About
For Joanne, training to become a music therapist represents a meaningful second act in life. Motivated by the growing potential of the creative arts within Singapore’s healthcare landscape, she hopes to contribute to supporting the geriatric population as Singapore prepares to become a super-aged society by 2030.
Born and raised in Singapore, Joanne’s lived experiences and cultural understanding are deeply rooted in the local context, shaping her sensitivity to the needs, values, and experiences of the communities she hopes to serve.
Her interest in ageing and palliative care is reflected in her master's thesis research examining perceptions of music therapy within multidisciplinary palliative care teams, drawing from international literature involving music therapists, doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. Through this work, she explored the evolving role of music therapy in supporting emotional wellbeing, communication, and quality of life within palliative care settings.
Prior to embarking on her music therapy training, Joanne spent several years working in finance, where she gained experience in project management and operations. This background cultivated qualities such as adaptability, resourcefulness, and attention to detail, which continue to inform her developing clinical practice and professional approach.
As she transitions into this new chapter, Joanne hopes to contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s evolving healthcare landscape through compassionate, culturally grounded, and person-centred music therapy practice. In the words of Victor Hugo, “Another story must begin.”
Exploring music therapy in multidisciplinary adult palliative care: A systematised review
Singapore is set to become a super-aged society by 2030, with one in four Singaporeans aged 65 and above (Lau, 2024). Hence, there is increased focus on palliative care (MOH, 2023) and the use of the creative arts in Singapore to support its ageing population in healthcare (Tan et al., 2021).
The perceptions of music therapy in multidisciplinary palliative care were examined through a systematised review of international research done by both music therapists (MT) and the other healthcare professionals in the multidisciplinary team (MDT) such as doctors, nurses, and other allied health therapists over the last 25 years.
Three themes were found: (1) common interest in the perceptions of the multidisciplinary team on the role of music therapy within the team; (2) different approaches to care; (3) challenges in measuring the efficacy of music therapy interventions.
Publications by both MDT and MT investigated the perceptions of music therapy in the multidisciplinary team. MDT focused more on pain and symptom management aligned with the biomedical approach to care (Pianese & Bordoni, 2025) while MT studies included emotional, spiritual and social needs aligned under the biopsychosocial approach to health (Farre et al., 2017).
Challenges in research include the lack of quantitative research to measure the efficacy of music therapy interventions, difficulty in generalising findings due to small participant sizes, and difficulty in isolating the effect of music therapy when measured against another active control intervention instead of standard care.
Given the collective interests from both MDT and MT on this topic, this review aims to provide insights to the international healthcare community, as well as inspire more local research between local healthcare professionals and music therapists to galvanise the integration of music therapy into the multidisciplinary palliative care team.
This song, titled 'Find Your Way', is a culmination of the reflections from our clinical and research training in the program. It is dedicated to the clients whom I have had the privilege of journeying with, my teachers and supervisors who have worked tirelessly to support us in our academic endeavours, and my fellow comrades who have soldiered on alongside me. May we all find our own way.
This song, titled Here and Now, was written by me for one of our coursework projects around the theme of 'Happiness' in my first year of study.
It describes my personal journey coming into this course and my interpretation of happiness. This song will culminate in my thesis artifact, about emerging from my training and paying tribute to the people that have made my journey possible.
Professional practice
Joanne’s developing music therapy practice is centred on supporting the geriatric population across hospice and palliative care, dementia care, mental health, and physical rehabilitation settings.
Grounded in a strong interest in Singapore’s evolving healthcare landscape as the nation moves towards becoming a super-aged society, she is particularly passionate about the role of music therapy in supporting emotional well-being, connection, dignity and quality of life among older adults.
Her clinical and research interests include multidisciplinary palliative care and the integration of creative arts within healthcare settings, with a focus on how music therapy can contribute meaningfully to holistic and person-centred care. Joanne is especially interested in collaborative healthcare practice and culturally responsive approaches that honour the lived experiences, identities, and needs of individuals within Singapore’s multicultural context.
Valerie Teo Minyi
Cassandra Chng
Liu Huiyi
Jeremy Nuyda Joson
Tan Jia Rou
Valerie Tiong Hui Ling
