Name: Nicky Haire
PhD Title: Investigating humour and improvisation in music therapy
Department: Reid School of Music
Supervisors: Professor Raymond MacDonald & Dr. Rachel Darnley-Smith
Email: Nicky.Haire@ed.ac.uk
Biography
Nicky has been working as a musician and violin teacher all over the UK for the past twenty years. Her interest in understanding improvisation in terms of communication, relationship and health led her to train as a music therapist in 2006. As a music therapist she has worked in schools and hospitals with children with disabilities, adolescents with complex emotional difficulties and older adults with dementia and mental health issues.
In addition to music therapy work in the UK, Nicky has been lead music therapist for Music as Therapy International’s Project Rwanda since 2010, visiting south-west Rwanda regularly and working with local partners and care staff at two centres for children with disabilities. (http://www.musicastherapy.org/about/where-we-work/rwanda)
Research Interests
Nicky’s research interests are wide-ranging. She is particularly interested in empathetic improvisation; humour, creativity and play in relationships in music therapy; performative and clinical improvisation; and the body in music therapy. Nicky is passionate about cross-disciplinary collaboration across the arts and health spectrum.
She is an active member of the Reid School of music’s Concurrent Research Network (http://www.concurrent.music.ed.ac.uk/2017/08/08/concurrent-in-japan/) and well known nationally and internationally in the music therapy field.
Musical Interests
After emerging from a classical training in music, Nicky developed a specific interest in free improvisation, the process of empathetic improvisation and relating non-verbally through sound and music.
She shares the role of Improvisation Network Co-ordinator for the British Association for Music Therapy and currently runs the monthly improvisation evening for music therapists in Edinburgh: ‘Space to Play’.
She works with musicians Mairi Campbell and Su-a Lee in an improvising string trio, as well as with The Glasgow Improviser’s Orchestra and The Authentic Artist Collective, also contributing to regular improvisation nights Something Smashing and Bitches Brew.
Publications
Haire, N., White, B., & Derrington, P. (2017). ‘The Arts Therapist in Public: The Dichotomy of Clinical and Performative Improvising’. Voices: A World Forum For Music Therapy, 17(3).
Doi.10.15845/voices.v17i3.927 https://www.voices.no/index.php/voices/article/view/927
Haire, N., (2015). ‘Using the violin in music therapy’ in Flute, accordion or clarinet? Using the characteristics of our instruments in music therapy Eds. Oldfield A., Tomlinson. J., & Loombe, D. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Haire, N., Anderson, C., Leith, H., Mackie, C., Quin, A. (2012). ‘Using music with people with disabilities: sharing good practice. A DVD’. Music as therapy International: Project Rwanda.
Haire, N. & Oldfield, A. (2009). ‘Adding humour to the music therapist’s tool-kit: reflections on its role in child psychiatry’ in British Journal of Music Therapy Vol. 23 No. 1 pp. 27 – 34. http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/doi/abs/10.1177/135945750902300104
Invited Lectures & Conference Presentations
Haire, N. (2017). ‘Humour in Music therapy: Improvising Change’. Paper presentation. Moving Forward with Music Therapy: Inspiring the Next Generation. 15th World Congress of Music Therapy, Tsukuba, Japan
Haire, N. & Bruce, K., (2016). ‘Taking our place: the impact of the 2014 independence referendum in Scotland on personal, political and professional identities in music therapy.’ Paper presentation. Re-visioning our voice: Resourcing music therapy for contemporary needs, 2nd BAMT Conference, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
Haire, N. & Bentley, J., (2015). ‘Mapping musics in dementia care in Scotland: community musicians and music therapists approaching dementia together’ Paper presentation. Music therapy and dementia care in the 21st Century, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
Haire, N., Anderson, C., Quin, A., & Pavlicevic, M., (2014). ‘Sharing Good Practice in Rwanda and Beyond: The Role of Digital Media’. Roundtable presentation at the 14th World Congress of Music Therapy, Krems.
Haire, N. (2014) ‘Music as Therapy International’s Project Rwanda’. Paper presentation. The Music Therapy and Young People Symposium, Verona.
Haire, N. & Anderson, C. (2012). ‘Teaching Teachers: Music as Therapy International’s Project Rwanda’ Paper presentation at Music Therapy and Dramatherapy with children in Educational Settings, Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge.
Poster Presentations
Haire, N., MacLean, E., & Joseph, J., (2017). Arts Therapies Approaches to Person-Centred Care in NHS Lothian. Poster presentation at the Alzheimer Scotland Conference: International Insights, National Innovation, Local Inspiration, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, 2nd June, 2017.
Haire, N., (2016). Music Therapy: The Art of Working With People With Dementia Poster presentation at British Association of Music Therapy Round Table Discussion: Music Therapy and Dementia: Enriching Life When it is Needed Most at The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 3rd February 2016.
Haire, N. (2014). Music as Therapy International in Rwanda. Poster presentation at the 1st BAMT Conference, Counterpoints: Music Therapy Practice in the 21st Century, Birmingham. 21st-23rd February 2014.
Performances/Recordings
Bittersweet – The Lucy Cavendish Singers
http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk/cd-recordings#overlay-context=cd-bittersweet
Pico – Subzar
I am not yet here – Subzar
Funding Awarded
2017 The Great British Sasakawa Foundation
2017 ECA PhD Scholarship
Teaching
Visiting Lecturer: Empathetic improvisation in music therapy, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
Visiting Lecturer: Project Rwanda, MSc Music Therapy, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
Group or Event Organisation
2017 – 2018 Scientific Committee, BAMT Conference 2018: Music, Diversity and Wholeness
2015 – current Peer reviewer for several journals, including British Journal of Music Therapy, and Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy
2015 – current Concurrent; Edinburgh University Improvisation & Research group
2015 – current Co-ordinator British Association for Music Therapy Improvisation Network
2015 – 2017 Co-ordinator British Association for Music Therapy Area Group, Scotland
2015 – 2017 Alzheimer Scotland AHP Dementia Expert Group
2015 – 2017 Life Changes Trust Music Steering Group
2014 – 2015 Scientific Committee, ECARTE European Consortium of Arts Therapies Education
2014 – 2015 Scottish Music Therapy Trust (Treasurer)
Other
2011 – current Music as Therapy International’s Project Rwanda Steering Group
2010 – current Music as Therapy International’s Advisory Panel
2008 – current Registered with Health and Care Professions Council (AS13446)
2006 – current Full member of British Association of Music Therapy (7915)