Amanda Ziemba

Amanda is a music therapist and researcher at Institute for Therapy through the Arts, a non-profit creative arts therapy organization located outside of Chicago, IL. She previously worked as the Lab Manager for the BRAIN (Brain, Research, and Interdisciplinary Neurosciences) Lab at Western Michigan University and as a private music therapist in the Kalamazoo area. Her clinical experience includes working with a variety of ages and populations including traumatic brain injury, at-risk children, dementia, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and developmental disabilities.

Amanda is currently researching the 'Musical Bridges to Memory' program, recently funded by the NEA, to study the impact of a music-based program on the relationship between individuals with dementia and their companions (family members, caregivers, volunteers). Study outcomes include improved communication, decrease in neuropsychiatric symptoms, and improved relationship satisfaction.