Amy Kalas Buser, MM, MT-BC
Director & Board Certified Music Therapist
I’m Amy and I absolutely love my job and love working with children and teens with special needs. Being able to use music as the tool that brings about positive changes in behavior and enriches development is truly amazing.
Here is a bit about my journey to becoming a music therapist:
Education: I received my bachelor’s degree (’05) in Music Therapy from University of Miami. At University of Miami, I received in-depth training on the scientific research and practice of Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT). I completed my clinical internship at the Matheny Medical & Educational Center in Peapack, NJ, where I worked with children, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities. I completed my master’s degree (’10) in Music Therapy at University of Miami and received advanced training in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT).
Clinical Experience: I worked as a full-time music therapist at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Miami from 2006-2013. At UCP, I facilitated individual, group, and co-treatment music therapy sessions, supervised practicum students and ran the internship program. I am currently the director of Wholesome Harmonies, LLC and provide music therapy services, music lessons and developmental music programs throughout Miami.
Teaching Experience: I was awarded a Graduate Assistantship at University of Miami (UM) and taught Introduction to Music Therapy for the 2009-2010 school year. In addition, I served as the Interim Professor of Music Therapy at UM for the 2013-2014 school year. At UM, I taught the courses “Music and Development” and “Music and Rehabilitation,” coordinated and supervised student clinical practica, and organized music therapy forum.
Publications: My interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder led me to complete a research study on the topic of joint attention, autism, and music. Following this research, I wrote my master’s thesis entitled “Joint Attention Responses of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Simple Versus Complex Music.” This manuscript was published in the Winter 2012 edition of the Journal of Music Therapy. This research was also cited in the American Music Therapy Association’s 2015 Fact Sheet on Music Therapy & Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Click here to find out more about me and my clinical background.