Summer officially begins in just a few days, and yes, we are still virtual. As much as I had hoped that the physical doors of my studio and music therapy private practice, Music Therapy Connections, would be open by now, they are not. The safety of our team and families is our #1 priority, and the risk of COVID-19 still remains too high to resume in-person services.
So we will continue teaching lessons and facilitating music therapy sessions virtually, as well as holding our music classes via livestream. After a 10-week virtual spring music class session, I enjoyed a glorious two week break (during which I celebrated both of my children’s birthdays as well as my own!)…but now it’s time to get back into the swing.
Leading up to the launch of Innovative Income for Music Therapists: Beyond Direct Service & Private Practice, I was in a perpetual state of stress. There was SO much to do, between finishing up the audiobook, writing the emails, prepping the social media posts, and making sure the website was updated and ready for orders.
Now that I’m almost two weeks out from the initial launch, I can happily say that my stress levels have drastically decreased, and I’ve been able to actually enjoy the fruits of my year-long labor (starting with the surprise party my amazing friends and husband organized the night of launch).
Anytime you have the opportunity to talk with a total rockstar in your professional field about one of your favorite topics, you take it. Dr. Andrew Knight is a professor of music therapy at Colorado State University, and someone I’ve looked up to since meeting him quite a few years ago at an AMTA national conference.
He interviewed me for the songwriting course he is teaching this summer, and graciously allowed me to share the interview here with you. We talk about how I approach songwriting, the blocks many music therapists face when it comes to writing and sharing their work, my actual process, and of course, the Songwriting Challenge.
Happy June! Not only is this my favorite month of the year, but it’s also my favorite week: my birthday is in just a few days :) Even though it means I’m turning another year older, I’m still looking forward to celebrating with the people I love the most.
But first I want to celebrate with YOU! I went back and forth on the best way to do that, in between prepping for a very full summer of classes and summer camps at the studio. And then I decided to do something I’ve never done before.
We captured this moment in one of our early childhood classes earlier this month, and it is basically the perfect photo for this blog post. An adorable child decked out in her summer shades, clacking away on castanets — yep, pretty much sums it up!
I’ve mentioned here before that my early childhood music program really took off last summer, which was my impetus for creating the online course Create, Market, Make Music!It covers all the bases I ran while designing and implementing my own program, from the very beginning planning stages to communicating with families after the class is over.
Summer is just around the corner, so now is a great time to get to work creating an early childhood program. The course is concise and action-based, so you can start putting what you learned into practice right away. (It also comes with 3 CMTE credits!)
If you sign up before the end of May, I’ll send you a complimentary copy of my brand-new songbook collection, Ring, Sing, Strum & Drum! Most of the songs in it were written with my early childhood kiddos in mind, so hopefully they will come in handy as you start creating your own classes.
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two little ones.
New Book + 6 CMTE Course!
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
Session Plans
Next month’s music therapy sessions, early childhood groups, or classroom music…planned for you in advance.
Free Download
Click the image below for this free resource and song collection!