Did you know that this Saturday, February 27 is National Polar Bear Day?! I didn’t either, until I saw it posted on Instagram, including a mention of my original “Polar Bear” song. Of course, I couldn’t miss this opportunity to celebrate these beloved creatures AND share one of the most popular songs in my entire collection.
As I sat down to write this blog post, I realized that the last in-person session plan I created was in March of 2020…almost an entire year ago. 11 months have crawled/flown by (does it feel that way to you, too?), and I’m still waiting to reunite with my groups face-to-face.
The good news is that almost all of our music therapy team is either halfway or fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — I get my second dose on the 19th — which brings us that much closer to fully reopening our studio. I have high hopes for the coming spring and summer!
Last week as I was updating my song catalog, I started thinking about ways I could make more of my songs easily accessible without the commitment of joining Listen & Learn Plus or subscribing to my monthly session plans.
While they can be purchased individually, those $3 downloads (which include the mp3, instrumental track, and lyrics/chords) can start to add up. That’s especially true right now, since the pandemic has limited so much of the work we can do — and for many, that means more limited income.
Okay, so I have a confession to make: the pandemic has turned me into a bit of an online shopaholic. Luckily for my bank account, my purchases are usually under $35 (save for the occasional splurges), and all directly benefit my well-being in one way or another.
For example, I’m spending pretty much ALL of my time at home right now, and that has empowered me to make my home as comfortable, beautiful, and optimized as possible. A good majority of my shopping has been focused on that goal.
Another significant portion of my purchases have been dedicated to my physical health. In the new year, I’ve recommitted myself to working out regularly at home, so I’ve been slowly building up my collection of fitness equipment.
The last area in which I’ve been investing is self-care, though you could argue that all of these fall under that category. My current favorite things — the ones I’m sharing with you here today, all relate directly to self-care. I’ll explain below just how each item has affected my physical, emotional, and/or mental health.
Truth be told, I had a difficult time getting into the creative flow over the past couple of weeks. While I usually look forward to and enjoy this work, it took every ounce of self-discipline in my body to write, record, and prepare the materials for next month’s session plan and share it here today.
I know I’m not alone in this struggle, considering the violence, division and unrest taking place in our country right now. 2021 has proved to be yet another challenging year so far, but I still have hope for the not-so-distant future. I’m holding onto that as I move forward, and doing my best to focus on the things I can actually control.
The holiday season, as just about everything else in 2020, does not feel the same this year. For my family, there are no holiday parties, school Christmas programs, visits to Santa, or even celebrations with grandparents and extended family. But we are doing everything we can to make the most of it.
Same goes for my studio and private practice, Music Therapy Connections. I always look forward to this time of year, because it’s when we host our big winter recital, team holiday gathering, and my favorite of all, our Christmas-themed music classes. None of those things are happening this month — at least, in the typical way.
While I won’t get to welcome dozens of families into the studio to make music with me and sing our holiday faves, I can invite them to join me on Zoom and do those things. The one perk of meeting virtually instead of in person is that I can invite LOTS more people, no matter where they live, to join in the celebration!
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.
