Free Download: “Little Red Apples”
This is one of many counting songs I’ve written, which focuses on counting both up to 5 and down from 5. I created simple apple visual aides (using red construction paper and then laminating) which my students can then manipulate as we count.
Click here to download the mp3 and lyrics/chords.
P.S. If you want access to my entire collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music, consider joining me over at Listen & Learn Plus!
Music is for Ourselves, Too
I know I’m not alone in the fact that I am constantly forgetting this, and then being reminded of it every so often. Those of us in the music therapy or education field, particularly those who work with children, are so focused on how music can help our students and clients that we often lose sight of music’s role in our own lives. Most of us probably went into our profession because we were positively affected by the presence of music in our lives, and wanted to share that with others. At least, I know this was the case for me. Yet very rarely do I take the time now to listen to or write music for myself.
Very recently, I experienced one of those aforementioned “reminders”. I’ve really liked Ingrid Michaelson, an indie singer-songwriter, ever since her song “The Way I Am” was made famous in an Old Navy commercial (if you are chilly, here, take my sweater…). I checked out some of her other songs, but sort of forgot about her until recently, when her album Everybody was released. I purchased it on iTunes, and burned it to a CD so that I could listen to it in the car.
Well that was two weeks ago, and I haven’t stopped listening. I really identify with several songs on the CD, particularly the title track. It’s usually the last song I listen to before I get to school, and today I realized how refreshed I felt, how inspired, just by hearing that song. It was a familiar feeling; I’m easily moved by music when I actually take the time to listen. But that is the key – taking the time to really listen, and discover which music is a positive influence on our lives, our work, our sanity.
It’s hard to take off my music therapy hat. In fact, I think it’s glued to my head! After I finish my last session or lesson of the night, I think to myself, “What song could I write to help Susie with (insert goal here)?”. A blessing that I love my job so much, but at the same time, a curse that I have a difficult time walking away from it, separating the “music” from “music therapy” every once in a while.
What music do you listen to for yourself? I’m very interested in hearing about the musical outlets that you seek outside the realm of therapy, education, and parenting, so please share.
The Leaves on the Trees
As I’ve mentioned, oh, just a few hundred times or so before, summer is the #1 season in my book. But there’s just something about the change in temperature, the beautiful colors, and the smell outside as fall approaches that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The crisp air is so refreshing, and everything seems brand new.
Fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, but I’ve already begun brainstorming and writing songs all about the coming season. The first of those is “The Leaves on the Trees”, which imitates the process of trees shedding their leaves: slowly at first, and then faster and faster until all the leaves are on the ground.
The leaves on the trees,
They sway in the breeze,
They sway all around, all around.
Slowly first, then faster
Until all the leaves fall down.
(Repeat, gradually getting faster each time)
My students love, love, LOVE these “speeding up” songs, and no matter how fast I play, they always yell, “Faster!”. Instruments that work well with this type of song include shakers, bells, tambourines, or anything that a child can play easily and quickly.
How are you and your students preparing for fall? The walls of The Hope Institute (where I work) are covered in autumn artwork, and the kids are already talking about Halloween. They are one step ahead of me!
Tone Block Time
What a weekend! Saturday evening was the Celebrity Chef dinner at The Hope Institute, and my students did an AMAZING job singing three songs in front of an audience of over 300 people. Not only did we receive a standing ovation after the second song, but the entire audience remained standing and clapped along with our closer, an upbeat goodbye song. I received so many compliments for my students’ hard work, and I have to say, it was definitely one of the best moments in my career as a music therapist so far. Oh, and the CDs we made were a huge hit, too. All in all, a very successful night!
But the fun didn’t stop there. Yesterday was the first Church Mice class of the fall session, and oh my goodness, did we have an awesome turnout. Around 20 families attended, and it was so exciting to see all the kids enjoying themselves as we sang, played instruments, and danced around the room. One of the instruments that I always incorporate into the class is the resonator bell, or tone block as we call them at Church Mice. I wrote a new song especially for our tone blocks, which goes like this:
Ring, ring,
Hear the chime.
Now you know it’s tone block time.
Ring, ring.
Loud and clear,
Ringing is the sound you hear.
_________ makes her tone block ring,
As we all play along and sing.
_________ makes his tone block ring,
As we all play along and sing.
Ring, ring,
Hear the chime.
Now you know it’s tone block time.
Ring, ring.
Loud and clear,
Ringing is the sound you hear.
Each child has a turn in the spotlight to play his or her tone block. It’s so cute to see their faces light up as their names are sung! I love when those who are the most shy at the beginning become the most eager to play and be heard as the class goes on. Such a fun time!
Friday Fave: Celebrity Chef
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that there was a big event coming up at The Hope Institute, where I work as the music therapist. That event is our annual Celebrity Chef gala, and it is happening tomorrow night! Chicago chefs Brian Duncan and Paul Virant will be preparing an amazing meal, and there will also be music, dancing, silent and live auctions. This year, some of our students have played an important role in preparing for the fundraiser, which will benefit Hope and the children it serves.
One of my classes has been rehearsing since school began for the performance they will give at Celebrity Chef. We will be singing three songs, one of which I wrote specifically for the event. These students have put their hearts into it, and I am so proud of their hard work! I know they will be a hit tomorrow night.
As a souvenir, each guest will receive a CD which includes several Hope Institute “hits” from music therapy, as well as the song written for the event. Several of my students lent their voices to the CD, and an entire classroom worked together to assemble all 500 of the CDs we will be giving away. I was completely blown away by their neat work and speed – they completed this task in less than three days!
I’m extremely honored and excited that our music therapy program will be highlighted at the event, but even happier that my students will have a chance to shine. We work on skills such as respectful behavior, social interaction, and teamwork on a daily basis, and they will definitely be showcasing their progress tomorrow night. I can’t wait!
I Love You, a Bushel and a Peck
Are you already singing this song after reading the title of this post? I am! Actually, I spent several weeks singing this song in rehearsals for a local production of “Guys & Dolls” and I haven’t stopped since.
While going through my children’s book collection a couple weeks ago, I came across I Love You! A Bushel and a Peck, based on the song by Frank Loesser with illustrations by Rosemary Wells. I’d picked it up last winter but had yet to use it, which has since changed. The book takes the lyrics quite literally, and the illustrations are adorable. My kids especially enjoy the “doodle-oodle-oodle” parts of the song. Just be prepared to have the tune stuck in your head for days :)
How was your weekend? Mine was mostly enjoyable; I spent a lot of time with my family, but not as much time as I spent with Sadie, my golden retriever puppy. My husband was out of town which meant I had full walking, feeding and letting-out responsibilities. It was a lot of work! By the time he returned last night, I was completely exhausted and ready for him to take over.
Anyway, hope your week is off to a great start. I have three more new songs coming in the next few days, so make sure to bookmark this site if you haven’t already!
The Best Birthday Gift Ever
I have just one word to describe what happened today: WOW. I thought maybe I’d get a few pledges toward my Kickstarter project today in honor of Listen & Learn’s first birthday, but I had no idea that I would raise the remaining $400, as well as an additional $133 with 33 days to spare. There aren’t enough words to fully express my gratitude toward everyone who pledged, so I’ll say thank you, plain and simple.
I can’t wait to get started on my project. As I mentioned last month, I’ve chosen a studio and producer, and the next step is deciding which songs to include on the CD. If you have any suggestions or requests, let me know.
Again, thank you for your generous support. I am blessed!
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 Listen & Learn Music and its readers? Not so much, but here I am, and here goes:
1. Connecting with parents who believe in the power of music and what it can do for their children. If not for this blog, I never would have met amazing parents like Sandie, who motivates me with stories of her son, Matthew, and his love of music and the songs I share. It’s one thing to touch the lives of the children with whom I work directly, but its another to know I am making a long-distance impact on others.
2. Becoming a part of the music therapy community. As the only music therapist in my city, I felt alone and disconnected for the first year of my career. Through Listen & Learn, I have had the privelige of communicating with many MTs for whom I have great respect. Just a few from the huge list: Michelle Erfurt, Wade Richards, Amanda Ellis, Kimberly S. Moore, Brenda Papierniak, Candie Stiles…
3. Exciting collaborations. One of the most exciting being my work with Model Me Kids, a company that creates videos modeling social skills for children and teens with autism, Asperger’s, and other developmental disabilities. I wrote original music to narrate their video about faces and emotions, which is coming out very soon! You can learn more and see a clip here.
4. My presence on SongsForTeaching.com. I have been a fan and customer since I first began my studies in music therapy, and still am. I am so proud that since last November, my original songs have been included on their site, as well as recordings I have done for them of songs in the public domain. This would not have been possible without my blog. I am currently working with Ruth, the absolutely wonderful owner of the site, on a new project (which hopefully I’ll be sharing with you soon!).
5. Overcoming my biggest fear. Well, I haven’t done this yet, but I will be facing (and hopefully overcoming) my enormous fear of public speaking in November when I present “Music Therapy in the Blogosphere” at the AMTA National Conference in San Diego. Just the thought gives me butterflies, but I’m excited, nevertheless.
6. A platform to share my songs. As I mentioned in my very first post, the songs I was writing and using with my students were just sitting around, only heard by me and them, until I started this blog. If one person can benefit from a song I’ve written and shared here, I’m a happy camper :)
7. A good excuse to utilize technology. Ever since I was in seventh grade, when the internet really took off, I have been extremely interested in all things technology. Now when I spend countless hours exploring the web and experimenting with the latest sites and trends, I can tell myself it is for the good of the blog!
8. An outlet for writing. When I was in high school, my career goals were split between music and journalism. English was always my strongest academic subject, and in high school I wrote for my school’s newspaper. When I got to college, even though my English professor asked me to become an English major, I went in the other direction. Though this is just a blog – not a novel or amazing essay or article – it is still a place where I can express myself through the written word (not to mention, the sung word!).
9. A reason to be on Twitter. This one is silly, but kind of true, I suppose. So many people (members of my family included!) think Twitter is a pointless waste of time, but it really is a good way to connect with Listen & Learn readers on a more personal level.
10. Complete creative control. Like for instance, making the decision to write an incredibly long-winded post dedicated to my blog’s 1st birthday! There are no rules when it comes to blogging, and I like that. Of course, this is first and foremost a place to share the songs I write for educational and music therapy purposes, there isn’t a rule against posting pictures of my nephew or writing about my iPhone.
So there you have it. If you’ve made it this far, congrats! And more importantly, thank you. Thanks for reading my blog regularly, listening to my songs, sending emails, and providing amazing support and motivation that will keep me going for another five, ten, twenty years!
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 under the age of 10). All of them were awestruck, and had all kinds of questions afterwards. My last student, who told me when she arrived that she didn’t want to play the piano anymore, had completely changed her tune by the end of the lesson. I asked her if she still wanted to play, and she didn’t hesitate in answering “Yes!”. Emily has definitely accomplished her goal, and for that, I am thankful :)
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 Tall” since both focus on colors. It works perfectly, in my opinion, but you can decide for yourself:
Yellow, red, and green, and purple, and blue,
Shakers are so colorful and sound good, too.
There are many different ways to shake ‘em around.
Up above your head, or near the ground.
Yellow shaker, up high.
Yellow shaker, up high.
Make a great big sound up in the sky!
CHORUS
Red shaker, up high…
Green shaker, up high…
Purple shaker, up high…
Blue shaker up high…
CHORUS
I use Basic Beat egg shakers and chiquitas from West Music for this activity, though any colored shakers would do just fine. You can substitute colors in the song, too. In the Church Mice class I lead, we have always used plain black egg shakers, so I’m looking forward to changing things up with some rainbow-hued ones.
Well I need to get back to my CD burning…I’m making 500 to give away as souvenirs at Hope’s upcoming Celebrity Chef fundraiser. Happy Thursday!
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 get them to stop.
I wrote a little tune dedicated especially to fruit shakers, cleverly and creatively titled “Shaky Fruit” (well, maybe predictably and unoriginally is more like it). Either way, it’s a fun song. Listen for yourself:
Doot-doot-do-doot, shaky fruit,
Apple orange, lemon and banana.
Doot-doot-do-doot, shaky fruit,
From Mississippi to Indiana.
Shaky apple, shaky apple,
Red and crunchy too.
Shaky apple, shaky apple,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
CHORUS
Shaky orange, shaky orange,
Round and juicy too.
Shaky orange, shaky orange,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
CHORUS
Shaky lemon, shaky lemon,
Yellow and sour too.
Shaky lemon, shaky lemon,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
CHORUS
Shaky banana, shaky banana,
Yellow and tasty too.
Shaky banana, shaky banana,
Doot-doot-do-doot-doo.
CHORUS
I apologize in advance if you find yourself humming it over and over all day, as I’ve been doing for the last week or so! I’m already brainstorming for a song about veggies, which I’ll write after I purchase the vegetable shakers…