by Rachel | Uncategorized
What’s more appropriate for the 4th of July weekend than a baseball game with your family? That’s exactly what I did yesterday. And even though the Rockies — the home team — lost, it was a perfectly patriotic day.
Our last day in Denver will be spent by the pool, eating Chick-Fil-A (!), and soaking up a few more hours with the family before we head back to Illinois.
I hope you enjoy the holiday! Have fun, be safe, and come back here tomorrow for a brand new week of the regular Listen & Learn fare.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I am one lucky girl! Not only did my family throw a super fun afternoon cookout for my birthday, but they also gave me an iPad 2 (with a pink smart cover). It was delivered to my husband’s office today, so I can’t wait to open it up and start playing with it this evening.
I also received several gift cards and checks from other family members and even a few students’ families, which I put towards the AirTurn Page Turner and Music Reader system (which you can read more about here).
I’m looking forward to using all my new gear this summer — both in my studio and for playing gigs, my first of which is tomorrow. I’m only four days into summer vacation, and yet I’ve barely had any downtime at all. Not that I’m complaining!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
As a birthday present to myself, I’m taking a break from the usual “Sunday Singalong” video — mainly because I haven’t had a chance to make one this week! After wrapping up my last day of work on Thursday, doing double duty as maid of honor and vocalist in a wedding on Friday, and attending another wedding yesterday, I think I deserve a day to just chill with my friends and family.
This is the third birthday I’ve celebrated at Listen & Learn, which I find incredibly hard to believe! I’ve written about turning 26, turning 27, and now the big 2-8. It’s true what they say…time flies when you’re having fun. This year is going to be an exciting one filled with lots of new adventures, but before I get to those, here a few highlights from my 27th year:
- Releasing my first studio album
- Taking a 2nd anniversary trip to Chicago
- Becoming an internship supervisor
- Celebrating my brother’s wedding
- Presenting my first CMTE at AMTA National Conference
- Hosting my family on Christmas for the first time
- Becoming self-employed and expanding my business
There are lots more highlights I could list, but I’m out of time! My family and friends are getting together for an afternoon birthday celebration in just a little bit. I’ll report back at to whether or not I receive the items on my birthday wish list, though all I really care about is being with the people I love :) Happy Sunday to you, whether or not it’s your birthday!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
This post is inspired by JoAnn Jordan, music therapist and author of the blog Musical Gems. She’s reading the book The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature by Daniel J. Levitin, which prompted her to ponder this question: If I had to summarize my life in six songs, what would those songs be?
You can read JoAnn’s answer here, and my six songs are below.
- The Rainbow Connection: I wrote about this song recently, and the importance of it during my childhood. Every time I hear or sing it, I’m flooded with happy memories of being a little girl.
- Don’t Rain on My Parade: This was my go-to audition song during my high school musical theater days, and I felt so empowered every time I sang it. I still do, in fact. I LOVED that it was Rachel’s theme song on Glee last season!
- The Remedy: I listened to Jason Mraz nonstop during my last semester of college, and it was his music that inspired me to learn the guitar. “I won’t worry my life away” is a good lyric to have stuck in your head, especially for a worrywart like me.
- You Make Me Feel So Young: I have my dad to thank for my love of Frank Sinatra, and this is the song we danced to at my wedding (here’s a pic). Frank Sinatra will forever be the happy voice of my adolescent and high school years, even though he came way before my time.
- Blessed: Martina McBride is someone I look up to as a singer, and I like her even more because of this song. I certainly feel blessed with all the wonderful people and experiences in my life, and this could be my theme song (minus the part about having kids, for now at least).
- Ready: Kelly Clarkson’s CD “All I Ever Wanted” has been in my car’s player for a few months now. This is my favorite track off the album — it’s an affirmation to myself that I’m ready for everything the future holds, plus it’s really fun to sing along to :)
So there you have it. Now that I’ve summarized my life in 6 songs, it’s YOUR turn. Please share your list in the comments below or post it to your own blog!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
This past weekend, while my husband was out of town for yet another bachelor party, I spent both Friday and Saturday evenings parked out on the couch watching movies with my dog. (Easy A, The Back-Up Plan, 50 First Dates, and Zombieland, if you were curious.)
Lo and behold, all of that movie watching inspired me to write a blog post about the movies that inspire me! So here they are, in no particular order:
Growing up, I owned the VHS tape of Mr. Holland’s Opus and watched it all the time. I wanted to be just like Rowena, the ingenue who had such a beautiful voice and inspired Mr. Holland’s composition. But now that I’m all grown up, Mr. Holland inspires me to be a better teacher, and to get my students excited about music.
Every knows the most famous line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” Everyone thought Ray Kinsella was crazy for turning his farmland into a baseball field, but he did it, witnessed some pretty amazing things, and even made a living out of it by turning it into a tourist attraction. I can sort of relate, with my journey from music major (which plenty of people thought was a crazy idea) to music therapist with a soon-to-be full time private practice.
I first saw Moulin Rouge (five times in the theater) as a high school graduate, getting ready to move far away for college and pursue my dreams of performing. So naturally this movie was inspiring; lots of creative, talented people pursuing their dreams of putting on a show. It didn’t hurt that I had a huge crush on Ewan McGregor :) The love story, the songs, and the visual effects are stunning, and I can feel my creative juices pumping every time I watch it.
The Devil Wears Prada might very well be one of my favorite movies of all time. Not only do I love the main cast (Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci), but I think the way they portray the inner workings of a fashion magazine is so interesting. And even though Andy (Anne Hathaway’s character) lets her job negatively affect her attitude as she climbs the ranks, she finds her way back to her true self and purpose in the end.
Duh, Julie & Julia had to be on this list! After all, it’s about a blogger who writes about her passion…sound familiar?! And although I’m not getting movie and book deals (unless you count my songbook) I’ve had lots of cool stuff happen because of Listen & Learn. Also, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are in this movie — see above.
I find inspiration in some of the strangest and most unexpected places, but I think movies are a pretty common source of it. I would love to hear about the movies that inspire you. Please share them in the comments!
