by Rachel | Uncategorized
This is my grandma and I this past spring at my brother’s graduation party. She is coming home today (she lives in Naples, FL) to celebrate her 80th birthday, and our family is throwing a party for her. My mom and I wanted to do something really special for her, so we decided to write a song. The song is called “Legacy” and as I mentioned in last week’s Friday Fave, we utilized the wonderful GarageBand to record it.
A legacy is measured in many, many ways
It’s not the wealth you leave behind,
Or the number of your days.
The little things that mean the most
You won’t read about in the evening post
They’re in a knowing smile,
And the laughter of a child.
Chorus
The music of your life
Will never cease to play,
The wisdom of your lyrics
Shaped who we are today.
The melody is familiar,
We’ve known it all along.
Your legacy is in this gift of song
The hands of time fly quickly and every moment counts
You must leave your mark and give your love
In unlimited amounts.
For all the hearts you’ve held so dear
Even those no longer here
Know this one thing’s true,
Our lives were blessed because of you.
Chorus
Let’s spend this day in celebration
As we tell you how we feel.
We may not have the words we need,
But the sentiments are real.
CHORUS
We put a picture slideshow together, and this song is the soundtrack to it. I can’t wait for my grandma to see it at her party on Saturday!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
As much as I write about my iPhone, Macbook, and other gadgets, you might think I work for Apple (or at least get paid to promote their products). Well neither is the case; I just happen to really, really love these pieces of technology. Even harder to believe is that up until two years ago, I was a total PC person. My husband made the switch in 2006, and I followed him after listening to a year’s worth of gloating about his superior machine.
Now I don’t know what I’d do without my Mac (and more recently, my iPhone). I do all of my recording using GarageBand, a music editing program that comes with every Apple computer. It allows me to record several different tracks either via a microphone or MIDI source, and then edit them to my heart’s content. It is integrated with iTunes so that once my recording is finished, I can import it into my iTunes library and then either burn it to a CD or post it to my blog. How convenient!
Today my mom and I recorded a song that we wrote for my grandma’s 80th birthday, and of course, we used GarageBand. She was amazed that I could easily add strings and other instruments, manipulate each track to make it perfect, and then email it off to her once it was completed.
I remember the first time my husband showed me the program; my exact words were “what would I ever do with this?”. Now I can’t imagine my life without it, since so much of it is spent writing and recording music for work and for fun. My newest GarageBand project? Creating custom ringtones using songs in my iTunes library for my iPhone…even Zach has joined in this action :)
I could probably go on and on all afternoon about the wonders of GarageBand, but I’ll stop here. Enjoy the rest of your Friday, and hopefully I’ll be back over the weekend with a new song or two.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Hi friends. I’m feeling exceptionally happy today, and not just because it is Friday. Also, not just because I’m drinking a huge mug of delicious coffee. The real reason is that I have something exciting to write about today, and this could quite possibly be my favorite “Friday Fave” to date. I hope you’ll read on.
I discovered Kickstarter while reading one of my favorite blogs. The girl who writes the blog (her name is Lindsey Markel) also wrote a publication for girls with the goal of “empowerment through advice, education and encouragement regarding everything from school to credit cards, and heartbreak to living a life of wonder”. Lindsey was seeking to self-publish her work in book format and distribute it to women’s shelters, Planned Parenthoods, and after-school programs nationwide, which is why she turned to Kickstarter.
Curious, I clicked the link from her blog and was led to a site which calls itself a “a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers…”. I could become a backer of Lindsey’s project by pledging any amount of money (from as little as $1) and if her goal amount was reached (which it was – twice over, actually), my pledge would be collected via an Amazon payment.
After I made my pledge, I began exploring some of the other projects on Kickstarter. There were all sorts of creative types hoping to turn their projects into a reality, which got me thinking about Listen & Learn. I have lots of goals for my song collection and website, one of which is to professionally record a compilation CD which can be widely distributed to those who it could possibly benefit. My current set-up, which consists of recording and editing each song on my laptop and burning CDs one by one, is funtional but not ideal. As my horizons have expanded, I’m ready for the next level!
So today is the official launch of my very own Kickstarter project, titled “Listen & Learn: Songs for a Different Kind of Audience”. My hope is that if one of my songs or ideas has positively affected a child in someone’s life, that person will become a backer. After all, backers get cool stuff in return (did I mention that part earlier?). I could keep writing, but instead I’ll just give you the link to my project – HERE IT IS!!
Thanks for reading this super-long post, and for being a regular visitor. Have a beautiful Friday and a wonderful weekend!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Today’s Friday Fave is a little different from those I’ve posted in the past. Before I get to the “fave” part, there are some not-so-pleasant facts I need to share…here goes.
The state of Illinois is facing some pretty devastating budget cuts that would drastically reduce or eliminate many statewide social services. The long list of agencies and organizations that would be affected provide services for millions of people, many of whom are children with disabilities.
The Hope Institute for Children and Families provides residential and educational services to children with multiple disabilities, and it is on that list. I have been ensured that my job as music therapist is not in danger, but some of the children at our school might not be so lucky. It these cuts are not restored, services for many of our students may not be funded and they might be sent home. An incredibly alarming scenario, not just for Hope but for the parents and students who depend on the care that Hope provides.
But everyone at Hope, and those involved with the other social service agencies in Illinois, has faith that doors will not be shut and children will not be denied the support upon which they depend. And that brings me to the “fave” part of this otherwise somber post, which is community support.
I have been amazed at the efforts of our community here in Springfield and across the state to stop these devastating cuts from ocurring. Two weeks ago a huge rally at the capitol building was organized, and many social service organizations united to show our legislators just how dedicated they are to what they do, and how far they are willing to go to keep doing it.
Letter-writing and telephone campaigns have been in effect since the budget cuts were announced, and through the beauty of email, Facebook, and Twitter, I’ve watched as people have responded and participated in such campaigns, whether or not they are affiliated with an affected social service agency. What a beautiful thing.
The legislators won’t be in session again for another two weeks, so it could be a while before we have any definite answers about the future of Illinois. But I am sure that in the meantime, the community will continue to write letters to the editor, email and call their representatives and senators, and so on. And that makes me proud to be a part of it, despite our sad political state.
For more information about the Hope Institute and how it could be affected by the budget crisis, visit their Facebook page.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Happy Birthday to me! I actually celebrated my 26th several weeks ago, but my husband’s gift didn’t arrive until Monday. To be honest, I haven’t been able to put it down since…but at least I’ve been putting it to good use! I thought this would be a perfect topic for Friday Faves, so read on to find out how the iPhone has become an integral part of my life as a music therapist.
1. Calendar
Until now, I’ve had your basic, run-of-the-mill flip phone that doesn’t do much besides make calls and send texts. It did have a calendar feature, but it was nowhere near as user-friendly and helpful as the iPhone’s. Keeping track of my summer schedule – music therapy appointments, lessons, meetings, deadlines, etc. – has never been easier. I can input my events via my computer (and then sync with the phone) or just the phone itself. I can also set an alarm to remind me of events either the day before or the day of.
2. Voice Memos
This is a brand new feature on the iPhone, and one that I’ve already come to rely on. As a songwriter, I’m always coming up with song ideas at the most inopportune times. Whether it was in the car, at the grocery store, or what have you, I was constantly forgetting melodies and lyrics I couldn’t record or write down in time. Not anymore! Now I just pull out my phone, sing or say my idea right into the speaker, and come back to it later.
3. Checklists
I don’t know about you, but I’m a list person. My husband is constantly teasing me about the paper lists I keep, written neatly in colored pen and then marked through with squiggle lines when each item is completed. With the checklist application on my phone, I can now keep separate lists for different areas of my life (music therapy, blogging, errands, groceries) and mark items with a check at completion. Simple, but a list-maker’s dream.
4. TweetDeck
I’ve written previously about my love for Twitter; now thanks to my iPhone, I can “tweet” on the go and keep up with what my “tweeps” are doing. TweetDeck allows me to view both of my Twitter accounts, and I can update either one right from my phone.
5. Email
This is probably the most useful aspect of my iPhone. I’m an email junkie, so having constant access is a real thrill. I can receive and send messages from all three of my accounts, and my phone is kind enough to alert me when I have a delivery to my inbox :)
I really could keep on going here, but I’d hate to bore you. The bottom line is that the iPhone allows me to stay connected, organized, and productive amidst the wonderful chaos that is my daily life. What did I ever do without it? (just kidding…kind of.)
