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!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 33
I love, love, love talking to creative entrepreneurs. Being one myself, it is so interesting to hear how others take their ideas and turn them into something tangible. And when those creative entrepreneurs are moms, I love picking their brains about how they make it all work.
Kathy Schumacher shared with me an absolutely brilliant metaphor for thinking about the so-called “work-life balance”. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out what it is (but trust me, it’s GOOD).
Kathy talks about her early success in the private practice setting, how she has structured her career around her family since having her children, and her adventures in creative entrepreneurship in Episode 33 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Kathy, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
This is My Self-Care
Every week, I ask my podcast guests about their self-care practices. That is, what they do to nurture their spirits and recharge their batteries.
Some do yoga, others grow gardens…the list goes on. And then there are some who admit that this is an area where they fall short. I get it; I’m not good at self-care either.
All my current hobbies (songwriting, recording, website geekiness) are related to my work because I gave up the ones that weren’t (biking, working out regularly, scrapbooking) when I had kids and no time to pursue them.
So yesterday during our intern’s weekly supervision meeting, I felt a little like a hypocrite talking how important self-care is and assigning her to partake in self-care activities each week.
And then I woke up this morning and felt like a kid on Christmas when I remembered that I don’t work on Fridays anymore. Not that I don’t absolutely LOVE my work, but there is nothing better than ending the week with a day devoted to my babies — nowhere to go, nothing around which to plan our day, the whole weekend spread out in front of us. THIS is my self-care.
My first non-work Friday has been awesome. My friend Angie came over so that Parker and Janie could have a play date while we got to hang out with the baby girls.
And while Parker is napping, I’m typing this blog post with Mia asleep on my lap, not running around trying to accomplish a million things like I do on work days.
I may never work on Fridays again, and instead of feeling guilty about that, I’m just going to call it self-care.
Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho…
It’s off to work I go! This is where I’ll be spending a big part of my week starting today, and I’m super excited about it. Okay, a little sad, because what mom is jumping for joy about leaving her 3-month-old…but mostly super excited.
When I mention that I’m returning to work after maternity leave, most people respond with, “what maternity leave?”. They have a point; although I didn’t work with students individually this summer after having my baby in May, I did teach two classes, continue doing administrative work to keep the business running, and open a new facility alongside my business partner, Katey.
But I was able to do a lot of that work (minus the classes and renovations) from home, and I didn’t have any semblance of a regular routine or schedule all summer long. Starting today, all that changes.
Monday through Thursday, I’ll be working with students in the afternoons and evenings as well as teaching my early childhood class on Tuesday mornings. The beautiful thing about my schedule is that I’m still able to be home with Mia and Parker in the mornings, and this year — for the first time ever — I’m not working on Fridays. It does make for a little bit longer days the rest of the week, but totally worth it to have an entire extra day devoted to my kids.
As delightful as this schedule is, I will be honest that it isn’t easy or relaxing. Caring for a baby all day and THEN going to work with children for several hours back-to-back is no joke; I know because I did it for 18 months with Parker. Not only is it physically exhausting, but it’s also a juggle making sure everything is in place with child care and finding the time to do all the work that requires my attention outside of direct service hours. Oh yeah, and I’m not thrilled about having to pump two times a day, but I know many moms who have to do so while driving or in random places during the workday, so I really have no excuse for complaint.
I’m hoping this time around is a little more manageable overall, and I have high hopes because a) Mia sleeps at night, unlike Parker when he was an infant; and B) I’ve learned some strategies for doing it all and staying sane (most of the time, ha!).
I also know that it gets easier. When Parker started going to school Tuesday through Thursday at 18 months old, it opened up a whole new world for me. At this time next year, Mia will be there with him, so I will have three entire work days each week at that point.
But I am definitely not wishing this time away, because I know in a few years I will greatly miss this time “in the trenches” as they say. Luckily, I absolutely love my work, which makes it worth all the 5 am wakeups and 8 pm bedtimes. I’m feeling a little like a kid on her first day at a new school, except my mom won’t be taking any pictures of me on the front porch before I go ;)
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 32
All of the guests I’ve interviewed on my podcast thus far have been music therapists, but I didn’t think twice about making an exception for this particular episode. If you’re a music therapist, especially one who works with kids, then you know Janet Stephens — or at least her products.
Janet is the creator of the famous stretchy band and many other movement props used in music therapy sessions, classrooms, and other settings all over the world. She also knows a thing or two about motherhood, considering she has 8 children.
Janet talks about her path that led to having a large family, the evolution of her successful business, and how her “big picture” mentality allows her to prioritize the important things in life in Episode 32 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Janet, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
The Longest Shortest Time
You know that feeling you get when you look in your closet and are overwhelmed with so many choices that you just can’t make a decision, and end up in yoga pants and a t-shirt?
(I used to know this feeling, back when I wasn’t dealing with a postpartum body and the clothes in my closet actually fit. So now I’m wearing you pants and t-shirt for LACK of options.)
But back to the original scenario. That’s how I’ve felt about this blog lately — SO much has happened in the last month and I have SO many things to write about, I don’t know where to start…so I haven’t.
I mentioned over at Listen & Learn recently that this season of having young children really is the “longest shortest time” (shout-out to one of my favorite podcasts). The days go by so slowly and seem to be a million hours long, but when I look back at the past 3 months, they seem to have flown in the blink of an eye. Seriously, wasn’t Parker just an infant learning to roll over? Now he’s talking in complete sentences while my second baby (what?!) begins working on her rolling skills.
These long days/short weeks have been filled to the brim — with playdates, potty-training, swimming in Mimi’s pool, walks in the double stroller, and all the other things you do with a toddler and an infant. Someday, hopefully soon, I’ll write more about Parker’s interactions with his little friends, his favorite games to play in the pool, and all the times he’s fallen asleep on our walks while Mia stares at me wide-eyed the entire way. I want to remember all these things and read about them many short years from now.
But that day is not today, because right now the days are long and full in the best possible way.
Apples & Bananas
It’s no secret that most of the songs I use in music therapy sessions, groups and classes are originals that I’ve written myself. I’m a firm believer in tailoring materials to my individual clients and groups of students, which is much more easily done when I’m composing the lyrics and melodies.
But there is certainly a place for familiar songs in those settings, especially where young children and their families are concerned. When I’m creating curricula for my early childhood classes, I always make sure to intersperse a few songs most people will know and be able to sing along with right away.
Familiar music creates a feeling of belonging and encourages stronger participation. If children see their parents or caregivers singing along, they are much more likely to try and do the same. I have an arsenal of favorites, and Apples and Bananas is most definitely one of them. Here’s the version that I recorded for a recent class.
You probably learned this song before you hit kindergarten; in fact, my two-year-old son came home singing it a few weeks ago. “Apples and Bananas” is silly and a bit nonsensical, but it’s also great for working on the concept of vowels and the sounds that they make.
In addition to the original songs that I share here, I’ll also be posting more of my favorite “classics” from time to time. What are some of yours? The beginning of the school year is always a repertoire-building frenzy for me!
{Mama Moment} One More Week
The longest shortest time, indeed. When I think back to the end of May when Mia was born, it seems like just yesterday; this summer flew by in the blink of an eye. But some days felt absolutely interminable, especially at the beginning when I was just getting the hang of caring for a newborn and a toddler at the same time.
But I knew from previous experience how precious and fleeting this time is, so I tried hard to soak it all up — I think I took more pictures in these last three months than I have my entire life. I’m already getting nostalgic about this summer, spent at home with my sweet babies and knee deep in diapers.
Although I was technically on maternity leave, I didn’t hang up my music therapist/teacher/business owner hats all together: I taught two early childhood classes, a few lessons here and there, didn’t miss a week of producing my podcast (even the week Mia was born!)…oh, and my business partner and I renovated a new music therapy and teaching facility.
It was a busy summer that required a lot of juggling, but honestly I think it helped keep the baby blues away. I didn’t feel like I lost track of who I was aside from a mom the way I did when Parker was born, which was a huge relief. I have to say that it has been a much smoother ride the second time around.
I’m hoping that the ride continues to be just as smooth as I dive back into full-time work a week from today. I’ll write more about my schedule and how work days will look later, but right now I’m going to get back to savoring what is left of my maternity leave. The longest shortest week ever, to be sure.
Before and After
When Katey and I first stepped into 1234 Centre West Drive, we knew we had found just what we were looking for. Yes, we were surrounded by a sea of purple, but we saw past the cosmetic misfortune because the bones of the building were good. Actually, they were great.
Though the entire place required a fresh coat of paint and new carpet, we didn’t have to change any of the structural aspects in order to suit our needs. We had every room we were looking for and then some — not to mention that every room had a window! And having come from a previous space that had NONE, that was a deal-maker.
This summer, Katey and I spent more hours than we care to admit transforming what you see in the “before” photos on the left to the bright and cheery “after” photos on the left. That gorgeous paint job is courtesy of Katey herself; she and her crew tackled 2,300 square feet of wall space in less than a week (with prep and cleanup help from me when I wasn’t with my babies or at my family reunion that fell on the same weekend).
The exterior of the building stayed the same, except of course for the sign on the door. I designed the logo, and Ace Sign Company here in Springfield did the printing and installation for both exterior signs.
A look at the foyer from the front door. You can see that the color scheme changed drastically; we actually chose the colors based on those of my former home studio. It was so sunny and conducive to the work we do, we decided to stick with yellow and blue.
The building’s prior occupant was an engineering firm, but with Katey’s handiwork, all remnants of their sign are gone and replaced with an art display wall for our students’ masterpieces (plus all the materials needed to create them)!
The view of the front entrance from one of our waiting areas. Notice the chalkboard wall — it hasn’t been this clean or empty since we welcomed students in for the first time :)
Our three main teaching rooms from the back hallway. All with windows; natural light has never been as appreciated as it is now after a year without windows in our former space.
A peek into our dedicated piano lesson room. Matt Nall, our piano instructor, prefers teaching on an acoustic piano as opposed to the Clavinovas and keyboards that occupy the rest of our rooms.
The room where I’ll be doing most of my teaching and conducting some of my individual music therapy sessions. The Yamaha Clavinovas in my room and Katey’s room have been generously provided by Capital City Music, which is where we purchase all of our lesson materials and send our students for pianos, other instruments, books and materials.
We have LOTS of babies and toddlers in our building either because of their siblings or for their own music classes, which is why it was important to us to provide a changing station and rocking chair. I’ve already gotten plenty of use out of both with all the time baby Mia and I have spent there.
A close-up look at our main waiting area. We love that it is right outside of our lesson rooms so that parents can wait nearby and even join their student’s lesson for a little performance at the end if they wish.
This is another waiting area outside of our large group room. We made it extra cozy with a corner full of bean bags and pillows for kiddos to hang out in before their classes begin.
And our large group room, which we kept pretty bare on purpose. We have an instrument wall for all of our class supplies and guitars so that they don’t distract our little students while not in use.
This is our small group room, where we will hold our ukulele class, other group lessons, and select music therapy sessions.
And finally, what will eventually be our dedicated recording studio. Right now it’s pretty bare, but with the generous donations we have already gotten and hopefully will continue to receive, we will fill this room with all the equipment needed to record all of our students’ and clients’ beautiful music.
A huge thanks to my father-in-law, Steve Rambach, for his photography, and to all the wonderful family members and friends who dedicated their time and efforts to creating this amazing space. Click here to see the complete photographic “after” tour. Or better yet, visit us and see it in person!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 31
I had a hard enough time returning to work after my maternity leave to work with children in my private practice, so I can only imagine just how difficult it was for Lauren Servos to not only return to work, but spend her days treating CRITICALLY ILL infants the same age as her daughter.
During my interview with Lauren, I learned a lot not only about the role of a music therapist in the hospital setting, but also the self-care that is required of one who also has a family at home (not to mention a growing private practice!).
Lauren talks about her experiences working in many different capacities at the same hospital, shares her beautiful natural birth story, and how she overcame the emotional challenges of working with medically compromised children after returning from maternity leave in Episode 31 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Lauren, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 30
There are very few music therapists who DON’T know JoAnn Jordan. She’s one of those people who goes out of her way to hello at conference, celebrates your good news on Facebook, and retweets you on Twitter.
I always love talking with JoAnn because not only is she an innovative music therapist, but she also has lots of wisdom to share on the topic of motherhood. So naturally, having her as a guest on the podcast was a no-brainer.
JoAnn talks about discovering her passion for working with two seemingly opposite populations, raising her daughter and building a private practice in a rural area, and adjusting to life as an empty nester in Episode 30 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about JoAnn, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.