Dr. Johanne Brodeur was our Guest Speaker and is with the Victoria Conservatory of Music.  Dr. Brodeur has 35 years of experience in Music Therapy and leads the Music Therapy department at the Conservatory; now in its 22nd year of operation. The Music Therapy department provides services to 1800 participants every week.
 
 
Dr. Johanne Brodeur was our Guest Speaker and is with the Victoria Conservatory of Music.  Dr. Brodeur has 35 years of experience in Music Therapy and leads the Music Therapy department at the Conservatory; now in its 22nd year of operation. The Music Therapy department provides services to 1800 participants every week.
 
The Music Therapy Department has a staff of accredited therapists that deal with a broad range of disabilities and age groups - from children to seniors.  The sessions with individuals are 30 to 60 minutes in length and the goal is to match the therapeutic objectives with the appropriate music therapy techniques.  With children, improvisation is often utilized and the department works with complex challenges in hospitals.  The reduction of pain and anxiety with music has been highly effective.  The use of vibration to sense sound for the hearing and sight impaired has been very effective. With youth the instruments and techniques become more complex with the use of multi-sensory audio and lights in appropriate cases. Adults often attend sessions with therapists in groups and in individual settings establishing trust between the therapist and client is essential.  There have been musically gifted clients who have had their talents trapped as a result of their disability.  The use of a sound beam microphone to bring out the music composition skills of a severally disabled young man, who creates sounds by moving this wheel chair etc, was just one of several inspiring examples.  With seniors, particularly those with memory impairments, frustration can be mitigated with the use ipods to foster positive memories and associations through music.
 
There are long waiting lists for services with 1800 clients attending programs each week.  The courage of the participants is remarkable and the results have been outstanding.