by Rachel | Professional Development
While I initially created the Listen & Learn for Little Ones early childhood class just over two years ago, it wasn’t until last July that I was able to get it up and running on a continuous basis. Ever since, I’ve spent almost every Tuesday morning making music with young children and their parents or caregivers.
It didn’t take long for this class to become the biggest highlight of my week, especially since many of the same families registered for every single five-week session over the course of this year. I got to know the kiddos very well, and even better — they got to know each other.
I’ve met some amazing moms, grandmas, nannies, and a few dads here and there, too :) We’ve played with countless instruments, read tons of singable stories, showed off our dance moves, and the very best part is that I’ve had the pleasure of watching these children develop.
This morning’s class was my last before I take off some time for maternity leave, and I have to admit, it was bittersweet saying goodbye to everyone. All the adults in the room looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told them I’d be returning at the end of June, but the truth is, I’m already looking forward to it!
Since I won’t be practicing music therapy or teaching lessons over the summer, the classes will provide a nice creative outlet and chance to leave the house a couple times a week.
I can’t wait to spend Tuesday mornings snuggled up with my brand new baby girl in just a couple of weeks (or less!), but I will miss my “little ones”. It will be so much fun to see how they’ve grown and changed during that time.
Are you interested in starting an early childhood music program of your own? My course Create, Market, Make Music! (3 CMTE credits) takes you through the entire process. Learn more here.
by Rachel | Resources & Tips
I’m currently participating in the #MusicTherapyBlogger challenge, hosted by Julie Palmieri at Serenade Designs. This week’s blogging prompt is to write about something that works in our everyday lives as a music therapist, and I didn’t have to think twice about that.
At 38 weeks pregnant, it’s no surprise that I have a GIANT belly. It has been posing quite a challenge for the last couple months or so, but only in these last few weeks has my baby bump made it nearly impossible to effectively play my guitar.
Enter my lovely little Cordoba acoustic-electric tenor ukulele. I got it as a Christmas gift from my parents a few years ago, and it has been a staple in my music therapy sessions, early childhood classes, and gigging adventures ever since. I also find myself picking it up more often than my guitar when I record my songs, which you might have noticed over the last couple years. I love how easy it is to play, the sweet sound it makes, and now more than ever, it’s compact size.
While I have to wear and play my guitar almost completely on my side (making it really interesting to form chords and strum), My ukulele sits on a nice little shelf, aka my belly, and is so light-weight that I can play for a long stretch without it being uncomfortable. I do use a neck strap to keep it from slipping down.
Ukuleles have become pretty trendy in the music therapy world over the last few years, and I had no problem following that trend. Little did I know just how handy it would become late in my pregnancies.
by Rachel | Listen & Learn Music
I am so happy to announce that as of today, my new songbook collection — Ring, Sing, Strum & Drum! — is available in its entirety. I have been working SO hard over the last couple of months writing and recording 12 brand-new songs that I think you will love and be able to use with your children, students, and/or clients.
Ring, Sing, Strum & Drum! is a digitally downloaded songbook collection containing 12 never-before released Listen & Learn songs for playing instruments — including rhythm sticks, hand bells, cabasa, castanets, kazoos and more. Not only does the PDF songbook provide the notated melody line, chords and lyrics, but you also receive full and instrumental mp3s for all 12 songs:
“Sh-Sh-Sh-Shake”
“Rhythm Sticks Mix”
“Ring Around the Rainbow”
“Hum a Tune”
“Gather ‘Round the Drum”
“Strum With Your Fingers & Thumb”
“Click Like This, Clack Like That”
“Cabasa Bossa Nova”
“Jingle Jamboree”
“Rainstick Round”
“Lollipop Start & Stop”
“Tam Tam Boo”
Purchasing the lead sheet and mp3s for each individual song would cost you $3 a pop; multiply that by 12 songs and you’re out $36. But since I’m all about sharing the love, I’ve priced Ring, Sing, Strum & Drum! at a mere $12.
With just under a month remaining in the school year, it’s right about this time that your repertoire needs a boost — if you’re anything like me, that is. Whether you work as a music therapist in the classroom or one-on-one setting or you are a music educator, my newest creation might be just the boost you need.
(And for even more instrument songs for children, you should take a look at my best-selling songbook collection, Tapping, Shaking, Music Making!)
by Rachel | Personal Development
For most of my adult life, I’ve been a morning person. Up until my son was born, I started every weekday with a workout, followed by coffee and a couple solid hours of productive work. I loved my morning routine, and I really did try to get back into it post-baby. But the lack of sleep that first year (thanks to said baby!) made it nearly impossible, and I fell into the habit of sleeping until he woke up.
However, recently I’ve been setting my alarm and taking advantage of those early morning hours while the house is still quiet. My son is a wonderful sleeper now, and since baby #2 will be here in just a couple of months, I figured I better take advantage of this short window of time.
I listened to the audio version of Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 am), which further motivated me to make the most of my mornings. And while I don’t employ all of the components of his miracle morning routine, I’ve adopted many of the tips in the book.
I’m definitely noticing a positive difference in my mood and overall well-being on the days I wake up early, not to mention a huge increase in my productivity levels. My biggest complaint in life is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day, but creating my own “miracle morning” is at least a start to solving that problem.
Someday — maybe in a year or so when I have (fingers crossed!) two good little sleepers — I would love to craft my mornings as outlined in the book, which would include exercise, journaling, meditation, and reading. But for now, having some extra time to tackle my to-do list while my brain is still fresh seems to be just what I need.
Are you a morning person, and if so, how do you spend those early hours? And if you’re not, maybe reading The Miracle Morning will inspire you the way it re-inspired me.
Sidenote: this isn’t a sponsored post. I just really enjoyed the book and wanted to share the positive impact it has had on my life.
by Rachel | Professional Development
You’d think that I would have gotten into podcasts a lot time ago, considering I’ve been co-hosting one for over 5 years now. But aside from checking out the other great music therapy-related shows* out there, I never really took the time to explore the wide world of podcasts.
Until I had a baby. And expanded my business shortly thereafter. It was then I realized if I wanted to consume any media outside of scrolling quickly through my Facebook feed, I would need to figure out how to do it while multitasking. Podcasts were the perfect solution, because I could listen while I exercise, get ready in the morning, drive, clean up the house, and so on.
Here are some of the podcasts I never miss. I would love for you to add your favorites in the comments!
- Being Boss – a podcast for creative entrepreneurs. This is a relatively new podcast hosted by two women who own their own businesses, and are also moms. They cover lots of relatable topics like work-life balance, daily routines, marketing, gaining new clients, online presence, etc.
- Elise Gets Crafty – a podcast covering such topics as blogging, business, creativity, inspiration and motivation. Elise Blaha Cripe is the host and a creative “maker” who interviews a different guest each week. I have learned a lot about small business and just being a creative professional in general.
- Creative Start – I’m always so interested in learning how people came to be in their creative careers, which is why I am enjoying this podcast so much. It’s inspiring to hear others’ journeys, and how they overcome various obstacles to pursue their passions.
- The Lively Show – I’ve been following Jess Lively for YEARS, and was so excited when she launched her podcast, which is all about living life with intention. She interviews guests about how they live their lives with intention, and I always feel so motivated at the end of each episode.
- The Sarah R. Bagley Podcast – I’m a self-admitted perfectionist, so this podcast, all about “recovering” from perfectionism, is right up my alley. Sarah interviews a different guest each week about their struggles with perfectionism and how they have managed to overcome it.
- Online Marketing Made Easy – As a small business owner, marketing is something I have no choice but to do. I actually really enjoy it, especially learning lots of different techniques and keeping up with all the changes as social media evolves. Amy Porterfield is the host and I really enjoy her friendly, conversational manner.
I have a few other non-music therapy podcast favorites, including Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn, The Tim Ferriss Show, Serial, and Pregnancy Perfect (this one might only appeal to those of you sharing in my current condition!).
*Even though this post is about non-MT podcasts, I can’t not share at least a few MT-centered shows with you. Be sure to check out The Music Therapy Show with Janice Lindstrom, Urban Therapists: Music Therapy, Culture & More, Music Therapy Research Blog, The Music Therapy Round Table, and my new podcast, Guitars & Granola Bars.
