Big Apple Bound!

New York City, that is.  Tomorrow, my husband and I will head east for a few days to attend a friend’s wedding (Zach is a groomsman), but not before spending a couple days as tourists in the city.  My best friend lives there, so we’re going to meet up with her, along with a few other friends who will also be in town for the wedding.  Any suggestions on which Broadway show to see while we’re there?  Should I go with a tried-and-true favorite (like Mamma Mia, Wicked, or Bye Bye Birdie) or something I’ve never seen (like Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, or In the Heights)?  Please advise!

My first trip to NYC was, no joke, to sing at Carnegie Hall.  Granted, it was by no means a solo performance; rather, it was with a huge chorus performing the works of Morten Lauridsen.  That was back in the summer of 2004, and it was an amazing trip.  My mom and I went together, and we hit up all of the hot spots: the Empire State Building, Tavern on the Green, The Today Show, Times Square, two Broadway shows (Thoroughly Modern Millie and Chicago) and lots more.

So needless to say, I am extremely excited about going back to the Big Apple, as well as our friends’ wedding.  I’m taking my computer with me (does that really surprise you?) so hopefully I will even fit in a blog update or two.  In the meantime, have a wonderful Wednesday!

That Yellow Bus

Transitions from one place or activity to another are one of my students’ biggest areas of struggle.  One particularly difficult transition that a majority of children face on a daily basis is getting on and off on the bus.  Student arrival and departure is quite an event at my school, especially for students who ride the bus.  Another therapist (from a different school, but who happens to be a family member!) told me about a student of hers who is having lots of trouble with bus transitions.  She asked me if I had a song dealing with this topic, and I replied that I didn’t yet, but to give me a few days.

The song that resulted is uncomplicated and repetitive.  It covers each and every bus transition: getting on to go to school, getting off at school, getting back on after school is finished, and getting off at home.  Take a listen to “That Yellow Bus” and see what you think:

When it’s time to go to school,
This is what you gotta do:
Get, get, get on the bus!
Once you are inside,
You’re gonna take a ride:
Get, get, get on the bus!
Snap your fingers, tap your feet,
While you’re cruisin’ down the street,
In that yellow bus.

When you get to school,
This is what you gotta do:
Get, get, get off the bus!
To your class is where you’ll go,
This you already know:
Get, get, get off the bus!
Snap your fingers, tap your feet,
Your day is gonna be sweet,
Once you’re off that yellow bus.

When school is through,
This is what you gotta do:
Get, get, get on the bus!
Once you are inside,
You’re gonna take a ride:
Get, get, get on the bus!
Snap your fingers, tap your feet,
While you’re cruisin’ down the street,
In that yellow bus.

When you’re home from school,
This is what you gotta do:
Get, get, get off the bus!
In your house is where you’ll go,
This you already know:
Get, get, get off the bus!
Snap your fingers, tap your feet,
Your afternoon will be sweet,
Once you’re off that yellow bus.

This snappy little ditty is one that I think will come in handy for many of the students at my school and elsewhere. Plus, it’s just fun! The therapist who requested it has two little boys, and she told me last night that they were dancing around the kitchen last night while they listened and sang along. Now that put a big smile on my face :)

Sunday Singalong: What Do You Do?

You can find the original post of this song, including lyrics, here.

Listen & Learn reader Erin Breedlove requested that I feature “What Do You Do?” as today’s Sunday Singalong song, and since that is what I chose, Erin will receive a free album download of her choice.  Congrats, Erin!  Everyone else – send next week’s requests (it could be a Listen & Learn original OR a cover of any song that could be used in a music therapy session) via email, or just leave a comment right here on the blog.

How was your weekend?  Mine has been a good mix of relaxation (Friday Night Lights is our new streaming Netflix fave), work-related stuff (IAMT board meeting and piano festival student applications) and fun (friend’s wedding and out with friends).

Today is a big day in the Rambach household, because as I wrote yesterday, we are celebrating my husband’s 27th birthday.  We are going out to dinner at a local Japanese restaurant, where you can sit at a hibachi grill with up to 16 people.  Tonight all of those seats will be filled with family, and I can’t wait.  Yummy sushi and other Japanese goodies, here I come!

Enjoy your Sunday night, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for a brand-new song about a certain type of transportation.

Birthday Boy



Somebody is turning 27 around here, and it’s not me!  My husband, Zach, who is a whopping five months older than me, will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow, and the rest of the family and I will be there right along with him.

Although Zach and I have only been married for a year and a half, I’ve been by his side for six birthdays.  He takes the cake for giving the best gifts (birthday, Christmas, or otherwise) but I always tell him that I’m much easier to buy for than he is!  One of the best gifts he’s ever given me (and there are lots from which to choose) was actually for our wedding, when we we were planning the playlist for the souvenir CD that would be given out to all 250+ guests.

We had already decided that the song I wrote for him on Valentine’s Day, Second Chance Dance, would be included, but what I really wanted was to record a song together for the CD.  After lots and lots of coaxing, he finally caved in.  We reworked the lyrics to the song “Anyone Else But You” (the one Ellen Page and Michael Cera sing at the end of the movie Juno).  Zach isn’t a singer, or musical in any way aside from enjoying it, so I was pretty darn proud of the job he did on this song.  Needless to say, his friends and family were more than surprised when they heard it played during the picture slideshow my parents put together for our rehearsal dinner!

I will always treasure this recording, because it’s most likely the only one I’ll ever have of its kind. I couldn’t be luckier to have such a wonderful, funny, supportive husband – he calls himself my #1 fan, though my mom begs to differ – and I hope his 27th year is his best yet!

Friday Fave: Skype

The first time I Skyped (yes, this is a legitimate verb), it was with some of my family who live in Denver, including my 3-year-old niece and 1-year-old nephew.  It was so much fun; I got to hear Kaitlin sing some songs, and see how big Jacob had gotten since the last time they visited.  And the best part is that it was completely free.  Technology = amazing.

But it wasn’t until recently that I used Skype for professional purposes, and now I’m hooked!  I met two of my good music therapy friends, Kimberly S. Moore and Michelle Erfurt, through the internet, and got to spend time with them in person at the AMTA national conference last November.  While we were in San Diego, we decided to “get together” monthly to bounce ideas off one another and just talk MT.  We had our first Skype meeting in December, and another one last night.  As a result, we’re now working on an exciting project in which Skype will play an important role.

After last night’s meeting with Kimberly and Michelle, I spent some time Skyping with a music therapy student in Georgia who found me by way of Twitter and has since connected with me on Facebook.  (Gotta love social networking.)  Erin writes a blog that recently turned its focus to music therapy, so we had a lot to chat about.

So many aspects of my personal and professional life rely on technology and the internet, which makes me wonder: how did people ever get by without it?!  If you browse through my previous Friday Faves, you’ll notice that many of them are some piece or type of technology, from the iPhone, to Garageband, to my awesome microphone.  We’re living in the digital age, and I’m loving every minute of it!