CONFERENCE REGISTRATION, CMTE’S, SCHEDULING, AND ROOM BOOKING
Amplify Your Voice – Digital Program
NER community,
We are very excited about the 2025 NER Executive Board election taking place this week during the NER Spring Conference in Portland, Maine. Below, you will find the slate of candidates for this election. Voting will take place online for members of the New England Region and will be open between Thursday 4/3 at 8am and Friday 4/4 at 9am. The election results will be announced during Friday’s business meeting.
Once voting begins on Thursday 4/3 at 8am, please click here or use the QR code below. You will need your AMTA membership number to submit your vote. You can find your AMTA Membership ID by locating your emailed membership receipt or through your account page on the AMTA website (instructions are on the ballot form).
Please reach out to brianj@neramta.org with any questions.
Thank you,
NER-AMTA Nominating Committee
Brian Jantz, Mary Reinsch, and Adrienne Flight
2025 NER Executive Board Election Candidates
President-Elect
Krystal Demaine, PhD, MT‐BC, REAT, CTRS‐C, RYT, is a professor of expressive therapies at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. She is a board‐certified music therapist, registered expressive arts therapist, certified in trauma and resilience, nutrition for mental health, Trauma Sensitive HeartMath, as a Listening Hour practitioner, and is a registered yoga teacher. In her more than 20 years as a music therapist, she has used song, sound, movement, story, and creative reflection to support a variety of human needs across the lifespan. She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Arts and Health and the Journal of Creative Arts in Education and Therapy. Krystal has presented her work on arts and healing across the globe and has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She is the author of The Roots and Rhythm of the Heart (2022) and Expressive Therapeutic Writing (Demaine & Einstein, 2024, Routledge).
Vice President-Elect
Ali Iaria, LMHC, LPC, MT-BC is a therapist in private practice and field site supervisor for music therapy practicum students from Berklee College of Music. She is currently the chair of the Membership Committee for NER-AMTA. Her clinical work focuses on using music-centered practices with people who have experienced individual and systemic trauma. Ali received her B.M. in Music Education from Berklee College of Music and M.A in Music Therapy from Lesley University. She has previously worked in community mental health agencies in Massachusetts as a director and supervisor for in-home and in acute day services.
LeeAnn Guidry, MT-BC, MMT, NMT, LPMT is a board-certified music therapist currently working at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Oncology, Hematology, and Stem Cell Transplant units. With a Masters of Music Therapy from Loyola University New Orleans, her clinical experience spans pediatric, medical, and neurologic music therapy settings. Passionate about evidence-based practice, she has presented on AI applications in music therapy and serves as the Social Media Coordinator for the New England Region of AMTA. LeeAnn is dedicated to using her voice to advocate for equitable music therapy services and experiences for patients, students, and professionals throughout the region and country.
Secretary
KT Bagley, MT-BC (any pronouns) is a hospice music therapist in Massachusetts. They earned their undergraduate degree in music therapy from Berklee College of Music and will be completing a Master of Science degree in Thanatology from Marian University later this year. In addition to his clinical work, KT has been an internship supervisor, guest lecturer at Anna Maria College, and presenter at regional music therapy and hospice and palliative care conferences. In 2023 they joined the NER-AMTA Membership Support Committee overseeing the Pay It Forward program. They welcome the opportunity to further serve the region in the role of Secretary.
Treasurer
Erika Lowenthal, MT-BC (she/her/hers) graduated from the Frost School of Music and currently works in the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Erika served on the student board of SER-AMTA for 5 years, as Treasurer for 2 years, and President-Elect and President for two years while working closely with the SER professional board. She is passionate about continuing education, advocacy, and community in the music therapy field. Erika’s interests include being outdoors, trying new restaurants, and exploring new places with her dog.
Assembly of Delegates (alphabetical order)
Dr. Leticia Prieto Alvarez is a Music Therapy Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Music Therapy program at Lesley University. Leticia was the Director of Expressive Therapies and Brain Health Initiatives at Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL) before becoming core faculty. Her clinical experience encompasses childhood and elderhood, as she worked with children and young adults in her past private practice and is still a part-time clinician and researcher in HSL. Leticia holds a B.A. in Piano, Chamber Music, and Viola Performance from Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid and a Master of Music in Viola Performance and a Graduate Diploma from New England Conservatory, where she studied as a Fulbright scholar. In 2010 she obtained a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Music Therapy from Lesley University and in 2021 she completed a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Rey Juan Carlos I University (Madrid) after defending her thesis on the effects of neurologic music therapy with older adults with dementia. This feasibility study was published by Music Therapy Perspectives in 2022. Her current research interests are focused on fall prevention and dysphagia in older adults with moderate and severe cognitive decline. Leticia has performed with NEC Philharmonia, the Longy Chamber Music, and the Filarmonía de Madrid orchestras, among many others, in settings such as Boston’s Jordan Hall and Symphony Hall, and the Royal Auditoriums of Madrid and Murcia. As a member of the Filarmonía de Madrid, she was also part of the award-winning Spanish children’s TV program ‘El Conciertazo.” She is a collaborator with Infinity Dance Collective, performing in their shows Activate and Transmute. She was awarded the 2019 Massachusetts Assisted Living Association Program Innovation Award and frequently presents on topics including dementia, elder abuse, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
Evy Amato, MS, MT-BC With nearly two decades of experience as a music therapist, Evy Amato has dedicated her career to supporting individuals facing advanced illness through the therapeutic power of music. After earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Music Therapy from SUNY New Paltz, where she studied under Drs. Mary Boyle and Russell Hilliard, Evy directed her focus toward working with children and adults with life-limiting conditions. She eventually settled in the hospice field, where she has made a lasting impact. Evy spent 13 years at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of MA, where she not only provided direct patient care but also played a key role in developing and expanding the internship program, contributing to business development and marketing initiatives, and directing an annual children’s bereavement camp. Her leadership continued as the organization grew and she took on the role of Director of Supportive Care and Patient Experience, in which she managed the team of social workers, chaplains, and music therapists and oversaw the Bereavement and Volunteer programs. Currently, Evy serves as a music therapist and Director of Complementary Therapies at Faith & Family Hospice in Marlborough, MA. Evy is passionate about mentoring the next generation of music therapists, regularly supervising students from Berklee College of Music and preparing to host interns in the upcoming year.
Cecilia Burns, MMT, MT-BC received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Loyola University New Orleans and completed her clinical internship at Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, Florida. She has been a hospice music therapist in Connecticut since 2012, currently working at Hartford Healthcare at Home. Cecilia is pursuing a doctoral degree in music therapy at Temple University and is an adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz. Cecilia is a flutist who performs with several Connecticut orchestras and leads the Hat City Flutes. When not fluting, you may find her with a book and a cat.
LeeAnn Guidry, MT-BC, MMT, NMT, LPMT is a board-certified music therapist currently working at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Oncology, Hematology, and Stem Cell Transplant units. With a Masters of Music Therapy from Loyola University New Orleans, her clinical experience spans pediatric, medical, and neurologic music therapy settings. Passionate about evidence-based practice, she has presented on AI applications in music therapy and serves as the Social Media Coordinator for the New England Region of AMTA. LeeAnn is dedicated to using her voice to advocate for equitable music therapy services and experiences for patients, students, and professionals throughout the region and country.
Hayley Jang, MA, MT-BC is a music therapist working at Boston Children’s Hospital and in private practice, specializing in music psychotherapy. She holds a degree in music therapy from Berklee College of Music and a master’s in music therapy from NYU. As a Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist, Hayley practices with a person-centered, trauma-informed and music-centered approach. Currently serving on the Massachusetts Music Therapy Task Force, she is dedicated to advancing music therapy policy and practice to improve the quality of care for clients.
Sophia Paravalos is a board-certified music therapist at Boston Children’s Hospital, working with kids and young adults with chronic pain. Over the past four years, she has been an active member of the music therapy community, attending both AMTA and NER conferences. She is excited for the opportunity to support the field on a larger scale as an Assembly Delegate. With firsthand experience of music therapy’s impact within the medical system and public health, she looks forward to advocating for the profession, staying engaged in important discussions, and representing the voices of NER members.
Meredith Pizzi, MPA, MT-BC, is the Founder and CEO of Roman Music Therapy Services, which this year celebrates 19 years serving clients in Massachusetts. She is also the Co-Founder of Raising Harmony which offers the Sprouting Melodies Training. Meredith was previously a Council Coordinator on the AMTA Board of Directors and has served the NER as an Assembly Delegate or Alternate since 2013. Meredith brings training and experience in both the business and non-profit sectors and experience teaching music therapy at the graduate level at multiple universities focusing on business development, professional practices, leadership and human resources.
Sarah Sacala is a Board-Certified Music Therapist based in the Early Learning Center/ Lower School Program at Perkins School for the Blind. Sarah has worked at Perkins for over four years with students aged 6-14 who present with multiple, complex disabilities and visual impairments. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Psychology from Western Connecticut State University and a Master’s degree in Music Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University. She has served as a practicum supervisor and continues to serve as internship supervisor for undergraduate music therapy students out of Berklee College of Music. Additionally, she is working towards her licensure in mental health counseling (LMHC) for the state of Massachusetts to further her skill sets, which is anticipated to be completed in Summer 2025.
