Welcome to my website!
My name is Joanne Does and I am a musician living in London, Ontario.
In 2001 my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. What followed was a challenging but also rewarding journey as I searched for ways to help my mother cope with her new reality. My lifelong passion for playing guitar and singing led me to discover the power and magic of live music, especially in healthcare.
To enhance my skills as a musician, I was trained in a program called Music For Healing and Transition in 2007, https://www.mhtp.org, in Cleveland, Ohio. It was there that I learned how to make my music therapeutic and soothing for the sick and dying. This training changed the course of my life and continues to do so.
Since that time I have been working making music with residents in Long Term Care and Adult Day Programs in the form of singalongs, private musical visits, and group songwriting.
“Arts in healthcare” is being increasingly recognized as an important element in “whole person” care. This is an exciting time to be a musician working in healthcare.
Thank you for visiting my website!
You might notice a little black-and-white dog in the background of some singalong videos…. meet Riley! A very calm dog, for several years he would accompany me at work. Residents loved seeing him and he inspired many smiles. He is now retired from in-dog appearances, but still manages to sneak cameos into the background of my singing videos and Zoom sessions!
Special thanks to my niece, Caelan Beard, who created this website for me! She has a wonderful website of her own and I encourage you to follow her blog – she is a world traveller and loves to share her adventures through her great writing and photos! https://thewanderingyears.com
Joanne Does Music 