Halloween is coming, and we are ready! So of course we had to dedicate an entire episode to how we celebrate this special day at home — including decorations, our family’s costumes, and favorite traditions — and at work — the songs we sing, how we integrate Halloween into our groups and sessions, and ways we get festive in our workplaces.
Visual aides are an essential part of my music therapy practice, and I use them every day. I wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me five years ago that I would spend my nights with my laminator (yes, of course I have my own laminator) making endless visual aides, but I would seriously be lost without them!
This week, Jaime and I are sharing our favorite working mom “hacks” — big and little ways in which we’ve discovered make life just a little bit easier, both in terms of work and home.
We actually ran out of time recording this episode, and have already planned a part 2 so that we can give you the rest of our hacks. In the meantime, we hope you find these just as helpful to your life as they are to ours!
Making music with young children is so much fun, and incredibly beneficial to their growth and development, but it’s not always smooth sailing in music therapy sessions or music classes.
Sometimes kiddos don’t follow the directions or participate appropriately, so it’s important to make sure that each child participating in music therapy sessions or music classes is set up for success so that he or she can reap the benefits of all we have to offer.
I couldn’t help but create and share my November session plan a bit earlier than usual, because I’m just that excited about the songs I’ll be using in the upcoming month. Singing about Thanksgiving with my students and clients makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, so of course, I had to include a few in this session plan.
I also pulled out an adaptation of the classic Bob Dylan song “Blowin’ in the Wind” that I wrote specifically for use with streamers, though it could be easily utilized as a standalone movement song. Another highlight is “What Do You Do?”, which encourages peer interaction and identifying different kinds of emotions.
This month, I’m incorporating castanets and lollipop drums, along with plenty of opportunities for creative expression, counting forward and backwards, gross motor movement, improving social skills, and much more.
The November session plan includes 10 goal-based songs (mp3, instrumental track, lyrics/chords) along with a facilitation guide for each song, which will allow you to implement a cohesive 30-45 minute music experience. And this month there is a bonus visual aide to accompany one of my favorite songs in the pack :) Grab it for yourself for just $10!
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two little ones.
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
Next month’s music therapy sessions, early childhood groups, or classroom music…planned for you in advance.
