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Friday Fave: Listen & Learn Music Turns 1
I remember as if it were yesterday: sitting at this very computer, creating a blog, and writing my first post. Did I think people would read it? Maybe, maybe not. Did I think I'd still be here, one year later, writing a Top Ten list about the reasons I'm grateful for...
An Inspiration, Indeed
If you haven't already done so, be sure to watch this video. It is really amazing. At the very end, the little girl, Emily, says, "I like inspiring kids," which inspired me to share this video with yesterday's piano students (who all just happen to be little girls...
Shakers Up High!
Two songs for shakers in a row? Yep! We do a lot of shaking at the Hope Institute and in the Music Therapy Connections studio, which accounts for the plethora of such tunes in my collection. For today's song, I actually borrowed the melody I made up for "Flower, Stand...
Shaky Fruit
These fruit shakers are the latest addition to my studio's instrument collection, and I think I'm in love! They're extremely realistic in appearance, so my students have been surprised to find that they are actually instruments. Once they start shaking, it's hard to...
Today it is September
Can you believe it? I barely had time to get used to August, and it's already over! It has felt like September for the last few days (seriously, 40-degree temps at night), but hopefully we'll have at least a few more summery days before fall really sets in. This is...
Click, Clack!
Wow, has it been a busy week! Between the students at the Hope Institute returning to the classroom and long rehearsals every night for Guys & Dolls, I was ready for a weekend-long nap. I didn't have that luxury, though; there were four performances and lots of...
Friday Fave: Guys & Dolls in Concert!
I know this is not music therapy or children-related, but I just had to mention the wonderful production that I'm a part of, which happens to open tonight! It is being put on as a fundraiser for the Hoogland Center for the Arts, which is a hub for all things theater...
Music Therapy: A Hybrid?
That is exactly how it is described in an article from Time Out New York, which I found via a blog post by Brown Music Therapy. The article is titled "The New Hybrids" and leads in as follows: We're not talking about eco-friendly cars, but innovative fields that blend...
A New Way to Say Goodbye
When I introduced a brand-new goodbye song in one of my classes this morning, I was met with mixed emotions...from the staff! The students seemed to respond very positively to the new tune, while several of my coworkers didn't hide their disappointment that I strayed...