May 2009

Friday Fave: Graduation

May 29, 2009

Today is another special day at the Hope Institute…graduation day! Several students from the senior classes will be taking the next step in their lives after the time they’ve spent at Hope, whether that is moving back home to be close to family, being placed in a development-appropriate job, or joining an assisted living community. [...]

Bells Are For Shaking

May 28, 2009

Bells, bells, and more bells…I just can’t get enough of them when it comes to developmentally appropriate instruments for my students. They come in so many different sizes and shapes that I have one to suit the needs of even the most challenged kids. A student with little or no grip abilities? No problem – [...]

More Songs for Teaching

May 28, 2009

One of my very favorite websites for discovering great tunes – as well as sharing my own – is Songs for Teaching. I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a few Listen & Learn originals available for downloading (find them here) at Songs for Teaching, and recently had the opportunity to produce a few recordings [...]

Flower, Stand Tall!

May 26, 2009

Flowers are popping up all over the place, and they are a great topic for a song around this time of year. Flower songs are good opportunities to address color identification, which is what I had in mind when I wrote the song below. Red, orange, yellow, green, White, purple, pink and blue. Flowers are [...]

Friday Fave: Sadie!

May 22, 2009

This is our new little bundle of joy! Sadie was born on March 28, and we finally got to bring her home yesterday. She had a fun first night in her new home: she got to meet all of her grandparents, take a walk around the neighborhood, and play with all of her toys. She [...]

Eight Silly Monkeys

May 20, 2009

I’m feeling generous today, which is why I’m sharing all the details of my students’ favorite book, Eight Silly Monkeys. I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble three years ago, and it has held up through all this time in the hands of my students, who can be less than delicate :) Thankfully, [...]

Friday Fave: Prom!

May 15, 2009

One of my most memorable high school experiences was going to the prom, a rite of passage that most high school students go through as upperclassmen. I’m proud to say that even though the students at my school, the Hope Institute, are not typical – each and every one has multiple disabilities – they get [...]

Safety Comes First

May 14, 2009

I love hearing from my readers, especially when they have a success story to share involving a song I’ve shared on the blog. A close second to that is readers who give me ideas for new songs and activities, because sometimes I need a little grease to get the wheels turning! Well as I mentioned [...]

I’m So Glad it’s Springtime

May 13, 2009

Good Wednesday morning! This post is going to be short and sweet, because I can’t wait to get to work on the new song I’m writing about traffic safety (a wonderful suggestion from music therapist Amy in California). I woke up today with this simple song about spring – with a familiar tune – running [...]

Counting Time: Flowers

May 12, 2009

It’s that time again – counting time! I’m so glad to be counting flowers rather than umbrellas, like I did so often last month. One of my favorite things about spring is watching all the beautiful colors pop up in my neighborhood. My neighbors have the most gorgeous red tulips in their front yard, and [...]

Jingle Jane & Silly Sally

May 11, 2009

Last week as I was preparing for a music therapy session, a thought came to mind: Jingle Joe needed a female counterpart. So right then and there, I created Jingle Jane, and she’s been a part of the tambourine gang ever since. Here’s the new verse: Jingle Jane was strolling down the lane, I saw [...]

Happy Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2009

I am lucky to have an amazing mom, who just also happens to be my best friend. Our new house is just down the street from hers, so we’re neighbors, too! This picture was taken at my mom’s 50th birthday party last month. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful mom in my [...]

Time for Music Podcasts

May 9, 2009

Wade Richards, LCAT, NMT, MT-BC Wade Richards is a music therapist with whom I’ve had the pleasure of communicating via email over the last few months. Read more about Wade and his private practice, Time for Music: Time for Music is the private practice and business of Wade M. Richards, LCAT, NMT, MT-BC. A graduate [...]

Friday Fave: You!

May 8, 2009

Today I want to talk all about you, my wonderful readers. I used to feel a little lonely, being the only music therapist in my city. In fact, that was one of the motivating factors in starting this blog. I needed a place to share my ideas, receive feedback on my songs, and just communicate [...]

Foggy Day

May 8, 2009

So foggy, in fact, that driving to school this morning was a little scary! I’m a nervous driver in any case, so unfavorable weather conditions do not help my cause whatsoever. But I made it here, and it’s Friday, so I can’t complain too much. In fact, this gives me the opportunity to share my [...]

Ring and Sing

May 7, 2009

Aside from my job as music therapist at the Hope Institute and in private practice, I also lead a music class for very young children at my church called Church Mice. One of the instruments that we play in every class is the resonator bell, similar to those pictured above. The set that we use [...]

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