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!
Sunday Singalong: There Was an Old Lady
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?
A Lofty Goal for 2011
I spend a lot of time in this chair, at this desk, in front of this screen. But after divulging a little too much information in yesterday’s post, it looks like that time is about to increase.
I wrote my first blog post for Listen & Learn Music in September 2008. In 2009, my first full year of blogging, I wrote 234 posts. In 2010, I upped the ante by 1 post, totaling 235. In 2011, my goal is to write 365 blog posts. Yep, you read that right.
So here’s the million dollar question: can I increase my year’s total number of posts by 130? I was going to make a half-hearted effort…until I received several tweets and emails from readers who happened to notice when I made my goal public knowledge. Now I have no choice but to go all in!
This is post #10 of 2011, which means I’m already ahead of the game. Here’s hoping that I can keep up this momentum for the remaining 357 days of the year. You can help: since I’ll need plenty of topics to write about, please suggest one (or more) below.
Thanks in advance for your encouragement and readership as I make the leap from blogging enthusiast to blogging maniac!
Friday Fave: Back in the Saddle
There’s no better way to start the first week back to work after a long vacation than with a student who can barely contain his excitement at the sight of you :) “Miss Rachel! Miss Rachel!” Jake exclaimed as he sprinted to the front door of my studio with his piano books in hand.
(Jake recently graduated to the next level, so after we took his picture for the studio bulletin board, we took some silly shots…including the one above, which I artsied up a bit.)
I’m a person who appreciates routine, so it felt good to slip back into the one I’m so used to — as hectic and exhausting as it might be! Of course, it took a little more adjustment for many of my students, but I think after almost a full week, we’ve all found our groove.
And this morning, as I slid through the snow all the way to work, I mentally took stock of the first 7 days of 2011, which have included:
- Writing at least one blog post per day (one of my goals for the year!)
- Welcoming several new members to Listen & Learn Plus
- Introducing countless new songs and interventions to my music therapy students
- Penning my first custom song of 2011
- Adding several new students to my studio waiting list
- Recording episode 12 of the Music Therapy Round Table (it will be out soon!)
- Preparing for a big presentation, to be given this Tuesday
Yep, I’d say I’m back in saddle, all right. Although I do have to admit, as wonderful and productive as this week has been, I’m certainly glad it’s Friday! How was your first week of 2011?
Calling All Illinois Music Therapists!
As secretary and program chair of the Illinois Association for Music Therapy, my duties include planning continuing education events twice per year. This winter, I’ve had the pleasure of working with faculty at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, where we will hold our upcoming five-hour CMTE, Multicultural Music for Music Therapists, next month.
If you’re a music therapist in Illinois, please mark your calendars for Sunday, February 13th. OTS faculty will present the following workshops to music therapists in attendance:
- Children’s Songs En Español
- Blues Guitar
- Middle Eastern Music
Concurrently, members of IAMT will present informative workshops to attendees from OTS. Lunch will be provided to music therapists (included in registration fee). At the end of the day, both groups will meet for socializing and maybe even some jamming :)
This promises to be a wonderful event (and I’m not just saying that because I planned it!). If you’re interested and able to attend, you can download the full program and registration info below:
CMTE: Multicultural Music for Music Therapists
Early-bird registration (which includes a discounted cost) must be postmarked by February 1st. I sincerely hope you’ll join us. Oh, and please spread the word. See you in the windy city!
But “Government Relations” Sounds Scary!
State task force members unite at the 2011 AMTA National Conference.
Silly me…that was literally my first thought when asked back in 2009 to join the Illinois Association for Music Therapy’s State Task Force. Our organization was in the process of submitting a bill to implement a statewide music therapy registry, and the committee is responsible for spearheading government relations.
Despite the word “government” striking fear in my heart, I agreed to join. And I’m so glad I did, because it turns out that government relations is all about advocacy, something I do for the field of music therapy on a daily basis anyway.
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is for everyone. It happens everywhere, any day of the week, any time you are engaging in a professional capacity. You can advocate at every level (e.g. from grassroots to state agencies and governors to national legislators). Any opportunity, any conversation is a way to advocate for the profession.
IAMT held a Lobby Day at the state capitol last March, and that day included visiting legislators to talk with them about our bill and music therapy in general. It was way less intimidating than I thought it would be, because I knew the topic well. The key is to know your audience and tailor your advocacy skills for that audience. It’s just like tailoring your clinical skills for different clinical populations.
The Next Steps
The State Recognition Operational Plan is a national initiative being implemented jointly by the Certification Board for Music Therapists and the American Music Therapy Association. The Plan involves increasing awareness of what it means to be board-certified. The ultimate goal is that, in all situations, the MT-BC be a minimum requirement as a service provision in every work setting.
For those of you who aren’t music therapists: let me explain the MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) credential. These are the letters that go after a music therapist’s name once he or she has completed a music therapy degree (including an internship) and passed the national board certification exam. There are individuals who call themselves music therapists, and are even hired as such, without having the proper training and experience. This can be detrimental to our field, as you can imagine, which is why the Plan was put into action.
Every music therapist can be a part of this initiative from a more personal perspective. By attending state meetings, reading and responding to state task force emails, and initiating communication with your individual state legislators, you can help to increase awareness of music therapy and the MT-BC credential.
And if you’re not a music therapist? You can still help. If you’re a parent of a child who has received music therapy, write to your state legislators about the positive effects of those services. The same goes if you are a colleague of a music therapist, or even just a supporter of the field. A little effort goes a long way!
Keep your eyes peeled for more ways to join the cause and advocate for music therapy throughout the blogosphere during the month of January. The Music Therapy Maven is a great place to start, along with my Facebook page and Twitter feed!
Adiós, 2010!
Another year, another “Top 12” countdown. It’s always a pleasure (if not a challenge) to go back through the past year’s archives and choose my favorite moments to highlight. 2010 was a big year…I think the following blog posts represent it well.
January: My first Sunday Singalong video debuted! The series is still going strong.
February: I became a podcaster at the Music Therapy Round Table.
March: The 2nd Model Me Kids DVD for which I wrote/recorded songs debuted.
April: I recapped my awesome experience inside the recording studio.
May: My work was featured in Kappa Delta’s national alumnae magazine.
June: A post about bass lines for singable stories had my comments buzzing.
July: I celebrated my CD release with a big party and performance.
August: I heard from lots of music therapists regarding internship experiences.
September: Listen and Learn celebrated its 2nd birthday!
October: I confessed my love for another instrument…the ukulele.
November: AMTA conference month! I posted my in-depth recap and pictures.
December: My Counting Time Collection debuted and received excellent reviews.
Do you have any favorite Listen & Learn moments to add to the list? Please share them in the comments. As I’ve done frequently over the past two years and counting, I’d like to thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting my endeavors. I hope you’ll continue to include Listen & Learn as a part of your day in 2011.
Top 5 Online Discoveries of 2010
I spend a lot of time using the internet. This year I’ve logged more hours than ever, having thrown myself wholeheartedly into blogging and social media. Over the past 12 months, I’ve come across quite a few resources that have helped me do those things efficiently and opened up doors that I didn’t even know existed. Hopefully some of these resources can do the same for you.
- Chris Guillebeau: I’ve mentioned Chris before in my newsletter, and he’s the perfect person to kick off this list. His book, The Art of Non-Conformity, has changed my way of thinking about work and the way I live my life, and his Empire-Building Kit has given me the tools to implement those changes.
- WordPress.org: I may have been a bit behind the times on this one, seeing as how Listen & Learn began as a Blogger blog. I had a great experience using Blogger, but WordPress allows me to do so much more with this site than I ever though possible. I wrote about my move to WordPress.
- Wisestamp: This great little browser plugin allows me to include my custom signature, including links to my websites and social media profiles, on every email I send automatically.
- Amazon Associates: I’m always recommending books, music, and other resources that I use and find helpful in my work as a music therapist, singer/songwriter, and studio teacher. This free affiliate program allows me to collect a small profit when others buy the products I recommend. Although it’s not much, those small paychecks (which I choose to receive in the form of Amazon giftcards) are put to good use each month.
- Linoit: I featured this site as a Friday Fave in the fall, but it bears repeating. I use color-coded online sticky notes as my to-do list, which I can access from both my work and home computers. It saves paper, and it is extremely satisfying to “peel off” each note as I complete the task.
What are your top online discoveries of the past year? Maybe it’s a blog that you have found particularly inspiring, or a tool that makes your online activities easier. Whatever it is, I want to know about it!
2010: The Year in Review
With 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 :)
Friday Fave: Christmas is Here!
Well, technically it’s Christmas Eve…but I don’t plan on spending any time with my computer (as much as I love it) tomorrow. Today has been busy enough as it is, between friends and neighbors dropping by, baking cookies, cleaning, and getting ready for our family’s Christmas gathering tomorrow.
But the fun doesn’t stop there: tonight we’ll attend my church’s Christmas Eve service, in which my choir will perform the Christmas song my mom wrote (complete with a brass and wind ensemble and yours truly singing the solo). After church, we’ll head to Zach’s parents’ house, and then on to my aunt and uncle’s for their yearly Christmas Eve party.
Tomorrow will be filled with more family and friends — plus presents! Watching our nephew and niece open theirs (with a little help from their parents) will definitely be the highlight. And I’m super excited to host my family at our house for the first time ever. Luckily my parents are doing most of the cooking :) What are your plans for Christmas 2010?
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
Winter’s Here, All Right!
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?