Growing up, my goal in life was to become a professional singer. I spent my formative years performing on stage at school, community theater, and church. I wanted to pursue honing my craft as a singer, so after high school I enrolled at Rollins College as a vocal performance major.
But I quickly realized that although I enjoyed performing immensely, it just wasn’t enough. I wanted a career that would allow me to help others while still making use of my musical talents; so when I discovered music therapy while researching for a paper, I was captivated. I did more research and shadowed a music therapist so I could get a better idea of what it was all about.
Fast forward one year, when I graduated three semesters early so that I could begin my masters degree in music therapy at Illinois State University. Although I originally intended to work with older adults, my professors were convinced that working with children was my calling. After several practicum experiences, I started to agree with them. I finished my coursework and began an internship with a private practice in St. Louis.
Upon completion of my internship, I returned to my hometown of Springfield, Illinois where I started my professional career at The Hope Institute for Children & Families. My private practice, Music Therapy Connections, was started around that same time, as I kept receiving requests for music therapy services, and accepted them as they came. Shortly thereafter, I started a blog and online business, Listen & Learn Music, to share the songs I was writing for my own students and music therapy clients.
After four years at The Hope Institute, I left to run my businesses on a full-time basis. Then in the summer of 2013, my life got a whole lot more interesting when my husband Zach and I welcomed our son Parker. As my son grew, so did my businesses. Over the next few years, Music Therapy Connections moved twice, eventually landing in our forever location on Centre West Drive.
Just after signing the lease in May of 2015, my daughter Mia Belle was born. I spent that summer of “maternity leave” painting, fundraising, and getting ready to open the doors of our new building. Over the course of the next two years, I continued to serve a full caseload while raising two young children and managing my online business, as well.
In the spring of 2017, I decided to stop teaching lessons and reduced my clinical load significantly in order to spend more time with my family, devote more energy to my online business, and eventually write my first book.
I spent the majority of 2019 writing Innovative Income for Music Therapists: Beyond Direct Service & Private Practice, and published it at the beginning of 2020. The book combines my own experiences with those of other trailblazing music therapists to illustrate the virtually endless ways in which to generate revenue using your unique training, knowledge and skills.
In 2020, my goals are to:
- nurture my businesses, including my teams and the families, clients, and customers we serve.
- share my book with as many music therapy students, interns and professionals as possible in order to help them achieve their ideal careers and lifestyle.
- prioritize my family above all else.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better! Please let me know how I can help, how we can work together, or simply connect on a deeper level. You can reach me directly via email, rachel@listenlearnmusic.com, or connect with me on my personal Instagram account (instagram.com/rachelrambach).
