Miao Williams, MT-BC

Board Certified Music Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapist

Miao Williams is a board-certified music therapist with extensive experience providing music therapy services in Arizona across various settings, including private practice and community-based programs. She earned her master degree in Music Therapy from Arizona State University and began working as a certified music therapist to gain valuable experience serving diverse populations.

Miao specializes in using creative interventions such as drumming, singing, and movement to support developmental health, mental health, personal growth, and community connection. After becoming certified as a Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT), she began incorporating NMT techniques to better support clients with developmental disabilities.

Outside of her professional work, Miao enjoys collaborating with nonprofit organizations and assisted living facilities to bring music and Tai Chi exercises to underserved communities. She is also passionate about fostering creativity through piano teaching, drum circles, and Health Rhythm group sessions.

As a member of the AZMTA board, Miao is eager to contribute to building a stronger sense of community, advocating for music therapy, and supporting the professional growth of therapists throughout Arizona.

Laura Rost, MT-BC

Board Certified Music Therapist

Laura Rost obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Music and minor in Psychology from the University of Montana in 2018, and is currently in pursuit of a Master's Degree in Music Therapy through Arizona State University. After completing a six month internship with the Arizona State Hospital in July, she is now employed there as part of the rehabilitation department. She has over 10 years of experience with private piano instruction, 4 years of private trumpet instruction, as well as experience playing in various wind ensembles, jazz bands, contemporary music ensembles, marching bands, and big band Latin-jazz ensembles. Her clinical hours at ASU allowed her opportunities to implement music therapy interventions with adults and adolescents with developmental and intellectual disabilities, adults with mental illness in a forensic setting, older adults in memory care, adults with mental illness and older adults with severe mental illness. She is a passionate advocate of our profession and hopes to foster greater connection in our community.

Sam Klein, MM, MT-BC

Board Certified Music Therapist

After spending years believing I wanted to be a music teacher, I was inspired by the emphasis on progress that comes with music therapy and quickly switched gears. In 2019 I graduated with my Bachelors in flute performance from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, and moved to Arizona to pursue my masters’ equivalency in music therapy. Since becoming board certified in 2021, I worked at Higher Octave Healing where I focused providing music therapy for outpatient addiction recovery groups, as well as 1:1 and group music therapy for those with developmental disabilities. In 2022, after graduating with my Master’s degree, I started working at St. Luke’s behavioral health, working with inpatient psychiatric patients and developing a music therapy program for the kids’ unit (ages 5-12). In 2024 I lost my job, and have been in a variety of roles since then. Currently, I work for Charlie Health, an online IOP service, and i am the lead music therapist for iCare Health Services, working with kids with developmental disabilities. My hope is to blend my passion for working with addiction recovery and early childhood, and eventually I’d like to focus on working with moms in addiction recovery and their babies who may have prenatal substance dependence. I’d like to be a part of the AZMTA board because I am passionate about advocacy for our profession. Working with DDD, I see the need for advocacy constantly, while seeing the immense impact music therapy can have. In my spare time, I like cuddle with my cat Daisy, spend time with my partner Abel, and take care of my 50+ houseplants.

Laura Pruett, MT-BC

Board Certified Music Therapist

Laura Pruett graduated from California State University, Northridge with a bachelor's in music therapy in 2010. She worked in an acute psychiatric hospital and a skilled nursing facility while living in Long Beach. When her husband decided to finish his degree, they and their 2 cats moved to Phoenix in 2014. That's when Laura started a private practice, A Sound Agency, seeing music therapy clients and private music students. Her music therapy clients currently include early childhood groups, adults with special needs, and older adults with dementia and/or receiving hospice care.