Aaron Lightstone MMT, RP, MTA , NMT-F Founder
Aaron Lightstone, MMT,RP, MTA is an award-winning musician, music therapist and educator.
Aaron is the first music therapist to use a tele-health infrastructure to conduct remotely delivered music therapy. In 2010, with funding from Veterans Affairs Canada ( VAC) Aaron began providing music therapy sessions with a veteran of the Canadian military who was living with severe & chronic PTSD. The participant lived over 1400km away with therapy sessions conducted as video conferences. A retrospective case study was presented as a poster and podium presentation at a number of peer-reviewed conferences in 2012. In early 2015 this case study was published as a case study in the Arts and Health: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice. This is the first description of tele-health music therapy in the academic literature.
Aaron is a Registered Psychotherapist ( RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario ( CRPO). He is also a Fellow of the Academy for Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT-F) . He has a particular interest in the use of NMT for the treatment and rehabilitation of acquired brain injures. Aaron is a regulated health care provider and licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), to provide rehabilitation services to individuals injured in motor vehicle collisions . Contact Aaron to find out how neurologic music therapy (NMT) can be an integral part of a comprehensive neurologic rehabilitation program related to a neurologic injury or disease.
During the past twenty years of professional music therapy work he has developed extensive experience working with individuals (and their families and caregivers) who are:
Aaron's practice focuses on Neurologic Music Therapy (a form of neuro-rehabilitation) and Music Psychotherapy ( a form of psychotherapy based in the musical interactions between therapist and participant). He is a Fellow of the the Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT-F).
Aaron is a pioneer in the music therapy technique of clinical recording. This is the process of creating high quality recordings with in the context of a therapeutic process, and is often used with youth to explore issues related to difficult emotions, gender and identity, family of origin issues, and traumatic experience. Aaron's Master's thesis in music therapy focused on his work creating Hip Hop recordings with teens and young adults living in a shelter for homeless youth. This research has recently been published as two chapters in the world's first academic textbook on the Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip Hop.
Music therapy (particularly when it involves creating original music), leverages the powerful connection that exists between young people and music to create opportunities for creative expression, development of insight, learning life and skills.
In addition to his work as a music therapist Aaron is a respected member of Canada's community of professional musicians. Along with his band-mates in the award-winning group Jaffa Road he has toured coast to coast to coast to perform at numerous North American music festivals and concert venues. Jaffa Road has been nominated for two JUNO awards, won WORLD MUSIC GROUP OF THE YEAR at the CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS (2013) and has won other awards such as the John Lennon Song Writing Contest, the Toronto Independent Music Awards and Folk Music Ontario's "Songs from the Heart" Song writing contest. More recently Aaron worked as a record producer on the song "The Crown Sleeps" by Qais Essar and Joshua Hill, featured in the OSCAR nominated film THE BREADWINNER, this song won Best Song at the 2017 Canadian Screen awards. Along with his Jaffa Road band mate and writing partner Justing Gray, Aaron recently completed the composition and production of six new music care albums for the Room 217 Foundation. These culturally specific albums are designed to be calming for palliative care patients and their care givers.
In addition to his experience as a music therapist performing and recording artist Aaron spent a year in the 1990's working as the ethnomusicologist in residence at the St. Lucia School of Music, where he conducted an in-depth, commissioned research project on indigenous Caribbean folk music.
Aaron is the first music therapist to use a tele-health infrastructure to conduct remotely delivered music therapy. In 2010, with funding from Veterans Affairs Canada ( VAC) Aaron began providing music therapy sessions with a veteran of the Canadian military who was living with severe & chronic PTSD. The participant lived over 1400km away with therapy sessions conducted as video conferences. A retrospective case study was presented as a poster and podium presentation at a number of peer-reviewed conferences in 2012. In early 2015 this case study was published as a case study in the Arts and Health: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice. This is the first description of tele-health music therapy in the academic literature.
Aaron is a Registered Psychotherapist ( RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario ( CRPO). He is also a Fellow of the Academy for Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT-F) . He has a particular interest in the use of NMT for the treatment and rehabilitation of acquired brain injures. Aaron is a regulated health care provider and licensed with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), to provide rehabilitation services to individuals injured in motor vehicle collisions . Contact Aaron to find out how neurologic music therapy (NMT) can be an integral part of a comprehensive neurologic rehabilitation program related to a neurologic injury or disease.
During the past twenty years of professional music therapy work he has developed extensive experience working with individuals (and their families and caregivers) who are:
- are in rehabilitation as a result of a traumatic brain Injury
- in the final stages of terminal illness / palliative care
- people who are living with a Dementia type illness (eg. Alzheimer's disease)
- adults and children living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
- people living with severe physical disabilities
- teenagers and adults in addictions recovery programs
- children and teens with ADHD, learning disabilities, and emotional/ behavioral problems
- individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences such as sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect
- elderly/ aging military veterans
- recovering from a mental illness
- student Music Therapists in training programs
- survivors of Canada's residential school system.
Aaron's practice focuses on Neurologic Music Therapy (a form of neuro-rehabilitation) and Music Psychotherapy ( a form of psychotherapy based in the musical interactions between therapist and participant). He is a Fellow of the the Unkefer Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT-F).
Aaron is a pioneer in the music therapy technique of clinical recording. This is the process of creating high quality recordings with in the context of a therapeutic process, and is often used with youth to explore issues related to difficult emotions, gender and identity, family of origin issues, and traumatic experience. Aaron's Master's thesis in music therapy focused on his work creating Hip Hop recordings with teens and young adults living in a shelter for homeless youth. This research has recently been published as two chapters in the world's first academic textbook on the Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip Hop.
Music therapy (particularly when it involves creating original music), leverages the powerful connection that exists between young people and music to create opportunities for creative expression, development of insight, learning life and skills.
In addition to his work as a music therapist Aaron is a respected member of Canada's community of professional musicians. Along with his band-mates in the award-winning group Jaffa Road he has toured coast to coast to coast to perform at numerous North American music festivals and concert venues. Jaffa Road has been nominated for two JUNO awards, won WORLD MUSIC GROUP OF THE YEAR at the CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS (2013) and has won other awards such as the John Lennon Song Writing Contest, the Toronto Independent Music Awards and Folk Music Ontario's "Songs from the Heart" Song writing contest. More recently Aaron worked as a record producer on the song "The Crown Sleeps" by Qais Essar and Joshua Hill, featured in the OSCAR nominated film THE BREADWINNER, this song won Best Song at the 2017 Canadian Screen awards. Along with his Jaffa Road band mate and writing partner Justing Gray, Aaron recently completed the composition and production of six new music care albums for the Room 217 Foundation. These culturally specific albums are designed to be calming for palliative care patients and their care givers.
In addition to his experience as a music therapist performing and recording artist Aaron spent a year in the 1990's working as the ethnomusicologist in residence at the St. Lucia School of Music, where he conducted an in-depth, commissioned research project on indigenous Caribbean folk music.
Moshe Fisher-Rozenberg MMT, MTA, RP (Qualifying)
● Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
● Children and adults with severe physical disabilities ● Adults navigating various stages of grief ● Elderly/aging military veterans ● Individuals recovering from mental illnesses (PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Schziophrenia |
Moshe Fisher-Rozenberg is a Certified Music Therapist and graduate of Wilfrid Laurier’s Master of Music Therapy program. He is also a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). He draws from a humanistic, strengths-based music therapy approach—one which encourages personal acceptance, embrace and growth. He has two decades of experience as a recording artist and touring musician—primarily as a drummer and synthesist—and has been involved in Polaris Prize nominated and Juno Award winning records. Fisher-Rozenberg has also composed music for film, television, theatre, and radio. His clinical experience includes work with: ● Individuals in the final stages of terminal illness / palliative care ● Individuals with a Dementia type illness (eg. Alzheimer's disease) ● Individuals who are experiencing homelessness |
JESSI TEICH MT-BC, PhD (Candidate)
Jessi Teich (pronounced teach) is a neurologic music therapist, fellow (NMT-F). She is currently a PhD candidate in Music and Health Sciences at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Michael Thaut (co-founder of NMT).
Preceding her career as a clinician, Jessi received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Berklee College of Music. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, she taught lessons while pursuing a music career during which she won over a dozen international songwriting awards and recorded several albums, including two in Paris. Currently, in her 'spare' time, she loves to workout, discover new coffee shops, and spend time with her friends and two little rescue dogs. Jessi has extensive clinical experience in working with a wide range of clinical issues such as:
Preceding her career as a clinician, Jessi received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Berklee College of Music. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, she taught lessons while pursuing a music career during which she won over a dozen international songwriting awards and recorded several albums, including two in Paris. Currently, in her 'spare' time, she loves to workout, discover new coffee shops, and spend time with her friends and two little rescue dogs. Jessi has extensive clinical experience in working with a wide range of clinical issues such as:
- Acquired and traumatic Brain Injury
- autism spectrum
- rare genetic disorders
- seizure disorders
- global developmental delay
- cerebral palsy,
- Mental Illness (PTSD, anxiety, depression)
- Neurodegenerative disorders ( Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease),
- ataxia,
- wounded warriors
Caleb Gilman BMT, MTA
Caleb is an experienced professional musician and music therapist. He has extensive clinical experience in working with a wide range of clinical issues such as:
- the final stages of terminal illness / palliative care
- Dementia type illness (eg. Alzheimer's disease)
- Developmental Delays
- Mental Illness (PTSD, anxiety, depression)
- General health and wellness
