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!
They Are the People Who Watched Us Grow
I hope you all had a lovely Father’s Day, whether you were celebrating your own dad, other dads in your life, or YOURSELF! Yesterday I shared a special video tribute that I made with the help of Listen & Learn readers and my students’ families, so be sure to check that out if you didn’t already.
The song that accompanies the video is this week’s original Listen & Learn song, and even though Father’s Day has passed, I want to share it with you so that you’re prepared when it rolls around again next June! One my friends who is a dad said over the weekend, “every day is Father’s Day!” — so really, I guess the song is applicable all year long ;)
And if we’re celebrating Father’s Day all year long, we’d better do the same with Mother’s Day, right?! Of course, I have a song for that too.
When it comes to family love and appreciation, a song I really do use almost on a daily basis with my students is Love, Love, Love (My Family). Every day is a good day to tell your family how much you love them!
A Video Tribute to Dads Everywhere
I can’t tell you how much fun I had collecting the photos for this video. After putting out a request to my newsletter subscribers and families in my studio, I received tons of emails not only containing photos, but also the stories behind them. The same thing happened last month when I created my Mother’s Day tribute — I’m thinking this needs to become a yearly tradition!
I’m lucky to have 3 “dads” to celebrate on this day: my dad, Alan (who you saw in the last picture of the video, dancing with me at my wedding), my stepdad, Joe (also pictured earlier in the video with myself and two stepsisters), and my father-in-law, Steve (who was looking dapper in a tux with my husband and brother-in-law on my wedding day).
I’ve gotten a chance to spend time with all 3 of them this weekend, and am looking forward to even more Father’s Day fun today :) I hope you have the chance to do the same…and if you’re a father yourself, enjoy your special day!
Friday Fave: The Pencil Trick
Yesterday during Sergei’s piano lesson, we were working on C chords. Forming chords is a new concept to him, and when he was having trouble getting his 2nd and 4th fingers to stay out of the way, I introduced him to the pencil trick.
I’m not sure where I came up with this idea, but I’m positive that there are others out there who use it as well. As silly as it looks, the “pencil trick” really does help my students get the hang of playing chords.
Sergei was more than happy to serve as my hand model for the photo above, though just a few moments after I snapped the picture, he was ready to put the pencils down and play his C chords without them. Success!
Do you have any funny-yet-helpful little tricks like this that come in handy with your students? My motto when it comes to teaching is whatever works — no matter how seemingly ridiculous or silly. Long live the pencil trick in my studio ;)
We’ll Tap and Tap…and Tap Some More!
This week, I decided to give one of my OLD songs some NEW life. Tap Tap Your Rhythm Sticks has been a staple of mine since I wrote it way back in 2008 (here’s the original blog post to prove it!) and believe it or not, it’s by far my best-selling song out of the 200 or so I’ve written.
There are several reasons why I think this song has been so popular and effective. First of all, it’s meant to be used while playing rhythm sticks, which are always fun for my kiddos. Secondly, it’s upbeat and catchy. Third, the lyrics are repetitive while still varying enough to keep everyone’s attention.
Not only does this song encourage rhythmic playing, but it also addresses the concepts of loud and soft. Playing and singing softly can be difficult for kids at times, but for some reason, this particular tune does the trick almost every time.
My original recording was low in quality and didn’t include anything other than my guitar and vocals. I think it works much better with a little bass, piano, and of course, rhythm sticks!
Friday Fave: It’s a Round Table Reunion!
The gang is back together again! Last summer we had our first-ever “Meeting of the Minds” in Florida, and this year we’re on my home turf in Springfield, Illinois.
The Music Therapy Round Table is a podcast hosted by myself, Michelle Erfurt, and Kimberly Sena Moore. We’ve been working together from our respective states (Illinois, Florida, and Missouri) for the past two and a half years, and after launching Music Therapy Pro last August, we’re putting our heads together for the next wave of brainstorming and project planning.
While we will be spending most of the weekend getting some serious work done, we always factor in some “fun” time, too. This afternoon we have plans to hit up the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, followed by dinner at one of my favorite downtown restaurants.
And now I better get back to work…hope your weekend is as productive and enjoyable as mine promises to be!
“S” Is For Summer
Okay, so maybe it’s not technically summer yet…but ask any kid what season it is and they’ll most likely tell so! It definitely feels like summer has arrived, now that school is out and I’m enjoying a nice little summer break.
“S” Is For Summer was actually written as a custom song for a child with specific language-related needs, especially when it comes to the letter s. And since it’s almost summer, which happens to begin with that very letter, her teacher and I decided to stick with the seasonal theme.
You’ll notice that there are LOTS of s’s in this song, not just at the beginning of words but in all positions as well as blends. So while it addresses one child’s needs in particular, it will hopefully be beneficial and enjoyable for other children, too.
What other summery “s” words did I miss? Snorkeling, sailing, snoozing, seashells, surfing…enough to write an entirely new song! And there’s no such thing as too many songs about summer, so I just might go ahead and do that ;)
Friday Fave: Let the Birthday Festivities Begin!
Don’t go wishing me a happy birthday just yet, because the big day isn’t actually until Tuesday. But who doesn’t love an extended celebration…especially when it’s a milestone year? No, I’m not turning 30 quite yet, but this is the beginning of the LAST year in my 20s, which is a pretty big deal!
My husband and I celebrated my 29th birthday last night with an amazing dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, and my family and friends are getting together tonight for what has been dubbed Rachel’s “I’m Not 30 Yet!” Birthday Party. I’ll be spending my actual birthday in Austin, Texas — a fun little mother/daughter trip courtesy of my awesome mom.
28 has been a pretty amazing year, between launching my full-time biz, taking a few wonderful vacations, and seeing my family grow (I got a new niece earlier this week!). But I have a feeling that 29 might be even bigger and better, both professionally and personally.
Thanks for stopping by and taking part in my birthday festivities! I hope your weekend is filled with lots of great things, too!
Movin’ In the Circle
For a while now, I’ve heard about and seen stretchy bands in action, but had never actually tried them. Boy, have I been missing out!
I was thrilled when Janet Stephens (owner of Bear Paw Creek, the makers of the stretchy band) and her sister Kathy Schumacher (music therapist and owner of Tuneful Teaching) reached out to be about creating a stretchy band-specific song. Of course I immediately said yes, and got to work.
Movin’ In the Circle is designed to be used in a group setting, using the stretchy band while seated on the floor. There are all kinds of movements that can be done in this manner, and the song lists just a few:
I’m already excited about the possibility of writing an entire series of stretchy band songs, because they can be used in SO many different ways. If you haven’t already, please make sure to check them out for yourself. I’ve only been using mine for a couple of weeks now, but they are already a huge hit with my students!
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kathy Schumacher
Riding My Bike
All winter long, I look forward to warm weather for many reasons, but mostly this one: so that I can ride my bike! And since we’ve had such a beautiful (not to mention early) spring, I’ve already put almost 600 miles on my bike since March 1st.
And though my rides are a bit longer now than they were when I was younger, riding my bike still makes me feel kinda like a kid — in a good way. However, I’m a lot better about bike safety now than I was back then, and that is what today’s song is all about.
I’m getting ready to head out on a nice long ride this morning with my dad, and you’d better believe we’ll be wearing helmets, using our signals, and putting to use all of the other safety tips mentioned in the song. Well, except for the one about riding on the sidewalk…we’re a little too old for that ;)
Friday Fave: RhymeZone
Today I want to share one of my most frequently used web-based resources of all time: RhymeZone. I discovered this website shortly after I started writing my own music therapy songs, and still use it every single time I write a new song.
There are probably plenty of rhyming tools out there, but I like this one for its simplicity. All you do is type a word into the box and hit the “search” button — then all of the rhyming words pop up, organized by number of syllables. Not only can you search for perfect rhymes, but other searches available are near rhymes, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and more.
I just discovered that RhymeZone now has an app available for $2.99, which might come in handy for songwriting on the go. But since I write all of my songs on my Macbook, I’ll stick with the web version. When I write a song, I keep RhymeZone open in my browser from start to finish and probably use it at least 20 times before the lyrics are finished.
Have you used this site, or do you have another favorite rhyming tool? I’m always looking for new songwriting resources…so if you have ’em, send ’em my way!