At a young age, Dane Wagner has navigated through life with music by his side. From singing classic rock songs with his family and friends, to deep listening with his Ipod, to connecting with others through guitar, Dane’s life has been centered around music.

In 2012, Dane began working as a paraprofessional working with the autistic community as a paraprofessional in an ABA school. He noticed that the rigidity of the facilitation,  masking techniques and using passions as means to an end as well not align with his values or felt that it was beneficial to the children. Dane left the public school setting in hopes of finding an alternative way to work with children, which is where he learned about the DIR Floortime Model. From there, Dane found a model which valued the uniqueness of children, a way to tailor each interaction with children to best support them as well as a community of likeminded, affirming professionals.
 

It was in 2016 that Dane learned about Music Therapy, a profession which combined his passions for music, psychology, supporting others, autism and advocacy. From presenting at colleges within the Tri-State Area, advocating for neuro-affirming practices, and being featured on Podcasts, Dane shares his love for Music Therapy and Autism with great passion and fervor. 

​

Dane’s professional achievements include graduating from Montclair State University’s Music Therapy Program
in 2025 and creating Sonic Minds Music Therapy in 2026.