Music Therapy Association of Ontario

06/12/2026

Welcome to our second instalment of MTAO Musical Fridays, where we share a song or musical experience from one of our music therapists that can be or has been useful and meaningful in a music therapy context.

Today we again have a song from our Public Relations Chair Callahan Connor, MMT, MTA Callahan Connor, this time a Hank Williams classic, 'Jambalaya'. Callahan uses this song often in palliative and long-term care, as many of his clients know and enjoy it, and the song invites a sense of shared festivity through a gathering - excellent for group music therapy!

Here Callahan is also using an egg shaker and foot tambourine to cue a shift between slow and fast rhythm accompaniment, which can be a satisfying expressive dynamic for a group to explore. 'La La La' lyrics are also included near the end to enhance accessibility, and the 'slowly speed up' game can promote joyful energy, deep listening, and group attunement.

Music therapists: are there other songs you like to use in these contexts? How else might you think to explore this song? What are some other good songs for group music therapy, especially for participatory rhythm-keeping via egg shakers, etc? Let us know in the comments! ☺️

06/10/2026

📣 SISC2026 is returning to Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Music building! We are so excited to be back in the KW in October. We hope to see many of you there!

As a reminder, Call for Submissions for SISC2026 are ongoing until July 3rd. Visit our linktree to find the submission form. Email [email protected] for any questions/concerns.

06/08/2026

🥁 Drum rolls please... 🥁 The MTAO is happy to announce that the theme for SISC2026 is officially "Real Talks in Music Therapy"! We can't wait to see what presentation submissions will come in to help us facilitate discussions on important topics in the music therapy field that are typically underexplored in our education. Submissions can be made through the form in our bio and will close on July 3rd!

06/05/2026

Introducing MTAO Musical Friday! Starting today, every Friday, one of our music therapists will share a song or musical experience that has been or could be meaningful and useful in their music therapy work.

Today we have our Public Relations Chair, Callahan Connor, MMT, MTA (), singing 'Lazy River', popularized by the Mills Brothers in 1959. Callahan has shared this song often in long-term care and palliative care contexts, where it may be a nostalgic and uplifting song for folks who may remember it from their youth. The song can be played in flexible ways to suit client preferences for gentle relaxation or vigourous sing-a-long mirth. The song's slow shuffle rhythm also lends itself to a satisfying concentration for egg-shaking in group music therapy contexts.

How else do you think this song might be explored in music therapy? Music therapists: do you have songs that you use in your work that you recommend or want to share? Please do so in the comments! ☺️

06/03/2026

Join us and Julia Beth Kowaleski for an online version of our Supervisors' Roundtable! Submit topics to [email protected].

Julia Beth Kowaleski is the founder and clinic lead at Julia’s Place Music Therapy Centre. She is an experienced music therapist and PhD candidate in the Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MAHRC) lab and a member of the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto. She has over 15 years of clinical experience working as certified music therapist both in Canada and the Caribbean and has been a clinical supervisor since 2016. She supervises interns and students in Julia’s Place and the University of Toronto. Julia is past president of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario (2016-2022) and the past administrator for the Canadian Association for Music Therapists Online Supervision Course.

📅June 29th, 2026
📍Google Meet
🕖7-8pm

Please visit our website (link in bio) for more information on the workshop and registration. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

06/01/2026

Music therapy is an evidence-based healthcare profession that uses music purposefully to support therapeutic goals.

Delivered by trained, credentialed professionals, music therapy supports emotional, cognitive, physical, and social wellbeing across the lifespan.

It’s not about musical talent, it’s about connection, communication, and clinical outcomes.

Have you experienced music therapy before? 🎶

05/18/2026

📣Calling all Students, Interns, Supervisors, and more! MTAO's call for proposals is now live! This year's theme is "Real Talks in Music Therapy" where we're hoping to engage in important topics in the field that are underexplored in school settings. Submit a proposal by scanning the QR code, or finding the form through our LinkTree in bio.

Proposals are due July 3rd. Any questions or concerns can be directed to [email protected].

05/15/2026

✨It's timeeeee~~✨

MTAO's Students, Interns, and Supervisors' Conference is coming to Waterloo, ON, on Saturday, October 24th! Mark your calendars and keep your eyes peeled on our socials and newsletters for more information!

We can't wait to see you all there!

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

✨ This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the meaningful work happening across our community and to showcase music therapy in action.
📅 Photo submission deadline: June 30, 2026