Jackson Plumpton

Student Music Therapist
Hawke’s Bay Regional Centre

Jackson has grown up in Napier, with a couple of excursions to Wellington to first study commercial music at Massey University (BCommMus, 2017-2020), and more recently to study music therapy at Victoria. He was drawn to music therapy while working as a teacher aide at Hohepa School, a school for high needs children in Poraiti. At Hohepa, Jackson was able to take part in music therapy sessions, and even ran some music sessions while their full-time music therapist was unwell.

Jackson enjoys writing music and playing gigs at various wineries and bars throughout Hawkes Bay, but the thing he enjoys most is seeing people get something deeper out of music, and this has led him to study music therapy. So far Jackson has had placements in a residential hospital and a supported learning unit in a high school, both of which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Being predominantly a singer songwriter, Jackson loves to play guitar and sing. Although he also enjoys playing piano, cajon drum, and hand pan. Recently he has been enjoying using a loop pedal, where he can use all of his instruments to make songs with his friends.

When Jackson isn't doing something music-related he's generally scouring beaches around Hawke’s Bay trying to find somewhere to surf, or patting his orange cat.