Hello!
I'm Emma Burke-Kleinman, a graduate of the MMus Applied Music and Health program at the University of Toronto and certified Neurologic Music Therapist. I graduated from Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program in April 2019. I have attended arts schools since middle school at Claude Watson School for the Arts and then high school at Etobicoke School for the Arts where I double-majored in Music Theatre and Violin. It's no wonder that I'm passionate about music and arts education!
My Story
I have been immersed in the performing arts from a very young age and have had many opportunities to perform both in community theatre, non-profit, and professionally. Some of my performance credits include: various concerts with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, and Mandle Philharmonic, Louisa in The Sound of Music (Mirvish), Young Joan in Far Away (Theatre Passe Muraille), Sara in The Children’s Republic (Tarragon), Johanna in Sweeney Todd (SMT), Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera (Theatre Sheridan), and Cinderella in Into the Woods (SMCT). I've also been privileged to take part in workshops of new musicals created by some of my talented friends. I am currently a violinist with the Summerhill Orchestra.
As a teacher for nearly a decade, I have worked with students of all ages from coast to coast in both in-person and virtual capacities and understand how to adapt to each unique learning style. I have taught at several musical theatre camps, including being the Associate Creative Director at the Triple Threat Intensive and working with students in Shanghai. I am well versed in many styles of music and love sharing my passion with my students.
Through both my music therapy clinical work and volunteer work, I have experience with a variety of populations, including children and adults with Autism, ADHD, at-risk youth, developmental disabilities, post-stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson's, dementia, and mental health diagnoses in private settings as well as through Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, National Ballet School's Adapted Dance Program, and Covenant House.
Trained in Neurologic Music Therapy, my client-centered approach is evidence-based and l work from the NMT® system which emphasizes the controlled and specific use of music to influence non-musical brain and behaviour function. My graduate thesis focused on the NMT technique of Music in Psychosocial Training and Counselling (MPC)® which I presented at the ArtEZ Institute in Enschede, Netherlands in April 2023. During my masters, I conducted research on Melodic Intonation Therapy, a therapeutic music intervention that aims to increase expressive language, and was a research assistant at the Music and Health Research Collaboratory on a project led by Dr. Tristan Loria that focused on exploring the efficacy of paired versus individual learning in music education.
