Can you guess why Dawson looks so happy in this picture? It could be the fact that he LOVES guitar lessons so much…or it could be that we’ve finally figured out a way for him to comfortably play his guitar.
That box underneath his feet was such a simple solution, but it has made all the difference in the world. We spent Dawson’s first couple of lessons trying to figure out a way for him to keep that giant guitar (comparatively speaking) propped up on his leg. Even though my stools are child-sized, they’re just a little too tall for this situation; and the floor was no good either.
So when I spotted that box underneath my desk — I actually have two of them — I pulled it out and told Dawson to rest his feet on it. Voila, the perfect fix! I now have three or four students who use that box for the same purpose.
I’ve implemented several other quick fixes in and around my studio that have been quite effective. Here are a few of my favorites:
The first time my student Carrie and I listened to the Jonas Brothers song “Introducing Me” during her lesson, I told her that it reminded me of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. Every time we worked on the song, I remarked that we should do a mashup of the two tunes.
It only took two months, but I finally got around to working out the arrangement so that we could tackle it at today’s lesson. Carrie and I had a lot of fun recording our mashup, starting with both of our guitars and then adding the vocals. Here is the finished version:
Carrie and I both love the show Glee (at least a couple minutes of each lesson are devoted to rehashing the latest episode), which is what inspired this first mashup. I have a feeling there are more in our future!
When I was little, I’d sit in front of the TV on Saturday mornings just waiting for the music video of Kermit the Frog singing “The Rainbow Connection” to come on. From the first time I heard it, that song had a special place in my heart…and it still does.
“The Rainbow Connection” can be heard frequently inside the Music Therapy Connections studio, because I assign it to many of my beginning voice students. One such student is Grace, who did an absolutely beautiful job with this song. Although she’s only 10 years old, she could fool you with her big voice:
Another version I have absolutely fallen in love with is by jazz singer Jane Monheit, which you can listen to here. (Actually, she could record herself singing the phonebook and I’d buy it.)
Are you a fan of this song, too? I know I wasn’t the only little girl singing along with Kermit at the top of my lungs way back when…
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?
The end of a month-long Church Mice session is always a little bittersweet. On one hand, it’s nice to have Sunday afternoons to myself again until the next session begins; on the other hand, I miss the fun times with my sweet kiddos. I mean, just look at those faces!
My helpful husband came to our last class of the winter session earlier this month and caught some of the action. (You can see all 60+ pictures here.) One of the best parts is the hugs and thank you’s I get after we’ve sung the Church Mice goodbye song:
It’s time for us to go, oh, oh, oh,
Church Mice is over for today.
It’s time for us to go, oh, oh, oh,
So tell me, what do we say?
Goodbye, goodbye,
Farewell, and so long.
Goodbye, goodbye,
This is the goodbye song.
I wish that we could stay, hey, hey, hey,
But I’m afraid our time is through.
I wish that we could stay, hey, hey, hey,
But I have to say goodbye to you.
Goodbye, goodbye,
Farewell, and so long.
Goodbye, goodbye,
This is the goodbye song.
Listen & Learn vets may recognize this song as a repurposing of the goodbye song I wrote for my students at The Hope Institute a couple years ago. That’s one of the great things about my different jobs: there’s lots of overlap :)
I’m already gearing up for the spring session of Church Mice, which begins the first Sunday in May. But until then, I’m going to enjoy my free Sunday afternoons!
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.
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