Sunday Singalong: I’m Gonna Catch You

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At school one day last week, one of my coworkers told me that she had watched every one of my videos (there are almost 50 now!) and was sharing them with all of her friends.  Before I left for the weekend, she told me she was looking forward to today’s video…and the pressure was on.

Well, not really, but I wanted to make sure this week’s video was a song she would enjoy.  That’s why I picked Laurie Berkner’s “I’m Gonna Catch You”, which my students and I have been working on throughout the month.

There’s a little guy in one of my classes who came up with full choreography, which includes spins, jumping, and some unique moves that I don’t think have names.  I actually thought for a split second about doing the choreography in the video (reminiscent of the Turkey Dinner Dance) but decided I wasn’t quite brave enough…maybe next time :)

Sunday Singalong: A Cold Day Weather Song

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There’s only one way to describe central Illinois in January: COLD. And yes, the temperatures here merit capital letters. So when it came to choosing a song for this week’s video, it was really a no-brainer.

I’ve provided on-screen lyrics for the second week in a row, and so far I’ve gotten some great feedback. What do you think…do they make for an easier “singalong” experience?  I hope so!

Like I mentioned in the video, you can get a free download of this song and my other 9 weather songs just by subscribing to my free newsletter.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  If you’re currently experiencing frigid weather, well, I feel for you.  And if you’re lucky enough to be somewhere warm and sunny, then I don’t want to hear about it.  (Just kidding.  I’m happy for you!)

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

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January Calendar Song

Lately I’ve had quite a few readers ask about my work at The Hope Institute, a residential school for children with multiple disabilities where I’ve headed up the music therapy program for the last (almost) 4 years.

I’ll be writing about the program in more detail throughout the year, but today I thought I’d share a simple yet important song that remains a staple in many of the classrooms with which I work.

Calendar time is an essential part of the school day around here (as it is in many schools), and I incorporate calendar songs of all varieties into my music therapy sessions.  Here’s one I’ve mentioned before — spruced up a bit for the new year:

Today is ______,
Today is ______.
Today is ______, January _____.
Yesterday was ______,
Tomorrow’s ________.
But today is ______, January _____, 2011.

So when I sing this with my students this morning, the lyrics will be:

“Today is Monday, today is Monday.  Today is Monday, January 10th.  Yesterday was Sunday; tomorrow’s Tuesday.  But today is Monday, January 10th, 2011.”

Each month, I record a new version with the correct month already included.  That way, when the teachers sing this song with their students on a daily basis, they fill in the day and date themselves.

I’ve been using this song (which I came up with it on my own, though I’m positive others have done something very similar if not identical) for years now, but am always up for new ideas.  If you’ve got another daily calendar song to share, please do!

Sunday Singalong: There Was an Old Lady

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This week’s video is my first-ever to include the lyrics as subtitles!  When a reader requested I add them so that her son could follow along, I thought to myself, “Duh!”  Why didn’t that occur to me before?  It is called Sunday Singalong, after all.

I introduced this singable story to my students at The Hope Institute this week, and we are having a blast with it.  My goal for those with verbal skills to sing the phrase “perhaps she’ll cry” as a starting point, since it is repeated so often throughout the book.  Then as they become more familiar with it, I’ll prompt them to fill in more words and phrases.

When I present a singable story to a group of children, I like to turn it into a team effort.  The guitar accompaniment helps hold attention, so while I play, I have a teacher or other staff member hold up the book so that everyone can follow along visually.  If I’m working with a student individually, I’ll ditch the guitar and use the book alone.

The wonderful thing about singable stories as teaching tools is that you can adapt them to the level of each group or individual student.  I can ask “wh” questions, have students point to certain objects, read sight words, and so much more.  What singable stories have you and your students been enjoying lately?

2010: The Year in Review

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The Year 2010 in ReviewWith just four days remaining of 2010, I’ve been thinking a lot about where this year has taken me — both professionally and personally speaking.  It seems like just yesterday I was writing my 2009 review!  But as quickly as 2010 flew, I packed a lot into the past 12 months.  I’ll post a “Top 12” list later in the week; today’s post is a reflection of the year as a whole.  Here goes.

Almost four years into my career as a music therapist, I have to say that I’m feeling more confident in my skills than ever.  At the beginning of 2010, I set out to accomplish a new professional goal: starting a music therapy internship and supervising my first intern.  I was successful in getting the internship up and running, and now my intern is halfway through her nine-month stint at The Hope Institute.  It has definitely been a wonderful learning experience, and I’m already beginning to tackle my next challenge: offering CMTE credits as a CBMT-approved provider.

I’ve also made more connections with colleagues in the professional world.  I was elected to the executive board of the Illinois Association for Music Therapy last December, and have loved becoming more involved with advocacy and continuing education in my state.  February saw the birth of the Music Therapy Round Table, a podcast with fellow music therapists Kimberly Sena Moore and Michelle Erfurt.  The three of us presented our first CMTE course this past November at AMTA’s national music therapy conference, and are already looking forward to doing it again.

Although I’ve been blogging here at Listen & Learn since 2008, this has been the year in which I feel like I’ve really hit my stride.  I ventured into the world of YouTube with my Sunday Singlong series, grew my premium membership base, and became a WordPress convert.  But there is definitely still room for growth, and I plan to explore many more avenues for Listen & Learn in 2011.

This coming year will bring some big changes.  I’m going to be stepping into some uncharted (for me, at least) territory, which I’ll share with you as the next few months unfold.  But for now, I’m looking forward to getting on with what has been a wonderful school year both in private practice and at The Hope Institute.

And personally?  2010 was a relatively low-key year in comparison with 2009.  We’ve been in our “new” house for almost two years now, and our dog Sadie is getting calmer with age (she’ll be 2 in March).  Zach and I are looking forward to traveling quite a bit in 2011, starting with our trip to south Florida in January.  We’re also excited about being in our best friends’ weddings this summer, and finding out what else the new year will bring :)

Winter’s Here, All Right!

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Rachel in Winter

Ahh, just another day in the life of a midwesterner heading to work in the winter.  My husband managed to capture this oh-so-flattering shot of me around this time last year…a fashion statement that will become all too familiar over the next few months.  Can you tell how much I LOVE winter?!

Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy a white Christmas just as much as the next guy.  But the never-ending cold and snow just isn’t my thing.  I have to look on the bright side, though: the change of seasons gives me an excuse to write a new song!

Winter’s here, the first season of the year.
From the end of December until April’s near.
The birds have gone away, the cold is here to stay,
Day after day.

Brrr, the wind is blowing.
Brr, put your earmuffs on.
Along with your coat, scarf, hat, and gloves,
As we sing this wintery song.

CHORUS

Brr, the snow is coming,
Brr, my nose is red.
Gotta stay inside where the heat is on,
And get warm from my toes to my head.

CHORUS

As thrilled as I am to be off of work for Christmas break, I’m a little bummed that I didn’t have the chance to introduce this new song to my students before we left. However, the fact that we’ll have three long months to sing it when we return makes up for it. Oh, winter.

I’ll be spending the first day of the season doing last-minute shopping, wrapping presents, and writing thank-you notes to my students (they were quite the gift givers this year!). How will you spend this wonderful winter day?