I hope you’re lucky enough to have as beautiful weather as I do on this Memorial Day. I’m getting ready to take my dog for a walk, and then it’s off to my parents’ pool (my summer hangout) for some swimming and a cookout. Talk about the perfect day. Enjoy the holiday, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow!
This morning, one of my co-workers asked me if I was ready for my “final hurrah” at The Hope Institute, and I thought that made a great title for this post.
Four years ago, I started a new tradition at Hope: an all-school spring singalong. I rounded up some of my musician co-workers and started a band, complete with drums, bass, rhythm guitar, and vocals. Every year since, I’ve looked forward to this event all spring long.
Today is that day. The picture above is from last year’s singalong, and I realized that I’m wearing those same shoes again this year :) I’ve chosen a dozen of my students’ favorites tunes, made up packets of lyrics for everyone, and set up the instruments and sound equipment. Now all that’s left is to rock out!
This post is inspired by JoAnn Jordan, music therapist and author of the blog Musical Gems. She’s reading the book The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature by Daniel J. Levitin, which prompted her to ponder this question: If I had to summarize my life in six songs, what would those songs be?
You can read JoAnn’s answer here, and my six songs are below.
So there you have it. Now that I’ve summarized my life in 6 songs, it’s YOUR turn. Please share your list in the comments below or post it to your own blog!
It’s been a few weeks since I posted a progress update on my new studio, and here’s the reason: there hasn’t been much progress :( Well, unless you count the fact that my waiting room couches have been delivered and are in place.
The truth is, I’m limited in the things I can do at this point since I’m using my current studio until the end of the spring session. But come May 27, you better believe that I will be working like a crazy woman to get everything moved, decorated, and ready for students.
Between that day and the start of my summer session on June 13, I have my best friend’s wedding, my husband’s best friend’s wedding, my birthday, an acoustic gig, and a working weekend in Florida with my podcast co-hosts. So I’m sure you can imagine the stress I feel when I start thinking about my studio to-do list, which includes:
Not to mention, prepare for my first week of 60+ students (yes, I just might be certifiably insane). I also need to do paperwork, send out emails and registration invoices, and update my website with info for my new families.
The more I type, the more I realize that this supposed “progress update” has become an outlet of all the stress I’m feeling right now. So if you’re still reading at this point, THANK YOU for this makeshift therapy session!
And I promise: after the 27th, I will share some real progress updates (and many more pictures) with you, my wonderfully patient and amazing friends.
This past weekend, while my husband was out of town for yet another bachelor party, I spent both Friday and Saturday evenings parked out on the couch watching movies with my dog. (Easy A, The Back-Up Plan, 50 First Dates, and Zombieland, if you were curious.)
Lo and behold, all of that movie watching inspired me to write a blog post about the movies that inspire me! So here they are, in no particular order:
Growing up, I owned the VHS tape of Mr. Holland’s Opus and watched it all the time. I wanted to be just like Rowena, the ingenue who had such a beautiful voice and inspired Mr. Holland’s composition. But now that I’m all grown up, Mr. Holland inspires me to be a better teacher, and to get my students excited about music.
Every knows the most famous line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, he will come.” Everyone thought Ray Kinsella was crazy for turning his farmland into a baseball field, but he did it, witnessed some pretty amazing things, and even made a living out of it by turning it into a tourist attraction. I can sort of relate, with my journey from music major (which plenty of people thought was a crazy idea) to music therapist with a soon-to-be full time private practice.
I first saw Moulin Rouge (five times in the theater) as a high school graduate, getting ready to move far away for college and pursue my dreams of performing. So naturally this movie was inspiring; lots of creative, talented people pursuing their dreams of putting on a show. It didn’t hurt that I had a huge crush on Ewan McGregor :) The love story, the songs, and the visual effects are stunning, and I can feel my creative juices pumping every time I watch it.
The Devil Wears Prada might very well be one of my favorite movies of all time. Not only do I love the main cast (Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Stanley Tucci), but I think the way they portray the inner workings of a fashion magazine is so interesting. And even though Andy (Anne Hathaway’s character) lets her job negatively affect her attitude as she climbs the ranks, she finds her way back to her true self and purpose in the end.
Duh, Julie & Julia had to be on this list! After all, it’s about a blogger who writes about her passion…sound familiar?! And although I’m not getting movie and book deals (unless you count my songbook) I’ve had lots of cool stuff happen because of Listen & Learn. Also, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are in this movie — see above.
I find inspiration in some of the strangest and most unexpected places, but I think movies are a pretty common source of it. I would love to hear about the movies that inspire you. Please share them in the comments!
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