by Rachel | Uncategorized
One thing I look forward to every summer is having the time to play a few gigs here and there. I very rarely get to do so during the school year (although I’m hoping that changes with my new schedule this year), so it’s been a special treat to perform around town pretty frequently these last few months.
Back in June, I played my first gig with Ryan, an extremely talented guitarist I met through his wife Misty. Not only have the two of us played gigs together, but he has also invited me to sing with his band a couple of times this month. If you’ve never sung with a live band, you don’t know what you’re missing!
We’ve talked on past episodes of the Music Therapy Round Table podcast how important it is for music therapists to nurture the musician in themselves, since after all, we were musicians first.
I know that with each gig I play, I fall a little bit more in love with music and am even more inspired as a therapist and educator. It sounds cheesy, but it’s completely true.
What have you done this summer to nurture your inner musician?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Last night, my husband showed up at my gig and started taking pictures with a camera I didn’t recognize. Little did I know that it was my new camera!
I am by no means a photographer, but I do like to take pictures around my studio, on vacation, and just for fun. My old Canon is a little beat up after three years of use, and recently the flash has started smoking. That’s probably not a good thing! So I was thrilled when Zach dropped the news about the amazing deal he got on this Sony Cyber-Shot.
Not only is the camera packed with great features (like 16x zoom and 3D capability) but it’s also an HD video recorder! That’s the part I’m most excited about. I’ve been lugging around both my Canon and Flip HD camcorder for over a year, but now I can just grab the Sony camera and go.
I’m going to spend some time this weekend playing with my new toy, and I think I’ll use it to record my “Sunday Singalong” video as well. Speaking of that, I better get back to work…
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I’ve recommended today’s Friday Fave pick to countless people already, because they’ve all been curious to ask about it when they see me using it. This particular resource is one that I use on a daily basis, whether I’m teaching a lesson, providing music therapy, or performing at a bar.
It’s an iPad app called GigBook, and it has completely revolutionized my music collection. I spent a good part of a week converting my sheet music collection to PDF form and importing all of my songs into the program. Now I have all of my music therapy songs, student repertoire, and gig music in one place.
But the best part about this app is that I can separate my music into collections, binders for individual students, and set lists for each gig I play. I can also organize songs by artist, genre, and just about any other category I choose.
GigBook is compatible with my AirTurn, a bluetooth pedal I use to turn pages wirelessly on the iPad. Between that and the iPad mount for my microphone stand, I have quite the convenient gig setup. And as for my day job, no more searching through file folders of sheet music while teaching lessons, or printing out lyric sheets to review before a music therapy session.
The $4.99 I spent on this app is nothing when I take into consideration how well it has served me so far. Have you tried it yet?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
It seems like all anyone can talk about this week — both on Facebook and in person — is how darn hot it is outside. Here in central Illinois, we’ve been under a heat advisory since Sunday…but the truth is, I don’t mind one bit.
Yep, I’m one of those people who likes it hot. It came as no surprise to anyone that I chose to attend college in Florida, and as hard as it was to adjust back to winters in the Midwest, I like the summer heat here. I can even handle the humidity, as long as there is a pool nearby!
All this heated talk has got me thinking about the songs revolving around that same topic. So if you’re currently experiencing a heat wave, too, here are some tunes to serve as a soundtrack:
- “Heat Wave” from White Christmas
- “Summer in the City” by Lovin’ Spoonful
- “Hot, Hot, Hot” by Buster Poindexter
- “Heat Wave” by Martha and the Vandellas
- “The Heat is On” by Glenn Frey
- “Too Darn Hot” by Ella Fitzgerald
Are you melting over in your neck of the woods? And what songs would you add to my list? (For more children’s tunes about summer, take a look here.) Have a good weekend…and stay cool!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
This drum has been a fixture in my studio for a couple of years now, but lately I’ve been incorporating it into music therapy sessions more than ever.
Here are the three things that I like best about this tubano drum by Remo:
- Sound. It can be played loudly, but does not cause problems for my kids with noise sensitivity. And of course, it also sounds great when played softly or somewhere in between. Anyone can play it and make it sound good!
- Size. This drum seems pretty big to my smaller students, and they like that it can be played while standing up. At the same time, though, it is not so cumbersome that it can’t be easily moved. It has a strap for this purpose, too.
- Appearance. This month I’m rocking a jungle theme, and this drum fits in perfectly. I follow up the singable story Rumble in the Jungle with the tubano drum, and identifying the jungle animals on the side of the drum is the perfect segue.
Added bonus: the drum makes a perfect mini side table when not in use. I keep it next to my piano, and my caddy for pens/pencils/antibacterial gel/other small items sits on top.
I’ll have to write another post about the specific songs, activities, and interventions I’ve come up with just for the tubano drum. And as always, feel free to share your own uses for it!
