Musical care at the beginning of life: a call for greater access

Barriers to access

The study, which was funded by the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust and by UKRI’s Knowledge Exchange and Policy Support Funds, surveyed 578 parents and 50 providers across the UK and identified several barriers to accessing musical care. Parents often struggled with the high cost of activities, geographical inaccessibility, and a lack of options that suited their cultural and personal needs. Practitioners, on the other hand, highlighted the challenge of limited funding, insufficient training opportunities, and a lack of coordination to deliver sustainable and inclusive services.

Dr Neta Spiro, Reader in Performance Science at the Royal College of Music, commented: "Parents surveyed in our UK-wide study reported barriers to accessing musical care, including distance from home and cost. Similarly, some practitioners shared that they don’t always have the support or resources to deliver suitable musical care activities."

These challenges are exacerbated by broader economic and health disparities, creating inequitable access to services that are critical during this formative period of life.

Policy recommendations

To address these issues, the project brought together parents, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to co-develop a set of recommendations aimed at increasing equitable access to musical care. These proposals are designed to foster long-term sustainability, inclusivity, and integration of musical care into existing healthcare and community frameworks.

The recommendations towards musical care pathways are:

1. Ensure long-term funding opportunities for musical care activities and research during the beginning of life, as part of a future strategy for musical care
2. Create a collaborative environment for place-based approaches and community spaces
3. Include and recognise musical care in quality standards and guidance to ensure a targeted approach that can recognise the importance of musical care
4. Empower the musical care workforce with the skills they need for high-quality and safe practice

Dr Sanfilippo emphasised the importance of this work, adding: “There is clear evidence of the value of musical care, but without proper funding and structural support, it remains out of reach for too many families. We need to create pathways that allow everyone to benefit from musical care, regardless of their circumstances.”

A stepped-care approach

The team – which includes researchers from the University of South Wales, Anglia Ruskin University and Happity – also advocates for a stepped-care model, where families can access the level of support that meets their needs. This might range from specialised music therapy sessions for those requiring intensive support to community-based parent-and-baby music groups. The model would allow families to move seamlessly between levels of care as their needs evolve.

"A stepped-care approach in which people access support that is right for them, from intensive and specialised interventions such as music therapy sessions to lower intensity care in the community, could address this need. This would require sufficient funding, collaboration, training, research and support," added Dr Spiro.

Towards a musical future

The project’s findings and recommendations provide a roadmap for making musical care accessible and impactful for all families. However, achieving this vision will require commitment from policymakers, practitioners, and communities.

With the launch of their policy recommendations, Dr Sanfilippo, Dr Spiro and the team are calling for a national conversation on the importance of musical care. They hope to inspire action that ensures every family, regardless of their background, can harness the power of music to give their children the best possible start in life.

For more information, visit the project's website or explore the full policy recommendations: https://musicalcareresearch.com/research-projects/