The holiday season, as just about everything else in 2020, does not feel the same this year. For my family, there are no holiday parties, school Christmas programs, visits to Santa, or even celebrations with grandparents and extended family. But we are doing everything we can to make the most of it.
Same goes for my studio and private practice, Music Therapy Connections. I always look forward to this time of year, because it’s when we host our big winter recital, team holiday gathering, and my favorite of all, our Christmas-themed music classes. None of those things are happening this month — at least, in the typical way.
While I won’t get to welcome dozens of families into the studio to make music with me and sing our holiday faves, I can invite them to join me on Zoom and do those things. The one perk of meeting virtually instead of in person is that I can invite LOTS more people, no matter where they live, to join in the celebration!
This is the first week all summer that I haven’t led any virtual early childhood/preschool music groups, and I have to say, I’m experiencing a bit of withdrawal. As excited as I was to have a break, I miss seeing those adorable faces on my computer screen, singing and playing along with me.
I’m looking forward to more virtual classes in the fall, but in the meantime, I decided to create a “Best of Summer 2020” music class video not just for my summer families, but for anyone who might enjoy and benefit from it.
This summer has looked very different than I had initially planned, as I’m sure is also true for you. In a normal, non-pandemic world, my kids would be busy with various summer camps and spend one full day each week with their babysitter so that I would have dedicated work time…but this is not a normal, non-pandemic world at the moment.
Instead, the 3 of us have spent each and every day together, mostly at home with some pool days thrown in to keep us all sane. That of course translates into me not getting as much work done (like, barely even a fraction of it) as I had originally hoped, but I’m giving myself grace — as we all should during the year 2020.
That said, I have managed to write and record a few new tunes, as well as breathed new life into a good handful of songs I wrote in my earlier professional years. You can check out all of the latest songs over in the store, but I wanted to feature 3 of them here for you. Hopefully you can get some use out of them as we enter the last full month of summer!
This post is the third in a series all about utilizing the elements of music in music therapy sessions or music classes, check out the first two posts on rhythm and dynamics right here! The elements of music series will continue with a focus on tempo.
There are so many fun things about music therapy sessions or music classes, but I bet my kiddos would tell you that their favorite part of music is playing FAST. And you know what’s even better than that? Playing FASTER!!
This blog post is the second in a series all about utilizing the elements of music in music therapy sessions or music classes, check out the first post on rhythm right here. The elements of music series will continue with a focus on *drumroll please* DYNAMICS!!
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.
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