Roots of Listening Fitness:
The French-Canadian Connection

Listening Fitness is based on the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French ear, nose and throat specialist, who developed the first method of listening training using sound stimulation.

Paul Madaule graduated in psychology from La Sorbonne in Paris 1973. He moved to Canada in 1978 to create The Listening Centre. The Centre was the first clinical facility in America to use the listening training with sound stimulation; it was founded by Dr. A. Tomatis and Paul in 1978. Paul has also helped create a dozen Centres throughout the US and Mexico. An international authority on listening, Paul is the author of When Listening Comes Alive (1993), now available in seven languages.

Paul is the author to numerous articles on subjects related to the educational and therapeutic value of music and voice. His primary focus is on listening training for children with developmental and learning problems specifically in areas of auditory processing, ADHD, learning disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorders. His work in this field has garnered national media attention through two television documentaries on the Discovery Channel, a CBC radio interview with Vicky Gabereau (1997) and an article in Equinox Magazine (1997).His work with autism is described in a book by Stephanie Marohn "The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism" (2002). Some of his most recent articles are: "The Voice of the Child Behind Autism" (2003) and "The Listening Profiles" (2004), both published in Early Childhood Connections Journal.

Aside from his clinical work, Paul dedicates a lot of time transmitting his knowledge and raising awareness to educators, health care practitioners, singers and musicians. "The Listening Experience", "The Ear-Voice Connection" and "Listening Fitness" are some of the themes of his workshops. His article "Listening and Singing" was published in the Journal of Singing (2000). He also presented "The Listening Ear" at the Music Teachers' National Association Conference in Seattl, 2005.

Drawing from his 35 years of clinical experience, Paul developed a protable audio device called the "LiFT®" (Listening Fitness Trainer), and "The Listening Fitness Instructor's Course". The goal of this professional course and certification process is to teach educators and practitioners how to apply listening training in their school or their practice.

 

Maria Clara Perez is the Director of Listening Technologies in Toronto . Maria Clara graduated from Marketing and Graphic design in Colombia . She was the Director of the photography department in McCann Erickson Bogotá where she led and organized photography campaigns for clients such as Unicef in their fight for a world free of AIDS. While pursuing her marketing career, Maria Clara always found the time to be actively involved with children working with her mother in a centre for sensory integration and teaching art in a learning disabilities school.

Maria Clara's interest and knowledge in the field of listening training began 6 years ago when a close psychologist friend started working with a listening training method in her practice. In 2005, Maria Clara moved to Toronto where she started working as Therapist at The Listening Centre. Today, as the Director of Listening Technologies, she provides support to LiFT® instructors around the world and helps them expand their practice.

Maria Gabriela Gandarillas is the Manager of Listening Technologies in Toronto. Maria Gabriela studied languages in The Politectica Saleciana University in Quito, Ecuador. Later on she worked extensively in education as an English teacher and relationships coordinator in a school in Quito where she is originally from. She moved to Canada where her interest in education increased with the discovery of new methods to improve educational techniques. As a result, she joined Listening Techonologies team, where she today provides assistance to professionals around the world on how to incorporate the LiFT in their practice.

Morana Petrofski is a lead Teacher and Supervising Consultant for the Listening Fitness Instructors' Course. Morana's background includes an E.C.E. Diploma from University of Zagreb, Croatia and a B.A. in Psychology and Cultural, Critical and Historical Studies and Fine Arts at York University in Toronto. Since 1995, she dedicated her professional life to listening training as a listening therapist and a clinical consultant, bringing together her experience, creativity and enthusiasm supporting children and families in variety of settings. As part of the team she contributed to the development of the Listening Fitness with the LiFT. As a lead Course teacher and consultatnt she provides guidance to Listening Fitness Instructors during their period of supervision towards full Certification. Certification.

Sophie Garceau studied Special Education at the University of Montreal and was an interpreter for deaf and deaf-blind children and adults. Prior to her involvment with listening training in 1994, she worked as a Special Ed teacher with at risk youth in a public high school in Montreal. Based on her extensive professional involvement with listening training, Sophie collaboratively developed Listening Fitness with the LiFT. Sophie now lives and works in Montreal and on occasion joins the team as a teacher and supervisor of the LiFT Instructor's Course and Certification.