My Address

by | Listen & Learn Music

If you’ve been reading my blog for the last month or so, then you already know that I am moving soon. I’ve had to tell people or write down my new address several times this week, and I keep mixing it up with my current address or just forgetting it altogether. I am not a forgetful person, but when something like your address is ingrained in your brain, it’s hard to relearn that! But I’m trying. In fact, this is what inspired me to write the song below, which is all about addresses.

There’s a number, and a street, and a city, and a state,
And a zipcode, I give,
When my family or friends or a teacher needs to know
The place where I live.
You put ’em all together and what do you get?
My address, I won’t forget.

My street number is ________
My street name is __________
My city is _________________
In the state of ____________
My zipcode has five numbers, it’s ____________
You put ’em all together, and what do you get?
My address, I won’t forget.

There’s a number, and a street, and a city, and a state,
And a zipcode, I give,
When my family or friends or a teacher needs to know
The place where I live.
You put ’em all together and what do you get?
My address, I won’t forget.

Or at least, I’ll try not to anymore! A week from tomorrow, we’ll be signing the papers that make the house officially ours, and by then I think I will have my new address down pat. In the meantime, I have a busy day ahead full of classes and planning. Have a happy Wednesday!

The People I See

by | Listen & Learn Music

Meeting new people can be difficult, whether you are a young child or a full-fledged adult. I’ve been a shy person all my life, so I still struggle with this at times. But for a child with a disability, especially autism, a new person can be very overwhelming and even a little scary.

Today’s song introduces a few of the people who are important in a child’s life, and explains a little about what each person does. I made sure to include individuals who can be intimidating, and hopefully this tune can help ease any fears a child may have about seeing them. The key is for youngsters to see these people as friendly, helpful adults that they can trust.

I see all kinds of people, everywhere I go.
Some of them are new, and some of them I know.
I’ve learned about the kinds of things each person does for me,
So let me tell you all about the people that I see.

Police officers keep me safe, they usually dress in blue.
Firefighters wear red, and they protect me too.
When I am in trouble, they are the ones to call.
These are the people who help me, they look out for us all.

CHORUS

Teachers help me learn things, like how to read a book,
Math and science, spelling too, and even how to cook.
My principal and friends are other people at my school,
Where I have fun and work hard, ’cause being smart is cool.

CHORUS

Doctors are the people who keep my body strong,
I see them for my check-up, and when something is wrong.
The dentist cleans my teeth, and keeps cavities away,
By showing me how to brush and floss them everyday.

CHORUS

Speaking of meeting new people, I have had the pleasure of getting to know (albeit through email) Sandie and her son Matthew, who was born with born with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). You can read more about ACC and Matthew here. Thank you, Sandie, for sharing Listen & Learn with Matthew, and for making my job all the more worthwhile!

March is Here!

by | Listen & Learn Music

I have one word for this: hooray! The arrival of March makes me happy for several reasons, first and foremost being that we close on our new house in less than two weeks. I’ve been daydreaming about all the songs I’ll write in my beautiful new home office, a space dedicated solely to music and music therapy (which of course includes this blog). I know a change of scenery will jumpstart my creativity :) But there are more March highlights: a weekend trip to Chicago for Zach’s company banquet, a visit from my aunt, and the advent of Spring!

I was feeling happy last year when I wrote the “March” song, which I hope you like:

March is here, yes March is here,
The third month of the year.
Thirty one days march into spring,
And that is a wonderful thing.
Yes that is a wonderful thing.

St. Patrick’s Day will come around,
Find four-leaf clovers on the ground.
Leprechauns and rainbows too,
Clothes of green for me and you.

CHORUS

Get ready for the start of spring,
And all the fun that it will bring.
Soon enough we’ll have spring break,
Let’s celebrate, for goodness sake!

CHORUS

March is here, yes March is here,
The third month of the year.
Thirty one days march into spring,
And that is a wonderful thing.
Yes that is a wonderful thing.

Singing this tune puts me in a great mood, and I hope hearing it does the same for you. What are your plans for this month? Are you as excited for spring as I am? Enjoy your Sunday afternoon…and if you’re as lucky as I am, your day off tomorrow for Casmir Pulaski Day!

You’ve Hit Your Songwriting Stride When…

by | Uncategorized

…you’re in the middle of a session with a student, and out of your mouth (and guitar) comes a complete song about playing the tambourine, perfect rhymes and all. I realized when Ryan reached “instruments” on his schedule that I hadn’t planned a song to sing while he played, preferably one that worked on directions (up and down) and speed (slow and fast). Well I guess I didn’t need to, because my magical music therapy powers did it for me on the spot :)

I actually liked the song so much that I’m going to put it in writing as soon as I finish up this post. I’ve written quite a few songs this week in preparation for March, many of which I’m excited about sharing with you all in the coming days. Stay tuned!

What to Wear, What to Wear

by | Listen & Learn Music

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but one of the hardest parts of my day is picking out an outfit to wear. I always second guess myself…did I just wear this? Is this too spring-ish? Does this shirt even fit? This daily dilemma got me to thinking: it’s probably a little overwhelming for kids when they first start dressing themselves. Now granted, they probably don’t have the same concerns as us grown-ups (i.e. matching, obeying the rules of the season), but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s a bit of a challenge.

That line of thinking inspired me to write this song, which covers several aspects of getting dressed. And next month, I’m going to use it as a precursor to the weather song, since our outfits are usually determined by the weather. Take a listen:

There are a few things that I need to know,
Before I get dressed today.
What’s the weather like?
Am I going to school?
Or just outside to play?

Because the people I see, and the places I go,
And whether there is sun or rain or snow,
All matter when I choose,
My clothes and my shoes.

Girls can wear a dress or skirt,
However, boys cannot,
We can all wear pants and even shorts,
Depending if it’s cold or it’s hot.

CHORUS

Next I’ll choose a shirt to wear,
Short-sleeved, or long,
Or maybe a sweater if it’s wintertime,
‘Cause in the summer that would be wrong.

CHORUS

Last but least comes shoes and socks,
Or sandals if it’s warm,
Sneakers if I’m playing outside,
Or boots if there is a storm.

CHORUS

I kept it simple, but I think it is effective. I’ve even found myself humming this tune a couple times this past week while standing in my closet, clueless as usual. Someday this will become an easy task…I hope!