Our Team
SarahRose Black
PhD, RP, MTA
Andrew Ascenzo
DMA, MMus
SarahRose Black
Music Therapist. Psychotherapist. Pianist.
Public Speaker. Researcher. Writer. Editor.
Dr. SarahRose Black is a certified music therapist and registered psychotherapist, specializing in palliative care and psychosocial oncology at both the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Kensington Hospice in Toronto.
She is a pianist, vocalist, violinist, and music health educator, and has performed, taught, and presented on her clinical work and research across Canada. As a lecturer and educator, she specializes in educating health care providers in the use of music as a tool for optimal health care. She has presented at conferences, arts-based workshops and medical education events throughout the country.
SarahRose has published on music and health care, music therapy, as well as oncology, palliative and end of life care in a number of academic journals, as well as The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, MacLean's Magazine, and the Cancer Knowledge Network. Her music therapy specializations include improvisation and songwriting, and her clinical work has been featured on Global TV, Wholenote Magazine, and the West End Phoenix. SarahRose’s latest projects include research into the use of music in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, specifically with psilocybin.
She obtained her doctorate from the University of Toronto in February of 2020, including a Collaborative Specialization in Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care across the Life Course. Her doctoral research explored music therapy in the context of assisted dying. SarahRose is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Music Therapy, and continues to teach, research, and provide music therapy and psychosocial care in her daily clinical practice.
Andrew Ascenzo
Cellist. Performer. Producer. Teacher. Conductor. Composer. Music Director. Artistic Director. Audio Engineer
Dr. Andrew Ascenzo is redefining what it means to be a professional musician in the 21st Century.
Andrew is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Musical Arts program, and currently a professor of cello at the University of Toronto, with a research interest in repertoire for solo cello and electronics. He is the recipient of the Tecumseh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award, the top honour awarded to a graduate of the Faculty of Music. As one of Toronto's most versatile musicians, Andrew embodies a passion for presenting a myriad of musical styles to diverse audiences across Canada.
With the understanding that classical music is not always easy to understand and listen to, Andrew believes that there is something in this music for everybody to enjoy, you just need to know what to listen for. The mission of Pulse is to change the way you listen to music, providing you with new insight and making all music more accessible without any prior knowledge of music, theory, harmony, or history. Pulse Music Media is a creative community built for online and live-performances, conversations, story-telling, and idea-sharing about the intersecting worlds of music performance, music therapy, and well being.
Andrew founded Pulse in 2020 with his wife, renowned Music Therapist Dr. SarahRose Black and they look forward to returning to the stage in 2022.
He performs regularly as a soloist, as an orchestral player with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Concert Orchestra, and is a member of the Bedford Trio, currently the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residence at the University of Toronto and finalists of the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Dusseldorf, Germany. In August 2019, Andrew recorded, designed, and performed the electronic component for the world premiere of Rob Kapilow's recent composition Aprés Maman at Ottawa Chamberfest. As a conductor, Andrew has worked with orchestras and musical theatre groups including York University, Brampton Music Theatre, and Etobicoke Musical Productions, and most recently was the Musical Director and multi-instrumentalist for Eclipse Theatre Company’s 2022 production of the new musical song-cycle ‘Til Then, featuring original songs from 25 of Canada’s top songwriters.
In addition to his performing career, Andrew is the Artistic Director of Music in the Atrium, a weekly professional concert series now in its 26th season at Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and features some of Canada’s top performers, including Jackie Richardson, the Rolston Quartet, Allison Au, and many more. Andrew is a producer for OurConcerts.live, one of the largest virtual production companies in North America, as well as a video producer with the University of Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, the University Health Network, and other performing arts organizations. In the summer of 2019, Andrew was the Artistic Producer of the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity’s summer classical music and Evolution series programs.
