by Rachel | Uncategorized
Sometimes I feel like there are so many directions I want to go in life, so many things I want to do, that I can barely keep my head on straight. When I graduated from high school, my goal in life was to perform music. I spent my college years working toward that goal, until I realized that I wanted to help people through music. I went to graduate school with the new goal of becoming a music therapist, but I never lost my passion for performance. I just sort of put it aside for awhile.
In the last year or so, though, I’ve had the itch to get back into it. That is not to say my passion for music therapy has diminished; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Lately I’ve been feeling more and more like I can do both, and though it can be overwhelming at times, I have found inspiration in so many places to keep at it. These are just a few sources of that inspiration:
Other music therapists who are in similar situations. Last spring, I had a long conversation with a music therapist across the country who struggles with finding a balance between her music therapist-self and her performing-self. I completely identified with her, and was reassured to hear her say that it is okay to embrace both passions.
The internet. I come across websites every day that tell stories of other performers with unconventional backgrounds, career paths, and day jobs. I am constantly reminded that people don’t fit neatly into boxes labeled “singer/songwriter”, “music therapist”, “teacher”, etc. There is a lot of overlap between all the branches of the music world.
Laurie Berker. Okay, so I talk about her all the time, but I can’t help it. Like me, she began her career using music to connect with and help children. She started writing her own songs, and with a lot of hard work, made a name for herself through her music and now reaches children all over the world. I read a great interview with her yesterday which made me look up to her even more.
Allison Weiss. This girl knows what she wants to do, and is going after it. She makes use of all of her resources, and is, as she calls herself, a totally DIY artist. In fact, I first learned about Kickstarter through her website. She raised $7,000 to make her album, and although she doesn’t work with children, she connects with people through her music in a way that any music therapist or musician in general can appreciate.
My own audience. When I am doing music therapy, I don’t think of my students as my audience. Music is merely the tool that I use to work with them on goals that are actually non-musical. But when I hear a student (or staff member!) singing one of my songs outside of the music therapy session, it makes me feel like my music is not only therapeutic, but also enjoyable. Sort of the same feeling I get when I am performing in a non-music therapy setting and people are responding to my songs.
I hope this all makes sense, not just inside my head, but to you as well. The bottom line is that I never want to stop being a music therapist, nor do I want to stop performing. The universe seems to be telling me that it is okay to do both, so I am just going to keep listening :)
by Rachel | Uncategorized
As much as I write about my iPhone, Macbook, and other gadgets, you might think I work for Apple (or at least get paid to promote their products). Well neither is the case; I just happen to really, really love these pieces of technology. Even harder to believe is that up until two years ago, I was a total PC person. My husband made the switch in 2006, and I followed him after listening to a year’s worth of gloating about his superior machine.
Now I don’t know what I’d do without my Mac (and more recently, my iPhone). I do all of my recording using GarageBand, a music editing program that comes with every Apple computer. It allows me to record several different tracks either via a microphone or MIDI source, and then edit them to my heart’s content. It is integrated with iTunes so that once my recording is finished, I can import it into my iTunes library and then either burn it to a CD or post it to my blog. How convenient!
Today my mom and I recorded a song that we wrote for my grandma’s 80th birthday, and of course, we used GarageBand. She was amazed that I could easily add strings and other instruments, manipulate each track to make it perfect, and then email it off to her once it was completed.
I remember the first time my husband showed me the program; my exact words were “what would I ever do with this?”. Now I can’t imagine my life without it, since so much of it is spent writing and recording music for work and for fun. My newest GarageBand project? Creating custom ringtones using songs in my iTunes library for my iPhone…even Zach has joined in this action :)
I could probably go on and on all afternoon about the wonders of GarageBand, but I’ll stop here. Enjoy the rest of your Friday, and hopefully I’ll be back over the weekend with a new song or two.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Happy Birthday to me! I actually celebrated my 26th several weeks ago, but my husband’s gift didn’t arrive until Monday. To be honest, I haven’t been able to put it down since…but at least I’ve been putting it to good use! I thought this would be a perfect topic for Friday Faves, so read on to find out how the iPhone has become an integral part of my life as a music therapist.
1. Calendar
Until now, I’ve had your basic, run-of-the-mill flip phone that doesn’t do much besides make calls and send texts. It did have a calendar feature, but it was nowhere near as user-friendly and helpful as the iPhone’s. Keeping track of my summer schedule – music therapy appointments, lessons, meetings, deadlines, etc. – has never been easier. I can input my events via my computer (and then sync with the phone) or just the phone itself. I can also set an alarm to remind me of events either the day before or the day of.
2. Voice Memos
This is a brand new feature on the iPhone, and one that I’ve already come to rely on. As a songwriter, I’m always coming up with song ideas at the most inopportune times. Whether it was in the car, at the grocery store, or what have you, I was constantly forgetting melodies and lyrics I couldn’t record or write down in time. Not anymore! Now I just pull out my phone, sing or say my idea right into the speaker, and come back to it later.
3. Checklists
I don’t know about you, but I’m a list person. My husband is constantly teasing me about the paper lists I keep, written neatly in colored pen and then marked through with squiggle lines when each item is completed. With the checklist application on my phone, I can now keep separate lists for different areas of my life (music therapy, blogging, errands, groceries) and mark items with a check at completion. Simple, but a list-maker’s dream.
4. TweetDeck
I’ve written previously about my love for Twitter; now thanks to my iPhone, I can “tweet” on the go and keep up with what my “tweeps” are doing. TweetDeck allows me to view both of my Twitter accounts, and I can update either one right from my phone.
5. Email
This is probably the most useful aspect of my iPhone. I’m an email junkie, so having constant access is a real thrill. I can receive and send messages from all three of my accounts, and my phone is kind enough to alert me when I have a delivery to my inbox :)
I really could keep on going here, but I’d hate to bore you. The bottom line is that the iPhone allows me to stay connected, organized, and productive amidst the wonderful chaos that is my daily life. What did I ever do without it? (just kidding…kind of.)
by Rachel | Uncategorized
It’s just about quitting time, but I wanted to get in one last post before I tear myself away from the computer for the weekend. I haven’t done a Friday Fave in a while, so I decided that today’s would be dedicated to a little website you may have heard of: Twitter. What’s not to love about a site that’s all about networking, staying up-to-date with friends, and talking about yourself, all in 140 characters or less?
You may have noticed the Twitter icon I’m sporting in my left sidebar. If you’re not following me already, you should be! I’m a little ashamed to say that “tweeting” has become one of my favorite online activities…time that could be better spent writing and recording new songs. I’m sure the novelty will wear off soon, but for now I’m enjoying making connections with other music therapists, educators, and parents all over the country.
So to sum up: find me on Twitter, introduce yourself, and we’ll share in the fun together :) Other than that, enjoy your weekend! New songs coming next week!!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
A random google search several weeks ago led me to a site called CD Baby, which is an online music store for independent musicians who want to sell their albums. Intrigued, I did some exploring and came to the conclusion that this site may be one of the greatest resources out there for musicians who want to share their talent while earning a little money at the same time.
Any regular person (like me!) can sign up with CD Baby and have their albums sold on the site. All you have to do is sign up, provide information about yourself and your CD, and then send five copies of the CD you’re selling. For a one-time fee of $35, CD Baby will set up a page to display your CD, handle all sales, and ship your CD to customers who buy it. The best part is that the company only keeps $4 per CD and a measly 9% per digital download. Oh, and CD Baby makes your music available to iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, and the like.
I’m in the process of compiling my first CD, and CD Baby seems like the perfect market for it. I came across some great children’s music while perusing the site, so mine would be in good company. I will keep you posted as to my progress on this project – it’s very exciting!
So that is this week’s Friday Fave. I’ll be enjoying a mini-vacation in Florida for the next couple of days, so look for a new song right here at Listen & Learn on Monday. Have a great weekend, everyone!
