Jean Eisler — Interviewed by Rachel Verney

Jean Eisler, now 83 and still only semi-retired, has worked in her second career as a music therapist for 27 years, her experience spanning much of the development of the profession in Britain. Her life and first career as a musician was also eventful. She came from a musically active family, was a pupil of Gustav Holst at St Paul's Girls School, studied in Vienna and at the Royal College of Music before the war, and spent 25 years in Prague along the way – much of it with her husband and family in political exile. She is currently Consultant Music Therapist at the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre, London.

Rachel Verney was also trained by Nordoff and Robbins and is currently a tutor on the training course at the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre. Rachel asks Jean about how she came into music therapy, and about the many events she has witnessed in the development of music therapy in Britain.