by Rachel | Resources & Tips
It’s a BIG SUMMER for Music Therapy Connections, my private practice and teaching studio. Not only are we moving to our own building next month, but we are also welcoming new members to our team. “Expansion” is the theme of 2015 — both personally and professionally!
We want to kick off all these exciting changes by hosting a Midsummer Music Celebration, and you’re invited. On July 19, our friends, students, clients and their families will gather for music-making and mingling. We’ll host an interactive mini-concert, introduce our new staff, share more about our new location, and enjoy some sweet treats at a reception to follow.
It should be a fun afternoon, so we really hope you’ll join us if you are in the central Illinois area. I’m especially looking forward to it since I’ve been on maternity leave all summer and missing all my wonderful students and families.
One more thing, speaking of growth: we are currently raising funds for a recording studio in our new building. Click here to learn more about why this is such a great opportunity for our students and clients, and how you can contribute!
by Rachel | Business Ownership
Last week, I shared some super exciting news with you: my private practice and teaching studio is moving! We found the perfect location for our music therapy sessions, lessons, groups, classes…and a recording studio.
When we realized we had the extra space in our new building, we HAD to jump on the chance to create a dedicated recording studio. We love giving our students the opportunity to record their songs and original creations; not only does this allow them to hear their progress and share with their family, but it also fosters confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of accomplishment.
Those are important goals for ALL of our students, which is why we are raising funds toward equipment for our recording studio. As we make improvements on the new building and purchase other furniture and materials, we don’t quite have the room in our budget for extras — so we are asking for help.
We’ve started an Indiegogo campaign to raise $1500 towards our recording studio, and we have just a little over a month to do it. Our move-in date is August 1, and it would be amazing to have the studio up and running when we open our doors at the end of the summer!
Our conservative goal of $1500 will cover the basics: microphone, headphones, speakers, preamp, and cables. Any additional funds we raise will go towards other equipment, including dedicated computer with recording interface, digital keyboard, and so on (right now we use our own personal equipment from home).
You can contribute any amount (every last dollar helps) and pay by credit card or PayPal. We are offering several perks to our donors to show our appreciation, including:
- recognition on our website
- digital downloads from our collection of original children’s music
- gift certificates to attend our groups and classes
- membership to our music resource websites
Click here to check out our campaign, and if you’re willing, make a contribution. Even if you can’t contribute monetarily, you can still help: spread the word by sharing this page with your friends via email and social media. Our budding recording artists thank you in advance!
by Rachel | Business Ownership
I’m experiencing a bit of deja vu as I write this, because I wrote a post by the same name almost exactly one year ago. Last summer, I joined forces with my business partner, Katey Kamerad, to form an LLC and move from my home studio into Capital City Music. There we had 3 dedicated studio rooms and the use of a large room for our groups and classes.
And it was a great stepping stone. But as the year went on, we realized we were outgrowing the space — especially once we hired a new instructor, music therapist, and accepted a music therapy intern. So the search began for a new location which needed to meet several specific needs:
- our own accessible entrance
- plentiful parking
- waiting area
- 3-5 small studio rooms
- large group room
- meeting room
After exploring several possibilities, we finally came across the perfect building. It’s in a great location, has all of the above, and BONUS — there are windows in every room! I knew the minute we walked through the door that it was meant to be.
The left side of the building (all 2,300 square feet of it) is ours. I’m picking up the keys this morning, and then the real fun begins. The entire space will be repainted and recarpeted, so it will feel brand-new by the time we open our doors to students and clients at the end of August. I could not be more excited!
But I should also admit that it’s a little scary to take a leap like this. With an increase in space comes an increase in costs, not to mention responsibilities related to both the new building and our growing team.
The days of running my business as a sole proprieter with almost no overhead were much easier, but I ran out of opportunities for growth (as there are only so many hours in the day). Katey and I got to that same point this past year, and luckily we share the same vision for our business. So as challenging as this next year may be, we are up for it.
I distinctly remember driving past a building like this several years ago, thinking how amazing it would be to call a place like that home to my business someday. It seemed so out of reach at that point, but “someday” is here. The coming months will be busy, overwhelming, and extremely exciting…I can’t wait to share this new leg of the journey with you!
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.
by Rachel | Professional Development
I’ve been facilitating early childhood music programs since graduate school, before I was even a full-fledged music therapist. I’ve continued to do so all of these years, and it has been so exciting and fulfilling to see my programs continue to grow and touch the lives of many young children (and their families).
After reading dozens of emails from fellow music therapists and educators asking for advice on starting an early childhood music program, I decided to take the plunge and create an online CMTE course on this very topic. It covers the entire process — from conception to the very last class — and everything in between.
This 3-hour CMTE course consists of 3 chapters, and each chapter is made up of 6 videos. Watch the videos at your own pace and on your own time; once you register, you will have 3 months to complete the videos, final evaluation, and post-test. Each video comes with a downloadable audio track and PDF of the slides in the video.
BONUS: You will also receive 12 songs (including mp3, instrumental track, and lead sheet) from the Listen & Learn Music collection. That is $36 worth of music at your fingertips, which you are invited to use as inspiration for your own early childhood program, or include in their original form. You are also welcome to create adaptations and use the instrumental track to record your new versions.
Course Outline
I. Create (42 minutes)
What Kind of Program Will You Create?
Songwriting for Ages 0-3
Choosing Children’s Songs
Instruments, Props & Singable Stories
Packaging Your Program
Chapter 1 Action Steps
II. Market (48 minutes)
Location, Location, Location
The Money Stuff
Devising a Marketing Plan
Make the Most of Local Resources
Create a Buzz Online
Chapter 2 Action Steps
III. Make Music (40 minutes)
Before the First Class
Preparing the Environment
How To Be an Early Childhood Rockstar
Tips for Tricky Situations
After the Last Class
Chapter 3 Action Steps
Final Evaluation (20 minutes)
Please note that I will be answering all questions posted by course participants inside the course. I want this course to be as interactive and educational as possible so that you have the resources to go forward and create a successful program.
The price of the course is $75, which includes the bonus mp3/instrumental track/lead sheet downloads ($36 value).
Listen & Learn Plus! members receive a 20% discount on this course, so if you are already a member, click here to enroll. (And if you’re not a member yet, join now to receive 5+ years of archived resources and downloads PLUS the course discount.)
Once you complete your payment safely and securely via PayPal, you will be redirected to the registration page. Upon registering and logging in, you will have full access to the course for 3 full months.
If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Looking forward to seeing you in the course!
