The Music Therapy Skills logo represents Oli’s accumulative approach to music. He started his musical journey playing recorder, keyboard and then eventually clarinet and saxophone. Oli is self-taught on all of his instruments. Whenever he starts a new instrument, he looks to his other instruments for a starting point.

Fast forward many years to his music therapy career, Oli continues to employ that same approach: drawing on his existing skills when he encounters a new musical and therapeutic challenges. His guitar playing is greatly informed by his piano playing, which was greatly informed by his clarinet playing. This approach led to his PhD study in adapting classical piano skills to therapeutic applications of the guitar.

The hybrid instrument in the logo has the body of a guitar and the bell of a clarinet. It represents Oli’s integrated approach to musicking, using established skills from his past to navigate challenges in his future.