Melissa Tan, MA, RP, MTA, NMT-F
As humans we have a multitude of ways we can express ourselves, and even with all our resources we may find it difficult to communicate. I thrive on connecting with others through music as music contains similar properties to the way we operate as people including, form, rhythm, and pitch.
As a registered psychotherapist & neurologic music therapist I use music to connect and engage clients to support them in areas of need. Music is used as the medium to support growth and development, encourage creativity and expression, and a means of communicating.
I aim to support clients of all ages and abilities. My clinical experience is with clients with autism, neuro-disability & neuro-rehab, learning disabilities, early development, and dementia. Previously, I have worked in a school for speech & language and communication difficulties, in the public health sector (NHS, UK) with adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties, and supported adults with mental health issues in a community music education setting.
Currently I am a PhD candidate at the Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory (MaHRC) at the University of Toronto. Visit their website to catch up on the latest research in music and health sciences at MaHRC.
Since 2019, I have been a part-time lecturer with the Creative Arts Therapies Department at Concordia University where I have supervised and taught music, art, and drama therapy students.
My educational background includes a MA in Music Therapy from the University of Roehampton in London, UK and a BMus in Classical Piano from McGill University in Montreal. I am also an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
I am a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Music Therapist Accredited (MTA), and adheres to the Code of Conduct of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and ethical codes of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists (CAMT). I am a recognized Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT-F) and a member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, UK).
Publications
Loria T, Tan M, de Grosbois J, Huang A, Thaut MH. Temporospatial Alterations in Upper-Limb and Mallet Control Underlie Motor Learning in Marimba Performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 188 (2022). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834869.
Loria T, Teich JE, Pranjić M, Tan M, Huang A, Thaut MH. The Impact of Limb Velocity Variability on Mallet Accuracy in Marimba Performance. Journal of Motor Behavior (2022). doi:10.1080/00222895.2022.2069080.
Sharda M, Tuerk C, Chowdhury R, Jamey K, Foster N, Custo-Blanch M, Tan M, Nadig A, Hyde K. Music improves social communication and auditory-motor connectivity in children with autism. Translational Psychiatry 8, 231 (2018). doi.org/10.1038/s41398-018-0287-3.