by Rachel | Uncategorized
Each time one of my students completes a level in a lesson book, masters a particularly difficult piece, or receives an award in a competition, his or her picture goes up on the studio bulletin board — or “Wall of Fame” as I like to call it.
Only my students and their parents see the bulletin board, but what about posting pictures and videos of students on my website (as I did with Sergei above) and Facebook page?
The answer is simple: you MUST ask for parents’ permission to do so. Each spring, I have parents fill out a yearly survey which includes the following question:
Do I have permission to feature pictures and/or videos of this student (never using last name) on my studio bulletin board, website, and/or Facebook page?
Parents then have three options: 1) Yes; 2) Please ask on a case-by-case basis; or 3) No. Once they have signed the form, I keep it on record until the following year.
Amazingly enough, I’ve not had one parent mark “no” in response to that question. However, I never take advantage of their trust, which means I share students’ photos and videos very sparingly. But every once in a while, it’s nice to showcase students and give them the thrill of seeing themselves in a public space.
Do you have a media release option for your students?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Each morning as I decide what to wear, a few thoughts go through my head: what’s the weather like? Do I have any floor groups today? Am I going to be lugging instruments and equipment around?
As a music therapist, my job duties and work environment changes on a daily basis depending on which clients I’m seeing and in which setting I’ll be seeing them. I spend most days in multiple settings, going straight from my job at a school (where I need to adhere to a certain dress code) to my private practice (where I can keep my outfit a little more casual). So the key is finding a good balance.
There is a list of rules I follow during the school year that make getting dressed a little easier, no matter what I’ll be doing on any given day. Here are some things I stay away from:
- open-toed shoes
- uncomfortable heels
- short skirts
- shirts that are too short
- pants that are too low
- sleeves that don’t let me lift my arms easily
- overstated jewelry
In other words, I pretty much stick to the basics. My wardrobe feels pretty boring at times, but it’s better than being uncomfortable!
In the summer I can be a little more lax, since I work mainly in my home studio and don’t have to do any hauling or walking around. I still need to look professional enough, but I want my students and parents (who most often are dressed down during the warmer months) to feel comfortable and “at home” in my studio.
There’s so much more you have to take into consideration when you spend your days with children. What rules — whether your own or a strict dress code — do you follow when you get dressed for work?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
There are a few people on the internet who I look up to immensely. Chris Guillebeau is one of them, which I’ve mentioned here before. All of my music therapy blogger friends fall into that category, as well. But before I discovered Chris, or met any of those music therapists, there was Hugh MacLeod.
Back in 2008, just prior to starting Listen & Learn, I came across an article on the internet called How To Be Creative. It inspired me so much that I printed it out, and then read it over and over again. I didn’t pay much attention to who wrote it, or where it came from, until I stumbled upon a book called Ignore Everybody at Barnes & Noble a year and a half later.
The best-selling book was based on that article, and the author was Hugh MacLeod, whose blog contains tons of other great articles and cartoons about marketing, social media, and being creative. Needless to say, I subscribed to his daily cartoon newsletter and added his blog to my Google Reader immediately.
Hugh’s latest book is called Evil Plans, a term which he defines as “a crazy, out-there idea that allows you to ACTUALLY start doing something you love, doing something that matters.” This is a book you open at 11 pm, tell yourself you’ll read one chapter before bed, and then before you know it, you’ve read five and don’t want to put it down. It’s inspiring, funny, and brutally honest.
Hugh says that everyone should have an evil plan. What’s yours?
(And yes…I have one. A few, actually. I promise I’ll spill the beans soon!)
by Rachel | Uncategorized
This is what I came home to on the first day of my studio renovation. Eek! A hole in the wall! But that meant I was one step closer to a beautiful new waiting room, even though it’s not looking quite so beautiful in this picture.
By the end of the very next day, our contractors had installed the door leading to the garage, where students and their families will enter and exit through the “people door” you can see above. They had also ripped up the old carpet to get ready for the new flooring, which left the room looking like this (click to enlarge pictures):
Here’s a view of the door from the garage. You can see how close the new door is to the existing door through which everyone will enter from outside. We’re planning to partition off the rest of the garage from this little alcove:
The trim and step still need to be painted, but the hard work is done. What I like about this renovation is that we didn’t have to add another exterior door to the house, which might have affected the resale value if/when we decide to move. And this new entryway can easily be reversed if a buyer does not want it.
The contractors have also begun framing in the door that will separate the studio “wing” from the rest of the house. I thought it was hilarious when last Friday, after one of my students’ parents used the restroom, she came back and asked, “Did Sadie rip up the trim in the hallway?” A valid question, since I hadn’t yet explained the renovation :) Here’s how the doorway was looking a few days ago:
It’s further along now, since the guys have been back every day to mud the drywall. (Don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about?) But it’s definitely still looking rough, and I’m very anxious for this part to be completed since it’s visible to everyone who comes in the house.
The room that will become my new studio is still fairly untouched, aside from housing the other room’s closet doors and a couple pieces of furniture. But soon they’ll be repainting and recarpeting, at which point I can start decorating — the most fun part of any renovation.
So that’s where we’re at right now. A lot of thumb-twiddling as we wait for the new flooring to come in, which won’t be for another couple of weeks. This process is most definitely a lesson in patience!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Yesterday, I came home to a giant hole in my house. That may sound like a bad thing, but I promise…it’s not! Renovations for my new studio are now officially underway, so I thought I’d better share some “before” snapshots of the space in its original condition. Note: click to enlarge pictures.
My dog Sadie decided that she wanted to get in on the picture-taking action :) Here she is, posing in the hallway that will soon be separated from the rest of the house with a door. To the right is the bathroom, straight ahead is my new office/studio, next to that is a closet, and on the far left (which you can’t see in this picture) will be the waiting room.
Here’s the bathroom. We aren’t going to be making any changes to it, but hey, I just thought I’d throw it in with the rest of the pictures since it will technically be included in the new space.
Here’s the view of my future office/studio from the hallway. (It was formerly used as a guest room.) Both the flooring and wall color will be different.
Here’s another view of the room. I’m thinking the piano will go on the wall where the baker’s rack is right now. Oh, and you might see that baker’s rack again later, only looking a little different :)
This closet actually extends across the entire wall inside. My current studio does not have a closet…I’m so excited to have the storage space for materials I don’t necessarily want out in plain sight.
Here’s the future waiting room! Right now, this room is completely wasted, so it will be nice when it actually serves a purpose. The wall color will stay the same, but the floor will be different. To the right of the closet, there will be a door for entering/exiting from outside.
Another view of the room. Those chairs are extras that go with our kitchen table, so they will not be in the new waiting room. I’m already in search of furniture…any ideas?
One last view from the opposite corner. I’m thinking I’ll use part of the closet for coats, but I’m not sure what else. I’m also toying with the idea of leaving the keyboard and bench in the waiting room so that students can practice before their lesson (with headphones, of course).
The contractors worked from 8 am to 6:30 pm yesterday, and their progress is pretty phenomenal. I’ll be sharing more pictures of the process in the coming days and weeks, and look forward to your feedback and decorating ideas!
