It’s definitely feeling like fall here in central Illinois, even before the new season has officially arrived. Typically we’re still experiencing summer weather late into September, but this past weekend was perfect for long sleeves, pumpkin patch visits, and fire pits.
Each year, I fine-tune my seasonal repertoire both by writing new songs AND retooling older ones. I’ve spent most of this month getting my fall arsenal of songs ready, and today I’m sharing a round-up of 7 autumnal favorites.
These songs address a variety of goal areas in addition to focusing on the fall season — you should know by now that most of my songs are multitaskers ;)
Now that the official end of summer is imminent, have you started pulling out all your fall faves? Since I create each session plan a month in advance, I was going through my fall songs and writing new ones way back at the beginning of August. Finally being able to put them to use is exciting!
Historically, October is a very fun time to be a music therapist. Children love singing about all things related to Halloween, which is why I keep writing songs on this topic. This year, I pulled out some oldies, gave them a makeover in the way of updated lyrics and brand-new recordings, and added them to the October session plan.
And what a summer it was. The year 2020 has been anything but normal, and that applies to my favorite season, as well. Between having my kids home with me 24/7, not traveling at all, and only providing services virtually, it was a…unique experience.
That said, we did all we could to make the best of it. Things like swimming as much as we could (my daughter learned how to swim without floaties this summer!), grilling out several nights each week, spending time with our neighbors, trying new art projects, and taking long bike rides helped keep us busy and for the most part, happy.
And even though it wasn’t my ideal summer, it was still bittersweet to (unofficially) say goodbye to it as Labor Day weekend ended. The weather has already cooled way down and my kids are planning their Halloween costumes; there is no mistaking that fall is upon us.
August always feels like a frenetic month, this year more than ever. I don’t know about you, but I always try to squeeze in as much summertime fun (swimming, bike rides, grilling out) as possible, while also dealing with the logistics of heading into a new school year.
The pandemic has added a whole new layer to this, since there has been so much uncertainty around returning to school. I recorded an entire podcast episode all about what that means for me and my family, and my co-host (fellow mom and music therapist) Jaime Lawrence shared her plans, as well.
Of course, amidst all of this, there are classes and music therapy sessions (both virtual and in person) to plan, so hopefully having the September session plan at your fingertips will make these next few weeks just a tiny bit less stressful.
Parker is ob-sessed with all things Halloween. He carries around his pumpkin bucket and practices his trick-or-treat technique on a daily basis. His favorite show right now is the Halloween episode of Little Einsteins on Netflix. He talks nonstop about pumpkins, witches and ghosts.
It’s super cute how excited he is, even though I’m not a fan of Halloween. I can’t wait to take him out in his Olaf costume when it’s finally time to trick-or-treat for real. And then we’ll pack up all the Halloween stuff and move on to Frosty around the clock (he’s already made his appearance quite a few times so far this fall).
But for now, pumpkins. And more importantly, coffee. Mia is in the middle of a seemingly never-ending growth spurt, which means she has been waking up at least two times every night to eat. I get up at 5 am every day to do all the work I don’t have time for during normal-people hours, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for quality sleep.
So coffee it is. One cup in the morning while I pump and work on the computer, and another right before I go to work in the afternoon. At this point in Parker’s infancy I was drinking 3 per day, so I feel pretty good about limiting myself to 2.
Fall is also for working on lots of projects, continuing to grow my business, getting ready to attend the national music therapy conference, and trying not to get too overwhelmed by all of the above. All of it is good, it’s just a lot — which is pretty much the status quo of my life.
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.
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