Tyrone was born on the unceded homelands of the Katzie First Nation in what is now Maple Ridge, BC. He is a neurodivergent cis man of mixed Black ancestry who’s ancestors were brought to North America by way of the transatlantic slave trade. His family arrived in early Canada as escapees, eventually settling in Alberta. Tyrone’s music therapy practice includes a combination of music and philosophy reflecting the various continents he has travelled to and studied on including North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
Tyrone’s clinical experience includes working with incarcerated youth and adults with the Ministry of Child & Family Development and Downtown Community Court, working in treatment and recovery of addiction with Vancouver Coastal Health, working with children diagnosed with ADHD and other behavioural challenges with the Vancouver School Board, working in geriatrics with Fraser Health, working with youth and adults diagnosed with ASD throughout the community.
Graduating from Capilano University’s Bachelor of Music Therapy Program in the Fall of 2016, Tyrone’s practice is rooted in a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, social justice, and intersectional approach. He is the Director and Founder of Peoples Music Therapy. Tyrone loves spending time with his family, travelling, baking sourdough, and listening to Hip-hop.
“Where there are people, there is music!”
Tyrone was born on the unceded homelands of the Katzie First Nation in what is now Maple Ridge, B...
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Josh was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and moved to Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 10. Josh is a new grad from the music therapy bachelor’s program at Capilano University. Josh has been playing music for since he was 13 years old, and while guitar has been the focus, Josh also plays a variety of other instruments, such as piano, voice, drums, and bass.
Josh’s music therapy journey began with his passion for music and helping others. His approach is client-centric and improvisational; he tailors each session to the unique needs of the clients. He has extensive experience working with children ranging from neurotypical to those with ASD and ADHD, both in and out of the school system. Josh also has experience supporting adults with a variety of mental health disorders, such as addictions and psychosis.
In his free time, Josh enjoys learning and listening to the blues, spending time with friends, family and their dog.
Josh was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and moved to Vancouver, Canada, at the age of 10. Josh is a...
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Kaia (she/her) is a mixed Asian queer woman who has been living and working on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nations since 2017. Her music therapy framework is rooted in anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and client-centered practices that honor the autonomy and individuality of every person she works with. Her work centers around the fundamental belief that music-making is an essential component of the human experience, and that every person can grow and change through their relationship with music.
Kaia has clinical experience working with seniors in long-term care, neurodiverse children, adults in substance abuse recovery, at-risk youth, survivors of human trafficking, and adults with developmental disabilities. She is also an active volunteer for the Music Therapy Association of British Columbia (MTABC), currently serving on their Continuing Education Committee. In 2023, she completed her Level 1 training in Guided Imagery and Music (GIM).
Kaia is also a classically trained pianist, having earned her Bachelor of Music from UBC in 2021. She enjoys playing other instruments as well, including guitar, ukulele, violin, and Balinese Gamelan.
Kaia (she/her) is a mixed Asian queer woman who has been living and working on the unceded territ...
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Ren (they/them) is a Chinese diasporic queer and trans settler living on the unceded land of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nations. Their passion and pursuit of music therapy arose from years of activism, their volunteering with houseless individuals in the DTES of Vancouver, their focus on mental health education, and their involvement in the music of jazz.
Ren’s music therapy framework is based around anti-oppressive practices that acknowledge the systems in society that can cause deep suffering—poverty, racism, the healthcare system, ableism, etc.—and how to adopt music as a way to connect with joy and expression, as transformation, and as a lifelong resource for comfort and companionship.
Ren approaches music therapy with a trauma-informed and neurodivergent lens, and has clinical experience with older adults in long term care operated by Providence Health Care, children with autism and other disabilities in the Vancouver public school system, and adults at the Dr. Peter Centre with HIV/AIDS and concurrent disorders.
In addition to their work in music therapy, Ren has been a children’s day camp leader for several years and teaches voice lessons. In their spare time, they enjoy singing in choirs, painting, cracking jokes, and petting animals of all sorts.
Ren (they/them) is a Chinese diasporic queer and trans settler living on the unceded land of the ...
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