Mary grew up in Norfolk and Suffolk where she first started playing the harp. She went on to read Music at St Peter’s College, Oxford University. After graduating she worked for a small arts centre in Suffolk as an audience development intern where she established the ArtsAward scheme for young people in the area. Following that she trained as a music therapist at the Guildhall School of Music.

 

Since qualifying she has worked as a music therapist with children and adults with a range of physical and mental health needs in children’s homes, schools, hospitals, and hospices. She also works for the British Lung Foundation as a Singing for Lung Health leader running singing groups for people with lung disease. She is currently undertaking further psychoanalytic study at the Tavistock Centre in London. 

 

She has been teaching students of all ages in a range of schools the pedal harp and Clarsach lever harp for the past 8 years and is especially keen on incorporating free improvisation into her lessons.