Shari Storie
- Preschool Children: Intellectual & Physical Disability
- Primary and Intermediate Children: Intellectual & Physical Disability
- Adolescent: Intellectual & Physical Disability, Mental Health
- Elderly: Mental Health, Aged Care & Dementia
I love experiencing sparks of connection, witnessing someone’s sparks of significant progress, exploring what my Master’s training and music can do within a safe therapeutic framework.
People’s strengths, goals and their whole person are central to my practice. I draw on psychodynamic and developmental theories in order to connect music with people’s non-musical needs.
Since graduating in 2012 I have enjoyed working with people across the lifespan including those living with special needs, neurological conditions, mental health and aged care including dementia. I work both in private practise and through contract work across Auckland and Waikato including a hospital, schools, residential care homes and facilities and organisations.
It has been a pleasure being part of the MThNZ Council and contributing to the growth of music therapy in NZ.

- Storie, S. (2017). Polyphony. In Molyneux, C. (Ed.), Only Connect: Poems and Stories from New Zealand Music Therapy. Nelson, NZ: Mountain Girl Publishing.
- Storie, S. (2017). The Room is Warm. In Molyneux, C. (Ed.), Only Connect: Poems and Stories from New Zealand Music Therapy. Nelson, NZ: Mountain Girl Publishing.
- Talmage, A., Storie, S., & Hicks, R., (2017) Choral Singing Therapy for people with neurological conditions: The CeleBRation Choir at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research. In Molyneux, C. (Ed.), Only Connect: Poems and Stories from New Zealand Music Therapy. Nelson, NZ: Mountain Girl Publishing.
- Storie, S. & Hoskyns, S. (2016). A music therapist’s speech and expressive language specific tool set. New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 14, 82-103.
- Thompson, N., Storie, S., & Purdy, S. (2016). “Catching the tune or channelling the beat”: A pilot study investigating the role of rhythm in therapeutic singing for aphasia. New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy, 14, 122-161.
- Storie, S. (2016). Group Music Therapy in a Mental Health Service with Older Adults: ‘It sure beats watching television’. In Miller, C. (Ed.), Arts Therapists in Multidisciplinary Settings: Working together for better outcomes. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
- Storie, S. (2016, May). How music therapy has been used to support speech and expressive language development for pre-school children with special needs. Presentation to the Music Therapy Symposium of the Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland: Celebrating Music Therapy and Musical Partnerships. Auckland, New Zealand.
- Talmage, A., Ludlam, S., Leao, S., Fogg-Roger, L., & Purdy, S. (2013). Leading the CeleBRation Choir: The Choral Singing Therapy protocol and the role of the music therapist in a social singing group for adults with neurological conditions. New Zealand Journal of Music Therapy 11, 7-50.
- Ludlam, S. (2011, September). How music therapy has been used to support speech and expressive language development for pre-school children with special needs. Thesis presentation to the conference of the New Zealand School of Music: Music Therapy Performing and Inquiring. Wellington, New Zealand.
- Read about David’s experience with Music Therapy with Shari
- Watch the CeleBRation Choir get ready for New Zealand’s first ever Music Therapy Week Symposium on One News, aired Sunday 22 May 2016
- Liz Gunn interviews NZRMThs Shari Storie and Libby Johns on 13th Floor, Music Therapy Week 2017
- Watch the CeleBRation Choir’s Film Shari put together for Brain Day 2017
- Read Shari’s blog about being a Registered Music Therapist

Shari Storie
NZ Registered Music Therapist
Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Statistics),
Bachelor of Music (Composition) Conjoint, 2009
Master of Music Therapy (First Class Honours), 2012