therapy-in-the-neonatal-intensive-care-unit
📷 A registered music therapist plays guitar to a newborn baby in a crib in the neonatal intensive care unit. Text “connect with music therapy” plus “world music therapy week” and the Australian Music Therapy Association logo.
