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.
Performances
Events
Videos
Members of Listen & Learn Plus have access to ALL of my songs, resources, and session plans. Learn more about the perks of membership, and get a free sneak peek inside.
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.
Let’s Connect on Instagram
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 4
I first met Natalie Mullis way back at the beginning of both our music therapy careers, when she emailed me about a song I posted on my blog. Since then, we have followed similar professional paths by leaving full-time jobs at facilities to open our own private practices.
She became a mom to a baby boy almost exactly one year after my son was born, and it has been so much fun to keep in touch with her as she too learns to juggle owning a private practice with motherhood.
Natalie shares how she prepped her business before her baby was born, spent her maternity leave making major changes to her private practice, and her secrets for getting work done with her son at the office in Episode 4 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Natalie, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
Say Something (Loudly & Quietly)
I sat down a few months ago to write a song targeting the goal of appropriate voice volume for one of my music therapy clients. As I brainstormed, the song “Say Something” by a Great Big World immediately came to mind (quite possibly because 3 of my voice students were working on this at the time).
My client was working on controlling the level of her voice in certain situations, including using a loud voice when giving commands to her companion dog and talking quietly in places like church.
I pepped up the tempo, changed the words, and grabbed my ukulele to record this little ditty in one take…here’s the result.
When I use this song in music therapy sessions, I have my client fill in “loudly” and “quietly” at the appropriate spots in the lyrics. We also practice speaking in both a loud and soft voice, usually just counting to 10.
There are lots of other ways to target this goal, but it’s always fun to insert some pop culture when possible.
P.S. Did you know that you can gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music?
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 3
Confession: I’ve been waiting impatiently for this day all week…not because it’s Friday, but because I’m SO excited to share this episode of the podcast.
It’s funny how being a mom helps create an almost instant bond between two people, and I felt that immediately during my interview with music therapist Amanda Clay. I found myself nodding along with just about everything she said, and was taking notes as she doled out tons of great advice.
Amanda shares her adventures in the pysch setting during her pregnancy and addresses the dreaded “mommy guilt” in Episode 3 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Amanda, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 2
Happy Friday! This week has been pretty wonderful for many reasons, but in large part thanks to the emails, comments and social media feedback I’ve received about the new podcast.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about putting it out into the world…especially since it is geared to my colleagues who I so greatly admire. Many (okay, most) of them are far more experienced music therapists and moms than I am, so to tackle both topics in podcast form is going a bit beyond my comfort zone.
But that’s what life is all about, right? Pushing past those comfortable boundaries and trying new things. So with your encouragement, I’m back this week with a new episode — this time featuring music therapist Tamara Leszner-Rovet.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Tamara, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
The Empathy Song
A few months ago, my wonderful teacher friend Rene came to me with an idea for a song. She uses music quite a bit in her classroom, and wanted to do so in teaching and reinforcing the concept of empathy.
I tried to put the definition and description of empathy into words (that rhyme, no less) as best as I could, and I think the song paints a good picture of what empathy looks like for a kiddo who is just learning.
However, I think you’ll agree with me that empathy is something that needs to be experienced to fully understand it. I hope that my song provides a bridge to putting empathy into practice.
Do you have other musical tools you use for teaching concepts like empathy? I would love to explore this further, perhaps in a group setting where social skills are targeted. Yet another idea to add to my ever-growing list…
P.S. Did you know that you can gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music?
Guitars & Granola Bars: A New Podcast
A funny thing happened in the last six months or so: I became addicted to podcasts. Although I’ve been co-hosting the Music Therapy Round Table podcast for five years now, I never thought to branch out beyond the few music therapy podcasts out there to which I subscribe.
But after one of my favorite bloggers listed a few of her favorite podcasts, I decided to check them out and was hooked. I loved hearing interviews with woman who owned businesses, were pursuing creative endeavors, and most of all, were doing both while raising children.
A seed of an idea was planted in my head: what if I started a podcast featuring music therapists like myself — women who balance their music therapy work (whether it be clinical, academic, entrepreneurial, or otherwise) with being a mom?
That was back in November. I tabled the idea because I had a lot of other things going on and wasn’t feeling well due to pregnancy, but it kept surfacing in the back of my mind.
I took that as a sign, and a few days after the new year began, I decided to go for it. I didn’t tell a soul, not even my husband. Instead, I brainstormed a title, came up with a concept for the artwork, wrote some interview questions, and then emailed Janice Lindstrom. I knew I wanted to feature Janice as the inaugural guest, because she pioneered music therapy podcasts when she started The Music Therapy Show many years ago. Luckily she was on board, and we had a really wonderful discussion that got me even more excited about my new endeavor.
So there you have it: a really long-winded introduction to Guitars & Granola Bars: Music Therapists Talk Motherhood. You can follow the link to read more and subscribe on iTunes (you can also do that here).
I have a long list of potential guests that I would love to have on the show, so if you are a music therapist and a mom, be on the lookout for an email from me in the future — or get in touch with me if you’re interested!
I Have a Bean Bag
This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned what a HUGE fan I am of the movement props created by Bear Paw Creek. Their stretchy bands and connect-a-bands are both staples in my collection, and I just recently added their bean bags as well.
There are so many ways to incorporate bean bags into my music therapy sessions and early childhood music classes, but I knew exactly how I wanted to introduce them for the first time — with a brand new song, of course :)
I wrote “I Have a Bean Bag” with several goals in mind: listening skills, body part identification, and imitation. An added bonus skill this song addresses is balancing, which is funny to watch my kiddos try to do once they’ve placed the bean bag on the correct body part.
Although this song was written with bean bags in mind, I’ve already adapted it for scarves in bigger groups where I don’t have enough bean bags to go around (yet!).
A special thanks goes to Janet Stephens, owner and creator of the products at Bear Paw Creek, for her support of Listen & Learn Music. Everything in her shop is made right here in the U.S.A. and is of the utmost quality. Please check out her movement props and other resources if you haven’t already!
Pregnancy with a Sidekick
I loved being pregnant the first time around. I had the perfect situation, really: self-employed and working from home, I could take naps when I needed them and move as slowly as I needed to during the height of my 1st trimester morning sickness. I felt that “glow” from my 2nd trimester on and worked out every weekday morning up until the week I gave birth.
Naturally, I was thrilled to be pregnant again, and just assumed it would be as enjoyable as my first one. But any second-time mom knows what I soon found out: subsequent pregnancies can be…challenging.
I’m still thrilled to be pregnant, and there have been some wonderful moments — like when Parker kisses my belly, and every time I feel those little kicks — but it hasn’t been easy. I was much sicker this time around than I ever was with Parker, starting at week 6 and holding strong until week 18. Even now, at almost 22 weeks, I still have not-so-good days.
On top of the relentless morning sickness, I looked about as good as I felt. My skin went crazy, my hair was a lost cause; I swore that I was having a girl because any beauty I once might have had was completely stolen from me.
Turns out, I was right! Our little girl is healthy and growing right on track, and I’m finally starting to get back some of that energy I missed so much. It’s a good thing, because I need a LOT of energy to keep up with my little sidekick. At 19 months old, Parker is a ball of fire and needs my constant attention; there are far less naps for mama this time around!
Pregnancy #2 has not been a walk in the park, and I’m only a little over halfway there. But I’m done complaining, because I know it could be much, much worse. I’m extremely lucky to be pregnant, especially with a perfect baby girl.
2nd trimester is all about getting settled in our new house (more about that soon!), charging full speed ahead on some exciting work projects, and enjoying these last few months with Parker as an only child. Still trying to wrap my head around that one.
Taking Music Therapy Mainstream
January is Social Media Advocacy Month in the music therapy world! This year’s theme is re:VISION, and many bloggers, including myself, are sharing our own stories about how we advocate for music therapy.
For the first 7 years as a practicing music therapist, my work has been contained within schools, facilities, and my home private practice. But this past year, I had the unique opportunity to change that by moving my private practice into a very public location.
No longer is my presence known only to my clients, their caregivers, administrators, and the occasional visitor; it is now visible to the community at large. The Music Therapy Connections private practice and teaching studio is now located inside of a well-respected and highly-trafficked music store here in Springfield.
Just by going to work, I am spreading the word about music therapy. I meet new people at the store every day, and naturally they are curious about what I do. The management and staff at the store are familiar with our work now as well, and will frequently bring customers by our studios to explain our services.
We are now receiving more new client referrals than ever before, and I have no doubt that taking music therapy “mainstream” has a lot to do with that. But there are SO many ways to be an advocate for music therapy beyond doing your work in the public eye.
If you’re a music therapist yourself:
- Develop your music therapy “elevator speech” and give it. Often.
- Share information about the work you do with friends and colleagues in related fields.
- Give our your cards and brochures to anyone and in anyplace you think might benefit from music therapy.
- Seize every opportunity to participate in fairs, expos, and other public events.
- Take to social media! Use and follow the #mtadvocacy hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay current with the latest happenings.
If you have benefited from music therapy or know someone who has:
- Spread the word about what music therapy can do.
- Share music therapy success stories with your healthcare providers and other professionals.
- Support and attend music therapy-related events and programs. Invite your friends.
- Give referrals to others who you think may be able to benefit from music therapy.
2015 is a very exciting year for our field, as there some big changes in effect! Read about them below, and be sure to visit the Music Therapy State Recognition website for more posts about #MTadvocacy throughout the month of January.
As the profession of music therapy has been moving forward with recognition at the state level, it has been identified that a document was needed to reflect a similar format to other health care professional organizations’ Scopes of Practice. CBMT and AMTA worked together to create a Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015) for the profession based on published documents from both organizations. This new document entitled Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015) is available as an educational tool and legislative support document that broadly defines the range of responsibilities of a fully qualified music therapy professional with requisite education, clinical training, and board certification. Click here to read the Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015).
The Year is 2015
How is it possible that this is the 8th “song of the year” I’ve written since becoming a music therapist?! When I wrote my first one way back in 2008, I thought about how challenging it would be to write a new song that essentially says the same thing — just with a different number at the end — every year.
But it has been much easier than I originally imagined, and I’ll probably be here another 8 years from now sharing my song for 2023. What a crazy thought!
As always, this song includes not only the name of the year, but also the number of months, weeks and days. It’s catchy, short, simple, and repetitive…ingredients that make for a good song to sing all year long.
This is only the first of MANY songs I’ll be sharing with you in 2015. As I mentioned back in December, I have a whole slew already written and recorded, just waiting to be posted.
Even though I didn’t make any official resolutions for the new year, my plan is to get better at posting new tunes in a timely fashion! You’re more than welcome to remind me of that goal if I go too long in between songs ;)
P.S. Did you know that you can gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music?