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!
Coming Soon: Spring Into Summer
Right around this time last year, I got the urge to create a digital songbook — the result of which was Tapping, Shaking, Music Making! Maybe this will become a yearly spring project, because I’m currently working on the next one!
Spring into Summer: Warm Weather Songs for Kids will include 10 songs instrumental tracks, and a PDF songbook full of lyrics, sheet music and ideas for putting the songs to use. I’ll be sharing the song titles and a sneak peek soon, as well as an opportunity to pre-order (with a sweet bonus download for doing so).
The plan is to release Spring Into Summer by May 6. I’m writing that down here so that I have some accountability, which I’ll need considering the amount of projects and big things I have going on at the moment! There’s something about sunshine and warmer weather that gets my creative juices flowing, and luckily, the extra energy to act on it.
This is more of a teaser post than anything else, but I will share more in the next week or so. Is anyone else as pumped up as I am now that spring is here? Help keep the inspiration flowing by sharing the projects you’re working on this month!
Burning the Midnight Oil
For almost my entire adult life, I have been an early riser. My alarm went off at 5 am every weekday morning, and then I’d go to the gym, come home, and spend the next couple of hours writing, working on songs, or other creative projects. Those morning hours were when my brain worked best.
After I went back to work following my maternity leave, I tried getting back into that routine. Some days, it worked; other days, Parker would wake up expecting an early breakfast just minutes before my alarm went off. Sometimes he would sleep in, sometimes he wouldn’t. To this day, he still has no consistent morning wake-up time. And neither do I, since he is still waking up multiple times throughout the night.
Needless to say, my productive early mornings are a thing of the past. And since I spend my days with Parker before work in the afternoons, I don’t have much time for creative projects (heck, I barely get a chance to check my email!) during daylight hours.
After I finish seeing students (usually between 7-8 pm), Zach and I give Parker a bath, put him to bed, and then eat dinner. By 9 pm, I’m ready to tackle blog posts, songs, music therapy interventions, and business-related work.
On a given night, I usually go to bed between 12:30-1:30 am, which to my former self would sound crazy! I never thought I would be a night owl, but then again, I never knew how much becoming a mom would affect every aspect of my life. I’ve actually grown to like the quiet hours when everyone else is asleep, and I’m getting used to sleeping in (usually 7 am at the latest, ha!).
At some point I would love to get back to my productive early morning routine, but I’m not counting on that happening any time soon. Until then I’ll just enjoy my new normal — and the late-night Facebook chats with fellow working moms who are up doing the same thing as me ;)
Grow, Flower, Grow!
I’ve been working with children long enough to know that movement is ESSENTIAL to a well-rounded music therapy group or early childhood class session. I’ve used all kinds of movement props, including scarves, streamers, bean bags, stretchy bands, to get my kiddos moving.
A few months ago, I added a new movement prop to my collection. The Connect-a-Band is the newest creation from Bear Paw Creek, who also makes the popular stretchy bands we all know and love. Connect-a-Bands are made of the same material as stretchy bands, and they can be connected together in all kinds of ways for group movement activities.
My favorite is the flower shape, which inspired the song I’m sharing with you today. Grow, Flower, Grow! encourages group movement using the Connect-a-Band; I love that everyone has to work together to make the “flower” do all the things mentioned in the song.
I actually have several songs in the works for use with the Connect-a-Band, but I wanted to start with this one since it coincides perfectly with the start of spring! Thank goodness this insane winter is coming to an end. Here’s to warmer temps and new musical experiences!
So Glad I’m Here
No matter how many original songs I write, there will always be a few covers that stay in my rotation solely because I love them so much. One of those is a sweet little tune I’ve used as a greeting in my early childhood music classes many times.
“So Glad I’m Here” is a simple, repetitive song by Elizabeth Mitchell, whose children’s albums are perfection. I love that her music is upbeat and happy without being cheesy; it sounds like spring to me. I recorded a quick version of this song recently (listen below), though you should check out the real deal for yourself.
The thought occurred to share this song with you after a student’s mom asked for some greeting song recommendations that are appropriate for children of all ages. I have to be careful about the songs I choose for many of my groups, because not only is there a pretty wide age span already, but then I have to count on the fact that there will be older siblings participating as well.
This is one of those songs that anyone can appreciate, and it can be easily adapted to fit any setting. That is what I strive for in my own songwriting, so it’s great to have inspirational gems like this that keep my creative juices flowing.
Rewriting Rodgers & Hammerstein
My local community theater held auditions for The Sound of Music this month, and I had several students try out. That meant lots and lots of “Do-Re-Mi” and “My Favorite Things” — though I didn’t mind at all, since it’s one of my favorite musicals. (A bit of trivia: I played Louisa von Trapp at that same community theater 15 years ago).
Needless to say, I’ve had these songs on the brain, and they spilled over from my lessons into music therapy session planning. I incorporated the children’s book version of “My Favorite Things” into one of my student’s sessions, which then led into a songwriting activity.
I asked my student to name her “favorites” in several different categories, which was a great way to target skills like answering questions, expressive language, and conversational skills. Then I took her responses and wrote a special version of the song just for her. I can’t wait to share it with my student at her session tomorrow!
Today at Listen & Learn Plus, I’m sharing a simple template for recording your students’ favorite things, as well as the finished version of the song I wrote (including the easy chords I use to play it) along with the mp3 and instrumental track.
Our Team is Growing!
It’s time, friends. My private practice and teaching studio, which I started without really meaning to, has come a long way in 7 years. What began as just a few private clients and students has grown into a full-time job, providing enough additional business for a second music therapist and a very long waiting list.
In addition to providing music therapy services, we also teach both regular and adapted piano/voice/guitar lessons. I receive several referrals for new students every week, and frankly, I’m tired of having to break the bad news that there are no openings!
So after pow-wowing with Katey Kratz, who joined the Music Therapy Connections team back in 2012, we decided that the next step is to bring a dedicated music instructor on board. That way we can take on new music students while leaving room in our own schedules to provide more music therapy.
This position will begin with part-time hours, though there is certainly an opportunity for growth. Aside from the basic requirements (a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of teaching experience), some important qualities we’re looking for in applicants include: enthusiasm for working with children, a vast array of musical interests, and willingness to travel to student’s homes in and around the Springfield, IL area. If you fit this description, I hope you’ll consider applying. Or if you know someone who does, pass it on.
There are some other exciting changes coming up for my private practice, and I can’t wait to share them with you just as I have right here over the past five years. Your support and encouragement mean the world to me!
Where Did My Tiny Baby Go?
I spend my days chasing after a crawling, standing, wannabe-walking baby boy who is becoming less and less of a baby every week. The bigger he gets, the more I try to savor his infancy while it lasts.
Things like wearing him in the Ergo when we go out, holding him in my arms just a little longer while he naps before putting him in the crib, even enjoying (rather than complaining about) our 3 am nursing sessions — because all of that will be over too soon. Sniff, tear, hiccup.
Some of Parker’s favorite big boy things to do these days: pulling ALL the books off his bookshelf, crawling at the speed of light, sitting in the front part of the cart at Target, and trying out new finger foods (he still refuses to be spoon-fed).
He is such a happy, curious, and expressive baby. His personality has really emerged this past month, and it has been so much fun to discover what makes him laugh and smile the most. Everyone who meets Parker and spends time with him comments on what a good boy he is, and they are right. There’s a reason I call him my angel doll :)
My Funny Valentine
Zach and I have never been big on Valentine’s Day, so I wasn’t expecting any sappy gifts this year. But he totally surprised me with something WAY better than chocolate or flowers: adorable Valentine’s photos of Parker. I found them waiting for me on his dresser, which completely made my day.
SHOCKINGLY, we got another snowstorm that day, which meant we were housebound (the theme of Winter ’14). Later on in the afternoon, I saw a few students whose parents were willing to brave the terrible weather, and then we celebrated Valentine’s Day with my mother-in-law, who had brought some gifts over.
We went over to my parents’ house for a Valentine’s dinner, and then were back home and in bed by 9 pm. Just another wild night for us crazy kids ;) It’s hard to believe that there are just a couple holidays left before Parker turns 1, which means we are almost out of “firsts”.
Meeting Pokey LaFarge
There we were, in the St. Louis airport Starbucks across from our gate at 5 am, when I leaned over and whispered to my husband, “I think that’s Pokey LaFarge!”
“Pokey LaWho?” was his response. But he encouraged me to go over and say something to him, so I did (with baby Parker in tow). I was right; it was indeed Pokey, and we had a nice conversation about how I’d seen him play in Springfield a couple years ago.
To answer Zach’s question, Pokey is a musician whose style is a blend of mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing. He has a very unique sound that had me hooked immediately; in fact, his song “La La Blues” inspired me to write my own La La Song.
At the end of our conversation, Pokey came over to where we were sitting and introduced himself to Zach, and they ended up having a ten minute conversation and soccer and travel. Before we left to board our plane, Pokey gave us a copy of his new CD. I think Parker is already a fan ;)
Music Therapy in the NICU
In all my years of studying and practicing music therapy, I never had any interest in medical music therapy. The idea of working in a hospital seemed pretty intimidating, and just not for me. Of course, that’s what I said about working with kids — originally I had my heart set on seniors with dementia — and look at me now.
But over the summer during my maternity leave, I started thinking about going through training for music therapy in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I’m not sure if it was the postpartum hormones or what, but the desire stuck with me and I registered for the lecture training at AMTA national conference in November.
After spending my first day of conference attending the NICU lecture training, I knew I had made a good decision. The research, techniques, and outcomes were all fascinating, and I couldn’t wait to get some hands-on experience during the clinical fieldwork training component.
This part was a big investment, both financially and time-wise. I had to get caught up on immunizations and have some bloodwork done in order just to register, and then complete quite a bit of paperwork as well as pay a fee. Once I was approved to attend the training, I booked my plane tickets to Orlando and reserved a hotel room across the street from Florida Hospital. The hardest part was waiting until February!
I happily escaped the arctic Midwest (with my baby and his favorite babysitter, aka my mom, in tow) this past week, though the only sun I soaked up was on the walks to and from the hospital.
The training was facilitated by music therapists Brianna Negrete, from Florida State University, and Rich Abante Moats, from Florida Hospital. Antonio Milland, Amy Robertson, Dr. Jayne Standley, and Ellyn Hamm also provided training and tons of valuable information. The two full days consisted of classroom training as well as quite a bit of time in the NICU both observing and working with premature infants.
On the first day, we learned the procedure for multimodal stimulation (MMS), which helps babies tolerate and process different kinds of stimulation through singing, touch, rocking, and encouraging eye contact. Being in the NICU was definitely intimidating at first, but by the second day, I felt much more comfortable there. I had the opportunity to do MMS with two different babies, which was definitely the highlight of the entire experience.
On the second day, we learned more about the PAL (pacifier-activated lullaby) device and got to see it in action. We also learned about relating to staff/parents/family, medical music therapy program proposals, reimbursement, procedural support, and became more familiar with all the research behind medical music therapy.
It was an intense two days of learning and experiential training, but I honestly could have stayed for a week! There was so much to learn, and every single one of the trainers was so helpful in making sure we fully understood everything and guiding us through the music therapy techniques.
I would love to have the opportunity to work in the NICU eventually. It’s a different world from what I’ve been doing for the last 7 years since becoming board-certified, but it will be a wonderful challenge professionally, not to mention very rewarding.