Music therapist · Developer · Newcastle, Australia
I'm Carlin. I'm a music therapist who also loves building things. Alongside my clinical work, I develop apps and digital tools that help people make music, connect with others and express themselves.
Individual and group sessions through Play Anything Music Therapy, the practice I started in 2017.
My practice → 02Apps and web tools for communication, music-making and regulation, shaped by what actually happens in sessions.
Projects and apps → 03Research, writing, speaking and platforms like Supervisory that help allied health clinicians support each other.
Writing and speaking →A lot of what I build starts in clinical work. Some of it just starts with an idea I can't let go of.
A growing collection of free digital tools for music therapists, including visual schedules, choice boards, soundboards, Beat Garden and Finger Gym. They're web apps that open in seconds on any device, and your work saves to your account.
A place for allied health professionals to find the right clinical supervisor. Natalie Jack and I started it because supervisees kept telling us how hard that was. It's free for supervisees.
supervisory.com.au →Making music, creativity and self-expression more accessible through technology.
Titles, chords and lyric prompts for songwriting.
A switch-accessible story of music and high-contrast art.
Music-making with no wrong notes.
An accessible metronome, with music therapist Joe Thompson.
Tap, play and communicate with sound.
Visual choice-making for communication.
Step-by-step plans with pictures.
A minimal ambient space to slow down.
Also: Sea Shanty Lyrics, Easy Play Piano, Old Mac, Ocean Adventure and more. All apps on the App Store →
My practice
I started Play Anything Music Therapy in 2017, and it's grown into a practice supporting people of all ages and abilities across Newcastle and the Hunter.
Our sessions are shaped around each person's interests, needs and goals. That might mean playing instruments, singing, songwriting, moving to music or simply listening and reflecting together.
Much of my clinical work is with children and adults with disability. It's also a big source of inspiration for the digital tools I develop.
Alongside individual therapy, we work with schools, hospitals, aged care services and community organisations.
Music technology can make therapy more accessible and more motivating, but clinicians have had little guidance on when it actually helps. This article proposes a simple framework for deciding when, how and why to bring technology into a session.
Australian Journal of Music Therapy, Vol. 32(1), Special Edition
Speaking
I speak at conferences and run workshops on music, technology and accessibility, for clinicians, students and anyone curious about how music can include more people.
I like working with people who care about access, whether they're clinicians, researchers, educators, developers or organisations. If you have an idea that sits somewhere between therapy and technology, I'd love to hear it.
Whether it's a project, a question or an idea for a tool, send me a message.
