I’m a sucker for Broadway musicals, so it comes as no surprise that I’m a fan of a show all about the behind-the-scenes drama of creating and producing a Broadway musical.
Katharine McPhee, who was an American Idol finalist back when I still watched that show, stars as an actress auditioning for the lead role in a new musical about Marilyn Monroe. The rest of the cast is pretty impressive and includes Debra Messing, Megan Hilty, and Anjelica Huston among others.
I watched the pilot of Smash last week, and can’t wait for the series to start on Monday. Have you watched the pilot yet, and if so, are you as excited as I am?
There have been many occasions on which I wished I was able to accept credit card payments. Here are just a few: when selling my CDs and songbooks at conferences, peddling demos at gigs, when a parent of a student forgets his or her checkbook and has no cash…the list goes on.
So when my friend and fellow studio owner Lisa Casciola told me about the Square Credit Card Reader, I was intrigued. I went to the website, where I found out that I could order the tiny little device for FREE, start an account for FREE, and immediately begin accepting credit card payments.
The square accepts all types of major credit cards and charges a flat 2.75% rate for every transaction. The best part is that the money is transferred to your bank account the next day. How convenient is that? The Square app can be downloaded to the iPhone, iPad and Android for free, and is super simple to use. Here are a couple screen shots of the app in use:
You simply enter the dollar amount and title of your transaction and then either swipe the card or enter the card number. It seriously couldn’t be any easier, and better yet, each transaction is completely secure.
For each item or service you sell, you can upload a picture that is displayed as an icon next to the item name. You can also personalize your receipts and let customers choose between paper (you can print wirelessly if using the iPad), email, or text. There is also an option for customers to add a tip. You can create reports to track sales and income, and even set up custom rewards programs for certain credit card types.
This device has opened up lots of new possibilities for me! Have you tried it yet, or do you use another method of accepting credit card payments on the fly?
I love fake books — so much so that I have an entire shelf of them here in my studio. The latest in my collection, pictured above, was a Christmas gift from my brother and sister-in-law. And like most non-musicians, I’m pretty sure they have no idea what a fake book actually is.
A fake book contains the bare bones needed to play the songs within it: the melody line, lyrics, and chords. It’s up to the musician to come up with his or her own accompaniment, whether on guitar or piano. Fake books are great because the songs are succinct (usually no page-turning involved) and easy to pick up quickly.
This is the Ultimate Fake Book with Over 1200 Songs really IS the ultimate fake book, as I’ve come to find out. In the last month, I’ve opened it in search of a particular song, and found what I was looking for every single time. Amazing! It has come in very handy both in voice lessons and music therapy sessions. It has a permanent spot in the drawer next to my piano just because I use it so often.
There are definitely times when I prefer the real deal, where the accompaniment is already laid out for me. But I like to have options, which is why I keep both types of music and songbooks around. Are you a fake book fan, or do you prefer full arrangements of songs in most cases?
One of the first apps I downloaded when I got my ipad was Garageband, and I’ve used it many times in sessions with music therapy clients. But I never preferred using my Macbook version of Garageband when it came to recording myself and my voice students, because the iPad version was missing one thing: a real microphone.
However, that has changed — all thanks to Bonnie Hayhurst of The Groovy Garfoose. I had no idea that there was a way to connect my beloved Blue Snowball USB microphone (the mic I’ve been using and recommending since 2008) to the iPad, until I read her “12 Apps of Christmas” series. Bonnie featured the Camera Connection Kit for iPad and mentioned that she was using it to connect her Blue Snowball mic and record with GarageBand.
Thanks to this little guy, I’ve been recording up a storm using my iPad. The Camera Connection Kit also comes with an adapter meant to read SD cards, if in fact you actually want to use it for it’s main purpose of transferring photos. It’s SO much easier to record my students with the iPad rather than the laptop, and they love it too!
The next item on my iPad-related wish list is a 1/4 inch adapter for my guitar. I’ve been researching but haven’t decided on one yet…any suggestions? Bonnie? :)
How can it be that this is the last weekend of 2011? This year seemed to fly by, and now it is coming to an end. Luckily, these final two days are gonna be good ones! I’ve always thought New Year’s Eve is a little overrated, but you can’t go wrong with plans that involve family, friends, and music.
I’m kicking off this holiday weekend with a gig tonight, which is always a guaranteed fun time. Matt and I have played at the Walnut Street Winery several times in the last couple of months, and are looking forward to returning this evening. It’s a good warm-up for tomorrow’s NYE performance in downtown Springfield. Every year, my city holds First Night Springfield, which is a family-friendly event for all ages. We’re super excited and honored to be a part of it this year.
In fact, we are even working on a new song just for tomorrow’s performance. I already knew the song “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” and liked it, but knew we had to give it a go after seeing this video earlier today:
No wild and crazy New Year’s parties for this girl — I’m a little too old for that ;) Making music is much more fun, anyhow…and the perfect way to bring 2011 to a close. What are YOU doing New Year’s Eve?
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.
My Book + Course
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
