I haven’t written a “Friday Fave” post in over nine months, but I’m bringing it back today for good reason. Please do your ears a favor and check out my friend Erin Ebnet’s gorgeous debut full-length album, May You Find.
I met Erin, a fellow music therapist, at the 2012 AMTA national conference in St. Charles. She was familiar with my website and knew that I was a gigging singer/songwriter, so we bonded over that and continued to talk via email following the conference. Erin filled me in on her album’s progress, and when it was finished, I had the opportunity to hear it.
Erin’s voice is what will pull you in initially — it’s stunning — but then her songwriting will keep you listening. The first song on the album is catchy and upbeat, and if you’re like me you’ll find yourself humming along almost immediately. What I love about the album is that it spans a wide range of emotions; by the end of it, Erin will feel like a friend who just shared her stories with you.
You can listen, read more, and order the album on Erin’s website. Be sure also to check out her Facebook page, too. And last but not least, YAY for music therapists pursuing their performing/songwriting/recording aspirations. I’m inspired!
I was on the elliptical machine at the gym listening to Pandora a couple of weeks ago when this song popped up (on the Rihanna channel of all places!). The title was “What Can I Do? (But Love You)” and I was shocked to realize that the singer was Joy Williams from The Civil Wars, one of my very favorite groups.
I immediately downloaded the song from iTunes and listened to the entire EP nonstop for a couple of weeks, and then decided that I wanted to learn to play that first song that had caught my ear at the gym. Unfortunately, the sheet music was nowhere to be found…I couldn’t even find the chords. So I learned it by ear instead.
It’s been a long while since I sat down and played music for myself. By that, I mean music that isn’t new repertoire for my students or for a gig, but purely for my enjoyment. So it felt really good to learn and practice this song, under no pressure or time constraints whatsoever. After a couple days of playing, I decided to record it.
My recording is definitely far from perfect, but the best part is that it doesn’t have to be, since it’s just for me :) Spending the time learning and playing this song was an excellent reminder that I need to do more of this. It’s good for my inner musician and good for the soul!
Tim Ringgold is a music therapist in California with an amazing story to tell. But if you watched the video above, you know that already.
I met Tim a few years back at an AMTA national conference, and we’ve kept in touch ever since via social media, email, and seeing each other once a year at conferences. I’ve been reading his blog, Bella’s Blessings, which has chronicled his family’s journey since his daughter was born with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB. Though currently there is no cure for EB, Bella took place in a clinical trial at the University of Minnesota where through Bone Marrow Transplantation, she grew her sister’s skin on her body over time. Unfortunately, she died from complications of transplant on October 11, 2010.
Tim has been raising money to find a cure for EB, and he’s also been busy spreading the word about the power of music therapy. His video has been watched almost 5,000 times, and now it has the chance to be featured on the official TED.com website. If that happens, it would be the FIRST ever TED talk about music therapy.
Please watch the video if you haven’t already, and then share it with your friends and family. This is a story that should be heard by everyone!
Okay, so this post is a little more personal than usual, but this is my most frequently asked question both personally AND professionally as of late. Everywhere I go, people — my students, their parents, fellow therapists, perfect strangers — want to know: are you having a boy or a girl?
The answer is inside of that envelope, and even I don’t know what it says yet! The only people who know are the sonographer who did my ultrasound this morning and the person who is decorating the cake for our big reveal tonight. In just a few short hours, we’ll know whether to buy pink or blue!
The most IMPORTANT news is that the baby looked perfectly healthy and is developing beautifully, according to my doctor. My husband and I were so thankful to hear that and to get another look at our little Junebug, who is now at the halfway point to being born. Only 20 weeks to go!
If you want to keep up with my pregnancy (and growing baby bump pics!) on a regular basis, check out our family blog, www.TheRambachs.com.
It’s a little mind-blowing to think that I’m writing the very last “Friday Fave” installment of 2012. This year seemed to flash by in the blink of an eye…maybe because I wasn’t blogging every day like I did in 2011.
Even so, I had plenty to keep me busy over the last 12 months. I kicked off 2012 by announcing a BIG work-related goal: to write and record an original Listen & Learn song every single week for a year. I had been slacking a bit in the songwriting department, and wanted to work on my skills (not to mention beef up my catalog of resources for my own clients).
This goal proved to be a challenging one, but it has also been one of the most rewarding. I truly love the writing and recording process, now moreso than ever; and the feedback I’ve received from my own clients, Listen & Learn readers, and other music therapists who’ve purchased my songs has made my effort worth every last moment spent (times one hundred!).
I’m looking forward to writing many more songs in 2013, but I’m not setting a hard and fast goal for myself when it comes to the blog. But I’ll save the New Year’s talk for January…let’s get back to 2012. When I wasn’t busy cranking out new music, I was working with clients, teaching lessons, and building my Music Therapy Connections business.
In June, I had the opportunity to hire a brilliant music therapist who had just moved to the area, and she has been subcontracting for me ever since. It has worked out better than I could have ever imagined — not only does she have an opportunity to work with lots of clients, but I now have a much shorter waiting list.
The highlight reel for 2012 is quite long, so I’ll end my yearly review with a few bullet points. Here goes:
Watching many of my students perform in our local Junior Festival — a few even received their first gold cups!
Wrapping up my first official year of full-time business ownership, which went more smoothly than I could have asked for
Spending a fun and productive weekend with my MTRT & MT Pro colleagues, Kimberly Sena Moore and Michelle Efurt (and finding out that Michelle is expecting a baby…due in a little over a week!)
Taking some personal time to enjoy several amazing vacations with my husband. Between Key Largo, Europe, and Maui, we had the travel year of a lifetime
Getting the opportunity to spread the word about my business through several media outlets, including television and radio interviews
Finding out that I’m expecting! Baby Rambach is due on June 14!
Seeing many of my music therapy friends (and meeting lots of new ones) in person at the AMTA national conference
Spending the holidays with my friends from across the country and of course, my entire family
Both personally and professionally, 2012 was a year I will never forget…in the best possible way. I’m so thankful to have an outlet where I can share my ideas, creations, and random thoughts, and even more thankful that so many people are interested in reading.
Thank you so much for making this blog worth writing. I hope your year was filled with good things, and I so look forward to ringing in 2013 with you!
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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