by Rachel | Uncategorized
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thrilled to be writing my second “I’m thankful for…” post (you can read last year’s here) and it seems that this year, the list has grown. It has been a truly amazing year full of new experiences, opportunities, friends, and additions to my family. So without further ado, these are the things for which I’m giving thanks today:
1. My Family
Zach and I are celebrating our second Thanksgiving as a married couple, and Sadie, our puppy, is having her first one ever! We are lucky to have most our family right here in Springfield, and they are our biggest supporters in all that we do. We’ve both been blessed with an amazing family.
2. My Career
I was hired at The Hope Institute before my internship even ended, and I am so grateful to have been there for the past 2.5 years. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to have built my own private practice, along with all the other music-related projects in which I’ve taken part over the last year.
3. Our New Home
Although our old house will always be our “first home” as a couple, we are still counting our blessings that we were able to buy our current home last winter. It is perfect for us: I have a dedicated music studio, Sadie has a huge, fenced in backyard, Zach has his “man cave” basement, and there is plenty of room for when our family starts to grow.
4. The Internet
No, really! I have made countless new friends and connections (including YOU!) through Listen & Learn, Facebook, and Twitter, and many of the opportunities I’ve had have come as a result of my online presence. I fully admit that I am a proud internet geek, and for that, I am thankful.
There are so many more reasons to be thankful, but I’d better stop there. I’m off to help my mom make Thanksgiving dinner, after which we’ll hit up Zach’s parents’ house and my uncle’s. Busy day, and I’m already loving every minute of it. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Starting tonight and going through Saturday afternoon, my local radio station is hosting their 4th annual radiothon to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and St. John’s Children’s Hospital. They will be broadcasting live from the lobby of the hospital, where there will be volunteers manning the phones and families who have been helped by the Children’s Miracle Network stopping by. I’m one of those volunteers, and looking forward to my 3-hour shift on Saturday afternoon as the radiothon winds to a close.
But I was able to donate my time in another way, as well. Each year during the radiothon, they air personal stories from the people who have required services through the Children’s Miracle Network and the hospital. Most of them are hard to hear, and very emotional. But our community needs to hear what kind of care is available should one of their children fall under dire circumstances. The stories are set to music, usually a popular song whose mood suits the gravity of the story.
This year I asked if there was any way I could contribute musically to the cause, and together we came up with the idea to write songs based on the stories themselves. So I sat in as the families told their stories, during which time I got ideas for the corresponding songs. Out of the four stories I heard, I chose two to set to music. They will be played during the radiothon, and I only hope that the families feel that their songs do their stories justice.
That’s the coolest part of being a music therapist, in my opinion. Not only can you work directly with a child, adult, or group of people, but there are infinite ways to use music therapeutically, reaching a wide audience at the same time. This point was driven home for me at the national conference, which I will writing more about in the coming days.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Here are 13 highlights of the national American Music Therapy Association conference thus far, in chronological order:
- Arriving in sunny Dan Diego!
- Finally meeting fellow music therapy blogger Kimberly Sena Moore and sharing a conversation-filled dinner.
- Reuniting with Michelle Erfurt and getting to meet her awesome hubby.
- Seeing my songbook in person for the first time. We’re talking squeals of joy!
- Watching people buy aforementioned songbook in front of my eyes.
- Listening to a fascinating lecture about the link between music neuroscience and music therapy. More to come on this later!
- Attending the first ever music therapy tweet-up and meeting some new friends.
- Learning the ins and outs of applying for a national roster internship.
- Having the presenter of that session recognize my name and congratulate me on my aforementioned songbook publication. Too cool!
- Getting together with fellow Illinois State University alumni and faculty and having a blast reminiscing and catching up.
- Eating a delicious dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, courtesy of the ISU music department!
- Blogging before bed…gotta get my fix, you know.
- Knowing that my first session doesn’t begin until 9:30 am tomorrow.
There is still much more fun to be had over the next 1.5 days, including my presentation, Music Therapy in the Blogosphere, on Sunday morning. I will continue facebooking and twittering (yes, those are both verbs) throughout it all, so that you can all get in on the conference action!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
In just under 24 hours, I will be hopping on a plane and making my way to sunny California for the American Music Therapy Association’s national conference. Though this won’t be quite the sight-seeing San Diego vacation that I enjoyed last spring, it will certainly be a memorable (and educational) experience. This is the first AMTA conference that I’ve ever attended, and not only that, but I am presenting, too. Just trying to make the most of this conference and challenge myself in new ways!
I want to share my experiences and insights with you all during my time in San Diego, so be sure to check back here at Listen & Learn throughout the week for mini posts (and pictures, too!). Also, I will be tweeting and facebooking frequently, so find me on those sites, as well:
Rachel on Twitter
Rachel on Facebook
I can’t wait to meet those of you who will also be attending the AMTA conference, so if you are, make sure to find me there! I will be hosting a Listen & Learn table (alongside Michelle Erfurt) in the AMTA members section of the Exhibit Hall, so please stop by. Oh, and check out my presentation, “Music Therapy in the Blogosphere”, on Sunday morning at 9:15.
See you in San Diego, either face-to-face or via the internet!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Today’s announcement has been over a year in the making, and I have been bursting at the seams to share it with you all. Listen and Learn: Educational songs for school, home, and play is a songbook containing 24 of my most popular songs, and it is now on sale! Listen and Learn’s debut songbook includes the melody line and chords for songs that address goal areas such as counting, daily care, directions, transitions, friendships, and more along with activity suggestions for each one. It was developed for other music therapists, educators, parents, or anyone who works with children.
This came about last fall, when Michelle Erfurt, MT-BC, came across my blog. She lived in the Orlando area at the time, where I just happened to be planning a visit for a friend’s wedding. We met up while I was in town, and that is when Michelle proposed the idea to collaborate on a Listen and Learn songbook. From that point on, we communicated via phone and email as I wrote and prepared the music, which she then edited and published through her company, Erfurt Music Therapy.
We will be hosting a display table at the American Music Therapy Conference in San Diego next week, where other music therapists can purchase Listen and Learn: Educational songs for school, home, and play at a discounted conference price of $25, which includes a free supplemental CD of all 24 songs. The best part is that this conference price will also be available to YOU (and anyone else who would like to purchase the book) through November 22. After that, the regular price, Book $25/CD $10, will go into effect. You can purchase the book by following the link in the sidebar, and you’ll also find it in my store.
Michelle and I will be talking more about Listen and Learn: Educational songs for school, home, and play (among other things) on Janice Harris’ “Music Therapy Radio Show” this Saturday at 4 pm CST. Follow this link to listen live on the internet, and you can even call in to ask questions during the show. That number is (646) 652-2850. If you miss it on Saturday, you can find it on iTunes or by following this link.
If you have any questions about the book, do not hesitate to send me an email! I couldn’t be more excited about Listen and Learn’s leap to the page, and I hope you are, too.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thrilled to be writing my second “I’m thankful for…” post (you can read last year’s here) and it seems that this year, the list has grown. It has been a truly amazing year full of new experiences, opportunities, friends, and additions to my family. So without further ado, these are the things for which I’m giving thanks today:
