About
Jia Rou is a Singapore-based music therapist originally from Malaysia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Classical Music Performance and later pursued her Master’s in Music Therapy in Singapore, bringing together her strong musical foundation with a growing passion for therapeutic and relational work through music.
Her clinical training has provided opportunities to work across both special education and elderly care settings, supporting individuals with diverse cognitive, emotional, communication, and physical needs. Through these clinical experiences, she has developed a sensitive and adaptable approach that values each individual’s unique strengths, experiences, and ways of relating.
Throughout her master’s training, Jia Rou completed three clinical placements that deeply shaped both her therapeutic identity and musical practice. Across healthcare and educational settings, she explored how music can support emotional expression, interpersonal connection, engagement, and overall wellbeing. These experiences reinforced her belief in music’s ability to create meaningful moments of connection, especially where words may feel insufficient.
Drawing from both her musical and therapeutic background, Jia Rou is committed to creating responsive and relational musical spaces where individuals feel heard, supported, and connected as demonstrated in her Master's research topic. She sees music not only as an artistic medium, but also as a powerful means of fostering communication, identity, and human connection.
The role of culture music Xinyao in reminiscence and emotional expression among Chinese elderly residents in Singapore
Singapore’s rapidly ageing population highlights the needs of culturally relevant interventions which promote emotional well-being and social connection among older adults.
Research has shown music therapy has positive effects on reminiscence and emotional expression. However, research on culturally specific music, like Singapore’s locally composed Mandarin pop genre, Xinyao, has been under explored.
This study was intended to provide insights for developing Xinyao-based, culturally sensitive music that was appropriate for use in music therapy interventions, which supports reminiscence, emotional expression and cultural identity among older adults in Singapore.
A qualitative research design was used for this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews to assess participants’ emotional responses, personal memories as well as cultural connections to Xinyao music. Individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted in English and Chinese, audio recorded, transcribed and analysed to identify key themes while ensuring accessibility and comfort for elderly participants.
The findings indicated that Xinyao was able to facilitate emotional expression, reminiscence but not much impact on self-identity. The result also suggested that the effectiveness of Xinyao is highly influenced by the individual’s personal life experiences and how they associate with the music.
This study adds to the research on cultural songs and music in enhancing therapeutic benefits in music therapy, especially for Chinese older adults within Singapore.
Professional practice
Jia Rou’s developing practice as a music therapist is grounded in a client-centred and relational approach that emphasises therapeutic presence, empathy, and cultural sensitivity. Rooted in humanistic values, her work places strong importance on attunement to both verbal and non-verbal forms of expression within the therapeutic relationship, recognising that meaningful communication often extends beyond words alone.
During her clinical placements, Jia Rou discovered a strong passion for working with older adults and the elderly population. She values creating therapeutic musical spaces where individuals feel safe to express emotions, share memories, and connect meaningfully with others. Central to her practice is the importance of being fully present with clients and listening deeply to both spoken and unspoken forms of communication. She believes these moments often reveal significant emotions, lived experiences, and aspects of identity that may otherwise remain unseen or unarticulated.
Among the various music therapy approaches, Music and Imagery is the modality that resonates most strongly with Jia Rou, and one she is especially interested in continuing to develop within her practice. She is deeply drawn to the way music can evoke memories, emotions, and inner reflections that support emotional processing, self-awareness, and self-expression.
In her clinical work, Jia Rou also frequently facilitated song discussions, using music as a catalyst for communication, storytelling, and therapeutic connection. Through conversations centred around songs that held personal meaning, she witnessed how music could open pathways to exploring relationships, cultural identity, grief, joy, life transitions, and personal histories.
These shared musical experiences not only strengthened therapeutic engagement, but also deepened Jia Rou’s understanding of resilience, human connection, and the importance of listening with empathy, openness, and presence.
Clinical placements
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Ren Ci Community Hospital
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Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School
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ECON Healthcare Center Henderson
Chia Jing Xuan (Jingle)
Bakti Khair
Lee Pui Yee Rosalind
Valerie Teo Minyi
Liu Huiyi
Cassandra Chng
