I am a huge fan of Jennifer Buchanan. Back in 1986-88 we were encouraged to pick our path beyond High School, and I chose Music Therapist as my goal in life and do to health reasons, I fell literally short of my dream and find it fascinating when others succeed in this area like my dearest friend I call family, Christina Tadin and now one of my idols seen here, Award-Winning Canadian Music Therapist, Author & Speaker, Jennifer Buchanan. She shares ‘The Power of a Playlist for Health & Well-Being in her new book, NOW AVAILABLE!

Jennifer witnessed the power of music as a young teen when her Grandad had his second stroke leaving him unable to speak or walk. It was Granny who asked her to bring her guitar to the hospital center and sing his favorite song. As she sang, she watched the face of the grumpy old man she thought she knew, turn into the tears of a man who wanted a more meaningful connection. ‘Uncertain times will always be with us.  Perhaps music can be our proven constant.” – Jennifer Buchanan, MTA, MBA

Jennifer jokes that her speaking career started in elementary school when she won her school district’s speaking contest. She recognized the power of a message and how it could transform thoughts and support new ideas.  Also during these formative years, John Denver visited her school where he sang his music, shared the film of him traveling along the west coast, and shared the message of loving our land.  Jennifer witnessed firsthand the power of imagery, message, and music. When they are all blended together, they become the perfect anchor to a moment never to be forgotten.

“I believe in the power of music for mental health and well-being and there is no other way I know to get out the work I have been doing for 30 years – exploring this power – than through a really well-crafted presentation.” Jennifer Buchanan, MTA, MBA

Jennifer is Founder and Visionary Architect of JB Music Therapy (JBMT), a music therapy company that has been instrumental in the implementation of hundreds of music therapy programs throughout Canada for 30 years and that has been thrice nominated for the Community Impact Award by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.  JBMT, currently employs a diverse team of 18 Certified Music Therapists.

As the author of two award-winning books – ‘Tune In‘ (2nd Ed. 2020) and ‘Wellness Incorporated‘ (2019), as well as, a children’s sing-a-long story celebrating diversity and abilities, My Body’s Special, she has been instrumental in the implementation of hundreds of music therapy programs and advocating for music therapy services throughout Canada since 1991. She is a multi-nominee for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s Community Impact Award, she holds an MBA specializing in social entrepreneurship in addition to her MTA, and has become a trusted source for media outlets across North America and has been featured in publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post and now, The Wire MEGAzine, that has been on the circuit as 1 of Canada’s longest-running musical entertainment tabloids since 1989.

Her latest book, Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist was written for all of us who love to make the biggest impact possible while getting the most out of life – it equips busy, mindful people with tools and supports to engage with music in a deeper way.

As an invited keynote speaker at national and international conventions, Jennifer speaks on music and mental health, music therapy, and health entrepreneurship to a wide variety of education, healthcare, government, small business, and corporate wellness audiences.

Combining her music therapy experience with her MBA,  Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Music Therapists. The Canadian music therapy community presented Jennifer with their two most prestigious awards – the Norma Sharpe Award for lifetime achievement and the Frani Award, named after her long-time mentor and friend.

Jennifer’s Presentations help cultivate connections and foster improved well-being within individuals, workplaces, and communities. Jennifer speaks to large and small organizations about the benefits of music for memory, mood, and motivation. Her work as a Certified Music Therapist allows her to touch the lives of people at any age and any phase of life → from babies and toddlers → to corporate employees → to prison inmates → to musicians such as Don Felder, lead guitarist with The Eagles WHO SHARES, “Jennifer, through her work, has touched many people in ways that could only be accomplished with both her special gift and her music.   Thank you Jennifer for giving me, and all those that have had the benefit of hearing you, one of the most heartwarming experiences of my life.“

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Can music and a mindfully-made playlist soothe and improve health and well-being? Multi-award-winning Canadian music therapist Jennifer Buchanan knows it to be so, and shares both how (and why) in her new book, Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist — available now!

“Just like our physical health, our mental health requires attention — perhaps now more than ever,” Buchanan says. “When you are in transition or feeling lost, music can be the lifeline you need to get you through to the next step. Even during the most challenging of times, it can reassure us that everything is going to be okay.”

Diving deep to transform absent-minded playlist-making into an artful form of self-care, Buchanan is a lighthouse in the endless sea of songs across Spotify, SoundCloud, and the like. Cover to cover, the Calgary-based author, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker wastes no time harnessing her leading expertise as a Certified Music Therapist (MTA) to guide readers through building their own thoughtfully compiled playlists — and why they should.

“Music can transport us to a different place; it can help us remember, or forget,” she explains. “And in theory, putting together a playlist is incredibly simple, but that does not make it easy.“

“Wellness, Wellplayed helps you discover all the ways playlists can impact our memory, mood, and motivation,” she continues. “It shows how to use playlists with purpose as a bridge to something deeper within ourselves, and demonstrates how music and playlists can be a way to address our human need to feel, create, and connect.”

It’s a sentiment that resonates: Starting with a forward from The Awesome Music Project’s Rob Carli and Terry Stuart, a Canadian fundraising initiative designed to further research relating to music’s profound impact on mental health, the book also features ringing endorsements from the Eagles’ Don Felder, Toyota North America’s head of Business Transformation Douglas Moore, Live Nation’s Central Region Vice-President Harvey Cohen, Guitars for Vets’ Steve Gilliss, and more.

Now, through Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist, Buchanan offers readers an accessible and approachable path to crafting a healing and helpful soundscape all their own.

“There is so much scientific, clinical, and personal evidence that proves music improves health and well-being,” she says. “Music can be a sure friend, and I believe there is no better way to give our mental health the care it needs than through the right music, at the right time, and in the right way.”

Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist is available now.