by Rachel | Uncategorized
A whole week has gone by since I last posted, but at least I have a good excuse: I was on vacation! A much-needed one, to be honest, after a whirlwind winter and four long days in the recording studio. Zach and I had a wonderful time in San Antonio, where we hit up the Alamo (as you can see above), the Riverwalk, and of course, the resort pool. It’s always tough coming back to reality after a relaxing vacation, but as the title of this post states, my batteries are recharged and I’m feeling more than ready to take on all of the projects awaiting me.
And speaking of new projects, I figured that since the school year is winding down and summer is approaching, there’s no better time than now to share with you the big items on my list of to-dos and goals. June, July, and August are the three months I devote to my own work outside of The Hope Institute, and I’ve already set the bar pretty high for this summer. Here are just a few of the things I want to accomplish:
- Finish creating sheet music for every last one of my 100+ Listen & Learn songs. I’ve been doing so on an as-needed basis, but it’s time to bite the bullet and get the job done.
- Complete all of the materials I’ll need for my first-ever music therapy intern, who will be joining me at Hope in August.
- Update the organizational system in my home office/studio. I spend almost all of my time there in the summer, so it needs to be in tip-top shape.
- Release and distribute my first studio album! This will most likely take place in June or July, and I can’t wait for you all to hear it.
Of course there are many other goals on my list, but I’ll keep a few under wraps so I have new material to share with you every once in a while. And while I’m on the subject of new material, let me just tell you that my number one priority in the coming weeks is writing and posting NEW SONGS. Right now I’m working on one about the Ice Age for a kids’ museum camp-in at which I’ll be providing a musical experience, and I’m always up for other topic suggestions!
Well it’s time to roll on out to my first music therapy session of the day. Thanks for sticking with me, and for continuing to spread the word about Listen & Learn. I receive emails from new readers almost every single day, and they never fail to put a smile on my face. See you back here soon!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Last November, I had the opportunity to attend the AMTA National Conference in San Diego, California, where I met countless amazing music therapists. One person, in particular, stood out to me; I kept seeing him everywhere I went – the exhibit hall, the sessions I attended, and so on. He seemed like a fun and outgoing person, so I was excited to finally meet him face-to-face and chat a bit towards the end of the conference.
His name was Tim Ringgold, and I came to find out that he was a music therapist (and fellow blogger!) from Orange County, California. We got to talking about his daughter, Bella, who was born with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Tim explains it in these words on his website:
Anabella Ringgold was born on May 27, 2009 with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB. She has the rarest form, called Recessive Dystrophic, or RDEB for short. A single gene in her body responsible for making the anchor that hold her skin to her body is defective. This causes blisters and wounds to occur all over her body, including her mouth and entire GI tract. Any kind of friction, rubbing, bumping can cause blisters to form, or it can cause her skin to shear clean off. Currently, there is no cure for EB. Life expectancy is under 20 years due to risk of malnutrition, infection, or squamous cell carcinoma. Although pain and discomfort is constant, Bella remains bright and cheerful, bless her heart.
I was eager to stay in touch with Tim following the conference, and I was able to do so through Facebook and Twitter. When he announced earlier this year that his book, Bella’s Blessings, was available, I didn’t waste any time in purchasing it. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I did, because it is the latest addition to my “must read” list.
In the book, Tim takes us back to the hours just prior to Bella’s birth. He recounts the moments leading up to it, as well as the actual event, at which point they learned of Bella’s rare skin disease. I felt like I was with the Ringgold family on their roller-coaster of a journey from page 1 to the very end. Tim started a blog just days after Bella’s birth in order to keep family and friends apprised of her progress, and the book contains entries from the beginning through Bella’s first summer.
The back of the book reads: “The secrets to the silver lining…revealed!” This is such a fitting description; Tim and his family found the silver lining in the very darkest of storm clouds. Talk about a story of faith and strength. Faith in God during the most trying and scary times, and strength as they navigated their way though. Tim provided music therapy not only for Bella during her time in the NICU, but the other babies, as well. He shares every emotion, every struggle, every triumph, and every moment of Providence throughout those first few months; my only disappointment was when the book ended. Luckily, Tim’s blog picks up right where the book ends, and we can all keep up with Bella and the Ringgold family.
In the past, I haven’t reviewed books here other than those that I use in music therapy sessions. But Bella’s Blessings is one that I recommend to you, knowing that it will inspire and remind you that there is silver lining in every situation with which we are faced, just as it did for me.
Each month, up to 50% of the proceeds from book sales are donated to a different children’s charity. You can read reviews and make your purchase here. And right after you do that, add Tim’s blog, Care for Anabella, to your blogroll.
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized
Last fall I posted a song I wrote specifically for my set of Nino Fruit Shakers, which I titled “Shaky Fruit” (you can read the post and listen to the original song here). Well my students who I see in private practice just can’t seem to get enough of that song, so I decided to bring it to The Hope Institute this month. We are focusing on healthy foods, so it fit in perfectly with our theme.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the Nino Fruit Shakers here at school, but you know me and my habit of adapting songs to fit any situation. All I did was change up the lyrics to match the instruments we have on hand (the Basic Beat chiquitas
pictured above). I added an extra verse to accommodate all five colors, and this is how the song turned out:
Doot-doot-do-doot, shaky fruit,
Blueberry, grape, apple, pear, banana
Doot-doot-do-doot, shaky fruit,
From Mississippi to Indiana.
Shaky blueberry, shaky blueberry,
Blue and crunchy too.
Shaky blueberry, shaky blueberry,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
Shaky grape, shaky grape,
Purple and juicy too.
Shaky grape, shaky grape,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
Shaky apple, shaky apple,
Red and crunchy too.
Shaky apple, shaky apple,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
Shaky pear, shaky pear,
Green and delicious too.
Shaky pear, shaky pear,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
Shaky banana, shaky banana,
Yellow and tasty too.
Shaky banana, shaky banana,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
“Shaky Colorful Fruit” debuted this morning, on this first Monday back after Spring Break. I had to practice it a few times through first so that I could get the new lyrics down…so far, so good :) My students are also shakin’ to the beat of “Eat Like a Rainbow” by Jay Mankita, along with a few other originals devoted to mealtime.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Today’s recap will be a short one, because I was only in the studio for a little over two hours! On Day 3, we had finished all but vocals for song 9, so I went to the vocal booth to work on those right away.
Getting good vocal takes is much easier at 1:00 pm than it is at 11:00 pm! I finished the melody and harmony for song 9 in just under an hour, so next, we moved along to song 10. We’d already decided that song 10 (which isn’t the actual track number on the CD, just the order in which we recorded it) would be an acoustic-only track to balance out the other 9 songs, which are much more “produced”.
Song 10 didn’t take long at all. I played the acoustic guitar part a few times through, and then moved to the vocal booth. A half hour later, my work on this album was DONE. It was so hard to believe! All that was left to do was mix and master each track, a task that Jim (my sound engineer) will tackle this week and next.
It was a little sad walking out the door of Jupiter Studios for the last time. Jim said he’d never seen anyone make themselves at home on the studio couch like I had, which I can definitely believe. It was my headquarters for the week!
There was a benefit to finishing early…I got to play a great April Fool’s trick on my husband, Zach. I texted him as I was leaving and wrote, “just finished vocals and getting ready for mixing!” which of course, he believed. But really, I was hitting the road for Springfield, which is just under a two-hour drive. I called him as I pulled into our neighborhood to say that I was heading back to his sister’s house for the night, and right as we hung up, I walked into our house. He was very happily surprised, since I hadn’t planned on coming home until the next morning.
So now I get to wait anxiously to receive the final tracks in all their mixed and mastered glory. Luckily, we have a vacation planned for next week that will keep me occupied! We’re spending the holiday weekend with family before taking off for San Antonio on Wednesday.
I owe you all some songs, which have been few and far between around here lately. I promise to return to my regularly scheduled programming soon. In the meantime, have a wonderful Friday!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
As I write this recap, I’m getting ready for my final day in the studio. I’ve spent over 30 hours here, and I’m going to miss this place when I’m finished! Yesterday was a big day, so I’ll get right to it.
To be honest, I was a little bummed to be missing out on such a gorgeous day outside. Here in St. Louis, the sun was shining and the temperature was 75 degrees (unusual for the end of March). But as soon as we got to work, I completely forgot about the weather and turned my focus to the music.
We started with song 7, using the same process we’d gone through for the previous songs. Jim (my sound engineer) laid down the drums, then keyboards, then bass and electric guitar, and then it was time for me to play my acoustic guitar part. We did two takes, and when that was finished I moved to the vocal booth. First, I sang the lead melody twice through. My voice was still fresh since it was early in the day, so we got good takes right away. Then I sang the harmonies three times through. That was it for song 7!
While I was in the vocal booth, we went ahead and recorded the vocals for song 6 (which we had tried to do the night before, but it was 10 pm and my singing reflected that fact). This went quickly, and it was time to listen to songs 6 and 7. I was thrilled with both of them and couldn’t wait to send preview tracks to my mom, dad, and husband. They have been my sounding board throughout this process, providing feedback on each track as they are completed. The rest of you will have to wait, though :)
Song 8 is my new favorite (though so far, I’ve said that about every song). Jim started playing the keyboard as he listed to the scratch track, and I instantly knew we were dealing with greatness. He had some pretty complicated work to do on this one, so I spent some time on the internet until he was ready for me to play my acoustic guitar part. After I did that, I went into the vocal booth to record the melody. Instead of a traditional harmony line, I did some scatting to match the instrumentation and the result was pretty, pretty cool.
We got to work on Song 9 just after 10 pm, as my energy started to dwindle. Jim got through the keyboards, bass, and electric guitar, and I somehow managed to make my fingers form chords and strum well enough to lay down the acoustic guitar. He suggested I do vocals, but after one take, we laughed at my poor exhausted voice and decided to call it a night.
At that point, it was 11:30 pm and another engineer arrived to do some overnight tweaking on my vocals. I got to listen to each of the songs as Jim showed him what he would be working with, which was really fun.
Coming tomorrow: a recap of my 4th and final day in the studio. Thanks so much for following along with me on this exciting journey!
