In the Swimming Pool

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

From the time I started elementary school until I graduated high school, most of my summer days were spent at the neighborhood pool. My friends and I would ride our bikes there as soon as it opened, and we’d usually stay until our parents made us come home late in the afternoon. And if there is anything I remember from those carefree days, it is my mother’s daily reminders to “wear sunscreen and reapply” as I walked out the door.

Of course, wearing sunscreen is just one of the many important rules associated with swimming. I was sure to include that, among others, in my newest song on this topic. “In the Swimming Pool” was inspired by my fun memories, as well as my students, who come through the door in swimsuit cover-ups and wet hair for their music lessons all summer long.

In the summertime, when the weather is hot,
You can usually find me at my favorite spot.
I’ll be splashing around and staying cool,
In the swimming pool.

Doggypaddlin’ from end to end.
Playin’ Marco Polo with my best friend.
Backstroke, freestyle, butterfly,
Swim, swim, swimming by.

CHORUS

Wearin’ my goggles, now I can see,
Underneath the water so clearly.
Backstroke, freestyle, butterfly,
Swim, swim, swimming by.

CHORUS

Listen up and follow each and every rule,
Like walk, don’t run, by the swimming pool.
Wear lots of sunscreen and reapply.
Don’t wanna get burned by the sun in the sky.

CHORUS

I know that for many children, swimming can be scary at first. It can take quite a bit of coaxing to get a hesitant child into the pool; I kept this song light-hearted and upbeat to reflect for such children that swimming is actually fun!

Do you have any go-to tunes about water activities for summer? I’m thinking this might make a fun series…I just might have to come up with songs about sprinklers, water parks, and boating to round it out. Any other ideas?

Sunday Singalong: Mia’s Composition

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This week’s “Sunday Sing-Along” is more aptly titled a “Play-Along” since there isn’t actually any singing involved. But anytime I have a chance to showcase my students’ creativity, I’ll take it! Mia came to her lesson this past week bursting with excitement; she had composed this tune over the summer break and couldn’t wait to share it with me.

As important as it is for my students to learn the songs in their lesson books and do their theory exercises, I think it is equally important for them to create, whether it is through songwriting, improvisation, or otherwise.  I have one student who comes to almost every single lesson with an original song, transcribed on notebook paper on handwritten staves, and another who has written not one, but two songs about bugs (her favorite subject).

Mia wants to add to her composition, and we’re turned it into somewhat of a summer project.  Once the music is finished, we’re going to use Sibelius to create sheet music (a hidden theory lesson), Mia is designing cover art to be scanned, and then we’ll print the final product out to look like a “real” song, as she says.

How do you encourage your own students’ creativity?  Fill me in…I’m always looking for new ways to do so!

1 Cool Bass Line = 2 Singable Stories

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Down by the Station Children's Book

One of my favorite ways to engage my music therapy students is through children’s books. I have a sizable collection of what I call “singable stories” – books with words that translate nicely into sung lyrics.  Singable stories, along with the pictures that illustrate them, provide a wonderful opportunity to address goals such as identifying colors, objects, numbers, sight words, and answering “wh” questions.

A book that I find myself pulling off the shelf again and again is Down by the Station by Will Hillenbrand. The pictures are colorfully captivating, and the song is familiar to most children.

I’ve found that if I set the story to a cool beat, my students are even more apt to listen and participate.  This acoustic bass line (available in Garageband) does the trick nicely.

Another book I enjoy, and find effective in addressing the previously stated goals, is Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.  Again, the story is familiar, and like the first book, there is quite a bit of onomatopoeia (words that imitate the sounds they represent).

We're Going on a Bear Hunt Children's Book


This book is new to my collection, and as I sat down to record it the other day, I realized that I could use the very same bass line as accompaniment!

When I want to jazz up my singable stories a little bit during a music therapy session, I actually play the accompanying bass line on my ipod as my student(s) and I explore the book. I make the track much longer than the length of the book, allowing for questions and conversation as we go through it. You are more than welcome to download it (for free) and use it in your own music therapy, classroom or home setting.

For those of you who have Garageband, this is “Cool Upright Bass 18” in the Loops section. You can adjust the tempo, key, and length to suit your needs. And of course, there are many more loops and beats to explore…I could (and sometimes do) spend hours playing around with them!

One Year in the Studio

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Photobucket

When my husband and I started house-hunting in January of 2009, I had one prerequisite: our home must have a dedicated space for a music therapy studio.  I’d been traveling to my students’ homes (in addition to my full-time job at The Hope Institute) for two years, and I was exhausted.  Not to mention that I had to turn away potential new students, because with all the commuting I was doing, I just didn’t have the time for them.

It didn’t take long to find the perfect house; in fact, it was the very first house we toured.  Two months later, we were all moved in and I got to work furnishing, decorating and organizing my office/studio.  On June 15, 2009, the doors were opened to my students.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Music Therapy Connections studio, and what a year it has been!  Since last June, we’ve doubled in size from 15 students to 30, and a lot of progress has made within these four walls.  I love the fact that there is a room in my house devoted to all of the things I love: writing, recording, and using music to help children learn and grow.

Just for fun, here is a video I made last summer which takes you on a tour through my brand-new (at the time) studio.  A lot has changed since then, but you get the general idea.  Oh, and don’t mind my novice camera skills – they have since improved!

Pssst…Want a Preview?

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Behold, the cover art for Listen & Learn’s debut studio album: Time to Sing Hello.  Although we’re still a few weeks away from its official release, I just couldn’t help but share my excitement with you.  My experience in the recording studio was amazing, and I’m thrilled with how the tracks turned out, but this whole project didn’t feel real until I saw the finished album artwork.

Jason Taylor, a graphic designer on the East Coast, gets all the credit for the concept and design of this album.  I approached him via email back in March, and he responded with an offer to donate his work to the cause.  Needless to say, I was more than thrilled, especially considering his talent and impressive portfolio.  Jason was a dream to work with; he managed to completely capture my vision for this album, and every aspect of the design is perfect.

I’ll unveil the back cover and actual CD artwork when the album is released on July 10, but for now, I’ll leave you with a preview track.  “My Clothes and Shoes” turned out to be my favorite song of the bunch, and I hope you like it, too!

I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the song and the album cover. Please take a moment to share them with me in the comments section.

The End is Near…

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The end of the school year, that is!  There are a few big events at the school where I work which signify that summer break is upon us.  One of those events happened just yesterday and is my very favorite of the whole year.

It doesn’t get much better than having all of the students faculty, and staff gathered in one place, singing the songs we’ve been working on in music therapy all year. And better yet, I have a full band! With Mike on bass, Joe on guitar, and Jayne (who unfortunately is not pictured; she is to the right of me) on drums, our songs get quite the rock ‘n roll treatment.

But the fun’s not over yet.  Tomorrow morning, our graduation ceremony will be held in the very same room.  Graduation is always a bittersweet event; as happy as I am for the students, I’m still sad to see them go.  This year I’ll be singing “For Good” (from the musical Wicked) during the ceremony.

Next Wednesday is our last day of school, and in the afternoon we’ll have our annual talent show.  It’s always so entertaining to watch not only students and entire classes, but also various faculty and staff, get up on stage and show off their dancing, singing, and instrument-playing talents.  A couple of classrooms will be performing music therapy “hits” – an awesome choice of repertoire, if you ask me :)

So that’s what is going on around here.  Now I must get to something I’ve been putting off all month…creating summer song packets and CDs for each class.  Although there will be a sub (not a music therapist, but a music teacher who is very skilled in working with my student population) taking over for the summer, I still like to leave materials behind so that the teachers can continue reinforcing the skills and concepts we’ve spent all year learning.  Plus, I don’t want everyone to forget me while I’m away!