Jingle Jane & Silly Sally

by | Uncategorized

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 her just the other day.
Her hair was pink, she said, “See whatcha think,
About the way I play my tambourine.”

She showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine in the air.
Jingle, jingle!
Jinglin’ with Jane, play without a care.

Literally hours after I’d composed that verse, I received an email from a reader named Mollie. This is what she had to say:

Hi Rachel,

My 5 year old and I were listening to some of your stuff while I was prepping for the new month and she helped me write a verse about a girl and a maraca since it’s “Mexico Month” (according to her!) Thought we would share it with you! Feel free to tweak it and share your thoughts…but just wanted to share. Thanks again…keep up the good work!

Mollie

Mollie must have been reading my mind, because here is the verse she and her daughter came up with:

Silly Sally is a gal I know,
I saw her just the other day.
She likes Chewbacca, and she plays the maracas,
And she taught me how to play.

She showed me how to shake, shake!
Shake the maraca way with all your might.
Shake, shake,
Shake with Sally she’s dy-no-mite!

She showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Shake with all your might,
Shake with Silly Sally she’s dy-no-mite!

What a fun way to incorporate other instruments into the song. And I love that she collaborated with her daughter, who is obviously a budding songwriter herself :) If you ever have an idea for new verses or lyrics to a song you find at Listen & Learn, please don’t hesitate to send it my way!

Happy Mother’s Day!

by | Uncategorized

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 life, as well as an awesome stepmom, mother-in-law, aunts, and grandmas.

Today I want to wish all of you mothers out there a happy Mother’s Day – you deserve it! I hope you have the chance to spend some quality time with your family today. I just had brunch with my husband’s family, and this afternoon and tonight we’ll get to hang out with my side of the family. Enjoy your special day!

Friday Fave: You!

by | Uncategorized

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 with people who have similar experience and background.

And communicate I have. It is such a great feeling to find an email from a reader waiting for me, whether he/she is asking a question, commenting on a song, or sharing an idea with me. Not only do I have new email buddies, but I have gotten to know many of you via Twitter and Facebook, too.

I am thrilled to have so many new connections in the music therapy community, but it hasn’t stopped there. Music educators, classroom teachers, and parents make up a big part of my readership, and those that I have talked with are advocates of music therapy and the difference music can make in a child’s life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making Listen & Learn one of your regular stops on the web. Thank you for your emails, comments, and overall support, whether it is sending the link to a friend, making a donation, or purchasing a CD. Or all three, in many cases :)

Happy Friday to you. I hope that knowing you are my “fave” makes your day a little brighter!

Foggy Day

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

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 “Foggy Day” song, which I’ve been waiting to do since November. A true example of lemons to lemonade!

When I go outside and look around,
It seems like there’s a cloud on the ground.
It’s hard to see, everything is gray,
It’s a foggy day.

Be careful, move slow,
Everywhere you go.
Like a blanket from the sky,
A foggy day for you and I.

When I go outside and look around,
It seems like there’s a cloud on the ground.
It’s hard to see, everything is gray,
It’s a foggy day.

So there you have it. Hopefully the fog will soon disappear, and the sun will come out to grace us with its presence. Not much can top a warm, beautiful Friday…except maybe Friday Faves at Listen & Learn! Make sure you stop by later today for this week’s installment.

Ring and Sing

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

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 is made up of D and A tones, which I need to keep in mind when choosing songs to accompany the bells.

The sound that the bells produce is light and pretty, so for the current Church Mice session, I decided to write a song to complement that sound. “Ring and Sing” is the title, and though it was written specifically for the resonator bells, you could also use it to accompany any type of bell.

It’s a beautiful day, so ring your bell.
Ring your bell, come on and ring your bell.
It’s a beautiful day, so ring your bell.
Ring, ring along with me.

Ring and sing, oh ring and sing,
Make a sound and do your thing.
Ring and sing, along with me,
Because it’s a beautiful day!

There is music to make, so ring your bell.
Ring your bell, come on and ring your bell.
There is music to make, so ring your bell.
Ring, ring along with me.

Ring and sing, oh ring and sing,
Make a sound and do your thing.
Ring and sing, along with me,
Because there is music to make!
And because it’s a beautiful day!

As far as adding additional verses, the possibilities are virtually endless. There are so many reasons to ring a bell…simply change the first phrase in the verse (and continue throughout the song) to make it work it any situation. A few examples:

1) It is time for school, so ring your bell
2) If your name is _______, then ring your bell
3) If you’re wearing ________, then ring your bell

Easy, right? Be creative and see what you can come up with. Or better yet, let your students write new verses, and don’t forget to share them with me!