As our world grows more complex, we continue searching for ways to foster connection, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being. Music therapy serves as the bridge that provides both comfort and transformation—from enhancing everyday moments to having profound effects on brain function and behaviour.
The profession of music therapy has emerged as a powerful therapy service for reducing stress, alleviating pain, managing depression, and improving mood, memory, and motivation. It is not about passive listening—it’s an active, evidence-based process led by highly trained professionals – more than music. With March being Music Therapy Awareness Month in Canada, now is the perfect time to highlight the role of certified music therapists and the impact of their work.
Music Therapy: A Profession Rooted in Science and Connection
At its core, music therapy is about connection. It is not just about the music itself, but the therapeutic relationship that forms between the client and therapist. Research shows that better therapeutic relationships lead to better outcomes (Horvath, 2019). In this way, music therapy is both an art and a science—merging musical engagement with clinical expertise to help people move forward in their lives.
Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) in Calgary and across Canada work across healthcare, education, and community settings, supporting individuals with a wide range of needs. In my experience, the most meaningful moments in therapy often happen in seconds—when a person feels seen, heard, and connected through music.
Take, for example, a young boy I worked with who had lost his ability to speak after a traumatic brain injury. Words failed him, but rhythm did not. When the music therapist was hired to co-treat with his speech language pathologist, together over time the child regained his ability to vocalize, then to form words, and eventually, to sing simple phrases. The music gave him a way back to the words that had become so difficult after injury.
This is the heart of evidence-based music therapy. It is a clinical and evidence-based approach that helps people recover, adapt, and express themselves in ways they otherwise might not.
How Music Therapy is Applied in Healthcare Settings
Music therapy services are integrated into healthcare settings worldwide, from neonatal care to end-of-life care. Certified Music Therapists are part of multidisciplinary teams, working alongside doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to provide whole-person care.
Key Areas Where Music Therapy Makes an Impact:
✅ Neurorehabilitation and Recovery: Helping stroke and brain injury survivors regain motor skills, speech, and memory. (Learn how music therapy enhances neurorehabilitation.)
✅ Mental Health & Trauma Recovery: Supporting individuals with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions. (Discover how music therapy bridges the gap in mental health services.)
✅ Dementia Care & Healthy Aging: Stimulating memory, reducing agitation, and improving quality of life for seniors. (Read a touching story of how music transcends words and dementia.)
✅ Palliative & Hospice Care: Providing comfort, connection, and emotional expression at the end of life. (Explore the role of music therapy in ICU and palliative care.)
✅ Chronic Pain Management: Reducing the perception of pain and supporting physical recovery. (Learn about the health benefits of singing for body and mind.)
✅ Workplace Wellness Programs: Reducing stress, relieving burnout, boosting productivity and focus in corporate settings. (Understand how music impacts productivity in the workplace.)
The science backs it up. Recent studies on music therapy effectiveness show that it:
🎵 Reduces pain perception by up to 21% (Bradt & Dileo, 2014).
🎵 Lowers anxiety levels by 25% in medical settings.
🎵 Stimulates neuroplasticity, helping the brain rewire itself after injury.
Learn more about our music therapy research
But perhaps the most compelling evidence comes from the people themselves.
The Human Side of Music Therapy: Client Success Stories
One of our clients, Greg, a corporate executive who suffered a stroke, shared:
“Music therapy helped me find myself when so much of me was taken away. The music therapist helped heal my voice, my hands, and my heart.”
Another client, a woman living with dementia, hadn’t spoken in years—until, during a personalized music therapy session, she suddenly began singing the words to her wedding song. For her husband, it was a moment of reconnection that seemed impossible just moments before.
These experiences highlight how professional music therapy services are not just about making music—they’re about reaching meaningful goals that can make lives better.
Want to learn more?
Discover more about:
The Future of Music Therapy: Expanding Access and Awareness in Canada
As music therapy gains recognition, more hospitals, mental health facilities, and long-term care homes are integrating it into their care models. From helping premature infants regulate their heart rate to reconnecting seniors with lost memories, music therapy interventions are powerful, non-invasive tools for recovery, health, and well-being.
Every community should have access to a Certified Music Therapist—whether in hospitals, continuing care facilities, or outreach programs—ensuring those who need it most receive its benefits. As we mark Music Therapy Awareness Month, we recognize the therapists, researchers, donors, and advocates who are shaping a future where music therapy is not just valued but an essential service.
The more we expand access, the more lives we can change—transforming lives, one note at a time.
Resources for Learning More About Music Therapy
- Canadian Association of Music Therapists
- Harmony@Home Online Music Therapy Services
- Music Therapy Research Studies
- Find a Certified Music Therapist in Calgary
Interested in Music Therapy Services?
Whether you’re seeking music therapy for yourself, a loved one, or your organization, contact us today to learn how our certified music therapists can help you achieve your goals.