by Rachel | Professional Development
I’m knee-deep in content creation for my new CMTE course — Early Childhood Programs: Create, Market, Make Music! — and I can’t wait to share it with you in a few weeks.
Creating a new group, class or program can be overwhelming, but it can also be extremely rewarding — especially when the end result is helping young children learn and grow through music. This 3-hour CMTE course will guide you through the entire process of designing, launching, and running a successful early childhood program.
Coming Soon!
The course is set to launch in late September, so plug in your name and email below for details and updates.
by Rachel | Family Life
It has been a ROUGH weekend in the Rambach household. Zach was out of town, and it is Murphy’s Law that something always goes wrong when he’s away. This time was no exception — my poor baby Parker got sick for the first time ever.
It all started the day Zach left, which was Thursday. After work, Parker and I went over to my parents’ house for dinner. My stepsister was home with my niece, Annabelle, and baby nephew, Alec. Parker and Annabelle are a dynamic duo, and spent most of the evening chasing each other around the house. My mom noticed that Parker felt really warm right as we were getting ready to leave, so I took his temperature as soon as we got home.
Sure enough, he had a fever of 102. He wasn’t crying or acting uncomfortable, so I wasn’t too worried yet. My mom, on the other hand, was much more worried than me and insisted I call the telenurse. She basically told me to monitor him and call the pediatrician in the morning if his fever persisted and he had other symptoms.
Parker slept fine, but when I picked him up out of his crib on Friday morning, I realized he was burning up. He still had a fever of 102, and wasn’t acting like himself. I called the pediatrician’s office, but they didn’t want to see him unless his fever persisted for 72 hours. So I attempted to give him some Tylenol (most of which he spit out) and just tried to keep him comfortable.
Parker had no interest in eating breakfast, though I did get him to drink some milk. Mostly he wanted to just lay on my lap or on the couch and watch Sesame Street. That is sooo unlike him — this kid never sits still. We went for a walk around the neighborhood, but mostly just hung around the house the rest of the day.
I had to play a gig that night, so my in-laws came over to stay with him. They said he didn’t seem to be in a ton of pain, but he was still not interested in eating and had started tugging on his ears. He cried and whimpered in his sleep throughout the night, so neither of us slept well. I brought him in bed with me early on Saturday morning, and this is how pathetic he was. Poor baby.
He still had a bit of a fever and was really upset, so it was off to Prompt Care. Not my favorite way to spend a Saturday. That was a two-hour ordeal involving lots of waiting, screaming and crying, and two people holding Parker down so that the doctor could look in Parker’s throat, ears, and administer some drops. I wanted to cry, seeing my baby so miserable.
While we were waiting for the results of the strep test, Parker passed out from sheer exhaustion. Luckily, it wasn’t strep, but it was an ear infection. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic, so off to Walgreens we went.
Later that afternoon, my dad and stepmom came over to hang out with us. Parker was starting to feel better, thankfully, and did eat some yogurt and crackers. He slept much better at night, too — 12 full hours! My mom came over in the morning so that I could go grocery shopping, and then Parker and I laid low the rest of the day. I’m glad the weather was dreary all weekend; at least we weren’t missing out on being outside.
By Sunday afternoon, Parker was almost back to his old self. He was still more cuddly than usual (I’m not complaining about that!) but he was eating a little more and not tugging at his ears as much. The sun even came out after dinner, so we went for a walk before bedtime.
I’m really glad Parker’s first illness wasn’t anything serious, and I am so grateful he has stayed healthy for this long. Hopefully we don’t have a repeat of this weekend anytime soon (and Zach better bring me something good home from Vegas, since he got to miss out on all of this!).
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
Let’s be honest: it doesn’t get much cuter than a whole bunch of babies playing instruments together. I’ve been a “baby bandleader” for many years now, teaching early childhood music classes, so it’s a little ridiculous that it took me this long to write a song all about my favorite kind of band.
“Baby Band” was written for the summer session of my Listen & Learn for Little Ones class, and I used it during free play time. Unlike most of the other instrument-centered songs I sing with my kiddos, this one doesn’t have any specific directions for playing a certain way. It’s just an opportunity for the little ones to try out different instruments and make music however they want.
I did include some different sounds in the verses for older babies who are starting to verbalize and develop their speech. My own baby just turned 14 months old and is getting to the point where he can repeat most sounds and words, so the fact that he can participate is so much fun :)
Oh, and speaking of baby bands, registration for the fall session of Listen & Learn for Little Ones is now open! We’re offering both morning and evening class options this time around, so if you’re in the Springfield area, I hope you’ll be able to join us.
by Rachel | Business Ownership
This summer, I’ve had lots of people ask me what I do. When I explain that I’m a music therapist with my own private practice/teaching studio, they almost always comment how incredibly lucky I am to work from home.
Every time that happens, I think to myself, “Yes, I am incredibly lucky and it has been such a convenience to my life. So why the heck am I giving that up?”
My work arrangement has afforded me so many little luxuries — being able to pop over and visit my son if I happen to have a break, saving money on gas since I’ve had no commute, always having everything I need on hand. I can’t help but feel a little sad about dismantling the room that has been home to so, so many music therapy sessions and lessons over the years.
That is when I have to step back and remind myself of all the reasons why I made a conscious decision to move my work out of my home and into a space that allows the things the current arrangement doesn’t. A room just for groups and classes, multiple studios for multiple therapists working simultaneously, a place I can leave my work so that it is a little less tempting to spend every spare moment of my life working, the list goes on.
This week has truly been bittersweet. I’ve been waxing nostalgic about all the awesome musical moments that have happened within these walls, and almost all of my students or their parents have commented that they can’t believe it’s the last time they’ll be here.
But I know I made the right decision, because underneath that nostalgia and sadness, deep down in my gut, is excitement. I can’t wait to arrange and decorate my new studio, welcome my students in, and help them achieve all of their goals.
On Thursday evening, I’ll facilitate my very last music therapy session and then close up shop for the very last time here. My office will probably become a bedroom, and years from now, the fact that it used to be my workplace will seem hard to believe.
I’ll miss it here, but it’s time to flee the nest. I’m so ready for my next big adventure!
by Rachel | Resources & Tips
If only we could go back in time and do certain things over again, knowing what we know now. Better yet, having the resources we have now. The years I spent in graduate school studying music therapy (2004-2006) seem like ages ago; SO much has changed in our field, in technology, and the world as we know it.
Recently I’ve received a few emails from students preparing to begin their music therapy studies, and this is the most common question: “What can I do while I’m in school to prepare my career as a music therapist?”
It’s fun to put myself in their shoes and — armed with the knowledge and experience I’ve gained after being in the field for all these years — come up with a list of all the things I’d do as a music therapy student in 2014.
- Start your digital music collection. And by digital music, I don’t mean audio files; I’m talking sheet music, lead sheets, and scores. If possible, purchase in digital form (I love musicnotes.com) so you don’t have to spend half your life scanning. Been there, done that, no fun.
- Find a music reader app that works for you. As a music therapy student/intern/professional, you will most likely have an iPad or similar tablet device on which to access your music. I use a combination of GigBook, the Musicnotes app, and Ultimate Guitar depending on the song type and the context in which I’m using it.
- Play, play, play that guitar. I didn’t even pick one up until the summer before I left for grad school, and after I learned the basics, I only played when I had to. Big mistake. I was able to muddle my way through practicums using my limited guitar skills, but I really had to buckle down when I started my internship. The best way to motivate yourself is to choose songs you really want to learn for yourself, not just the songs you have to learn. That being said…
- Learn and memorize the basic repertoire. There is a pretty universal set of songs for each population that you’ll need to know and play fluently, so save yourself the stress and just go ahead and learn them. Your professor probably has lists, or you can find them on various music therapy sites online. A few years ago, I made a list of music therapy songs I think everyone should know.
- Know your piano chords and be able to play from a lead sheet. Yes, everyone has to take keyboard skills as part of the curriculum, but those classes won’t necessarily prepare you for when a client wants you to play his or her favorite song on the radio without ever having heard it. I strengthened my keyboard and improv skills by choosing songs I know and like, finding the lead sheets (lyrics and chords only) on my Ultimate Guitar app, and then accompanying myself while singing.
- Write your own songs. I cringe when I think about how much time I wasted searching for songs and material to use in my practicums during grad school. Why didn’t I just come up with my own? The only way to become a great songwriter is through lots and lots of practice, so get to work.
- Get as much hands-on experience as you possibly can. Offer to volunteer at practicum sites and ask your professor how you can get involved with/assist/observe other music therapists in the area. Not only is this great for resume-building when it comes time to apply for internships, but it will also help you get a better idea about which population you want to work with in the future.
- Ask for instruments and materials as gifts. This is one thing I actually did start doing as a student, and I’m so glad I did. Each Christmas and birthday, I would make a wish list of music therapy equipment, and by the time I headed off to internship, I had a trunk full of supplies without ever having purchased anything myself.
- Start making connections online. Reach out to the music therapists who are doing work you admire and are inspired by, whether via email, Facebook, or just reading and commenting on their blogs. You never know where these connections might lead down the road. As a professional who has been around for a while, I still love to hear from students who are interested in my work and have questions for me. It’s exciting to watch our field grow, and get to know the students who will one day be our colleagues.
Fellow music therapy professionals: what would YOU add to this list? Please share in the comments. And if you’re a music therapy student, I envy you just a little for having so many resources and pieces of technology at your fingertips!
