Have you ever sat down to plan for one of your music therapy sessions with teens and just stared at a blank piece of paper?

Have you ever walked into that session feeling anxiety because you knew that what you had planned was just not cool enough to fly?

Do you struggle with knowing what music to use in your sessions?

If you have, I can assure you that you are not alone. I’ve worked as a music therapist with teens since 2005 and I know firsthand how challenging it can sometimes be to work with this population:

  • You need to bring in interventions that are cool AND goal oriented.
  • You need to manage challenging behaviors AND still be relatable.
  • You need to find pop songs that are appropriate AND are able to be used therapeutically.

If you can relate to any of those things, then Tune In To Teens is for you!

Tune In To Teens is a comprehensive resource designed for music therapists and other professionals who work with teens with autism and related disabilities and are passionate about providing sessions that truly rock.

“I think this was the most organized and clearly presented online music therapy course I have ever taken. Thank you for so much for the valuable and useful information. I really appreciated the amount of specific, practical, and useful ideas.”

John Kneip, MT-BC • Music Therapist

Watch this video and keep on reading to find all the value that’s included in Tune In To Teens:

“Lifesaver course. I’m working with high school and post-grad students for the first time. I struggled to make relevant, age-appropriate activities, and your course was the first thing I turned to. I’m having an easier time of it now and I thank you for the great information!

Julia Sullivan, MT-BC • Music Therapist

There are three packages to choose from:

🎧 Basic: E-Course 
3 months of access
5 continuing ed credits (pre-approved)
The E-Course is jam packed with creative intervention ideas, new songs, session planning inspiration, and strategies for success when working with teens with special needs. You’ll have access to sheet music, looped hip hop beats, original song MP3s, session videos, creativity worksheets, and pop song bonuses. You’ll also have access to a VIP forum on Facebook.

🎸 Advanced: E-Course | Article Review & Reflection Qs
6 months of access
8 continuing ed credits (pre-approved)
For the Article Review, you’ll read “Psychological Functions of Music in Adolescence” (I’ll provide it to you!) and answer reflection questions that will allow you to dig deep into the relationship that teens have with “their” music. This will help you gain a better understanding of how to leverage that relationship therapeutically. The therapeutic relationship is not just between you and your teen client, it’s between you, your teen client and the music. This package will help you create sessions that are meaningful and engaging for the individuals with whom you work.

🎵 Pro: E-Course | Article Review + Reflection Qs | Email Idea Subscription + Support
6 months of access
15 continuing ed credits (pre-approved)
For the Email Idea Subscription, you’ll receive a bundle of session ideas for teen clients straight to your inbox at the beginning of each month. The ideas will be in PDF format and include all the information you’ll need to prepare and facilitate the musical experiences. That includes step-by-step instructions, lyrics, MP3s, visuals, musical game templates, and listening guides. Each month will target a different area of clinical need and you’ll receive brand new ideas to spark your creativity:

  • Musical game ideas
  • Music and art experiences
  • Ideas for song discussion
  • Auditory perception and rhythm exercises
  • Ideas for creating hip hop beats and using GarageBand in a therapeutic manner
  • Musical experiences that incorporate current pop songs

With each month’s idea you’ll also receive a Creativity Worksheet that prompts you to plan out goals, objectives, and musical experiences in that domain for your unique clients. You’ll also have email access to ask me any questions regarding  topics that pertain to working with teens with developmental disabilities, such as:

  • Creating goals and objectives
  • Creating musical experiences
  • Building rapport
  • Group management
  • Determining musical preferences and learning repertoire
  • Using pop music in a therapeutic manner

Each option above comes with The Ultimate Pop Song Bonus – 12 pages of ideas for how to use current pop songs by Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Jason Aldean, Miley. Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, and many more, therapeutically. The E-Course is now on hiatus.

But hop on the wait list below so you’ll be the first to know when it’s offered again AND receive Yo Guide To Rapping with Confidence Freebie!

“Amy is very knowledgeable and quite obviously loves what she does. I believe that many music therapists would benefit from her knowledge of this particular clientele as well as the push to find your own creativity again. So often we get bogged down in the day to day and just need to reconnect and get some fresh insight.”

Cynthia Fahey, MT-BC • Music Therapist

In this course you’ll be:

  • Inspired by learning TONS of brand new intervention ideas and being prompted through creativity worksheets to create your own.
  • Encouraged by having session planning materials that are right at your fingertips: sheet music, looped hip hop beats, original song MP3s, and session videos.
  • Empowered to walk into your sessions with confidence by learning specific, actionable strategies for success when working with teens.
  • Supported by having lifetime access to a members-only course forum and access to the course instructor, Amy, for follow up questions and support.

When you walk into a session with interventions that aren’t just appropriate and goal-oriented, but are also considered “cool” by your clients, you’ve hit the jackpot. You’re more likely to engage those clients and have them successfully meet their goals.

“Thank you for sharing your tips and experience with this population!! The features I enjoyed most were the resources, session ideas, implementation tips – all of it!! I would definitely recommend to anyone struggling with building rapport, coming up with ideas, presenting engaging, relevant content to teen groups. It was a very organized, detailed, helpful course! It is such a great, thought-through, and thorough course that I have already recommended it to other MTs I work with.

Anna Ruffle, MT-BC • Music Therapist

I vividly remember the first time I led a music therapy session for a group of teens with autism.

I remember it so distinctly because I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach the entire time.

I had been up the night before searching franticly through my materials from school and internship (which were solely geared towards children) and could barely scrape together a cohesive plan. I had more than a little anxiety walking into the session the next day. I just knew what I had planned was not going to be engaging and I was terrified these teens would “boo me off the stage,” so to speak.

Fortunately that didn’t happen.

But, after that session – and after all the anxiety and apprehension I felt – I vowed I would never again let that happen (to me or my clients!)

I made it my mission to create and test out all different kinds of musical experiences for teens. I would get their feedback, pay attention to their responses, and use what worked. I’d make note of those activities that were “cool,” engaging, and successful at helping my clients meet their therapeutic goals.

My sole purpose in creating this course is to let you in on what I’ve learned over the past sixteen years of working with teens. I want to save you time and alleviate those pre-session jitters. And, I want to give you the tools you need to feel 100% confident walking into your sessions knowing that what you’ve planned is appropriate for your unique clients and has a cool factor that’s through the roof.

You in?

Check out everything that’s included in the E-Course video modules:

Course Content

In Chapter 1, ‘Let’s Get It Started In Here’, you’ll learn:

  • Three different types of music you can incorporate into your sessions that are easy to find and easy to use
  • Creative ways to determine the musical preferences of your group
  • Ten ways to quickly locate and learn pop songs

In Chapter 2, ‘Bust-A-Rhyme and Other Intervention Ideas’, you’ll learn:

  • The clinical needs of teen clients in the following areas: social/emotional, motor/physical, attention, relaxation and creativity/self-expression
  • A variety of creative and engaging interventions that target those clinical needs
  • How to create your own original interventions that are tailored to the needs and preferences of your clients

In Chapter 3, ‘Rapping It Up’, we’ll cover:

  • Six challenges you may face when working with teens and specific strategies to meet with success in those areas
  • Four of my favorite session planning resources to ensure you never run out of ideas and that you stay inspired creatively!

“It is the only comprehensive resource that I have been able to find online that has specifically helped me in planning my sessions.”

Ali Howshall • Music Teacher

Teaching methods

Video Demonstrations
Video Demonstrations
Watch video demos so you can easily see what the interventions look and sound like in action.
GarageBand Tutorials
GarageBand Tutorials
Learn how to create beats on a Mac or iPad to use during movement interventions, instrument jams & rapping.
Session Videos
Session Videos
Watch session videos so you can have a peak into what the techniques look like in action with clients.
Sheet Music
Sheet Music
You’ll receive sheet music for all original songs in the course so learning and implementing them is a breeze.
Creativity Worksheets
Creativity Worksheets
Creativity worksheets are included with each chapter to prompt you to take action by writing songs and brainstorming session ideas.
MP3s
MP3s
You’ll receive MP3s for all the original songs in the course PLUS a bonus rap track that you’ll learn how to use in a variety of creative ways!

This course was one of the most organized and thorough courses that I have taken! The instructor shared valuable information, suggestions, and provided materials and resources that I will definitely use with my clients. I appreciate examples of various music experiences that address the music therapy domains as well as strategies to help with challenging situations that may occur while working with this population.”

Stacie Proctor, MM, MT-BC • Music Therapist

Course details

Three Packages Available:
Basic: E-Course

Advanced: E-Course | Article Review + Reflection Questions
Pro: E-Course | Article Review + Reflection Questions | Email Ideas Subscription + Support

Prerequisites: None

About Your Instructor: Amy has sixteen years of experience working with teens with autism and related disabilities, and loves working with this population. She served as Interim Professor at University of Miami, where she taught a variety of upper level courses, and currently teaches Introduction to Music Therapy online. Amy has created numerous E-Resources, including “Tuneful Teens” E-Books and the popular “Autism and Special Needs” E-Course on Music Therapy Ed. Her research on joint attention and autism is published in the Journal of Music Therapy. Most importantly, Amy loves empowering other professionals in their work with teens to walk into their sessions with confidence and excitement.

CBMT Affiliation: Tune In To Teens is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 5 – 15 Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. Wholesome Harmonies, LLC, #P-152, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

It’s easy to get started: Once you enter your payment information (via Paypal, debit card or credit card), you’ll receive an email from me that welcomes you to the course and provides you with the link to register. You’ll create a unique and secure username and password and immediately be able to access the course, download the materials and get started watching the videos!

Want to take the E-Course for FREE? We are now accepting Purchase Orders, so the E-Course can be paid for with school funds or district funds. To request an estimate or an invoice, or to submit a Purchase Order, email me at: Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or click here to send me an email via our contact form.

Tech troubles? If you experience any “tech” troubles at any time, just send me an email: Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or click here to send me an email via our contact form. I’m here to help and typically respond within 24 hours to assist (usually less!)

Kind Words - Participants

“Amy is a great presenter and I would definitely take more of her online CMTE courses! I hope you keep creating more E-Books and CMTE online courses. I love all the ones you currently have available. You are great and your ideas and presentation are so creative and also easy to implement, as you do a great job of “breaking” all the interventions down. Thank you and please keep creating!”
– Michelle Nettle, MT-BC

“I liked how the course was so well-organized. I liked the thoroughness of information presented for each domain, with all of the suggestions and ideas for activities. I also liked how each area was broken down and the pertinent information included in it. Also, all of the course materials and worksheets, the “Pop Song Hot List”, information on how to access the most recent pop songs and the Garageband mini-tutorial are very much appreciated.
– Carole Thomas, MM, MT-BC

“I feel ready to conquer my sessions!”
– Michele Burns, MT-BC

Kelli Hughes is an elementary general music teacher with 35 years of experience. This year she was assigned three special ed junior high groups and felt completely overwhelmed. She said “I certainly was not prepared for the groups I received this year and had no idea where to begin. Thank you for your course and blog. They are helping me tremendously. Believe me, I wouldn’t have made it through these first three months without you! I would be floundering even more without your course. I just now feel like I’m starting to get my footing because I had no idea what expect and no idea where to start. Thank you for everything.”
– Kelli Hughes, Elementary Music Teacher

“I would recommend this course to others! I feel as though this course gave me new and exciting interventions to try with several of my teen groups that I had been struggling to come up with new interventions for. Also, I personally was struggling with how mundane those sessions felt; so this course got me excited to go to those sessions and try some new interventions. I also really struggle with using raps in my sessions. I really enjoyed the examples of the raps you provided, the tips (rapping to a theme and sentence starters) on how to get clients writing their own raps. 
– Madeline Feenstra, MT-BC

“Amy has some fantastic, age-appropriate ideas that I believe will capture the attention of teen clients.”
– Elisa Parker, MT-BC

“I really appreciated all the resources and ideas that can be adjusted to meet the needs of my particular clients. Everything was well organized and easy to understand. I would recommend that anyone working with teens who wants fresh new inspiration take this course. It has gotten my creative juices flowing and inspired me to come up with some new ideas to use with my teens.”
– Elizabeth Sands Buckmaster, Med, MT-BC

“Thank you so much for doing your CMTE class. I had been struggling with new ideas and interventions for my teen and young adult groups, and it really helped me to refocus on the goals behind the interventions, have some new ideas, and to spark my lost creativity!
– Megan Dewing, MT-BC

“I enjoyed learning various interventions for each of the domains. It was so organized, easy to follow, and I was able to apply some of the ideas in my sessions right away. I would definitely recommend this course to music therapists, especially working with teens. There’s lots of ideas and resources presented in the course that you can use in your sessions right away. Even if you don’t work with teens, you still get a lot of creative ideas that can be adapted to other population (i.e. the use of garage band, relaxation, using various genres of music etc.)
– Yuriko Urushibata, MT-BC

“Thank you for helping me make the transition from the dementia population to teens – it is a new population for me and I really was nervous. The strategies for challenges were amazing! The features of the course I enjoyed most were the practical examples and reasoning why for each example. I recommend the course to all my interns.
– Sheila Wall, MT-BC

“I loved this course. It sparked many ideas for me to include in my sessions. I would definitely recommend this course to others. It provides resources to keep therapists’ up-to-date with music that teens enjoy. The course interventions are easily adaptable for other age groups as well.”
– Brooke Heltzel, MT-BC

I thought this course was well organized and very relevant. I liked that it included ideas for interventions in each of the different domains and talked about examples of how to incorporate a variety of genres of music into a session with teens. I would recommend to course to others.  I feel like I was able to connect the ideas presented to what I’ve done when working with teens, as well as learn new strategies and interventions that I have since implemented with my students.”
– Casey Kallman, MT-BC

“I’d like to thank Amy for the wonderful and informative course! I appreciated the various adaptable intervention examples presented and that each had sheet music, MP3 and goal possibilities shared. I would recommend this course to others because I feel like sometimes it’s difficult to plan for teens and this gives a large body of ways to approach it.”
– Melanie Castiblanco, MT-BC

“The features of the course I enjoyed most were the ideas I can take and modify specifically to population I service. Thank you for sharing your creativity… you’ve kick started mine back up!
– Rachel Pinter, MT-BC

“The feature I enjoyed the most were the ideas for more cognitively challenged students while keeping it age appropriate.”
– Keren Hayes, Special Education Teacher

“I would absolutely recommend the course to others!! It was extremely organized, clear, and thorough. I appreciated all the new ideas!”
– Nell Miller, MT-BC

“I liked that activities were presented in detail and demonstrated in this course. Also, I enjoyed that Amy shared her recordings to some of her songs. It’s always nice to hear/see what other therapists are doing and to add new things to change up some of the materials we use frequently. It was nice to have the Garage Band tutorial at the end as well.”
– Kristi Rood DeAngelis, MT-BC

“I loved all the examples of interventions to use in all goal areas! The course was very relevant and gave lots of good ideas to try in sessions!
– Angela Danowski, MM, MT-BC

“I really appreciated the way the course was broken down into distinct units. Everything was easy to follow and understand and everything was explained thoroughly. This course does a wonderful job of breaking down many interventions to be used to work towards many goals. Everything is explained very well, examples are given, and many resources are shared.”
– Kaitlyn Southgate, MT-BC

“I enjoyed the Creativity Worksheets!”
– Brianna Walstra, MT-BC

“Having access to download the slides and other materials was precious!”
– Recent course participant and music therapist

Here’s what others are saying about Amy’s E-Course, Autism & Special Needs (previously on Music Therapy Ed):

“It was THE best course I have taken!! I love how she gave it to you in words, then SHOWED you!! It was perfect. Please teach another course! I love your style and would love to see more from you!”
– Amanda White, MT-BC

“I am so excited about this course! I LOVE the resources and songs you have included. I had an AHA moment during each lesson so far. I couldn’t stop watching the videos, I just got so excited. Now I’m going to go back and watch them all again and complete the action steps!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this course! So very useful!”
– Julie DeKeyzer, MM, MT-BC

“What an information and idea packed course this has been. I’m particularly grateful for the activity ideas and the final creativity worksheet and action plan…This was exactly the sort of course I crave – facts, research, practical application, video demonstration, activity ideas…perfect!”
– Denise Travis, MM, MT-BC

“I thought your course was excellent. I work with adults on the autism spectrum, and have gotten a lot of ideas from this course. Thank you so much for all the information and the excellent way it was presented.”
– Marilyn Leeseberg, MT-BC

“Just completed Chapter 1, and am already excited to incorporate several of the songs into my practice. The videos are awesome – it is so helpful to be able to watch you in action, Amy! I am SO loving the course! I hope that you will do more courses in the future! This course has been fantastic! :)”
– Kim Beck, MT-BC

Here’s what others are saying about The Attention & Perception E-Course:

“Would I recommend the course to others? Oh, absolutely. Your voice is easy to listen to, your videos are excellently edited, and your material is succinct and straightforward. For someone with ADD, this was AWESOME and so simple to stay attentive. The edited videos of client interventions seamlessly fit into the instruction videos. It made it so easy to mentally jump from what a therapist can do to use this information and these techniques. Thank you for making it a fun learning experience!”
– Sarah Jarvis, Music Therapy Intern

“I loved the videos! It allowed me to see everything from the the slides being put into action. Which helps me a lot! Would I recommend the course to others? Yes, because it is a great way to learn and understand about the clients you are serving and some great ideas for interventions on how to serve them.”
– Ashley Grampp, Music Therapy Intern

“Chapter 2 and 3 were extremely informative. I found the section regarding addressing multiple levels of ability very helpful as well as the science background as it applies to perception and retention of information. Very informative and clear information from a real world perspective. Thank you again for such a great course, well organized too. I was telling my husband today that you are a gifted instructor and I think anyone who presents information could benefit from your content.”
– Carolyn Perkins, Music Teacher

Here’s what others are saying about Amy’s E-Books & Resources:

“I highly recommend Amy’s book, Tuneful Teens. When I first started out as a new music therapist, the population that intimidated me the most was the tween and teen crowd. That’s why I was so excited when my friend and fellow music therapist Amy Kalas Buser launched her E-Book, Tuneful Teens. Amy provides everything you need — step by step procedures, templates, sheet music, etc. — to implement the interventions in your music therapy sessions.”
– Rachel Rambach, MM, MT-BC • Music Therapist

“I feel ready to conquer my sessions!”

Michele Burns, MT-BC • Music Therapist

FAQs

Who is this course designed for?

Tune In To Teens was created for music therapists, educators and other professionals who work with school-age clients and teens with autism and related disabilities. But, all the ideas can be used with or adapted for other populations.

We’ve had music teachers who have individuals with autism in their classes take the course, as well as special education teachers who want to incorporate musical activities into their lesson plans. You are all most welcome here!

Kelli Hughes is an elementary general music teacher with 35 years of experience. This year she was assigned three special ed junior high groups and felt completely overwhelmed. She said “I certainly was not prepared for the groups I received this year and had no idea where to begin. Thank you for your course and blog. They are helping me tremendously. Believe me, I wouldn’t have made it through these first three months without you! I would be floundering even more without your course. I just now feel like I’m starting to get my footing because I had no idea what expect and no idea where to start. Thank you for everything.

Ali Howshall is a music teacher who recently completed the course and said “It is the only comprehensive resource that I have been able to find online that has specifically helped me in planning my sessions.

I purchased the Tuneful Teens 1 and 2 E-Books and loved them! Are the ideas in the course different than the ideas in the E-Books?

Yes! All the ideas in the Tune In To Teens course are completely fresh and new and do not appear anywhere in my E-Books or on my blog. That’s why I am SO excited to share this course with you!

How is the course set up?

The course is made up of three chapters, each containing multiple video lessons. (You can watch video of a sneak peak into the course right here!) In addition to all the videos, you’ll have access to a variety of course materials to download: MP3s, sheet music, slide decks (ie. PowerPoint PDFs), lyric sheets, intervention instructions, and Creativity Worksheets. You can work through the material at your own pace and have 3 – 6 months to complete the course, depending on the package you choose. You’ll also have lifetime access to the course forum on Facebook where you can share ideas and learn new song and intervention ideas.

How do I purchase online?

It’s easy. Just click on the blue button that says “Click here to enroll!” You’ll enter your payment information (via Paypal, debit card or credit card). Following that, you’ll receive an email from me that welcomes you to the course and provides you with the link to register. You’ll create a unique and secure username and password that will allow you to access the course at any time from the comfort of your home!

Can I pay with a debit or credit card?

Yes absolutely! After you click on the blue button that says “Click here to enroll!” the Paypal payment portal will open. Click near the bottom where it says “Pay with debit or credit card.”

Do you accept Purchase Orders?

You bet! To request an estimate or an invoice, or to submit a Purchase Order, email me at: Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or click here to send me an email via our contact form.

Once I’m registered, how do I access the course?

To access the course, you’ll click on the Login button in the navigation bar of the Wholesome Harmonies website. You’ll enter your secure and individualized username and password. Once you do that you’ll be taken straight to Chapter 1 to begin watching the videos.

What happens if I have a tech issue while trying to log in to the course and watch the videos?

Fear not – If you have any questions, email me directly at Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or click here. I will typically respond within 24 hours (usually sooner!) to help resolve the issue.

How do I obtain CMTE credits?

Upon completion of the course you’ll fill out a Course Evaluation Form that gets emailed to me. Once that form is received, I’ll email your course certificate to you within one week. That certificate verifies that you have successfully earned 5-15 continuing education credits, depending on the package you purchased. I also provide clear instructions for how to log your credits onto the CBMT website, and keep a copy of your certificate on hand in the event that you should need it for a CBMT audit.

I have a question that’s not listed here.

No worries! Email me and I would be happy to answer any additional questions you have! Send an email to Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or click here.

Refund Policy: If you are not satisfied with this course, you have 15 days from the purchase date to contact Amy Kalas Buser, the director of Wholesome Harmonies, LLC. Amy may be contacted via email at Amy@WHmusictherapy.com. Refund requests must be accompanied by a thorough explanation of why you are unsatisfied along with completed homework for the course (ie. completed Creativity Worksheets for each chapter). The course instructor reserves the right to approve or deny refund requests on a case-by-case basis.