Last December we announced the exciting news that we were supporting The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust (KEECT) to launch a new Master of Music Therapy Award, sponsored by the Gattung Foundation. We are thrilled to announce that since then another two Music Therapy Awards have been created! The first award was created by a private sponsor, Mr Ellis Coxon, and the second is in collaboration with MusicHelps, a charity that support hundreds of projects across New Zealand, each using the power of music to change the lives of thousands of New Zealanders in need.
Mr Coxon is a retired special education teacher living in the UK. A few years ago, Mr Coxon was recovering from a bout of mental distress, and he says, "The delightful voice of Hayley Westenra was largely responsible for uplifting my mood during this difficult time." When Mr Coxon discovered that Hayley was a patron of Raukatauri, he was inspired to discover more about the Trust and to get involved. Mr Coxon says, "It has been my privilege to donate funds to subsidise Music Therapy sessions for all at RMTC since August 2022."
In January, after learning about the shortage of music therapists, Mr Coxon felt compelled to also be involved in the further education of music therapists. Discussions were started with then Executive Director, Jen Glover, and The Kate Edger Trust, which led to Mr Coxon sponsoring a second Master of Music Therapy award in partnership with The Kate Edger Trust and the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. We are truly grateful to Mr Coxon for his generosity and kind heartedness that led him to supporting the work that we do and the creation of the scholarship in his name which will sponsor the education of music therapists and lead to more people in need being able to access music therapy.
And we are excited to announce that the first recipient of the Ellis Coxon Music Therapy award has already been chosen! Sarah Byrne is the recipient of the Mr Ellis Coxon sponsored Music Therapy Award in partnership with the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. Sarah has just started her second semester of the Master of Music Therapy Programme at Victoria University of Wellington. She is based in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty where there is a high demand for more qualified Music Therapists. Sarah has a teaching background and is especially passionate about the ability of music to improve the wellbeing/hauora of our tamariki
In May, MusicHelps announced that in collaboration with Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust and The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust, they will be sponsoring a special award to support the growth of music therapy practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The MusicHelps Music Therapy Award applications are open to all wāhine identifying students who have been accepted into the Master of Music Therapy programme at Victoria University. The recipient of the award will receive an $8,000 scholarship for one year of study, and if they are in their second year of study, the Award will include a supported student placement with Raukatauri.
We are very excited to have MusicHelps join this growing list of funders given its strong connection to the music industry and ability to reach professional musicians who may be looking for another career pathway. In addition to the financial award, scholarship recipients are provided with a clinical placement and a pathway to employment with Raukatauri, a great source of stability for musicians who are often used to having to make their own way in the industry. In a media release, Chair of MusicHelps, Anthony Healey said,
“Music therapy goes to the very heart of what we do at MusicHelps. The need for talented music therapists and the demand for music therapy is unprecedented, so to support and partner with the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust and The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust like this is massive.”
Applications will open on August 1st 2023 via the The Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust website.