Who We Are
TEAM
Who We Are
TEAM

DAN BRAMHALL (he/him)
Music Therapist

BSc in Computational Linguistics
MA Music Therapy
“Music provides us with such a unique tool for supporting our clients to express how they feel. And this capacity to feel emotionally connected to the music being made is something everybody always has, whether they have learning difficulties, are mental health service users, suffered brain injury, or experienced something in their life they need to come to terms with.” 
Dan Bramhall, MTW MT
Dan qualified as a music therapist in 2003 at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Prior to that, he obtained a degree in Linguistics at UMIST, before going on to work as Senior Support Worker for a care company in Liverpool helping adults with learning difficulties to live independently.

Dan joined Music Therapy Works immediately after qualifying, and enjoys the varied work opportunities the company provides – from music therapy in nurseries, to working in special schools with young people with multiple learning difficulties; from interacting with young adults with autism, to developing the self-confidence of teenagers with impaired sight.

Dan’s musicianship is strongly informed by his pop and rock background, and he’s comfortable improvising songs with clients around conventional Verse-Chorus song structures in a wide variety of popular styles. Rap, 50s rock and roll, cheesy Europop, dance music – you name it, he’s had a client want to play music like it!

Along with his clinical work, Dan has led music therapy training events for academic institutions and the public: from 1 day awareness raising workshops, to 10 week experiential courses for healthcare professionals. For 6 years he was also the Visiting Music Therapy Lecturer at the Music Deparment of Birmingham University.
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HELENA BRITTEN (she/her)

Music Therapist



Helena is a newly qualified Music Therapist who graduated from

Anglia Ruskin University and joined the Music Therapy Works team in

September 2023.


Helena initially trained at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as a

violinist, graduating in 2015, but soon found that her music took her

far beyond classical violin. She found music was something she

wanted to share! Helena has toured the country with a folk band, set

up and run music events in Birmingham and taken music into care

homes and hospitals.


Helena has worked in dementia care and with Children in Care. She is currently working in SEN schools, with children with PMLD and with

brain injuries.

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BETH BROWN (she/her)

Music Therapist


BA(Hons)

MA Music Therapy


After completing her Music Therapy training at the University of Derby, Beth joined Music Therapy Works in 2021.


Currently working with children, young people and adults with additional needs, Beth was inspired to train as a Music Therapist after researching the positive impact of music on the brain and the use of Music Therapy to improve the mobility of stroke patients.


Based in the East Midlands, Beth has previously worked in healthcare and coordinated a small charity for older people experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation.  She has undertaken voluntary work at a group for people living with dementia, has experience of both mainstream and special educational needs schools and has worked in stroke rehabilitation. 


Other areas of special interest include women’s social activities in the mid twentieth century, specifically looking at their involvement in choirs and an ambition to train in Neurologic Music Therapy.


Beth plays the flute and piano.

 


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HAZEL CHILD

Music Therapist

Hazel graduated in 1999, then qualified in both music therapy and teaching before spending 8 years working in a secondary school for young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. She has worked with diverse populations in the years since, in addition to leading skill sharing projects in the UK and abroad for Music as Therapy International.


From 2015, Hazel worked with adults in dementia care settings, and undertook the Neurologic Music Therapy training, to study in more depth the effect of melody and rhythm directly on the brain.


During the pandemic, it was important to develop the possibilities for using online platforms to reach isolated people and for those most at risk with vulnerable health conditions, so Hazel offered an online music therapy service.


Hazel joined the Music Therapy Works team in February 2023.


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ALISON DOUGLAS (she/her)

Music Therapist


BMus. 

Dip MT (GSMD / York) 

After completing a music degree at Hull University, Alison went straight on to the Guildhall School of Music where she trained as a music therapist, qualifying in 1987. She then returned to her home city of Nottingham, where at the time, there was no music therapy provision.


She established a still thriving music therapy service for adults with learning disabilities within the NHS and was instrumental in setting up the Nottingham branch of a national music therapy charity.


Following her move to Worcestershire in 2002, Alison joined the team of Music Therapy Works the following year. Here her role has included individual and group work with both adults and children with learning disabilities, as well as presentations and workshops, in a variety of residential and educational settings.

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FIONA FELLOWS (she/her)

Music Therapist

BA (Hons)

After Fiona graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire in 2001, she taught flute, recorder and piano alongside performing. She gained her music therapy qualification in 2014 and has worked in a variety of settings since then. 


Fiona has really enjoyed the variety of work that Music Therapy Works is able to support. She is currently working with adults in residential homes with learning disabilities and age-related illnesses, through to children with ASD, and children in hospital.


She loves to play the flute and piano, and enjoys songwriting and gardening (when the weather allows!) 

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BETH HOWELLS (she/her)
Music Therapist

MA Music Therapy
 “I love it when I play my first chord of the session and my client just beams at me and starts to move. Immediately we are relating and exploring the world through our music.”
Beth Howells, MTW MT
Working as a peripatetic music teacher, choir leader and community musician in Shropshire, Beth saw the beneficial influence music could have. This led her to train as a music therapist at the University of the West of England completing her training in 2017.

Beth’s clinical experience includes working with children in special and
mainstream settings, early intervention within early years, and adults with ABI.
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EMMA JONES (she/her)

Music Therapist


Diploma (Trombone)

BA (Hons) Education


Emma has been studying Music Therapy at the University of West of England since 2019. Prior to that she obtained a First class honours degree in Education at Worcester University.


Emma gained a diploma playing the Trombone at the Birmingham Conservatoire in 1998. Since then, Emma has worked as a Head of Department in Music at a middle school in Bromsgrove, where she particularly enjoyed running the schools singing groups and extracurricular ensembles.


For the last 15 years Emma has worked for the Solihull Music Service teaching a wide range of instruments, to varying ages. These include individuals, small groups and whole classes.


During her time there, she has been involved in lots of different projects and ensembles including world music roadshows, song writing projects and has always seen music as a therapeutic tool to support pupils in all of her settings.


Emma’s clinical experience includes working with children within special schools and mainstream settings, adults with FND, and adults with PMLD.

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JOHN KEARNEY

Music Therapist


John was born in Cork Ireland but has lived in the UK since 1988. His musical roots are in punk and Irish folk music, though he has branched out into other genres over the years, writing a lot of original material.

 

John is married with two grown children and has spent most of his professional life working with numbers and data.

 

A chance encounter with Music Therapy opened John's eyes to a whole world of possibilities and he decided on a complete change of career.

 

John plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass and dulcimer.

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NATALIE MORRISON (she/her)

Music Therapist



Natalie is a newly qualified music therapist. She is also a qualified primary school teacher with nine years of experience.

 

Natalie completed her MA in Music Therapy in 2023, at the University of South Wales. During her training, she co-facilitated online music therapy sessions for adult stroke survivors with acquired aphasia. Natalie also gained clinical experience working in SEN schools and at a children’s hospice. Natalie has worked with children and young adults with SEN, PMLD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury and a wide range of additional needs.

 

Natalie is a keyboardist and has experience of playing the keyboard and piano at churches, concerts, weddings, christenings, to accompany gospel choirs and singers. 

 

Natalie is interested in culturally sensitive music therapy and believes that music therapy should be accessible to everyone from all cultures and backgrounds. She strives to facilitate music therapy sessions with her clients’ needs at the forefront. Natalie looks forward to beginning her journey as a qualified music therapist.

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RACHEL PELL (she/her)

Music Therapist

Rachel is a qualified music therapist and primary school teacher, with an honours degree in music. She is also classically trained in clarinet and piano. She has a wealth of experience working with young people in a variety of settings such as classroom, outdoor activities and retreat centre.


Each experience has involved music in some capacity.


During her music therapy training at UWE, she gained further experience with young people in new settings, a hospital and a hospice. She also gained experience working with adults in a care home which has increased her interest in dementia care.


After becoming a mother, a deeper understanding and interest in the mother-baby relationship developed. This has also led to a keen interest in upskilling her communication skills, particularly through learning baby BSL. A skill that she hopes to develop further and utilise within her music therapy work for MTW.


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KATE FAWCETT (she/her)

Music Therapist & Clinical Lead

Kate studied languages before turning to music full time, performing as a freelance viola player alongside teaching.


She completed her music therapy training at UWE and has worked with a wide range of client populations since, including pupils in mainstream and SEND schools, children with autism and in hospice care, CAMHS inpatients, adults with learning disabilities and in community-based mental health programmes, and people suffering from dementia.


She has a keen interest in skillsharing, regularly working alongside orchestral musicians and care staff to enable the creative use of music for wellbeing. 

 


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SOPHIA PARKER


Finance Officer


Sophia is a Chartered Accountant and has been with Music Therapy Works since 2016.



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