Maria Hernandez was born in Miami, Florida and grew up in The Dominican Republic. Prior to entering Berklee’s Music Therapy Program, Maria Hernandez studied piano and completed training as a physician at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo in her native Dominican Republic. During her studies at Berklee College of Music, she assisted in research for Music Therapy for Metastasic Breast Cancer at the Dana - Farber Cancer Institute and has presented a literature review on the Effects of Music on Gait Training in Stroke Patients.

Maria enjoys walking, dancing and composing music during her free time. Her original compositions and lyrical arrangements reflect her fusion of Hispanic and American experiences, her love of family and friends, and her belief in music as a powerful force in behavioral medicine.

She is currently a part time music therapist at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. Through the use of both her medical and music therapy background, Maria envisions fusing the two fields to create one humanistic approach to patient care and treatment, with a focus on geriatrics.