Major Progressions Music Therapy

12/16/2025

If the holidays feel heavy, try using your voice.
Singing and humming don’t just change how you feel — they change what’s happening in your body. Through vibration, breath, and rhythm, your voice stimulates the vagus nerve and supports nervous system regulation.
Your voice isn’t just expression.
It’s regulation.

12/15/2025

Check out the amazing work Molly is doing with in her music therapy program. Long-term care is the heart of our work.
We’re deeply committed to finding creative ways to foster connection, engagement, and regulation — and music continues to be one of the most powerful tools we have for bringing people together.
🎶 Music Therapy Chime Choir 🎶
This group brings residents together to learn music — with no need to read traditional sheet music. Each booklet uses large-print lyrics with highlighted cues for when to play. Chime choir supports social, cognitive, physical, and emotional goals, and culminates in a final holiday performance to celebrate their hard work. This group has become a cherished holiday tradition

12/12/2025

“May laughter flow and our love grow.”
These were the opening words written last week by the beautiful souls in our Wellsprings music therapy group, as we rewrote Auld Lang Syne together and played the melody on hand chimes. The audio you hear is them—their music, their courage, their wishes for the season.

Songwriting and music-making offer connection, regulation, meaning, and emotional release—especially powerful for individuals living with cancer.

I’ve been partnering with Wellsprings since May, and I’m so grateful for every session we’ve shared. Can’t wait to continue this work in the new year. ❤️

12/08/2025

Dementia affects millions of individuals and families — and its impact is only growing. What still amazes me is how powerful music can be in supporting cognition, easing anxiety, fostering connection, and improving quality of life.
Music bypasses the parts of the brain affected by dementia and reaches the person who’s still there underneath. A familiar song can settle the nervous system, awaken memory pathways, and create moments of clarity, joy, and emotional safety.
At Major Progressions, we are honoured to bring these kinds of moments into long-term care every day.
Because everyone deserves to feel seen, soothed, and connected — no matter their diagnosis. 💚✨

12/04/2025

So much of what we do at Major Progressions happens in Long Term Care — and honestly, it’s where our hearts feel most at home.
These spaces ask us to be present, creative, steady, and tender… all at once. And we truly love that.

Working in LTC lets us use every part of our training: singing for connection, movement for mobility, songwriting to honour someone’s story, instrument play to spark joy, and gentle music listening to bring comfort during anxious or end-of-life moments.
It keeps us sharp. It keeps us humble. And it reminds us why music matters.

This carousel is just a small glimpse of what music therapy can look like in LTC:
🎵 Singing for reminiscence, expression, and cognitive support
📝 Songwriting to preserve memories + emotions
💃 Music & movement using neurologic techniques for gait and mobility
🥁 Adaptive instrument play for motor skills, social connection, and pure joy
🎧 Personalized music listening for comfort, regulation, and emotional support

This work is meaningful. It’s sacred.
And it’s an honour for us to do it every single day. 💛

11/28/2025

Every time I tell someone I’m a Music Therapist, I often get the same response:

“Wait… what is that?”

And honestly, I don’t blame them.
Music therapy is deeply powerful—but it’s also widely misunderstood.

It’s not just playing songs.
It’s not entertainment.
And it’s definitely not “just music.”

Music therapy is a certified clinical profession that uses rhythm, vibration, melody, and connection to support emotional, physical, cognitive, social, sensory, and spiritual wellbeing.

In long-term care, it can help reconnect memories and reduce agitation.
In trauma work, it gently reaches places words can’t.
In developmental and neurological care, it supports communication, movement, and regulation.
And in every setting, it helps people feel seen, safe, and connected.

We’ll be sharing more in the upcoming weeks about what we do, how we work, and why we’re so passionate about this profession.
Follow us to learn more, stay inspired, and help us spread awareness about the healing power of music. 🎵🤍

Thank you for being here.
Your curiosity helps us advocate for more accessible, compassionate care for the communities we serve.

11/25/2025

Say hello to Sam!✨
We’re excited to welcome her to the Major Progressions team. Sam is halfway through her internship and already bringing so much vibrancy, compassion, and creativity to our work.

She’s a graduate student in the Master of Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University, with a passion for trauma-informed care and research linking EMDR with music psychotherapy.
Outside the clinic, you’ll find her gardening, playing softball, or in the pool with her family. We’re lucky to have her!

11/25/2025

We’re Back — And Growing!

It’s been a while since we last shared an update, and I’m so excited to finally reintroduce Major Progressions as we step into a new season of growth, clarity, and community support.

Our practice has expanded into a team of six dedicated therapists—each bringing their own strengths in music therapy, psychotherapy, somatic work, long-term care support, autism, developmental disabilities, dementia care, and trauma-informed approaches.
Our work is grounded, relational, and deeply human.

Over the next month, I’ll be sharing more about:
✨ Our full team
✨ The populations we support
✨ The heart behind our work
✨ What we offer in long-term care, community agencies, and 1:1 therapy
✨ The values that guide everything we do

Whether you’re a family seeking care, an LTC home looking for specialized programming, or someone exploring creative therapeutic support—we’re here, and we’re accepting new referrals.

Thank you for being here as we relaunch this space with clarity, intention, and so much heart. 💛
More to come soon.

Laura

11/25/2025

Say hello to Sam!✨
We’re excited to have her on the Major Progressions team. Sam is halfway through her internship and already bringing so much vibrancy, compassion, and creativity to our work.

She’s a graduate student in the Master of Music Therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University, with a passion for trauma-informed care and research linking EMDR with music psychotherapy.
Outside the clinic, you’ll find her gardening, playing softball, or in the pool with her family in the summer. We’re lucky to have her!

08/23/2024

Our hearts are deeply saddened by the loss of our band mate, friend, and inspiration, Nathan Kacur.

Nathan had a smile that could light up any room, and a passion for music that was truly inspiring.

To quote one of his favourite songs “near far wherever you are, I believe that the heart will go on”

Nathan your legacy, passion, light and song will always go on and is impossible to forget.

Rock on in peace forever, piano man ❤️❤️❤️

06/14/2024

Proud of my team for mentoring this young lady to impact more lives through the power of music ❤️🎵

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2024/06/embracing-musics-healing-powers/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR03dlhF-hvbCp8KcfJlR8inyLXfvyjVU9JX11BGy5cdmqXG-dLHyU-etRE_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Guiding people on a journey of healing through music — especially those facing mental health struggles — was something Samantha Bowman (BMus ’24) knew in her heart she always wanted to do. On Friday, June 14, Bowman walked across the stage during Brock University's 115...