This is where all of my interests and skills are combined for one purpose: to make peoples’ lives better through music. Whether it’s through my original songs, serving my community through my business, or singing with my children, this is my favorite place to share my musical endeavors. Thank you for visiting, and I hope to get to know you better.
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This is the book that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle.
Written by Listen & Learn Music creator Rachel Rambach, MM, MT-BC, Innovative Income for Music Therapists combines her own experiences with those of other trailblazing music therapists to illustrate the virtually endless ways in which to generate revenue using your unique training, knowledge and skills.
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{23 Days of Gratitude} Day 3 – Meditation
I’ve been dipping my toe into the waters of meditation over the last couple of years, but this fall, I decided to finally take the plunge. I knew from practicing on a sporadic basis just how effective meditation can be, so when I had the opportunity to take a class, I went for it.
{23 Days of Gratitude} Day 2 – Dinnertime
Up until this summer, I wasn’t home at dinnertime to eat with my family most nights. Since I taught lessons, led music therapy sessions, and taught classes in the afternoons and evenings, I missed out on meals with my family during the week. Zach either made the kids dinner at home or took them to his parents’ house to eat, and by the time I got home, we had to start the bedtime routine.
The older my children got, the harder it was to miss out on dinner with them — especially after being apart all day long. That was a part of my decision to stop teaching lessons at the end of May, and I’ve since adjusted my schedule to make sure I’m home every night for dinner together.
{23 Days of Gratitude} Day 1 – My Neighborhood
I have a long history with this neighborhood. I didn’t grow up in it, but several of my childhood and high school friends did, so I spent a lot of time at their houses. My mom and stepdad moved here when I was in graduate school. I spent the summer in between school years there, and then the following summer, Zach and I moved into our own house in a different neighborhood.
23 Days of Gratitude
November always feels like such a magical month to me. We leave behind the sugar rush and spookiness of Halloween (while still embracing all things pumpkin) and officially make our way into the holiday season.
Everyone seems so much more friendly and happy during this time of the year, which to me, is the best part of the holidays. I love the spirit of Thanksgiving, and this year I want to get a jump start on celebrating right away.
“Shakin’ in the Rain”
When I set out to write a mash-up of songs about rain, I realized there were wayyy more than I could possibly include in a single song. So I chose the ones I thought would be most recognizable and singable by my little students and their families, and ended up with Shakin’ in the Rain.
I Heart My Hydro Flask
Never did I ever think I would shell out almost $50 for a water bottle. Crazy talk, right!? BUT, I am not a water drinker, and that is not a good thing. I even ended up in the hospital during my last pregnancy due to dehydration. So while I’ve tried to do better ever since that scary event, I was still slacking.
The only way I knew for sure that I would actually drink the amount of water my body needs was to become financially invested. I had heard about the Hydro Flask on a podcast I love, and after that, I just kept spotting it everywhere. Obviously it was a sign — I was meant to have this water bottle!
Learning to Tolerate Love Halloween
It was my during my music therapy internship that I realized I would have to get over my grudge against Halloween. If I wanted to work with kids, I needed to just accept October 31st as a day that is, to them, right up there with Christmas.
Even as a child, I wasn’t a fan of Halloween. I didn’t like the creepy decorations, the pressure to choose a costume, or going door-to-door asking for candy (although I didn’t mind eating it later). But as an adult, I put my personal feelings aside and wrote numerous songs devoted to Halloween.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve sung about orange and black, all the candy we’ll eat, and jack-o-lanterns with conviction, and I bet none of my students ever guessed that I didn’t love Halloween just as much as they did.
Getting Out of Go-Mode
For as long as I can remember, that has been my default setting. But in 2017, a switch was flipped in my brain, and I decided I didn’t want to live in go-mode anymore.
It has taken time to adjust to the idea and practice of living at a slower pace, and I’m still not all the way there yet. It was easier during the summer, when I had a built-in excuse to slow down; now that we are in the throes of fall, it feels like I should be back to life at warp speed like everyone else.
What’s Up, Buttercup?
It’s been a month. Between launching a new course, starting a new early childhood music class session, and restarting a podcast, I needed some content creation downtime. As a result, the crickets have taken over around here…womp, womp, womp.
BUT — they got their eviction notice today, because I finally feel ready to get back to writing and sharing. Just this week, I added a few new songs to the store, and it felt GOOD. I can’t tell you how much I missed the songwriting and recording process, since to be honest, I did almost none of that over the summer.
As much as I loved creating my Introvert’s Guide course, it took up just about all of my creative energy. I was thrilled at how well it was received, and equally thrilled to get back to my roots after the enrollment period ended.
{It’s Here!} A Look Inside the Introvert’s Guide
Well, this cartoon basically sums up my entire professional life. Every single day, I push outside of my comfort zone in order to be the best music therapist and business owner that I can be, even when I’m feeling completely spent.
If your work day is anything like mine, it probably includes facilitating sessions, teaching classes, leading groups, interacting with client families, speaking with colleagues, networking with other professionals, and attending work-related events. Add to all those face-to-face interactions the inevitable emails, social media exchanges, and phone calls, and I’m 100% “peopled out” by the end of the day (if not sooner).
I absolutely love my career, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But I will admit that it’s been a steep learning curve, becoming good at my job, given the fact that I am a total introvert. I’ve had to challenge myself with uncomfortable and sometimes downright scary situations in order to grow as a music therapist, and after 10 years, I finally feel like I have insight to offer fellow introverts who also experience similar professional challenges.