Red Ribbon Official

MTC Ribbon Cutting

Music Therapy Connections has been in business for over 8 years now, but never have I felt more official than the moment my partner Katey and I cut a red ribbon in front of our building with giant scissors.

We recently joined the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and one of the perks of membership is a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which we held this past Friday. We invited members of the Chamber, our staff, friends and family to join in the ceremony, and then held an open house for families in the community.

Our facility has come a long way since we opened the doors at the end of August, but we’re not done. We are continuing to raise money for our recording studio and constantly coming up with ways of enhancing  our space. The feedback we receive from everyone who comes in has been overwhelmingly positive — the BEST thing to hear is how cheerful and inviting it is. That’s exactly what we were going for :)

If you live in the Springfield area and haven’t been by for a visit, please feel free by do so. Also, we still have a few openings for new voice, piano and guitar students as well as our next session of classes for children of all ages. All of the information is available on our website.

My Small Business Story: Part 2

Rachels-Music-Therapy-Studio-Office-1024x768

Last week, I shared Part 1 of this series, in which I’m giving you the full scoop on how I went from having a full-time day job and a small private practice on the side (headquartered in my car) to now co-owning a thriving business with a facility of our own and a team of 7.

Part 1 was all about the side hustle: getting my name out there, starting a small private practice on the side, and then literally hustling from one client’s home to another every evening after a full day at work.

Part 2 begins in June 2009, when I opened the first version of my home studio. In the full post, I detail the evolution from “side hustle” to “two full-time jobs” — including my thoughts on home-based private practice, preparing to quit my day job, and making changes to become a full-fledged business owner.

You can read parts 1 and 2 of my story, along with key takeaways and action items, over on Listen & Learn Plus, where you’ll also find 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.

Listen & Learn Plus

My Small Business Story: Part 1

Music Therapy Business Owner in Springfield, IL

This week I was honored to be featured in the Springfield Business Journal, which was not only a great opportunity for my business but also a music therapy advocacy win. Even though I’ve been practicing here for 8+ years, I still find myself explaining my profession on a daily basis.

Reading the article and then later in the day having a conversation with a fellow music therapy business owner inspired me to dive deeper into my small business story, especially for new professionals who have aspirations of going into private practice.

I know that I personally LOVE hearing other peoples’ stories (a big reason I host a podcast where I get to do just that!), and I’ve learned a lot about business ownership thanks to colleagues who have been willing to share.

So over the next four weeks, I’ll be giving the full scoop on how I went from having a full-time day job and a small private practice on the side (headquartered in my car) to now co-owning a thriving business with a facility of our own and a team of 7.

You can read my story, along with key takeaways and action items, over on Listen & Learn Plus, where you’ll also find 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.

Listen & Learn Plus

The Gang’s All Here

Music Therapy, Lessons & Classes for Children in Springfield, Illinois

It’s hard to believe, but Music Therapy Connections, LLC has grown from a duo to a team of 7 in the span of just one year. On Monday we had a full house in our studio with 5 music therapy sessions, lessons, and groups happening at the VERY SAME TIME. It was awesome.

We had so much fun getting everyone together for a photo shoot a few weeks ago. Here are some names to go with those smiling faces, from left to right:

  • Matt Mifflin teaches guitar and piano.
  • Matt Nall teaches piano and ukulele.
  • Kristi Lecocq teaches voice and introductory piano.
  • Janel Metzger provides music therapy, groups, classes, adapted lessons and introductory piano.
  • Katey Kamerad provides music therapy, groups, classes, adapted and typical lessons (piano/voice/guitar).
  • Alisabeth Hopper, our music therapy intern, assists in providing all of the above.
  • Rachel Rambach (that’s me) provides all of the above.

Learn more about all of our team members, including their background and training, on the Music Therapy Connections website.

What I love about our team is the diverse skills each person brings to the studio. There is some overlap in the instruments we teach and services in which we specialize, but everyone has his or her own approach and philosophy — all of which are a great fit with our company.

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho…

Back to Work After Maternity Leave

It’s off to work I go! This is where I’ll be spending a big part of my week starting today, and I’m super excited about it. Okay, a little sad, because what mom is jumping for joy about leaving her 3-month-old…but mostly super excited.

When I mention that I’m returning to work after maternity leave, most people respond with, “what maternity leave?”. They have a point; although I didn’t work with students individually this summer after having my baby in May, I did teach two classes, continue doing administrative work to keep the business running, and open a new facility alongside my business partner, Katey.

But I was able to do a lot of that work (minus the classes and renovations) from home, and I didn’t have any semblance of a regular routine or schedule all summer long. Starting today, all that changes.

Monday through Thursday, I’ll be working with students in the afternoons and evenings as well as teaching my early childhood class on Tuesday mornings. The beautiful thing about my schedule is that I’m still able to be home with Mia and Parker in the mornings, and this year — for the first time ever — I’m not working on Fridays. It does make for a little bit longer days the rest of the week, but totally worth it to have an entire extra day devoted to my kids.

As delightful as this schedule is, I will be honest that it isn’t easy or relaxing. Caring for a baby all day and THEN going to work with children for several hours back-to-back is no joke; I know because I did it for 18 months with Parker. Not only is it physically exhausting, but it’s also a juggle making sure everything is in place with child care and finding the time to do all the work that requires my attention outside of direct service hours. Oh yeah, and I’m not thrilled about having to pump two times a day, but I know many moms who have to do so while driving or in random places during the workday, so I really have no excuse for complaint.

I’m hoping this time around is a little more manageable overall, and I have high hopes because a) Mia sleeps at night, unlike Parker when he was an infant; and B) I’ve learned some strategies for doing it all and staying sane (most of the time, ha!).

I also know that it gets easier. When Parker started going to school Tuesday through Thursday at 18 months old, it opened up a whole new world for me. At this time next year, Mia will be there with him, so I will have three entire work days each week at that point.

But I am definitely not wishing this time away, because I know in a few years I will greatly miss this time “in the trenches” as they say. Luckily, I absolutely love my work, which makes it worth all the 5 am wakeups and 8 pm bedtimes. I’m feeling a little like a kid on her first day at a new school, except my mom won’t be taking any pictures of me on the front porch before I go ;)