When I was in elementary school, I only got in trouble for one reason: reading Babysitter’s Club books during class. Not much changed throughout the years; I always had books in my desk, locker, and bookbag, because I loved to read and couldn’t get enough. It frustrated my parents to no end, because they would buy be a new book and I would finish it that very same day.
I still love to read, but these days, I just don’t have the time. How sad is it that I’ve had the same two books laying on the nightstand for two months now? But late last fall, my friend Kimberly S. Moore (a.k.a. Music Therapy Maven) introduced me to a whole new way of “reading” books. Audible is a website that sells audiobook downloads (either a la carte or through a membership) and I am hooked!
As an AudibleListener Gold member, I receive a monthly credit which allows me to download almost any audiobook I want. Not only is the price completely reasonable ($7.49/month for the first 3 months, and then $14.95/month thereafter) but the selection is amazing. I have a huge wish list of audiobooks I plan to download in the coming months.
The #1 reason I love audiobooks is the convenience factor. I listen to them on my iPhone, which I have with me all the time. A few of my favorite times/places to listen: the gym, getting ready in the morning, in the car, while I’m cleaning or cooking, and the list goes on. I recently finished the book Getting Things Done by David Allen (which I’d recommend to anyone), and right now I’m in the middle of Excuses Begone! by Wayne Dyer.
I’d be curious to hear if anyone else has discovered the beauty of audiobooks, or if you stay true to traditional printed books. Any Kindle readers here? I’d love to try that out, although I’m not sure how much I’d love having one more thing to carry around with me.
Well that does it for this week’s edition of Friday Faves! Thinking ahead: let me know if there’s a song you’d like to see/hear featured in my Sunday Singalong video…it could be one of my own or a cover (think Jack Johnson, Justin Roberts, Laurie Berkner, Jim Gill, etc.). It’s a happy, sunny day here, and I hope the same is true for you! See you again soon.
I’m assuming that since you’re here at Listen & Learn, you are probably interested in music therapy, music education, or just music in general. If that is the case, then you’ll definitely want to stop by the Erfurt Music Resource, a new website created by my friend and fellow music therapist, Michelle Erfurt. Read as Michelle describes it in her own words:
“The idea of creating an online resource for music related products, services, and information came from a conversation I had with Raymond Day, adaptive instrument maker and long time music therapy supporter. I had published a music songbook for Rachel Rambach and really needed to show it off at the next national American Music Therapy Association conference. I wanted a table in the exhibit hall but was looking for someone else to share the rental cost in order to be as fiscally responsible as possible. I had heard about Raymond Day from my days volunteering with the AMTA membership committee and gave him a call. Turns out that he wanted to sell his products at conference but wasn’t able to physically be there. So we worked out a deal…and together we were able to spread the word about our products.”
“There are many people out there just like Raymond, Rachel and myself. Individuals with products, services and information that would be of interest to music therapists, music educators, parents, and more. But we need help connecting our great products with all of you out there. So, that’s exactly what we have done. The Erfurt Music Resource: A collection of individuals working to promote our items together.”
This site truly is a comprehensive collection; you’ll find other music therapy bloggers like me, video lessons, e-books, and lots more. It’s nice to be part of a community that is growing so quickly and receiving such a great response.
Many of my favorite blogs offer periodic giveaways to their loyal readers, and I am so excited to be following in their footsteps! I couldn’t have asked for a better freebie: the SleepPhones System by AcousticSheep.
SleepPhones are soft, comfortable headphones that are housed in a machine-washable fleece headband, perfect for wearing at night as you sleep (hence their name). They can be plugged into an iPod, CD player, radio or any other audio device with a regular headphone jack. Some of you might remember that I posted my own review of the SleepPhones (complete with personal pics!) after trying them out for myself last fall. I’ve been using them for months now; I just plug my SleepPhones into my iPod, tuck it underneath my pillow, and drift off to my favorite sleepy-time music.
Several readers wrote to me after my SleepPhones post to tell me they were purchasing their own pair. Now YOU have the chance to win a pair (valued at $54.95) just by leaving a comment at the end of this post by Sunday, 8 pm CT. [Note: Your comment must include an email address to be eligible to win, either through your Google ID or typed into your comment entry.] I’ll use random.org to select a winner, who will be announced on Monday, February 22nd. Good luck!
P.S. If you don’t win, you can still save on SleepPhones! AcousticSheep has generously offered a $5 discount to my lovely readers. Just use the coupon code “LALM5” when you place your order.
Guess what? I’m a podcaster! Along with my friends and fellow music therapists Kimberly Sena Moore and Michelle Erfurt, we have started the Music Therapy Round Table, a podcast in which we discuss all kinds of topics related to music therapy that are important to us.
Michelle, Kimberly and I live in three different time zones across the country, and we met via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The idea to start a podcast manifested when the three of us finally got together in person, at last year’s AMTA National Conference in San Diego. A few months later, after lots of research and several Skype sessions, our podcast is up and running!
We even have our own blog, where we post both the audio and transcripted versions of each episode. Episode 1 is live now; in it, we introduce ourselves and share how we became music therapists, as well as outline our goals for the podcast series.
You can also find us on iTunes! Just search “Music Therapy Round Table” and you should see what I have pictured above. Subscribe to receive new episodes as they are published monthly.
Our podcast is geared toward not only other music therapists, but anyone else who is interested in music as a therapeutic means to improving peoples’ lives. I hope that you will check it out, and I can’t wait to hear your feedback!
“Sunday Singalong” got bumped to Saturday, because I have a special Valentine’s Day post planned for tomorrow. Two weekend posts…bonus!
Like I said in the video, I chose Laurie Berkner’s song “The Story of My Feelings” because all month, my students and I have been working on understanding what emotions are all about, what they look like, and how we show them. I received the illustrated book as a Christmas gift two years ago, and I have been using it ever since to supplement not only music therapy sessions, but also the music classes I teach for young children.
And now back to today’s regularly scheduled programming: couch time! It is Saturday, after all, my one day to relax after a busy week. Sundays start early, with choir rehearsal, church, grocery shopping, Church Mice, and tomorrow, a Valentine’s Day dinner with my special Valentine. More on that to come!
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.
My Book + Course
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
