Sinead Hegarty

Student Music Therapist at the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust & 2023 recipient of The KEECT Master of Music Therapy Award sponsored by the Gattung Foundation & supported by The Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. 

Sinead lives in the Hawkes Bay and is in her final year studying for a Master of Music Therapy degree at Victoria University. This scholarship comes with a monetary award of $8,000 and a minimum 750 hour placement with the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust. Sinead has chosen a highly important topic for her Masters research, based around how music therapy might be used to support community wellbeing during times of high stress and instability. We are thrilled to support Sinead’s journey towards a career in music therapy.

“I am beyond grateful to be selected as a recipient, I am excited and privileged to be able to carry out my final year of Masters research and placement in my home town. Due to the impact Cyclone Gabrielle has had on Hawkes bay, I am interested in looking at the role of music therapy in building and strengthening communities significantly impacted. I am particularly interested in trauma-informed, community based and bicultural ways of working. Through my placement with Raukatauri and support from this scholarship I hope to deepen my understanding of my emerging practice and develop an authentic way of working as a music therapist to support individuals and communities to access inner resources and tools to support healing and wellbeing. I feel empowered and well supported by this scholarship and the inspiring team at Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.” Sinead

Sinead’s musical background is predominantly in guitar, singing and song writing, having completed a diploma of music from Hawkes Bay’s Eastern institute of technology. Sinead enjoys the relational aspects of music and aims to develop a practice that facilitates safe and inclusive spaces for people to experience a genuine sense of belonging.

Through her study so far, Sinead has experience working with adults with intellectual disability and adults and adolescents experiencing complex mental health challenges.

Before studying music therapy, Sinead completed a bachelor of science in genetics at Otago and afterwards travelled overseas, living in Spain and Morocco. Sinead has a deep respect for non-western world views and believes in the importance of inter-cultural dialogue. Sinead hopes to continue developing cultural competency through her placement and professional development with Raukatauri.