Cameron Yip, Music Therapist

Cameron takes part in providing care to the residents through singing, playing the guitar, having conversations, dancing and laughing. By asking himself ‘how I improve their quality of life right now?’ he strives to provide a positive contribution to the psychosocial, emotional and cognitive well-being of residents while addressing the personalized goals of the LMP care team.

“Each day I rely on the mood-lifting, brain-stimulating, healing power of music that can be experienced within a meaningful human-to-human relationship.”

For Cameron, it is a joy and honor to witness how music can be used to celebrate the past, present and future to come.  “Seeing residents surprise their own families and care staff by recalling what was thought to be a lost memory, smiling while singing along without needing lyrics, or standing up and dancing is always a delight,” he says. “Despite some of the most tragic life circumstances, these kinds of experiences can help all of us have something to look forward to and anticipate the possibility of a more enjoyable future. I feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I am part of what makes these wonderful people smile.”

Many inspirational moments take place daily and Cameron tells us he feels honored to be present when loved ones are receiving palliative care and families share a moment that is often a mix of love, grief and thankfulness. “When loved ones are especially frail and for families to see the spark in their eyes when their song is played or in some cases even start humming along, it’s these special moments that inspires me to know what I am doing has meaning.”

In 2020, Cameron was a new music therapist and feels very fortunate to be connected to LMP just a week before the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing.

“In 2022, I’m once again fortunate that LMP transitioned under the ownership of VCH which has come with additional employee benefits, and protection and support for my work.”

Cameron tells us that all the managers, care staff, interdisciplinary team and fellow music therapist at LMP provide a supportive work environment.  As a new employee of VCH, Cameron says he is often pleasantly surprised at the kinds of employee benefits he is entitled to. “During our onboarding, we received education including violence prevention workshops, safe care practice with PPE, palliative care informed practice and more,” he says. “This helps me to understand a more holistic approach to care and gives me more confidence that I can be safe and helpful.”

At VCH, we embrace the values We Care for Everyone, We Are Always Learning, and We Strive for Better Results. In Cameron’s experience, many people in long-term care can often feel helpless, bored and hopeless.  To address this, he does his best to highlight what they can do right now, value who they are today and walk alongside them in this stage of life.

“I hope to use music as a tool that communicates regardless of history, socio-economic situation, or physical and cognitive ability,” he says. “Everyone has inherent value and should be treated with the kindness and respect they deserve. I believe it is important to work well with the care team in order to deliver the best quality of care. I strive to learn more about my own and other areas of expertise to work towards our goals of care together.”

Fun fact: In high school, Cameron auditioned for the talent show and won thanks to all the friends and family who provided encouragement and voted! “This became one of the wins that gave me the confidence to pursue a career in music therapy.”

Explore the current career opportunities for Music Therapists at Vancouver Coastal Health. 

Search Music Therapist jobs  Connect with us