JB Music Therapy

09/15/2025

🎶 JB Music Therapy has welcomed over 100 practicum students and interns over the years. This year, we were excited to welcome a student from Spain. Say hello to Bryn — our lovely music therapy student from Spain! 🇪🇸✨

09/08/2025

🎶 34 Years of Music Therapy in Action

Since 1991, JB Music Therapy has been honoured to serve Alberta with in-person music therapy sessions and to provide music therapy education across every province and territory in Canada.

👉 Delivering 20,000+ music therapy sessions each year across hospitals, schools, workplaces, and community programs.
👉 Supporting clients from infants to end-of-life care, addressing mood regulation, memory, motivation, and more..
👉 Welcomed over 60 students for internships and practicums, and created employment for nearly 100 certified music therapists—to help build and sustain the music therapy profession in Alberta, where no training program exists.

Every number reflects a story. Every story reflects many meaningful connections that makes the work possible.

We are deeply grateful to every client, colleague, partner, researcher, and supporter who have made our journey possible. Thank you.

34 years behind us—and more music therapy innovation still ahead.

https://zurl.co/08UdL

Since 1991, JB Music Therapy has been transforming lives through the power of music. From our humble beginnings in Calgary, Alberta, to becoming one of Canad...

08/28/2025

For people facing cancer, music therapy offers more than comfort — it helps reduce pain, ease anxiety, improve sleep, and foster connection.

New research presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting found music therapy to be as effective as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for reducing anxiety in cancer survivors — and both can be delivered online.

For leaders in oncology and supportive care, this means:
✔️ An evidence-based, accessible way to enhance quality of life
✔️ A flexible intervention that integrates seamlessly with existing care models
✔️ A proven approach to supporting the emotional and psychological needs of patients and families

Music therapy won’t cure cancer — but it can transform the cancer experience.

Music therapy can help people with cancer cope with stress and other emotions through music-based techniques. Learn more about how music therapy works.

08/18/2025

Music therapy is not about performance — it’s about presence.

A new study from the University of Kansas found that music therapy musicianship is defined by authenticity, creativity, flexibility, and trust. In every session, the music therapist adapts to the client — whether that means improvising with Metallica, writing a lullaby, or exploring the music that matters most to them.

It’s a dialogue. It’s musicking together — where everyone participates and the music itself becomes the bridge, the voice, or the pathway forward.

That’s why training of music therapists goes beyond repertoire and performance. The artistry lies in responsiveness, curiosity, and the intent to help clients engage with music to connect, learn, and heal.

https://zurl.co/tj85V

Authors of new study analyzed a dozen veterans to inform training of future counselors

07/11/2025

As JB Music Therapy continues to grow—expanding our clinical services across medical, mental health, and continuing care settings, advancing public education through presentations, and developing software to extend our reach—our foundation remains the same: person-centred care - delivered by Certified Music Therapists.

Today, we are thrilled to celebrate Emma Mabley— Canada’s newest Certified Music Therapist (MTA), and JBMT’s newest full-time employee 😃. We’re so fortunate to have her as a part of our team supporting our CARE initiatives.

And yes—we’re still growing. One more full-time position is available this fall. Inquire within.

07/11/2025

Health Quality Alberta has just released its updated, evidence-based definition of healthcare quality—the first in nearly 20 years. This new framework reflects a profound shift toward people-centred, equitable, and integrated care, and an expanded understanding of safety that includes emotional, psychological, and cultural wellbeing—not just physical health.

These updates are deeply aligned with our CARE values and the way JB Music Therapy is approaching integrated music therapy services and tools—within systems much bigger than us. We are especially honoured to have been part of the team awarded the Health Quality Council of Alberta’s 2025 Patient Experience Award. It’s a meaningful recognition of the role music therapy can play in improving care experiences, outcomes, and connection.

As the language of healthcare evolves, we’re grateful to be contributing to a future that places human experience at the centre—one note at a time.

🔗 https://hqa.ca/about-us/our-mandate/the-alberta-quality-dimensions-for-health/

06/30/2025

🎵 We’re hiring at JB Music Therapy!

With over 30 years of experience, we’ve built a workplace where your clinical expertise, creativity, and compassion are valued every single day.

💡 We co-treat, we collaborate, we mentor.
🌱 We make space for learning and leadership.
❤️ And we’re still growing.

If you’re a certified music therapist (MTA, MT-BC) looking for a full-time, salaried position across lifespan, culture, and care settings—this might be your next home.

**We also have one more internship position available.

👉 Apply here: https://jbmusictherapy.com/aboutus/careersinternships

Join our team as a Full-time Salaried Employee Music Therapist, a Part-time Contracted Music Therapist or a Music Therapy Intern

06/28/2025

Our very first Afternoon of Song took place back in 1995 ❤️🎶
— and last Friday, we celebrated, yet again, one of our most cherished annual events.

Every single therapist poured their heart and soul into supporting the performers — helping each individual reach the goals they had set for themselves.

When JB Music Therapy began, we always knew we’d be supporting clients in reaching non-musical goals — speech, language, mobility, motivation, mood, memory, and more. But what we never wanted to forget is that many of our clients have music dreams, too.

Dreams like:
🎤 Holding a microphone
🎶 Performing in front of family and friends
🌟 Feeling the spotlight and sharing their voice and practiced playing with the world

Afternoon of Song is a safe, supported space where these goals — these dreams — come true.



Afternoon of Song Team Photo Credit: Christina Ryan

06/23/2025

We are thrilled that these two outstanding post-secondary students have joined our team to support the development of our health technology project.

📕 Ruoyan (Renee) Pi, our Research Coordinator, recently graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts (First-Class Honours) in Psychology and a Bachelor of Music (Piano Performance, with Distinction). She has now started her Master of Public Policy in Digital Society at McMaster University.

📕 Felicia Lifton, our Research Assistant, is entering her final year of a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Alberta. She also served as a significant proofreader for Wellness, Wellplayed — the book that inspired the creation of this app.

06/12/2025

Today we are sharing our first Health Technology Newsletter! We are in the beginning stages of development (so excited) and are looking for anyone interested in joining us along the journey! when you join you will receive quarterly updates to your inbox.

We are in the beginning stages of development (so excited) and are looking for anyone interested in joining us along the journey! We will share be sharing quarterly updates.

06/12/2025

It was an honour to be part of Donor Day at Foothills Medical Centre, where health innovations and exciting technology projects were on full display.

Music therapy was just one of the many services highlighted—and it meant so much to our team to take part. (In photo: Shannon Robinson and Dr. Stephanie Plamondon)

Thank you to the Calgary Health Foundation for inviting us to share in this meaningful day.

05/25/2025

Innovation for our kids.