by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned what a HUGE fan I am of the movement props created by Bear Paw Creek. Their stretchy bands and connect-a-bands are both staples in my collection, and I just recently added their bean bags as well.
There are so many ways to incorporate bean bags into my music therapy sessions and early childhood music classes, but I knew exactly how I wanted to introduce them for the first time — with a brand new song, of course :)
I wrote “I Have a Bean Bag” with several goals in mind: listening skills, body part identification, and imitation. An added bonus skill this song addresses is balancing, which is funny to watch my kiddos try to do once they’ve placed the bean bag on the correct body part.
Although this song was written with bean bags in mind, I’ve already adapted it for scarves in bigger groups where I don’t have enough bean bags to go around (yet!).
A special thanks goes to Janet Stephens, owner and creator of the products at Bear Paw Creek, for her support of Listen & Learn Music. Everything in her shop is made right here in the U.S.A. and is of the utmost quality. Please check out her movement props and other resources if you haven’t already!
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
How is it possible that this is the 8th “song of the year” I’ve written since becoming a music therapist?! When I wrote my first one way back in 2008, I thought about how challenging it would be to write a new song that essentially says the same thing — just with a different number at the end — every year.
But it has been much easier than I originally imagined, and I’ll probably be here another 8 years from now sharing my song for 2023. What a crazy thought!
As always, this song includes not only the name of the year, but also the number of months, weeks and days. It’s catchy, short, simple, and repetitive…ingredients that make for a good song to sing all year long.
This is only the first of MANY songs I’ll be sharing with you in 2015. As I mentioned back in December, I have a whole slew already written and recorded, just waiting to be posted.
Even though I didn’t make any official resolutions for the new year, my plan is to get better at posting new tunes in a timely fashion! You’re more than welcome to remind me of that goal if I go too long in between songs ;)
P.S. Did you know that you can gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music?
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
I’ve been on a bit of a summer songwriting hiatus this month, so it was nice to sit down and spend some time writing and recording over the weekend. My baby & toddler class starts next week, so I have a lot of work to do!
This particular song is actually one that I prepared for a music therapy student several months ago. We are working on singing, playing, and performing movement tasks TOGETHER (as opposed to taking turns), so I chose to adapt a familiar song that she could readily pick up and join in.
I’ve used this same song for lots of music therapy applications as well as in my early childhood classes. It’s great for playing a particular instrument, or multiple instruments, and of course, it’s easy to add or substitute other kinds of motions.
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by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
I’ve been yapping on and on about my new digital songbook collection, Spring Into Summer, yet I’ve completely neglected to share the title song here on the blog. I wrote it just off the heels of our final winter snowstorm (I lost count back in January), when spring and summer seemed like a very distant ray of sun in a frozen tundra. I shudder at the memory.
I wanted to write a song that covered both seasons, since lots of kiddos consider the end of the school year to be summer — even though it doesn’t technically begin until the end of June. In all honesty, I’m with them! My birthday is on June 5th, and I always think of that as the kickoff to my favorite season.
What song(s) do you sing as the seasons change and school comes to an end? And on that topic, can you even believe that there are mere days left until summer break? Just about all of my students have a countdown going, and they are sure to update me every time I see them. Not that they are keeping track or anything!
Get immediate access to this, plus over 100 other songs, lead sheets, visual aides, and valuable resources…learn more about becoming a member. You won’t be disappointed!
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
I’ve been working with children long enough to know that movement is ESSENTIAL to a well-rounded music therapy group or early childhood class session. I’ve used all kinds of movement props, including scarves, streamers, bean bags, stretchy bands, to get my kiddos moving.
A few months ago, I added a new movement prop to my collection. The Connect-a-Band is the newest creation from Bear Paw Creek, who also makes the popular stretchy bands we all know and love. Connect-a-Bands are made of the same material as stretchy bands, and they can be connected together in all kinds of ways for group movement activities.
My favorite is the flower shape, which inspired the song I’m sharing with you today. Grow, Flower, Grow! encourages group movement using the Connect-a-Band; I love that everyone has to work together to make the “flower” do all the things mentioned in the song.
I actually have several songs in the works for use with the Connect-a-Band, but I wanted to start with this one since it coincides perfectly with the start of spring! Thank goodness this insane winter is coming to an end. Here’s to warmer temps and new musical experiences!
