Coast Music Therapy

What Coast Music Therapy does

Coast Music Therapy is a San Diego County, California-based provider of IEP-based music therapy services to public school students with autism and other special needs, founded in 2001 by Michelle Lazar, MA, MT-BC. The company operates a B2B2C model in which it contracts directly with school districts to deliver music therapy as a recognized related service under Individualized Education Programs, employing Board Certified Music Therapists (MT-BC) trained in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) techniques at Colorado State University. Services are delivered in-school at student sites Monday through Friday, operating on a 10-11 month school-year calendar, with the company having served over 25 school districts and completed more than 1,000 individual student assessments since 1999. All revenue from this stream flows from district contracts at no cost to parents.

The company's core technology centers on the proprietary "Tuned in to Learning" curriculum — a content library of songs, videos, slideshows, and visual supports designed by board-certified music therapists for IEP goal areas including speech, academics, social skills, motor development, and behavior, including customizable "Adapt-a-Song" versions. The company also produces free How-To-torials video content and sells physical and digital therapy tools through the tunedintolearning.com e-commerce storefront. The 2014 California regulatory recognition of Board Certified Music Therapists as qualified providers under IDEA (CCR Title 5 Section 3051.21) is a structural tailwind favoring incumbents with this credentialing profile.

Revenue is generated primarily through professional services contracts with San Diego County school districts, supplemented by e-commerce sales of Tuned in to Learning products. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, founder-owned, and operating with no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or institutional investors. Distribution is overwhelmingly regional (San Diego County only), with marketing executed through a content-driven mix of blog, free downloadable resources, YouTube How-To-torials, six social media platforms, and annual Music Therapy Social Media Advocacy Month participation.

Name

Coast Music Therapy

Legal name

Coast Music Therapy

Website

https://coastmusictherapy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coast Music Therapy is a San Diego County provider of IEP-based music therapy services for public school students with autism and special needs, delivered by Board Certified Music Therapists using a proprietary Tuned in to Learning curriculum and contracted through 25+ school districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Music Therapy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

Keywords

• IEP music therapy
• Special education services
• Neurologic music therapy
• Autism therapy services
• School district therapy contracts

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. IEP-Based Music Therapy (School District Contracts): Coast Music Therapy provides music therapy as a related service through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), contracted by school districts in San Diego County. Services are funded by school districts at no cost to parents. This is the primary revenue stream, operating on a school-year calendar (10–11 months). The company has provided over 1,000 individual student assessments since 1999 and served over 25 school districts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coast Music Therapy delivers Board Certified Music Therapist-led music therapy as a related service under Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to students with autism and special needs in San Diego County public schools. Services are contracted directly with school districts and executed on-site during the school day, addressing communication, academic, social, motor, behavioral, and daily living IEP goal areas using Neurologic Music Therapy techniques and the company's proprietary Tuned in to Learning curriculum. The company also sells physical and digital therapy tools (books, CDs, CD-ROMs, downloads) through a complementary e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

Coast Music Therapy operates as a service-based organization offering IEP-Based Music Therapy Services as its primary offering, supplemented by the Tuned in to Learning curriculum brand which provides songs, visual supports, and educational materials designed by their music therapists. The company also provides free resources including How-To-Torials videos, music therapy assessments, and physical/digital therapy tools. Services target students with autism and special needs in San Diego County schools, with staff credentialed through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tuned in to Learning: A music therapy curriculum and product line developed by Coast Music Therapy founder Michelle Lazar, featuring songs, videos, slideshows, and visual supports for educational goal areas.

Products and services

• IEP-Based Music Therapy Services School-based music therapy delivered on-site as a related service under IEPs for PreK-12 students with autism and special needs in San Diego County public schools, addressing communication, academic, social, motor, behavioral, and daily living goal areas using Neurologic Music Therapy techniques and the Tuned in to Learning curriculum.
• Music Therapy IEP Assessment Formal music therapy assessment conducted by Board Certified Music Therapists to determine eligibility for music therapy as a related service in the special education setting, using a systemized assessment process designed for IEP teams.
• Tuned in to Learning Curriculum & Therapy Tools Proprietary music therapy curriculum and product line of books, music CDs, CD-ROMs, and digital downloads developed by Coast Music Therapy founder Michelle Lazar, featuring thousands of songs, videos, slideshows, visual supports, and Adapt-a-Song customization for IEP goal areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 individual student music therapy assessments provided since 1999
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoast Music Therapy staff are credentialed through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). All therapists hold the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential, earned after completing academic and clinical training requirements and passing the CBMT National Board Certification Examination. The company references CBMT on its website footer and job postings as its primary credentialing body.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Music & Memory: Non-profit organization using personalized music programs for older adults with dementia and cognitive decline. Comparable in deploying music-based therapeutic interventions in institutional settings with measurable outcomes, though focused on geriatric rather than pediatric special education.
• The Songstream Project: Non-profit co-founded by Coast Music Therapy staff member Talia Morales, creating audio documentaries and podcasts amplifying music's value for autism. Comparable in mission and founder overlap, but operates as a media/advocacy non-profit rather than a therapy service provider.

Direct peers

• MusicWorx: San Diego-based music therapy provider offering IEP-based and clinical music therapy services with a Board Certified staff. Direct local competitor operating in the same county with a comparable service model targeting schools and special needs populations.
• The Music Therapy Center of California: California-based music therapy clinic offering individual and group music therapy services with Board Certified therapists. Directly comparable clinical service model for special needs populations in the same state.
• Soundscape Music Therapy: Music therapy practice providing individualized and group music therapy services for children and adults with special needs. Comparable in employing MT-BC therapists to deliver IEP-aligned interventions using NMT and similar techniques.

Broad incumbents

• Cortica: Multi-disciplinary autism care platform delivering integrated therapy services (ABA, OT, SLP) for children with autism. Comparable in providing related-service therapies under IEP frameworks in school and clinic settings, though as a broader multi-modality platform rather than music-specialized.
• Music Together: Large, established early childhood music education program with research-based curricula delivered through licensed centers. Comparable in operating music-based developmental curricula with a proprietary content library, though focused on general early childhood rather than special education.
• Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy: Established national music therapy organization with multiple centers delivering clinical music therapy services. Comparable in offering MT-BC-staffed music therapy for special needs populations, but with broader geographic footprint and academic affiliation.

Regional players

• Center for Music Therapy (Texas): Regional music therapy provider in Texas offering school-based and clinical services for children with autism and special needs. Comparable IEP-driven service delivery model, but operating in a different US geography.
• Bay Area Music Therapy: Regional California music therapy provider serving the San Francisco Bay Area with school-based and clinic services. Comparable service model targeting IEP and special needs populations, but operating in a different California geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CoastMusicSD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/coastmusictherapy
• Facebookfacebook.com/coastmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coast-music-therapy
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastmusictherapy
• Pinterestpinterest.com/coastmusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coast Music Therapy