by Rachel | Uncategorized
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thrilled to be writing my second “I’m thankful for…” post (you can read last year’s here) and it seems that this year, the list has grown. It has been a truly amazing year full of new experiences, opportunities, friends, and additions to my family. So without further ado, these are the things for which I’m giving thanks today:
1. My Family
Zach and I are celebrating our second Thanksgiving as a married couple, and Sadie, our puppy, is having her first one ever! We are lucky to have most our family right here in Springfield, and they are our biggest supporters in all that we do. We’ve both been blessed with an amazing family.
2. My Career
I was hired at The Hope Institute before my internship even ended, and I am so grateful to have been there for the past 2.5 years. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to have built my own private practice, along with all the other music-related projects in which I’ve taken part over the last year.
3. Our New Home
Although our old house will always be our “first home” as a couple, we are still counting our blessings that we were able to buy our current home last winter. It is perfect for us: I have a dedicated music studio, Sadie has a huge, fenced in backyard, Zach has his “man cave” basement, and there is plenty of room for when our family starts to grow.
4. The Internet
No, really! I have made countless new friends and connections (including YOU!) through Listen & Learn, Facebook, and Twitter, and many of the opportunities I’ve had have come as a result of my online presence. I fully admit that I am a proud internet geek, and for that, I am thankful.
There are so many more reasons to be thankful, but I’d better stop there. I’m off to help my mom make Thanksgiving dinner, after which we’ll hit up Zach’s parents’ house and my uncle’s. Busy day, and I’m already loving every minute of it. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized
Okay, everyone…the final countdown has begun! We are only three days away from Thanksgiving, and if your students are anything like mine, they are probably getting restless in anticipation of the holiday and having a mini-break. Maybe you are even experiencing some of this restlessness – I know I am!
But there are still two school days to go before the fun begins, which provides an opportunity to squeeze in just a few more Thanksgiving songs. So with that in mind, I thought I’d recap the songs that I’ve written and have been singing with my students all month long.
Read the original post for each of these songs, including lyrics, here. Also, check out the Songs For Teaching blog (I am one of the bloggers!) for some great songs and ideas. What last-minute Thanksgiving activities are you introducing to your students this week?
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized
You’ve probably noticed that something has been missing from this blog lately: songs! Yes, the very reason many of you visit Listen & Learn in the first place…so thanks for sticking around despite the lack of new tunes over the last couple of weeks. But that is all about to change, since I’ve been saving a few up in the vault.
“Up and Down” is a song I wrote this summer and just happens to be included in the Listen & Learn Songbook. There are so many ways to describe this concept, that I actually had to cut a few verses from the original! But feel free to add as many of your own as you’d like :)
Balls can bounce
Up and down.
Towards the sky,
Then to the ground.
Balls can bounce
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Frogs can leap
Up and down.
Into the air
Then to the ground.
Frogs can leap
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Elevators move
Up and down.
To the top floor
And underground.
Elevators move
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
Birds can fly
Up and down.
Way beyond the trees
And to the ground.
Birds can fly
High and low,
Up above and down they go.
We can jump
Up and down.
Towards the sky,
Then to the ground.
We can jump
High and low,
Up above and down we go.
Speaking of up and down, I have certainly traveled my fair share in both directions over the last week! And it’s not over yet; tomorrow I’m heading south to watch my sister-in-law defend her doctoral thesis, which just happens to be on the topic of neuroscience. I’m already preparing to be blown away!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Starting tonight and going through Saturday afternoon, my local radio station is hosting their 4th annual radiothon to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and St. John’s Children’s Hospital. They will be broadcasting live from the lobby of the hospital, where there will be volunteers manning the phones and families who have been helped by the Children’s Miracle Network stopping by. I’m one of those volunteers, and looking forward to my 3-hour shift on Saturday afternoon as the radiothon winds to a close.
But I was able to donate my time in another way, as well. Each year during the radiothon, they air personal stories from the people who have required services through the Children’s Miracle Network and the hospital. Most of them are hard to hear, and very emotional. But our community needs to hear what kind of care is available should one of their children fall under dire circumstances. The stories are set to music, usually a popular song whose mood suits the gravity of the story.
This year I asked if there was any way I could contribute musically to the cause, and together we came up with the idea to write songs based on the stories themselves. So I sat in as the families told their stories, during which time I got ideas for the corresponding songs. Out of the four stories I heard, I chose two to set to music. They will be played during the radiothon, and I only hope that the families feel that their songs do their stories justice.
That’s the coolest part of being a music therapist, in my opinion. Not only can you work directly with a child, adult, or group of people, but there are infinite ways to use music therapeutically, reaching a wide audience at the same time. This point was driven home for me at the national conference, which I will writing more about in the coming days.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Can I just tell you how excited I am to be writing to you from Springfield for the first time in over a week? Really, really excited. As much as I love traveling, attending/presenting at conferences, and meeting new people, it feels good to be home. I can’t wait to see all my kiddos today, and get back into the old routine.
But first, I wanted to share with you the information that I presented yesterday at the Illinois State Board of Education’s nonpublic schools conference. It was great to be able to meet teachers and administrators from across the state and educate them about music therapy, and I can’t wait to do it again next year! Below, you can download my handout and slides, both in PDF format.
Download: Music Therapy for Children With Disabilities
It’s funny to think that just a few days ago, I had a completely unfounded fear of public speaking. But I’ve quickly realized that if you’re passionate about your topic, standing up in front of people and sharing information is easy and – I thought I would never say this – fun. I’m already looking for opportunities to present again in the near future!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thrilled to be writing my second “I’m thankful for…” post (you can read last year’s here) and it seems that this year, the list has grown. It has been a truly amazing year full of new experiences, opportunities, friends, and additions to my family. So without further ado, these are the things for which I’m giving thanks today:
