It’s Listen & Learn’s birthday, but YOU’RE getting the presents.
My baby is hitting double digits! It’s hard to believe that this little website I started as a brand-new music therapist is still going strong 10 years later. Recording the songs, creating the materials, and writing the blog posts that fill up these pages brings me SO much joy, but what fills me up even more is knowing that they are benefiting YOU.
YOU are the reason that Listen & Learn Music is still alive and well today, and YOU are the reason I’ll be celebrating another 10 years in 2028. Every email and comment I receive detailing how a song was brought to life in a classroom or music therapy session, and how it helped a child to learn a new skill, provides the motivation to make this an even more valuable resource for you.
To properly thank you for your support, I want to give you a gift for every year of Listen & Learn Music. Starting September 1, I’ll be sharing one of my favorite resources with you from the L&L collection each day in yearly chronological order, all the way through September 10.
Our Biggest Giveaway Ever
And last, but not least, I hope you’ll participate in the GIVEAWAY I’m doing on September 10! One extremely lucky winner will receive a LIFETIME VIP MEMBERSHIP to Listen & Learn Plus, including all current and future CMTE courses.
All you have to do is help me celebrate by:
1) following Listen & Learn Music on Instagram
2) Creating a post about how you’ve used a L&L resource, or just simply sending a birthday wish
3) Tagging @listenlearnmusic on your post
4) Using the hashtag #listenlearnmusicturns10
Feel free to save and post this image and use the caption:
Wishing @listenlearnmusic a very happy 10th birthday! I’m joining in the celebration and hoping to win a lifetime VIP membership to Listen & Learn Plus! #listenlearnmusicturns10
Follow the steps above to enter as many times as you’d like between September 1 – 10.
Start from the beginning.
Each day, I’m writing a blog post recapping each year of Listen & Learn Music and announcing the resource gift for that day.
If you’ve entered your name and email address above, you’ll receive these directly to your inbox, and you’ll also have access to them (along with other cool stuff) inside the private Facebook group.
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More from Listen & Learn Music
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 47
I met Gretchen Chardos Benner a couple years ago when we sat down for coffee at the AMTA national conference in Jacksonville, Florida. We talked about private practice, having kids, and life in general — we had a lot in common!
Gretchen gave me great advice back then, as she was a few years into the parenting game already and I was brand new to it. She shares some of that advice and much more in this week’s podcast episode.
Gretchen talks about following in her sister’s footsteps to become the second music therapist in her family, pursuing her masters degree while working full-time, and how she makes music with her family at home in Episode 47 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Gretchen, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
Five Tall Trees
I’ve been on a seasonal counting kick these last few months, which you know full well if you’ve been in a music therapy session or early childhood class at Music Therapy Connections this fall. In September we counted apples, in October we counted pumpkins, and right now we’re counting trees.
In keeping with the theme, we use five laminated “trees” cut of of green construction paper to accompany the song Five Tall Trees, which always brings our helpers to the front of the room during class (my son Parker is usually the first to run up and assist in counting!).
Each time we take away a tree, we count the remaining trees, so our students get a lot of practice counting up to 5, 4, 3, 2, and then 1. We point to the trees as well as hold up the correct number of fingers, which encourages them to do so as well.
This song template is super simple, but it is a favorite in every session. Time to start planning counting songs — and making the visuals to go with them — for the winter months!
Members of Listen & Learn Plus! have access to this song along with just about everything else in my resource library and collection — come over and join us!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 46
This week’s podcast guest didn’t start out as a music therapy major — or even a music major — in college. She actually began her undergraduate career as an engineering student, but eventually made the switch once she discovered music therapy.
Her math, science and engineering courses would later come in very handy, as you’ll hear in the episode. Ginny Driscoll has one of the coolest jobs of all the music therapists I know.
Ginny talks about her work as a music therapy researcher, pursuing her PhD while raising two girls, and how she includes her daughters in her self-care practices in Episode 46 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Ginny, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
It’s Time for Little Jingles!
Last December, we offered our very first holiday-themed music class at Music Therapy Connections and it was a such a blast. I mean, what’s better than singing about reindeer and clicking reindeer hooves (a.k.a. castanets) with a bunch of kids?!
So of course we brought back Little Jingles this year, and we have a completely full class starting tomorrow evening. This year, Katey and I kept some favorite songs and activities from last year in the rotation, and we added a few new ones as well. The session is a mix of both familiar and completely original songs with lots of opportunities for singing, dancing, and instrument playing.
Just as we’ve done with many of our other class sessions, we’ve made our Little Jingles package available at Listen & Learn for Leaders, which is a resource we created for therapists, educators and parents.
This facilitator package includes a guide with a list of instruments, materials and instructions/suggestions for each song, as well as a lyric packet for participants, chords for the facilitator, and collection of mp3s.
You can purchase it as a standalone product, or get it for free when you become a VIP member (more about that here).
We’re super excited about kicking off the month of December with our Little Jingles class, and we invite you to join us in leading it with your own students, clients, and families!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 45
I’ve written a lot of songs, but this week’s podcast guest may have written just as many — if not more! Amanda Ellis works in an educational setting and is constantly coming up with new songs to teach all kinds of topics, which is how we first connected many years ago.
I’ve enjoyed getting to know Amanda through social media and watching her son Robert grow up on Facebook, so it was really nice getting the chance to chat about both professional and personal aspects on her life for the podcast.
Amanda talks about her approach to providing music therapy to 30+ classrooms each week, her son’s impressive musicality as the child of two musicians, and the importance of communication between working parents in Episode 45 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Amanda, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Serenade Designs, which is owned by board-certified music therapist Julie Palmieri. Julie helps her fellow music therapists create, enhance, and rock their online presence.
Through Julie’s website design services, social media and online marketing services, and virtual assistance, she’s here to help you rock your online presence — while making it all feel effortless. She assists music therapists in having a strong representation on the web so that they can focus on working in the field they love — music therapy.
Julie understands what it’s like being a busy business owner as well as a Momma. :) You can learn more about how Julie can help you with your online presence at serenade-designs.com.
Counting My Blessings on Thanksgiving
It’s been a wild ride of a year, and I haven’t had much time to take a step back and really think about all the reasons I have to be thankful. But if ever there was a time to do so, it’s today. My husband took the kids to his parents’ house for breakfast, so I have just enough time to drink a cup of coffee and write a quick note to you on this Thanksgiving morning.
I’ll start by saying thank YOU for reading my blog — whether you’ve been here since the beginning in 2008 or just found your way here recently. I can’t express how grateful I am for every comment, email, song purchase, membership, and friendship formed over all these years.
I’d also like to thank you for your support as my business has evolved and grown, but especially in these last few months as we opened our first facility. One of my biggest blessings in life is my business partner, Katey; together we have taken Music Therapy Connections to a level that I only dreamed was possible — and we aren’t stopping there.
I’m also thankful to every single family who walks through our doors, because they are the reason we do what we do. They bring us so much joy and fullfillment every day, and help Katey, myself, and the rest of our team support our own families.
And that leads me to my ultimate blessing in life: my family. My husband Zach, our son Parker, and our daughter Mia are my world, and I’m so lucky to be living this adventure with them. But of course, our adventures wouldn’t be nearly as smooth and enjoyable without the rest of our family, most of whom live in our neighborhood :) We are eternally grateful to our parents for all that they do for us, from taking Parker to school every morning to buying endless clothes and toys to cooking for us throughout the week.
I’m looking forward to spending this holiday with all of them, and I hope you have the opportunity to spend the day with your loved ones, too. Thank you for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Speaking of counting blessings, click here to download my song “Count Your Blessings” for free. I use it all holiday season long to help my students realize the blessing in their own lives.
Free Download + Thanksgiving Super Sale!
You guys, I am so excited about Thanksgiving. I look forward to this holiday every year, but this one is special — it’s my daughter Mia’s first Thanksgiving, and my son Parker is old enough to (mostly) understand why we’re celebrating.
I always offer some type of deal or discount here at Listen & Learn Music to kick off the holiday season, and this year I’m going all out with two big ones.
- Free “Early Childhood Programs: Create, Market, Make Music!” Online Course ($75 value) when you join Listen & Learn Plus, my membership site where I provide hundreds of music therapy songs, resources, downloads, biz advice and more.
- 50% off the entire Listen & Learn Music Store when you use the code THANKS50 at checkout.
Oh, and I have a free download (mp3, instrumental track, & lyrics/chords) to share with you as a little Thanksgiving gift. I wrote “Count Your Blessings” specifically for the Thanksgiving season, but it is perfect for use throughout all the holidays!
Claim the specials and your free download here.
These two specials are available now through November 30. Thank you so very much for reading, sharing your feedback, and supporting Listen & Learn Music throughout the years. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Bear Says Thanks
One of my favorite books to read to Parker is Bear Snores On, because I love the way the words flow and the phrase “…and the bear snores on” repeats. So when I was browsing online and found that there were other books in this series, I got really excited.
I was in search of a Thanksgiving-related book to use in our early childhood music classes, and Bear Says Thanks was the perfect choice. It’s a little bit longer than our usual singable stories, but the repetition makes it easy for everyone to join in. The illustrations are lovely and the hard copy version is nice and big.
The tune I came up with is a mash-up of “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” and “Turkey in the Straw” — kind of random, I know, but that’s what came out when I first tried setting the words to music :) I like using familiar melodies for singable stories, because they are easier to remember.
There are a few other books I love to pull out at Thanksgiving time (There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie and Ten Fat Turkeys are favorites) but this one is currently at the top of my list.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 44
Like last week’s episode, this one was also recorded live and in person at the AMTA national conference in Kansas City. It features one of my favorite people, Emily Wangen, who has so much to share related to both her personal life and her career in music therapy.
I think you’ll be just as inspired by Emily as I am — she is someone I look up to as a fellow mom, business owner, and person in general! She has faced and overcome some significant challenges, which she discusses candidly in the episode.
Emily talks about her experience with pregnancy loss, how long commutes and inclement weather affected the development of her private practice, and her ideal vision for the future in Episode 44 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Emily, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Serenade Designs, which is owned by board-certified music therapist Julie Palmieri. Julie helps her fellow music therapists create, enhance, and rock their online presence.
Through Julie’s website design services, social media and online marketing services, and virtual assistance, she’s here to help you rock your online presence — while making it all feel effortless. She assists music therapists in having a strong representation on the web so that they can focus on working in the field they love — music therapy.
Julie understands what it’s like being a busy business owner as well as a Momma. :) You can learn more about how Julie can help you with your online presence at serenade-designs.com.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
#AMTA15: Conference Recap (With Pictures!)
Another year, another wonderful national conference under my belt. I can’t believe this was my 7th — it seems like just yesterday I was a new professional attending #AMTA09 in San Diego.
This was my second time attending conference with a baby in tow, and I was extremely fortunate to have my mom with me as well to help. I did make sure that Mia made at least a few appearances, since there was a long list of music therapists waiting to hold her :)
The Music Therapy Round Table hosted a booth in the exhibit hall as usual, and we were lucky to have wonderful neighbors once again (Metro Music Therapy, Music Therapy E-Books, and Music Therapy Book Club). I spent quite a bit of time manning our booth, which meant I got to connect with lots of fellow professionals, interns and students.
Katey and I attended the Music Therapy Business Owners meeting on Friday and were inspired by all the amazing things happening in private practice. We all introduced ourselves and shared our biggest successes and challenges this year as business owners. It’s awesome to be a part of a community filled with like-minded, supportive colleagues.
Another highlight was running into my former internship director, Maria Carron Cavanagh. I hadn’t seen her since completing my internship at Midwest Music Therapy Services in May 2007, so we were able to catch up and I told her how influential she was in my decision to start a private practice.
I also ran into quite a few of the music therapists I’ve interviewed and gotten to know through my podcast, Guitars and Granola Bars. I feel like I know them so well after hearing their stories, so it was really nice getting to meet them face-to-face. Jennifer Whitlow, who was featured in Episode 41, also had her daughter with her!
I always look forward to recording our live episode of the MTRT podcast right at our booth in the exhibit hall, which we did on Saturday morning. We also drew winners of our raffle and shared the results of our fun little survey.
This was my shortest conference experience yet, since I didn’t arrive until Thursday afternoon and then left on Saturday. I’m looking forward to next year when I’m neither pregnant nor will I have a child with me; it will be the first time in 4 years I can fully immerse myself without fighting morning sickness or taking breaks to feed the baby.
Happy baby getting ready to hit the road! This was Mia’s first roadtrip, and overall, she did wonderfully in the car. Towards the end, we were both anxious to get home to Zach and Parker (who had a great time during their “boys weekend” together).
See you at #AMTA16 in Sandusky, Ohio!
Thanksgiving Sensory Feast
The following is a guest post by Marilyn Webster. After Marilyn told me about this activity she created and led, I mentioned that I would love for her to share it here on the blog. I’m so glad she took me up on it!
Hi, my name is Marilyn Webster, and my daughter has been a client of Rachel’s for years! As my daughter with autism grew, we found it harder and harder to find fun activities that we could enjoy as a family. Her interests and abilities were not the same as her peers, and she was too old to join preschool groups anymore.
And so, I started my own group with the support of my church! We call them family fun nights, and all families with special needs kids are welcome to attend. Our group serves a few functions for our families: it provides us with a sense of community, provides fun activities which our kids are able to fully participate in, and gives families who often feel isolated “something to do”.
As I plan events, one question I challenge myself with is: how can I find ways to take situations which either I personally or others in the group shared have been difficult to access for our kids, and make it accessible? Some of the most commented on events that families find difficult are holidays. Parents desperately want their kids to be able to enjoy these important cultural and family events and participate in the traditions, but our kids can find it overwhelming and confusing.
Now, you’ve probably jumped quickly to the melee of Christmas or the raucousness of Halloween, and you are right, those are struggles. But the one holiday that comes up in conversation more often than you might think is Thanksgiving, and if you give it a moment of reflection, this makes sense.
First of all, the whole idea of Thanksgiving is very abstract. Some of our kids can’t grasp the idea of gratitude yet, and this isn’t a holiday with a lot of concrete symbols like Santa, pumpkins, or eggs that our kids might be able to enjoy. In fact, the only physical symbols of Thanksgiving are foods! And food is one area where our kids tend to struggle immensely! New foods are frightening, and many of our kids have very narrow diets.
So, how to make Thanksgiving a fun and welcoming experience? I created a sensory Thanksgiving feast! This way, kids could explore the smells, textures, and appearances of traditional Thanksgiving foods in a fun, non-threatening way, and maybe build a connection to what we mean when we talk about the holiday.
Our feast included:
Pumpkin pie playdough: You can use whatever basic play dough recipe you prefer, but add pumpkin pie spices to it and color it to look like pumpkin pie filling.
Cranberry sauce playdough: The texture of this was a bit weird, and most kids didn’t really like it. I think a simple activity with whole cranberries might have been more fun. But here is the recipe.
Dry corn sensory bin: We filled a water table with that dry corn you throw out for the birds. It was a huge hit!
Dry stuffing sensory bin: two bags of dry store bought stuffing in a wide, low bin. I think this bin was responsible for making the whole room smell like Thanksgiving!
Potatoes and “gravy” stamp painting: I cut a few potatoes in half to stamp with. Then I mixed a dry turkey gravy packet into some plain yogurt to use as paint. It looked and smelled like real gravy! This was most definitely “process art” as opposed to “product art”.
While kids explored the feast, we sang a few songs having to do with turkeys and saying thank you.
Our kids had a blast playing with all the Thanksgiving goodies, and their parents had fun being able to enjoy traditional holiday foods with them, albeit in a very unusual way! I know when we sat down to our Thanksgiving feast, and my daughter had her usual plate of spaghetti while the rest of us dug into the turkey, I was thankful that she had at least enjoyed a sensory Thanksgiving meal of her own.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 43
This episode is super special, because it’s the first in the entire series to be recorded in person! I spent the past several days in Kansas City at the 2015 AMTA national conference, and my guest this week just happened to be there as well.
I got to spend a good amount of time with Mallory Even, because her booth was in the exhibit hall right next to mine. It was so enjoyable interviewing her face to face, and I know you’ll enjoy hearing her story.
Mallory talks about how her twin pregnancy shaped the course of her career, the health challenges her son faced immediately after birth, and running a business while staying home with her children in Episode 43 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Mallory, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Serenade Designs, which is owned by board-certified music therapist Julie Palmieri. Julie helps her fellow music therapists create, enhance, and rock their online presence.
Through Julie’s website design services, social media and online marketing services, and virtual assistance, she’s here to help you rock your online presence — while making it all feel effortless. She assists music therapists in having a strong representation on the web so that they can focus on working in the field they love — music therapy.
Julie understands what it’s like being a busy business owner as well as a Momma. :) You can learn more about how Julie can help you with your online presence at serenade-designs.com.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
Better When I’m Dancing
My business partner Katey recently shared with me a video of Meghan Trainor’s song “Better When I’m Dancing” from The Peanuts Movie and asked if I had heard it. I hadn’t, but I loved it and knew immediately I wanted to adapt it for use in music therapy sessions and classes.
I might have had just a little too much fun with the instrumentation and vocals on this recording — and by that I mean I was literally dancing in my chair while I worked (it kept my baby entertained, at least!).
As much as I enjoy writing completely original songs, I love to throw in a good cover every once in a while, especially one from a popular artist that many of my kiddos will recognize.
Listening to this song is an instant mood lifter and will hopefully inspire my students and clients to dance along, too. Can’t wait to sing it with them this week!
Members of Listen & Learn Plus! have access to all of these songs (along with tons more) right inside the Dropbox folder I share with them — come over and join us!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 42
I soooo enjoyed interviewing this week’s guest, and it wasn’t just because of her fantastic southern accent :) Jodie Ross has a thriving career as a music therapist, and her enthusiasm for her work comes through in our conversation.
Jodie also has some wonderful insight to share when it comes to parenthood, despite being new to motherhood. She offers a fresh perspective that I found to be very inspiring!
Jodie talks about becoming an internship director shortly after completing her own internship, her readiness to return to work at the end of maternity leave, and how she relates parenting styles to music therapy approaches in Episode 42 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Jodie, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Serenade Designs, which is owned by board-certified music therapist Julie Palmieri. Julie helps her fellow music therapists create, enhance, and rock their online presence.
Through Julie’s website design services, social media and online marketing services, and virtual assistance, she’s here to help you rock your online presence — while making it all feel effortless. She assists music therapists in having a strong representation on the web so that they can focus on working in the field they love — music therapy.
Julie understands what it’s like being a busy business owner as well as a Momma. :) You can learn more about how Julie can help you with your online presence at serenade-designs.com.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
Pumping at Work
I thought I was going to hate it. I still worked from home during Parker’s first year, so “pumping at work” meant walking from my home studio to my kitchen.
This time around, I was completely dreading having to remember my pump and parts every day, haul everything back and forth, and then set up shop in my studio between clients.
It took a few days to get the routine down, but once I did, something completely unexpected happened: I started looking forward to my pumping break.
It’s only 15 minutes, and I have to hurry through the prep and cleanup, but the time spent actually pumping gives me a chance to relax my brain for a few minutes. My afternoons and evenings are otherwise nonstop with back to back students, clients and groups, so it’s nice to be able to check my email, scroll through Facebook, and have a snack.
I’m lucky in that I was able to structure my days so that I only have to pump once; I would probably enjoy it much less if I had to pump multiple times throughout the day. And ask me in May how I feel about pumping at work…I’m pretty sure I’ll be over it at that point.
Two months in, though, I’m happy to have this tiny bit of downtime in my day. As long as I have a lock on my door and a fridge for storage, I’ll keep on keeping on.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 41
Listening to this week’s guest tell her story, I was struck by how many similarities there were with my own: we both went into turbo drive building our businesses during pregnancy, had quick deliveries just a few days after our 30th birthdays, and now have daughters who are only 4 days apart in age.
Jennifer Whitlow had some challenges to overcome after the birth of her baby just five months ago, and hearing how she did so is an inspiration to any new mom.
Jennifer talks about starting her private practice while pregnant, why she actually enjoyed her labor and delivery, and her adjustment to new motherhood as a business owner in Episode 41 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Jennifer, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Listen & Learn Plus, which is a premium site for music therapists, music educators, parents and anyone else who wants to give their clients, students & children a rich musical experience. Gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music.
Inside of Listen & Learn Plus, I’m sharing the very resources I use to serve my own clients and students in my thriving music therapy practice and studio. I’ve grown from a sole proprietor to a team of 8 with a brick and mortar business, and I’ll show you how I did it.
If you go to listenlearnplus.com, you can enter your name and email for an inside look (including several free downloads) at what membership has to offer.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
Good, Good, Good Goodbye
When I write a hello or goodbye song, I make sure I reeeeally like it, because most likely I’ll end up singing it for YEARS. Case in point: my rotation of these includes songs I wrote during my internship (over eight years ago).
But I’m always adding to that rotation, because it’s nice to have lots to choose from since almost every class and music therapy session begins with a hello song and ends with a goodbye song.
My latest farewell tune is a new favorite, and I hope you like it too! This one is peppy and geared towards a group setting, but you could easily adapt it for use with an individual student or client.
Do you use a variety of greeting and goodbye songs, or do you prefer to keep yours consistent? If you are looking for even more, you’ll find plenty by searching the archives.
Members of Listen & Learn Plus! have access to all of these songs (along with tons more) right inside the Dropbox folder I share with them — come over and join us!
The Intern’s Corner
In addition to growing our team and moving into a new facility this fall, we also started a university-affiliated internship program. Katey and I made the decision to do so last winter; we spent months interviewing, filling out paperwork, and getting all of our ducks in a row to welcome our very first intern.
Alisabeth Hopper joined us in late August, and is now in week 8 of her internship. Although I have been an internship director in the past, this is our first time having an intern in the private practice setting.
It has been a learning experience for all of us, and we still have a way to go! Alisabeth has been blogging about her life as a music therapy intern, which I think will serve as a helpful resource for students and new interns who want a glimpse into the internship experience.
Alisabeth will be with us through March, and it will be so neat to compare her reflections at that point with those in the beginning and middle of her experience.
Even though I completed my internship 8 years ago, I can still relate to what Alisabeth is experiencing. It’s such a formative time in our careers as music therapists, and it’s exciting to be a part of her journey.
Read more about Alisabeth and follow along with her adventures in internship here.
{Real Talk} This is Hard
For a while there, it seemed almost too easy, too good to be true. I had a newborn who slept amazingly, which meant I was getting enough sleep to keep up with both her and my toddler during the day and still wake up before the sun to get some work done.
I was nailing the whole business-owning, working mom of 2 thing…until I wasn’t. Mia stopped sleeping through the night about a month ago, and right around the same time, life seemed to amp up to a speed that I just haven’t been able to keep up with so far.
There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, my house is never clean enough, my to-do list is way too long, I’m always tired, and I feel like everything I do is only half done.
People constantly ask me how I “do it all” and from now on, I’m going to share this blog post with them. Because I know as moms we’ve all been at this point, and I’m clearly no exception.
This is just a short season in my life, and I’m sure in a year I’ll look back at these photos and wish for squishy little baby cuddles again. But I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, and that it’s rainbows and butterflies every day.
I love my kids and I love my work, I just don’t love constantly feeling pulled between the two. And though I’m thankful to have a successful business, it’s hard not to resent an inbox full of emails when I just want to enjoy the weekend with my family.
I’ve interviewed 40+ fellow music therapists — many of whom are also business owners and ALL of whom are moms — for my podcast, so by now I know there is no magic formula for balancing life and work. And that piece of knowledge does make me feel a tiny bit better, but it still doesn’t make life any easier.
I’m not writing this to complain; I suppose the reason I’m writing this is to make you feel better, especially if you were one of the people that thought I had it all together. And you know what? Admitting that I don’t is amazingly cathartic.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 40
I have to credit this week’s guest for introducing me to the world of podcasts, because I didn’t really even know they existed until she suggested we start one almost exactly six years ago.
Kimberly Sena Moore and I met virtually through social media back in 2009, became fast friends at AMTA conference a few months later, and launched a podcast (along with Michelle Erfurt) the following February. Kimberly has been such an amazing source of wisdom for me both personally and professionally; I’m THRILLED to have her on the show this week.
Kimberly talks about how she and her family navigated 5 years of major transitions, her role as a music therapist in the academic setting, and her approach to parenting as a full-time working mom in Episode 40 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Kimberly, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Listen & Learn Plus, which is a premium site for music therapists, music educators, parents and anyone else who wants to give their clients, students & children a rich musical experience. Gain instant access to a vast collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music.
Inside of Listen & Learn Plus, I’m sharing the very resources I use to serve my own clients and students in my thriving music therapy practice and studio. I’ve grown from a sole proprietor to a team of 8 with a brick and mortar business, and I’ll show you how I did it.
If you go to listenlearnplus.com, you can enter your name and email for an inside look (including several free downloads) at what membership has to offer.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes, or search “Guitars & Granola Bars” in the podcast app on your Apple device.
Click here to listen and subscribe on Stitcher, or download and search the app on your mobile device.
My Book + Course
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
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