Elizabeth

What were the best things about the course?

When I was looking up study course options for a degree in music, Surrey was the only programme I found that covered such a rich variety of topic areas. 

Whilst other universities were very heavy on modules like Austro-German and classical music, the Surrey course had modules like Science of Sound, World Music, Music and Politics, and - most motivating of all for me at the time - a Music Therapy module!

What do you do now? How did your degree from Surrey help you achieve this?

I now work as a Neurologic Music Therapist, specialising in paediatric and adult acquired brain injury. I support patients to rehabilitate speech, cognition and movement using music and I do this in a mixture of inpatient and community settings. Supporting emotional wellbeing and psychological adjustment to life post-injury is also integral to my work. Neurologic Music Therapy offers clients a truly holistic clinical intervention as part of their rehabilitation.

What’s your advice to current students?

Be a sponge. University offers many wonderful opportunities, but the access to dedicated learning is invaluable. 

Absorb not just what's in front of you on your own course, but expose yourself to relationships and students studying different things. Be curious. Ask big questions. 

It's easy to get in your own course bubble, but you never know what unexpected learning might spark inspiration for the direction your life ends up taking after graduating. I never expected to become passionate about neuroscience but I fell in love with what music can do for the brain.