My life’s work is dedicated to guiding and empowering people to heal themselves and discover their authentic voice while stepping confidently into accessing it all the time no matter where they are from, how much money they have, the color of their skin, or their status in the home, village, or society at large.
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION DESIGNED FOR IMPACT
Amikaeyla (or Ami) is an inspirational speaker, powerful performer, nuanced thought leader, innovative educator, and engaged activist working with governments, corporations, universities, and nonprofit organizations around the world to address the inequities, conflicts, and trauma in their communities.
Ami & Her Music As Medicine Program
Amikaeyla’s Music As Medicine program and work with refugees and at-risk children, youth and families has been utilized and implemented by the Department of Health & Human Services, The American Psychological Association, and the US Consulate General’s Cultural Affairs office, allowing her to work in places like Israel, Beirut, Amman, Damascus, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
What Ami Does Around the World
She’s been called in by The United Nations High Commission on Refugees to open minds and offer support finding transformative and peaceful solutions in difficult scenarios; worked with war survivors and jeopardized populations as a Cultural Arts Ambassador for the State Department; and served on boards with organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, National Surgeon General’s Health Advisory Council, and the World Trust Social Justice & Equity Movement Building Organization.
“Amikaeyla is an extremely engaging speaker and facilitator and packs a powerful punch. She performs and speaks to hundreds of people every year and those in attendance benefit from connecting and collaborating with her energy and message. Her vibrant and grounding presence enhances any event she participates in. She is a first class professional, knows excellence, and is a wonderful person.”
C. Eduardo Vargas, Deputy Director
US Agency for International Development, USAID
“As you look and listen to the people in this world, your city, your orgranization, you know people are hurting. Life seems pointless without purpose, but where there is hurting, Ami brings healing, using the superpower of song to help people overcome and turn their pain into power.”
Matthew Wilson, Cultural Affairs Officer
US State Department
“Ami is a fabulous presenter and has a genuine connection with people. Our Equity Leadership Group loved her and said she was the best presenter we ever had!”
Katherine Clifford, Director
Bandtec
“I just wanted to express my extreme gratitude and heartfelt love for Amikaeyla and the amazing job she did at the ACEP Conference. I can’t tell you how many people were singing her praises including the entire Board of Directors! Everyone said she was the favorite speaker in our 20 year history – and that’s no small feat because we have a lot of stellar people who speak at the conference.”
Lori Hops, Outreach Director
Association for Comprehensive Energy of Psychology
“Amikaeyla capture the attention of over 200 students and teachers during two interactive presentations. There was lots of energy, loads of fun, and a good time was had by all including the teachers.”
Lisa Starbird, Program Director
Bread& Roses.org
“I wanted to personally communicate how grateful I am for the role Amikaeyla played in making our Elevate Conference a success – and it truly was by all counts. It’s because of her time, commitment, and expertise that we were able to conduct such a successful conference in this critical topic.”
Susan Schmidt, President
Nonprofit Leadership Alliance
What Ami Can Do For Your Organization
By fostering supportive environments where creativity and strategic questioning allow people to address their fears, dialogue openly, and embark on deeper introspection, Amikaeyla develops spaces where everyone has an equal voice. She is a featured presenter and trainer on Conflict Management, Resolution, and Cultural Competency in non-profit and health organizations throughout the nation.
What Ami Does
Recently, Amikaeyla was featured as a guest lecturer at the training academy for US diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute. There, she was asked to present insights, methods, and tools with cultural and public affairs officers for the most effective use of art and artists in sharing the US with the world beyond politics. Amikaeyla is currently a Professor at the California Jazz Conservatory, and the Founder and Executive Director for The International Cultural Arts and Healing Sciences Institute (ICAHSI). ICAHSI is a contemporary interdisciplinary cultural arts and educational institute based in both the San Francisco/Bay Area, California and in Washington, DC.
The Story of
Amikaeyla Gaston
While waiting to go into a woman’s festival, Ami was nearly murdered by five young men in a big white truck. They smashed into her, dragging her 86 feet. Lodged between the tire and exhaust pipe, she could smell her flesh cooking. When the truck stopped all Ami could think to do was start singing. It took years of surgeries, physical therapy, and hospital stays to heal her third degree burns. No drugs could help the pain, so she turned to music, the only thing that reminded her of peace.
The doctors may have healed her on the outside, but she healed herself on the inside. She learned every person has to be a part of their own healing, so she’s still singing, and sharing her story, because she vowed from that lonely abyss that she would help others get out of the pit of pain and be saved by music.
TRUSTED BY MILLIONS OF STUDENTS
amikaeyla 