In August 2009, Donald Quan experienced a near-fatal heart arrhythmia while playing the keyboards on stage in Kitchener, Ontario. He was clinically dead for 17 minutes. When he came to, all Quan could think of was music.
“Music was the first thing I thought of,” Quan, a...
Steve Koven is a jazz pianist, producer, educator and composer. He has toured the world performing concerts as a solo pianist and as part of the Steve Koven Trio, who have been together since 1993. Koven’s music composition master classes and clinics have also brought...
Kristin Lindell has provided her soulful, sultry vocals and acoustic music to several of Music Can Heal’s events, most notably to Alzheimer patients at Mosaic Home Care, as well as at Toronto General Hospital.
“When I was at Mosaic I saw the looks of people’s faces when...
Ann-Marie Boudreau, ARTC, holds an Associateship in Concert Performance with the Royal Conservatory of Music, is a Reiki Master, Soundwork Practitioner, improvisational vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Founder Talia Woolridge targeted Boudreau, who would become one...
Debbie Danbrook is a composer and recording artist who specializes in meditation, relaxation and healing. Danbrook is the first woman to have mastered the Shakuhachi flute, an ancient Japanese instrument.
Danbrook describes the Shakuhachi as more than just an instrumen...
Ram Vakkalanka started learning Sitar in his teens while growing up in Hyderabad, India. Since more than a decade, Ram has been giving concerts of and teaching the Yoga of Sound. His instrument of choice is a North Indian string instrument, the Sitar.
Asher Ettinger is a multi-talented artist. The over 2500 compositions he’s compiled stretch across his 38 year career as a pianist, composer, synthesist, producer and arranger, as well as during his 13 years of being a fine artist.
When we first approached the Toronto hospitals for performance, Toronto General was the first hospital to invite us to play as part of their lovely "Music for the Heart and Soul" Series. Pirkko Shalden, head of Volunteer Resources, puts together an astounding array of...
This heart-warming section from the film, "Alive Inside" features Henry, a man silenced by Alzheimers. Henry is a recipient of an iPod, part of the Music and Memory Program. Watch and see how he sparks to life with the familiarity of some of his favorite music.
From ancient Egyptian, Greek and Vedic texts to shamanic tribes to modern neuroscience journals and music therapist’s patient files, the power of music – essentially organized sound and its vibration - has been shown to positively affect recovery, help heal, and...
