Guides: Music Therapy: Welcome

Welcome

Welcome to the Music Therapy library guide. This guide highlights resources related to Music Therapy available at CapU, and provides general research tips.

Music Therapy Video Collection

The videos below were selected by CapU Music Therapy instructor, Susan Summers who provided descriptions for each video and obtained consent from the rights holders wherever possible. Many of the videos feature or document the work of CapU Music Therapy faculty and the history of the program.

Children's Spontaneous Music Workshops This video features the beginnings of music therapy in Canada and in Vancouver, BC by Nancy McMaster and Carolyn Kenny, two influential and inspiring pioneers of Canadian music therapy. This was a Canadian government funded collaboration between musicians and early music therapists to explore improvisational music with youth.
CAMT Keynote: Nancy McMaster from 2009 conference CAMT holds an annual conference. In 2009, it was held in Perth, Ontario and featured Nancy McMaster as the keynote speaker. This is a video of Nancy’s keynote address.
Coming of Age In 1996, Dr Carolyn Kenny was coordinator at Capilano College music therapy dept. She collaborated with a student in Film studies at Cap to create a short introductory video to what is music therapy, featuring several Certified Music Therapists (MTAs) and their work with clients.
A Song in my Heart Doreen Alexander, MTA, was in the first class of music therapy students at Capilano College in 1976. She went on to establish the first music therapy program at Purdy Pavilion at UBC, working with older adults in long-term care. This video showcases her work in 1991.
Gift of Music Film producer Scott Rondeau, in collaboration with the Canadian Music Therapy Fund, documents the work of Certified Music therapists across Canada, many of whom are CapU grads.
Adding Life to our Years Cap grad Susan Summers, PhD, MTA started working with older adults in care in 1989. This video documents her work in a long-term-care unit in Vancouver in the early 1990’s and features residents she worked with for two years.
Music from the heart celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MT program at Cap In 1986, Capilano University’s music therapy department celebrated ten years as a program. To celebrate this accomplishment, a concert at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre was organized. It included alumni and grads of CapU offering musical performances, with MC by Liz Moffitt and Paul Avery (faculty).
The Emperor's Nightingale Wheelchair Dancing Fran Herman, MTA, was a Canadian music therapy pioneer who worked at Bloorview children’s hospital in Toronto. In 1962, Fran adapted and directed this film to make the first time that someone created Wheelchair Theatre, a drama-dance performance advocating for accessibility in the creative arts. This was documented by the CBC and became internationally known. Fran died Oct 19, 2020 at the age of 93. She was an accomplished, pianist, pioneer of music therapy, advocate for children and youth, and recipient of the Governor General’s Meritorious Award.
Music Therapy Toronto (1993 Joint music therapy conference) This video documents the first and only joint North American Music Therapy conference of CAMT, AAMT, and NAMT. It was held in 1993 in Toronto and featured Oliver Sacks as a keynote speaker.
Beyond The Notes: When Music Making Becomes Music Therapy This video answers the question: what is music therapy? What does a music therapist do? It follows four Certified Music Therapists and their clients and discusses what is involved in a clinical session.
Counterpoint
Listen to the Music Makers
The Music Child This video shows the Nordoff Robbins model, identifying and working with the Music Child inside a child who has limited abilities to connect with the world and communicate. Paul Nordoff speaks as well as Clive Robbins in this early demonstration of their profound work.