BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MUSIC THERAPY

The British Society for Music Therapy was founded in 1958 by Juliette Alvin and her colleagues under the name of 'Society for Music Therapy and Remedial Music' with the object of promoting the use and development of music therapy.  This is still, in 2005, our aim.  The BSMT is a Registered Charity, Number 260837.

At that time music therapy was scarcely known as a profession, although music had been acknowledged as a means of healing for thousands of years.  The BSMT was vital in supporting the work of the early pioneers and in helping the developing profession to gain the respect and status which it now enjoys.  The BSMT has grown into an organisation which reaches people with an interest in music therapy all over the UK and worldwide.

The BSMT acts as an advisory body and is a centre of information and dissemination on services, training, bibliography and research, receiving from home and abroad a vast number of enquiries on all aspects of music therapy.

Membership of the British Society for Music Therapy is open to anyone interested in music therapy.  The international membership of the BSMT (currently around 800 people) represents many different professions including music therapists, musicians, medical and para-medical personnel, teachers, social workers, parents and students.  Since 2000 members of the Association of Professional Music Therapists have automatically become members of the BSMT.  Please go to the Membership page for further details.

The Society is run by the Chairperson, Executive Committee members and the administration team in the BSMT Office.  The Executive Committee meets regularly in London to plan the future activities of the Society as well as the everyday running of the BSMT.  Further committees are set up to deal with other events, such as the successful 10th World Congress of Music Therapy, held in Oxford from the 23rd-28th July 2002 with over 800 therapists attending.  This huge event was planned by an Organising Committee of 8 music therapists and an International Scientific Committee of 22 music therapists and the administration team in the BSMT office. 

There is also an Advisory Council.