by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
My business partner Katey recently shared with me a video of Meghan Trainor’s song “Better When I’m Dancing” from The Peanuts Movie and asked if I had heard it. I hadn’t, but I loved it and knew immediately I wanted to adapt it for use in music therapy sessions and classes.
I might have had just a little too much fun with the instrumentation and vocals on this recording — and by that I mean I was literally dancing in my chair while I worked (it kept my baby entertained, at least!).
As much as I enjoy writing completely original songs, I love to throw in a good cover every once in a while, especially one from a popular artist that many of my kiddos will recognize.
Listening to this song is an instant mood lifter and will hopefully inspire my students and clients to dance along, too. Can’t wait to sing it with them this week!
Members of Listen & Learn Plus! have access to all of these songs (along with tons more) right inside the Dropbox folder I share with them — come over and join us!
by Rachel | Guitars & Granola Bars
I soooo enjoyed interviewing this week’s guest, and it wasn’t just because of her fantastic southern accent :) Jodie Ross has a thriving career as a music therapist, and her enthusiasm for her work comes through in our conversation.
Jodie also has some wonderful insight to share when it comes to parenthood, despite being new to motherhood. She offers a fresh perspective that I found to be very inspiring!
Jodie talks about becoming an internship director shortly after completing her own internship, her readiness to return to work at the end of maternity leave, and how she relates parenting styles to music therapy approaches in Episode 42 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Jodie, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Serenade Designs, which is owned by board-certified music therapist Julie Palmieri. Julie helps her fellow music therapists create, enhance, and rock their online presence.
Through Julie’s website design services, social media and online marketing services, and virtual assistance, she’s here to help you rock your online presence — while making it all feel effortless. She assists music therapists in having a strong representation on the web so that they can focus on working in the field they love — music therapy.
Julie understands what it’s like being a busy business owner as well as a Momma. :) You can learn more about how Julie can help you with your online presence at serenade-designs.com.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
by Rachel | Motherhood
I thought I was going to hate it. I still worked from home during Parker’s first year, so “pumping at work” meant walking from my home studio to my kitchen.
This time around, I was completely dreading having to remember my pump and parts every day, haul everything back and forth, and then set up shop in my studio between clients.
It took a few days to get the routine down, but once I did, something completely unexpected happened: I started looking forward to my pumping break.
It’s only 15 minutes, and I have to hurry through the prep and cleanup, but the time spent actually pumping gives me a chance to relax my brain for a few minutes. My afternoons and evenings are otherwise nonstop with back to back students, clients and groups, so it’s nice to be able to check my email, scroll through Facebook, and have a snack.
I’m lucky in that I was able to structure my days so that I only have to pump once; I would probably enjoy it much less if I had to pump multiple times throughout the day. And ask me in May how I feel about pumping at work…I’m pretty sure I’ll be over it at that point.
Two months in, though, I’m happy to have this tiny bit of downtime in my day. As long as I have a lock on my door and a fridge for storage, I’ll keep on keeping on.
by Rachel | Guitars & Granola Bars
Listening to this week’s guest tell her story, I was struck by how many similarities there were with my own: we both went into turbo drive building our businesses during pregnancy, had quick deliveries just a few days after our 30th birthdays, and now have daughters who are only 4 days apart in age.
Jennifer Whitlow had some challenges to overcome after the birth of her baby just five months ago, and hearing how she did so is an inspiration to any new mom.
Jennifer talks about starting her private practice while pregnant, why she actually enjoyed her labor and delivery, and her adjustment to new motherhood as a business owner in Episode 41 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Jennifer, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Listen & Learn Plus, which is a premium site for music therapists, music educators, parents and anyone else who wants to give their clients, students & children a rich musical experience. Gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music.
Inside of Listen & Learn Plus, I’m sharing the very resources I use to serve my own clients and students in my thriving music therapy practice and studio. I’ve grown from a sole proprietor to a team of 8 with a brick and mortar business, and I’ll show you how I did it.
If you go to listenlearnplus.com, you can enter your name and email for an inside look (including several free downloads) at what membership has to offer.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
When I write a hello or goodbye song, I make sure I reeeeally like it, because most likely I’ll end up singing it for YEARS. Case in point: my rotation of these includes songs I wrote during my internship (over eight years ago).
But I’m always adding to that rotation, because it’s nice to have lots to choose from since almost every class and music therapy session begins with a hello song and ends with a goodbye song.
My latest farewell tune is a new favorite, and I hope you like it too! This one is peppy and geared towards a group setting, but you could easily adapt it for use with an individual student or client.
Do you use a variety of greeting and goodbye songs, or do you prefer to keep yours consistent? If you are looking for even more, you’ll find plenty by searching the archives.
Members of Listen & Learn Plus! have access to all of these songs (along with tons more) right inside the Dropbox folder I share with them — come over and join us!
