Graylen Howard, MMT, NMT, MTA (he/him) graduated from the Applied Music Advanced Diploma Program at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in 2013, and Bachelor of Music Therapy (2018) and Master of Music Therapy (2019) programs at Wilfrid Laurier University. While finishing his studies in the summer of 2019, he successfully completed the International Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) Training Certificate. Graylen has extensive clinical experience in Paediatric settings gained from his clinical internships at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids); both Canada’s largest and leading Paediatric hospitals in Toronto, ON.

Following his formal education, Graylen worked as a music therapist for Miya Music Therapy in Toronto, as well as lived and worked in British Columbia for the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Music Therapy Department on Vancouver Island as lead music therapist in Nanaimo for 18-months before relocating home to Ontario. During this time, he maintained, further developed, and grew the music therapy program in Nanaimo despite the COVID-19 pandemic through adapting his sessions and continuing to find new and creative ways to deliver programming to the community. Also while working in Nanaimo, Graylen continued to conduct research with elders at the long-term care home he worked at as part of the Creative Later Life in a Digital Age Soundbeam Project team out of Quebec under Dr. Andrea Creech. Graylen continues to maintain this role as well as remains on faculty as a music therapist (remotely) for the VCM.

When Graylen is not doing music therapy work in a clinical setting, he is very passionate about performing in a variety of genres such as classical, jazz, contemporary, and electronic music on both his French horn and Cello. He has performed with groups such as the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Brass Ensemble, Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, Theatre Ancaster, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera Company, and Wilfrid Laurier University Wind Orchestra. Graylen is passionate about using a variety of instruments in his work including the cello, guitar, French horn, and electronic musical instruments. While maintaining a family and client-centered approach, he believes the purposeful use of music helps empower clients to focus on their strengths and help establish and execute aspirations – leading to an improved quality of life throughout all journeys and stages in life.