Afra Jurkiewicz — Music therapist and musician

My name is Afra and I am passionate about working with music and people. I studied music at Newcastle University and University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Later on, I trained as a music therapist at Nordoff-Robbins centre in London and worked across the North East of England since 2018. I moved to Herefordshire in 2024 in search of new stories and adventures.

As a music therapist, I care about building communities through music and art, offering experiences of health, well-being and belonging. I have worked with people in various challenging life circumstances, using music as a tool for connection, communication and social interaction.

As a community musician, I have led community choirs and worked with London-based Groundswell Arts on Sing my Story project, writing bespoke songs for children and their families.

I have more than a decade of experience as a music teacher both privately and in music schools, including The Music House for Children in London. I was trained as a classical pianist in a rigorous Eastern European tradition. Having experienced severe performance anxiety throughout my school years, as a teacher I strive to make music accessible to children and help them grow a fulfilling connection with music based on exploration and curiosity and built on individual's strengths and resources.

I also help adults grow confidence to explore their relationship with music. It often happens that people leave the idea of playing instruments behind due to busy life and careers. I enjoy helping adults to bring musicking back in their lives.

Outside of work, I enjoy playing music with friends, reading, gardening and wild swimming.