Dr Vicky Abad is a Registered Music Therapist with national and international clinical experience in paediatric and early intervention music therapy and music early learning. What began as one informal music group at Nundah in 2007, is today a multi-faceted business that supports and enhances the lives of children and their families.

Brisbane-based Music Beat Australia provides community music, music early learning, education and music therapy programs for children and adults of all abilities. Dr Vicky, founder and managing director, has just returned from a university speaking tour in the United States, where she presented at 10 events at three universities. She was in the US to present a series of workshops and events for her book, The Economics of Therapy co-edited with Daniel Thomas, and chapter author Dr Becky Zarate.

“The concept of the book is that therapists have highly developed core clinical skills that are transferable to the business world,” Vicky said, “Dan and I wrote the book to show art therapists, counsellors, nurses and music therapists how to run successful businesses that were also profitable, and ethical.”

“The academic, therapeutic and student communities in the United States have really embraced the concept of the book,” Vicky said. This approach has seen Music Beat Australia grow from one mothers’ music group that Vicky started with friends when her daughter was just four months old to the business it is today. “As the business grew I struggled with what I perceived as clashes between my therapy world and the business world I had to now navigate. I didn’t want my business to lose its heart or soul as we expanded.”

Vicky has published widely and has presented and keynoted in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Norway, Austria and the United Kingdom. She is also the President of the Australian Music Therapy Association.

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