Music Therapy Association of Ontario

Music Therapy Association of Ontario The MTAO is a provincial chapter of the Canadian Association for Music Therapy. MTAO is a provincial chapter of the Canadian Association for Music Therapy.

The Music Therapy Association of Ontario (MTAO) serves as a unifying body for Music Therapists: promoting, developing, and supporting the profession of Music Therapy in the province of Ontario. We aim to protect the status of the profession, promote ethical practice, share information and uphold the professional and educational standards of Music Therapy in Ontario. https://linktr.ee/mtao

08/21/2026

Welcome to another MTAO Musical Friday! Where each week, one of our members shares a song or musical experience that has been or could be useful and meaningful in a music therapy context.

Today we have our Public Relations Chair, Callahan Connor, MMT, MTA () sharing a mindful listening improvisation, musically responding to the sounds in the world around him (notably the swelling of cicadas and the soft whooshing of passing cars).

Spontaneous creative sound-making can be intimidating and vulnerable for many people, and our anxieties can pull our minds in many directions away from the present moment. Mindfully attending to our senses, e.g. listening intently to the world around us, can bring us back into our bodies, back into a sense of connection with nature, and can offer a chance for spontaneous responding that may sidestep anxiety and intimidation. Waiting and listening can change the nature of the musical task, removing some of the stress of making the first sound, and shifting the attention away from good/bad/beautiful/ugly sound (or other judgments) and onto a simpler relatedness to the moment. This can offer a liberating and holistically connective experience.

Here Callahan is using a fiddle and responding to the dynamic sound changes he notices (e.g. volume, pitch, texture, sound length and sound source) with his own impulsive choices on the fiddle, ‘dialoguing’ with the sounds of the world around him. This demonstrates a one-on-one type of structure, but during most sessions, clients would also be invited to join the sonic dialogue space with their own sounds.

For a client who does not play the fiddle, voice, percussive elements, or steel tongue drum may be better suited to invite a positive, mindful experience, but any creative adaptation is possible.

Music therapists: do you have other ways that you like to invite mindfulness through musicking? Please do share in the comments! ☺️

Don't forget! Registration is now open for ! This year, our event details will be stored on our Eventbrite link (https:...
08/20/2026

Don't forget! Registration is now open for ! This year, our event details will be stored on our Eventbrite link (https://buff.ly/JZnomeq). Any questions or concerns can be directed to Jessica, our education chair, at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you all!

Meet the Concurrent Speakers! Learn more about each speaker and their presentations on our event website (https://buff...
08/17/2026

Meet the Concurrent Speakers! Learn more about each speaker and their presentations on our event website (https://buff.ly/b1b9tvk), where you can also purchase tickets. We look forward to seeing you all in Waterloo in October!

08/14/2026

Hey, it's MTAO Musical Friday! Where each week, one of our members shares a song or musical experience that can be or has been useful and meaningful in a music therapy context.

Today we have our Public Relations Chair, Callahan Connor, MMT, MTA (Callahan Connor) sharing a call-and-response singing structure in the form of the old sea shanty "A Drop Of Nelson's Blood", with the lyrics modified to explain how it might be facilitated.

Callahan has used this format several times in long-term care, where the repeated choruses and similarly structured verses can allow for familiarity and the satisfaction of skill growth to develop even through cognitive and short-term memory challenges. The steady beat (shown here by a hand tapping the chest) may ideally be expressed as a collective foot tapping for rhythmic entrainment and a sense of playful group togetherness, but can of course be modified in its tempo and physicalization to suit participant needs.

The creative fill-in-the-blank element can be a fun addition, where participants can imagine and suggest various things that "wouldn't do [them] any harm", such as favourite foods or games.

Music therapists: how else have you or would you want to explore call-and-response singing with clients? Please share in the comments! ☺️

Meet Thyra Andrews of , our closing speaker at ! Thyra Andrews (she/her), RP, MA, MTA, Advanced Vocal Psychotherapist, ...
08/12/2026

Meet Thyra Andrews of , our closing speaker at ! Thyra Andrews (she/her), RP, MA, MTA, Advanced Vocal Psychotherapist, is the founder and president of New Song Music Therapy, serving over 30 long-term care homes across Ontario. With 19 years of clinical experience and 17 years of business ownership, she has grown the organization from a solo practice into a multidisciplinary team. Thyra specializes in music psychotherapy with older adults and has extensive experience supervising students and clinicians. She is passionate about ethical leadership, professional development, and preparing future music therapists for the realities of healthcare practice.

Thyra's presentation is entitled "What They Don't Teach You About Being a Music Therapist". You graduated with clinical skills—but what about professionalism, workplace relationships, difficult conversations, leadership, and navigating healthcare systems? Through stories from nearly two decades of practice and building New Song Music Therapy, discover the lessons that shape a meaningful and sustainable career beyond the classroom.

You can learn more about Thyra and register for the conference on our event page (https://buff.ly/RZzv8Pw). We look forward to seeing you there!

Meet Briana Gregoris, our opening speaker at ! Briana Gregoris is a Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, and Ne...
08/11/2026

Meet Briana Gregoris, our opening speaker at ! Briana Gregoris is a Music Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, and Neurologic Music Therapist who is passionate about advancing the role of music therapy in healthcare through program development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and knowledge sharing. She is an advocate for the recognition of music therapy as an essential healthcare service within her organization and across York Region.

Briana's presentation is titled "Behind the Curtain: Building a Career in Hospital Music Therapy". Music therapy is increasingly recognized within healthcare, yet hospital-based positions remain limited. This presentation shares a personal journey of establishing a music therapy career in a local hospital, exploring expectations, realities, advocacy efforts, and key lessons learned. Attendees will gain insight into fostering growth and sustainability within medical settings.

Visit our event page (https://buff.ly/RZzv8Pw ) to learn more about Briana and to register for the conference! We look forward to seeing you there!

📢 WE HAVE NEWS! registration is officially open!! Stay tuned for details as we reveal them on our socials. Or, if you ...
08/11/2026

📢 WE HAVE NEWS! registration is officially open!! Stay tuned for details as we reveal them on our socials. Or, if you don't want to wait, head over to our event page on Eventbrite (https://buff.ly/wEJ3H92 ) to get a first look! We can't wait to see you in Waterloo this year :)

Did you know music activates multiple areas of the brain at once?Music can:• Support memory recall• Improve motor coordi...
08/05/2026

Did you know music activates multiple areas of the brain at once?

Music can:

• Support memory recall

• Improve motor coordination

• Regulate mood

• Enhance speech and communication

• Reduce stress and anxiety

Because music engages cognitive, emotional, and motor systems simultaneously, it is a uniquely powerful therapeutic tool.

That’s why music therapy isn’t just meaningful, it’s measurable.

Today's instalment is brought to you by our Secretary, Danielle Nichols, BMT, MTA:MTAO Musical Friday! Today we're going...
07/31/2026

Today's instalment is brought to you by our Secretary, Danielle Nichols, BMT, MTA:

MTAO Musical Friday! Today we're going to feature a unique instrument that many music therapists in Canada use. Invented in the 90's in Quebec, Gilles Perrault was inspired to create the instrument by combining his love of both music and woodworking. On his website, he says "From the first months of this journey, my gaze was attracted by amazing old versions of instruments from the slit drum family such as the Aztec teponatzly and more contemporary versions like “tongue drums”, log drums etc." What he created is a beautifully, handmade wooden instrument that is both easy to play and enjoyable to listen to. 

As a music therapist, I have used this instrument in almost every situation I have worked in. Because it is easy to play, (and easy to adapt), people across the lifespan can find ways of engaging with the instrument. I use it mainly as an improvisation instrument, because its tuning (a minor-pentatonic scale) allows for music to sound pleasant even on a first try. While "sounding pleasant" is not the goal of improvisation in music therapy, it does help clients to feel comfortable and confident, allowing them to try other instruments and broaden their library of expression tools. It's easy to play as an individual or in a duet situation, whether that be two clients or the client and the therapist. The kiddo in the duet video here is just three years old!

For more information, you can visit the tamboa website at: https://www.tamboa.com/en/percussion-instrument/

07/24/2026

Welcome to another MTAO Musical Friday! Every week, one of our members shares a song or musical experience that can be or has been meaningful and useful in a music therapy context.

This week we have our Public Relations Chair, Callahan Connor, MMT, MTA (Callahan Connor) sharing a co-improvisation with an assistant who preferred to remain anonymous. The assistant plays a steel tongue drum that has 6 notes and is an A major pentatonic scale, and Callahan plays a chord progression on guitar that he wrote to support such improvisation.

The major pentatonic scale has sometimes been called 'the music therapist's secret weapon', as it contains very consonant intervals that will sound harmonious in any order. This may grant a hesitant or self-conscious client access to a sense of aesthetic beauty in their own sound, which can be encouraging and empowering for further self-expression. Another handy major pentatonic scale can be explored on a piano or keyboard by playing only the black keys.

Music therapists: are there particular scales you like to explore with your clients for various reasons? Are there other instruments or devices you like to use to help facilitate co-improvisation? Please do share in the comments ☺️

Address

Kingston, ON
K7K THROUGH K7P

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Music Therapy Association of Ontario posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Music Therapy Association of Ontario:

Shortcuts

Share

Category