Stephen Williams, a music therapist and program director of the music therapy program at Capilano College in North Vancouver, remembers working with a group of seniors who had Alzheimer's. The seniors couldn't communicate well outside of therapy, but when he played one song, one particular woman came to life.

The woman's husband approached Williams with a touching story. "The woman that was singing the song was the one I fell in love with," said the man. So Williams invited him to sit in on the music therapy session.

"My image is of them holding hands, singing songs together," Williams says. "It just brought goose bumps to me. It didn't heal the Alzheimer's, but in that moment, it healed his relationship."

Music therapists use music to help people through their challenges. They work with special-needs students in schools, at clinics, long-term care facilities or with seniors in private practice. They are usually fluent in piano, guitar and at least one other instrument and should be comfortable singing in front of and with other people.