For many of us, COVID-19 has upended our lives as we once knew them. It has disrupted our schedules, our plans, our work, our goals, our motivation…everything. It’s okay not to be okay right now.
I wrote this song just as much for grown-ups as I did for children. Whether you’re a parent figuring out how to balance parenting with working from home, a small business owner struggling to stay afloat, a teacher providing distance education, or anyone else who is having a hard time right now, this is my love letter to you.
Teaching Social Skills Through Song
One of the most important skills all children must learn is appropriate social interaction. Social skills enable us to connect with others, but are often very abstract for children and can be difficult to teach.
Whenever something is difficult to teach children, I always write or look for a song about it (maybe because I’m a music therapist!), and that’s where Listen & Learn Music comes in: if there’s a song I need, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll find a catchy, goal-oriented one that fits the bill.
{GGB 66} All Things Disney!
Fun fact: both my co-host Jaime and I are total “Disney people” and have been from an early age. As a result, Disney has played a huge role in our lives, from taking Disney vacations, to using Disney songs in our music therapy and early childhood work, to sharing the love with our own children.
In Episode 66 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast, we talk about our favorite ways to incorporate Disney music into our classes and sessions along with our favorite personal Disney experiences.
“Caterpillar Walks Around” and Gets Those Creative Juices Flowing!
Every year around this time, many classrooms and early childhood centers gain some new friends in the form of caterpillars. The children love to learn about the life stages of the caterpillars and watch them while they grow.
“Caterpillar Walks Around” is a goal-based song that provides a full body learning experience about the life cycle of a caterpillar, simplified to a level that young children can understand.
{Free Download} The July Song
Happy 4th of July! I hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, fireworks and fun (how’s that for alliteration?!). To add to the celebration, I’m giving away a free download of “The July Song” that you can use all month long.
{GGB 65} Must-Have Children’s Books for Work & Home
Children’s books play a huge role in both our work as music therapists and our home life with our own kids. In Episode 65 of the podcast, Jaime and I talk about how we put them to use with our young students and clients, and also how they fit into our family lives.
My Recipe for a Productive & Healthy Day
This will most likely be the only time you’ll see a literal recipe post from me, as I am definitely not known for my prowess in the kitchen (just ask any of my friends or family members). That said, I felt the need to share this particular kitchen creation after feeling the positive effects of it recently.
We Don’t Just Play Our Jingle Bells…We WEAR Them!
I love a good movement prop, especially one that doubles as an instrument…so when I saw these wrist jingle bells from Bear Paw Creek, I knew I had to have them. Not surprisingly, they’ve been a big hit with my students!
Of course, a new movement prop calls for a new song, and I was immediately inspired to write “Jinglin’ High Five” once I received these beauties. I wanted to play upon the fact that these jingle bells can be worn while also addressing several goals at the same time.
Music Through the Decades
This year in planning for summer at Music Therapy Connections, our music therapist Alisabeth came up with a fantastic idea. She set out to create an enriching experience for both the students and staff with whom she works in a school setting, all while celebrating popular American music over the last 100+ years.
{GGB 64} Tackling Summer
Summer can be a tricky time for working moms. Our school-aged kids are out of school, everyone’s schedules are out of wack, and life as we know it goes a little haywire.
In this episode, Jaime and I talk about our plans for this summer and how we tackle this time of year in order to stay productive, keep everyone happy, and have fun (a tall order, we know).
10 Go-To Instruments for Music Therapy
Every single week without fail, I receive at least one email asking this very important question:
“Which instruments do you use the most and recommend I should have in my collection?”
Music therapy students, interns, new professionals, preschool teachers, and parents have asked for my input, and though I’ve written blog posts on this very topic in the past, I wanted to create one comprehensive resource I could easily share with everyone.