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I was on vacation in Cape Town when I got connected with MusicWorks, a non-profit organization in the music therapy field. I then found out about the master’s program at the University of Pretoria and, touched by what I’d seen, decided to apply. As an American, I was surprised and excited to get accepted, and didn’t really know what to expect. I took a leap of faith and I took my small family with me.
It was the right decision. It’s a rigorous, thorough, and varied grounding in everything from theory, research, ethics, documentation and assessment, to training in clinical resources. The program is based in the Nordoff Robbins and community music therapy frameworks. Although it’s a highly ranked university (in the top 2% in the world) and academically challenging, it is much less expensive than others of similar ranking, making it excellent value.
I have had internships at schools, homes for the elderly, a psychiatric hospital, and for populations ranging from children with autism, cerebral palsy, or ADHD, to adults with Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, or drug addiction.
Studying in South Africa has stretched me on many levels. It’s eye-opening in ways difficult to articulate as someone who comes from such a different background. I’ve learned culturally sensitive music in isiXhosa and Afrikaans, participated in djembe drum circles, and learned gumboot dancing. I’ve connected with students from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Norway, and Israel. And I’ve gotten to do it in one of my favorite cities in the world, Cape Town.
Kalli Hiller
2nd year MT in South Africa (home country: USA)
March 2018
