For the first time in five years, I will not be returning to school tomorrow with the rest of my former colleagues at The Hope Institute. It’s a strange feeling, for sure.
People have been asking all summer how it feels to be completely self-employed, but I haven’t really been able to give a good answer yet since school has been out. However, I will be able to do so after tomorrow, because then I think it truly will feel “real” to me.
I always loved those first few weeks back: catching up with coworkers, the excitement of a fresh new start, meeting new students. Those things I will definitely miss. But having my days free to plan, write songs, and create new resources for my students before they arrive for their lessons and music therapy sessions in the afternoon? That will be the bees’ knees.
Although my fall session doesn’t begin until Monday, tomorrow kicks off a brand new chapter in my life. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!
Phew, I got this post in with three hours to spare! My husband and I have been busy celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary in Chicago, including lots of yummy meals, shopping on Michigan Avenue, staying in an amazing suite, and seeing a comedy show at Second City. A wonderful weekend, to be sure. But also exhausting…which is why I’m keeping this short and sweet.
I hope you all had a great weekend too, and that your week is off to a fabulous start! See you back here tomorrow for a post completely unrelated to my personal life — I promise ;)
I have no idea how I did it, but three years ago I convinced my husband to record a duet for the souvenir CD we made for our wedding gifts.
We had seen the movie Juno the year before and both loved it, especially the sweet duet Michael Cera and Ellen Page sang at the end. Anyone Else But You is a song by the Moldy Peaches, and with just a little lyrical tweaking, it became the closer to our CD.
I think Zach regretted his decision to go through with it after receiving some flack from his buddies, but too late! It’s out there for the world to hear now.
Tomorrow we celebrate our 3rd anniversary, so I put together this video of some of my favorite wedding pictures using our duet as the soundtrack. It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed already…looking at these pictures, it seems like just yesterday (cliche, I know, but true).
Zach has a fun couple of days planned in Chicago, so we’re off! Enjoy your Sunday.
Yes, I’m channeling Carly Simon as I write this blog post. The week ahead is full of things I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, and frankly, all this anticipation is making me a little stir-crazy!
So in an attempt to ease the butterflies, I’m laying it all out here for you. FYI: blogging is a great form of therapy, even for us music therapists ;)
The launch of Music Therapy Pro. Check out the ol’ countdown clock in the left-hand sidebar…time is ticking down and the big moment is almost here. If you haven’t already gotten the full scoop, be sure to go check it out.
The end of my studio’s summer session. It’s been a great eight weeks of music therapy and lessons, but I can’t say I’m not looking forward to having some down time beginning a week from today.
My first gig with a full band. I’ve played lots of solo gigs, and recently teamed up with an amazing guitarist who I’ve been performing with regularly. But next Friday, I’ll be filling in for his band’s lead singer. I have some big shoes to fill!
There are a few other events on the horizon, including my three-year wedding anniversary (!) and a trip to Chicago, but I’m focusing on these big 3 in the coming days. Are you anticipating anything exciting as these summer days dwindle away?
On Saturday, a few family members and I decided to climb a mountain in Colorado. What we originally believed to be a 6-mile round trip hike turned out to be almost double that, but when we reached the top — as pictured above — all the sweat and achy muscles were worth it.
That last mile or so to the top, I kept telling myself, “Put one foot in front of the other.” Instead of thinking about my goal as one monstrous task, I broke it down. And knowing that as long as I could take another step, I could reach my goal, is the reason I made it to the peak.
This is not unlike the challenges that my students face, whether it’s a music therapy objective to meet or a challenging song to master.
Us music therapists know all too well that progress can be slow, but each milestone is something to be celebrated. I’ve worked with some students on the same goals for years at a time, watching as they take baby steps along the way. Some of my voice students spend months and months learning and refining a particular song, one phrase at a time.
But when the day comes that they can perform that skill or song, every last moment of frustration melts away as they stand at the top of their metaphorical mountain with a huge smile on their face.
What mountains have you and/or your own students conquered lately?
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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