Thanks so much for watching my video and heading over to Listen & Learn Music! I’m excited to share “The Toolbox Song” with you because it truly is one of the most effective tools in my musical toolbox (pun totally intended).
My students and clients request this song time and time again, and I am always happy to oblige, because it allows me to work on so many goals at the same time.
To receive the mp3, instrumental track, lyrics/chords and facilitation guide, simply enter your first name and email address below. Then I’ll deliver the download link to your inbox.
Lollipop Start & Stop
For some reason, telling kids to “freeze” while playing an instrument is a whole lot more effective than just asking them to stop. The part where they have to wait is deliciously excruciating for everyone involved — okay, delicious for me, and mostly just excruciating for them ;)
That’s the basic concept of Lollipop Start & Stop, but not only do they have to listen for the words “freeze” and “go”, but they also have to watch for hands raised and thumbs up. I’m all about getting as many senses involved as possible, as you know by now.
Lollipop drums are always SUCH a hit (pun intended) because they are colorful and fun to play, and I like them because they aren’t too loud compared to bigger drums. Just this morning I had 15 or so toddlers playing them in my early childhood class, and they were surprising amazing at stopping and starting at the appropriate times.
This song is super adaptable in that you can change the words and signals used to let kiddos know when to play and stop. I think I’m going to have a good time keeping them on their toes each time we sing this one!
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 33
I love, love, love talking to creative entrepreneurs. Being one myself, it is so interesting to hear how others take their ideas and turn them into something tangible. And when those creative entrepreneurs are moms, I love picking their brains about how they make it all work.
Kathy Schumacher shared with me an absolutely brilliant metaphor for thinking about the so-called “work-life balance”. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out what it is (but trust me, it’s GOOD).
Kathy talks about her early success in the private practice setting, how she has structured her career around her family since having her children, and her adventures in creative entrepreneurship in Episode 33 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Kathy, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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 32
All of the guests I’ve interviewed on my podcast thus far have been music therapists, but I didn’t think twice about making an exception for this particular episode. If you’re a music therapist, especially one who works with kids, then you know Janet Stephens — or at least her products.
Janet is the creator of the famous stretchy band and many other movement props used in music therapy sessions, classrooms, and other settings all over the world. She also knows a thing or two about motherhood, considering she has 8 children.
Janet talks about her path that led to having a large family, the evolution of her successful business, and how her “big picture” mentality allows her to prioritize the important things in life in Episode 32 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Janet, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Apples & Bananas
It’s no secret that most of the songs I use in music therapy sessions, groups and classes are originals that I’ve written myself. I’m a firm believer in tailoring materials to my individual clients and groups of students, which is much more easily done when I’m composing the lyrics and melodies.
But there is certainly a place for familiar songs in those settings, especially where young children and their families are concerned. When I’m creating curricula for my early childhood classes, I always make sure to intersperse a few songs most people will know and be able to sing along with right away.
Familiar music creates a feeling of belonging and encourages stronger participation. If children see their parents or caregivers singing along, they are much more likely to try and do the same. I have an arsenal of favorites, and Apples and Bananas is most definitely one of them. Here’s the version that I recorded for a recent class.
You probably learned this song before you hit kindergarten; in fact, my two-year-old son came home singing it a few weeks ago. “Apples and Bananas” is silly and a bit nonsensical, but it’s also great for working on the concept of vowels and the sounds that they make.
In addition to the original songs that I share here, I’ll also be posting more of my favorite “classics” from time to time. What are some of yours? The beginning of the school year is always a repertoire-building frenzy for me!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 31
I had a hard enough time returning to work after my maternity leave to work with children in my private practice, so I can only imagine just how difficult it was for Lauren Servos to not only return to work, but spend her days treating CRITICALLY ILL infants the same age as her daughter.
During my interview with Lauren, I learned a lot not only about the role of a music therapist in the hospital setting, but also the self-care that is required of one who also has a family at home (not to mention a growing private practice!).
Lauren talks about her experiences working in many different capacities at the same hospital, shares her beautiful natural birth story, and how she overcame the emotional challenges of working with medically compromised children after returning from maternity leave in Episode 31 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Lauren, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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 30
There are very few music therapists who DON’T know JoAnn Jordan. She’s one of those people who goes out of her way to hello at conference, celebrates your good news on Facebook, and retweets you on Twitter.
I always love talking with JoAnn because not only is she an innovative music therapist, but she also has lots of wisdom to share on the topic of motherhood. So naturally, having her as a guest on the podcast was a no-brainer.
JoAnn talks about discovering her passion for working with two seemingly opposite populations, raising her daughter and building a private practice in a rural area, and adjusting to life as an empty nester in Episode 30 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about JoAnn, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Five Little Ducklings
Earlier this week as I organized all of my singable stories on the bookshelves of our brand new studio, I took note of my favorites and those that have been most effective in classes and music therapy sessions. Five Little Ducklings ranks in the top 10, although if you ask my son Parker, he will tell you it’s #1.
I’ve shared other Melanie Gerth books here on the blog before, but this one takes the cake for a few reasons. First of all, the ducks: they are big, colorful, and fuzzy. They’ve stood the test of time (I’ve had this book for 7+ years!) and still look good as new. Second, there’s counting involved as in all of her books; I like that there are only five ducks to count and therefore it’s a bit shorter than the others. This fits my younger kiddos’ attention spans — or lack thereof — quite well.
And third, the familiar melody is easy for little ones to learn and remember. I think Parker had the entire song memorized after one or two listens, and he’s 2. (Of course, at this point he could sing it in his sleep, as we listen to it on every single car ride.)
I have used this singable story in my early childhood classes, both with the book and as a standalone song. If you don’t have the actual book, you could make picture cards to go with it or even have your students “act out” the story. Another way to get creative with it is to change the ducklings to other animals and replace “quack, quack, quack” with the appropriate sounds.
I’m on the hunt for some fresh new singable stories to add to my collection, so please share your favorites with me! You can find a whole heap of singable stories I’ve shared right here.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 29
I’ve heard some pretty fascinating stories on this podcast, but Alana’s might just take the cake. I’m sure you’ll be just as riveted as I was when you hear all that Alana has been through — including the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — and overcome to get to where she is today.
Alana’s perspective on life and her approach to both motherhood and music therapy is inspiring, and as I mention in the episode, I could have continued chatting with her for hours on end.
Alana talks about having her life interrupted by not 1 but 4 hurricanes, the birth and postpartum experiences she had with her two girls, and the parallels between being a mom and a music therapist in Episode 29 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Alana, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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 28
Ever since starting this podcast, I had plans to eventually record an episode where I would share my own story as it relates to music therapy and motherhood. But I put it off until now, knowing that the story would evolve once my daughter was born. I finally went for it this week, and it was not an easy episode to record! I didn’t have the benefit of back-and-forth conversation as I usually do, so it felt a little awkward and I had to make quite a few edits where I found myself rambling.
But despite that, I enjoyed having the opportunity to open up about my journey and share the highs and lows along the way so far. I’ve always admired my guests for being so honest and vulnerable in their interviews, and I wanted to do the same.
I talk about cutting my undergraduate experience short to pursue music therapy, working 12-hour days at the beginning of my career, and making huge changes to my private practice while caring for a newborn and toddler in Episode 28 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about me, along with links to the resources I mention in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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 27
Jennifer Hezoucky’s story is different from almost all of the guests I’ve featured on the podcast thus far. I don’t want to give any spoilers aside from the short synopsis below, so you’ll have to listen to find out why I was so intrigued by what she shares in the episode (you will be too!).
I will say that Jennifer gives a whole new meaning to the word “determination” — and it’s clear that her strong will has served her well in her career so far.
Jennifer talks about her long gap between finishing school and getting her first music therapy job, raising two teenagers while building a private practice, and how implementing the “miracle morning” has changed her life in Episode 27 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Jennifer, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.