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
You’re Invited…
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.
Click here to view the event on Facebook and RSVP.
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!
1-2-3, Clack With Me
Every time we get in the car, my 2-year-old son Parker asks for “mama songs”. I have about 200 of ’em loaded up on my phone, but his favorite album is a collection of songs from one of my past early childhood class sessions.
I’ve listened to that album so often that I catch myself humming the songs at random times throughout the day, especially this one. It’s all about playing the — you guessed it — castanets.
I use castanets all the time in both my music therapy sessions and classes because they are so useful for addressing fine motor skills. Plus they make a lot of noise, and that seems to be an important qualification for a well-liked instrument ;)
I also address other goals with this song, including counting to 3, learning directions (up and down), crossing the midline, and keeping a steady beat.
Did you know that you can receive a DOWNLOAD of each new Listen & Learn release (mp3, lyrics/chords, and instrumental track when applicable) emailed directly to your inbox, including this one?Click here to learn how.
A Recording Studio for Music Therapy Connections
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!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 24
The honest truth: running a private practice and working with clients is not easy when you’re pregnant. Music therapist Noel Anderson knows this all too well, having done so while pregnant with TWINS.
I was so excited to talk to Noel about her experiences, especially since she is the first podcast guest who has twins. This episode is packed with great insight and helpful advice — I learned a LOT during our interview!
Noel talks about working in private practice, the challenges of being pregnant with twins, and the importance of giving yourself grace when it comes to both motherhood and career in Episode 24 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Noel, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Peace Out, Paci
I find it more than a little amusing that we’re weaning one child from the pacifier while simultaneously trying to teach the other child to take one. And it’s going better than expected…for one child, at least.
Mia isn’t a fan quite yet, but if she’s anything like her big brother, she’ll develop a deep love for the “paci” over time. Parker didn’t take one consistently until he was about 10 weeks old, but from there on out, they were pretty inseparable.
I was never a huge fan of letting Parker have his paci during the day, but we were pretty lax on that up until the time he hit 18 months. At that point, we stopped taking it with us when we went places, and he started to learn to put it (well, usually them — he liked to sleep with multiple pacifiers) on top of his dresser on his way out of his room in the morning and after his nap.
That helped with his transition to daycare, where he spends 3 whole days per week with no paci. He did great with that, and had no problem taking naps there without one. So I knew there was hope once the time came to get rid of it altogether.
Once he hit 2 years old last month, I was ready to ditch the paci. Zach was a lot more apprehensive than me, but game to give it a try. So one morning after Parker woke up, we told him that Dada was taking his pacis to work so that another baby could borrow them. We said he would bring them back that night, but that he wouldn’t have it for his nap.
Parker ate the story up, and we continued talking about it throughout the morning until he was able to tell me where his pacis were when I asked. We talked about it one more time as we walked upstairs for his nap, and then — for the first time EVER — he did not so much as ask for his paci before he went to sleep. Then he slept for an hour and a half with no issues.
We continued the conversation about where his pacis went during the day all week, and then at the end of the week, it was time to bite the bullet. We told Parker that the “baby at Dada’s work” was going to borrow it overnight, since Parker was a big boy and didn’t need a paci anymore. There was no crying, no meltdown…nothing. He went to bed and slept through the night as usual.
I’m not sure how we got this lucky, because Zach and I were both convinced that the big wean was going to be a miserable process. I’m crossing my fingers that we don’t have any setbacks, especially when he naps or spends the night at his grandparents’ house. But for now, I’m proud of my big boy and pretty ecstatic that we made it over this hurdle painlessly.
Next up, potty training. Maybe that will be just as easy…one can dream, right?! ;)
Music Therapy Connections is Moving…Again!
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!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 23
I’m changing things up BIG TIME for the month of June on the podcast. In celebration of Father’s Day, I’m featuring four DADS who are sharing their perspective on parenting and life as a music therapist.
Andrew Knight is the fourth and final guest in this special series, and I have to say, he gives a darn good interview. Not only does he have a lot of valuable insight to share, but he has the perfect “radio voice” — I’m sure you’ll agree as you listen to the episode!
Andrew talks about making the shift from clinical work to academia, the active role he plays in his children’s extracurricular activities, and how his self-care practices are benefiting the field of music therapy in Episode 23 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Andrew, along with links to the resources he mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Pass the Tambourine
It’s been a month since I picked up my guitar, but the time has come to reacquaint myself (and build up those callouses again!). Next week I’ll be ditching my yoga pants and tank tops for real clothes when I start the summer session of Listen & Learn for Little Ones, our early childhood music class.
I’m a little bit nervous about dipping my toe back in the water, but a LOT excited. Baby Mia is still a little young to appreciate my singing — I don’t get quite the response from her that I do from my little ones in class. Plus, she can’t shake and drum along like they do ;)
One of the reasons I’m super pumped about this session is that we picked a few “favorite” songs and activities from classes throughout this past year, so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be especially enjoyable for everyone.
One of those songs is Pass the Tambourine, which I haven’t shared yet here. It’s simple and based on a familiar melody, which makes it easy for everyone to join in singing from the get-go.
I have my little ones pass the tambourine around the circle a few times, getting faster with each round. It’s also fun to change up the speed from child to child, which keeps them on their toes (and usually induces lots of giggles).
P.S. Did you know that you can 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?
A Lullaby for Little Sis
The question everyone is asking these days: “How is Parker adjusting to the new baby?” I think this video pretty much sums up his relationship with her.
In all honesty, I thought we were going to have some serious jealousy issues to deal with once Mia arrived. Parker is used to having 100% of our attention, and he thrives on it. But from the moment he met her, he was completely in love.
Every morning when Parker wakes up, he asks to see “baby”. And he gives her about 500 hugs and kisses a day. He can be a little aggressive with his affection, but what do you expect from a 2-year-old? ;)
It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops over time, but for now I am soaking up the mutual admiration. Mia is one lucky little sis!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 22
I’m changing things up BIG TIME for the month of June on the podcast. In celebration of Father’s Day, I’m featuring four DADS who are sharing their perspective on parenting and life as a music therapist.
William Murray is a music therapist from Canada who I met through LinkedIn, of all places. He sent me a message asking about my music therapy songs a couple of years ago, and I knew from that first email conversation that we would get along well. Since then, we’ve had several Skype chats and stayed in touch via Facebook. He’s been a big inspiration to me in expanding my private practice as I’ve watched his grow by leaps and bounds.
Bill talks about the challenges of being a male in a female-dominated field, how making the decision to start a family ignited his passion for working in pediatrics, and the rock band he started which is doing some extraordinary things in Episode 22 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Bill, along with links to the resources he mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Dipping My Toe Back In
I’ve been on maternity leave for almost a month now, and it’s been pretty great. All the newborn snuggles, quality time with my two-year-old, and if I’m being completely honest, Netflix binges (OITNB, anyone?) have been a nice change of pace.
But just as I predicted earlier this spring, I’m getting a tiny bit antsy. I need just a little something to fill my professional cup, and I’ll have that opportunity in a couple of weeks when I head back to work to teach the summer session of our early childhood music classes.
It’s just one morning and one evening per week for the five-week session, the perfect amount to help ease back in after wearing my “mom” hat exclusively since Mia was born. That way, returning to my regular schedule at the end of August won’t be such a shock to my system.
Although it will be hard to leave the baby at home for those few hours (considering we haven’t been apart since she was born), I’m excited to pick up my guitar again and see all my little students. No doubt I’ll be itching to get right back to Mia as soon as class is over.
Nursing around the clock has given me plenty of time to read all those blogs and articles about motherhood posted on Facebook, so I’m constantly being reminded how quickly this time goes and that I should be enjoying every fleeting moment. I’m doing just that, and at the same time looking forward to taking a little dip back in the proverbial water.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 21
I’m changing things up BIG TIME for the month of June on the podcast. In celebration of Father’s Day, I’m featuring four DADS who are sharing their perspective on parenting and life as a music therapist.
This week’s guest has an even more unique perspective, because he lives in New Zealand. I really enjoyed hearing about Ahjay Stelino’s journey to becoming a music therapist, and how the field of music therapy differs between here and there.
Ahjay talks about nurturing his young son’s love of music, what it’s like to be a music therapist in New Zealand, and how he avoids professional burnout in Episode 21 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Ahjay, along with links to the resources he mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, which is software for music teachers and therapists that helps manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 20
I’m changing things up BIG TIME for the month of June on the podcast. In celebration of Father’s Day, I’ll be featuring four DADS who are sharing their perspective on parenting and life as a music therapist.
My inaugural male guest is the one and only Tim Ringgold. He was without a doubt the first person who came to mind when I had the idea for this special series. If you know Tim at all, then you know what an exceptional father, music therapist, and friend he is.
I look forward to seeing Tim at AMTA conference every year, because I come away from our face-to-face conversations feeling completely inspired and encouraged. I think you’ll feel that way after listening to this episode.
Tim talks about the winding road that led him to music therapy, his unconventional roles as a parent, and how he is empowering other music therapists to earn what they are worth in Episode 20 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Tim, along with links to the resources he mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, the best way to manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Introducing Mia Belle Rambach
I’m so happy to share with you that my baby girl is here! Mia Belle Rambach was born on Saturday, May 23 at 9:29 am. She weighed 6 lb 13 oz an measured 20 inches in length. She looks just like her brother Parker did when he was born, except with a lot more hair!
I wrote Mia’s birth story on my personal blog and shared many more photos from her first day of life. She’s almost two weeks old now, and we are starting to find our rhythm as a family of 4. Parker LOVES his little sister and gives her about a million hugs and kisses a day.
It’s funny how you forget what it’s like to have a newborn; at first, I couldn’t believe how much she slept. I’ve actually been able to get things done around the house and even get some rest myself on the days Parker is at school — the days he is home are a different story! Mia is even sleeping well at night, sometimes for 4 hours at a time.
I’m so happy to have the entire summer at home with my babies (minus a couple hours per week I’ll be teaching early childhood classes next month). Life has been so fast-paced with work up until now, and will be again come August, that I want to soak up this time as much as possible. I learned very quickly with Parker that it flies by in the blink of an eye.
I’ll be posting here as often as I have the chance, not because I have to but because I love doing it :) I’m making a bigger effort to stay connected to my work during this maternity leave; I didn’t do that last time, and it felt like a big part of me was missing after awhile. Thanks for reading, however sporadically, and all the words of encouragement and support I’ve received so far!
The Final Stretch
The last month of my pregnancy was a bit of a rollercoaster. It started smoothly enough; I was feeling pretty good, just huge and tired. Work was keeping me more than busy as I wrapped up lots of loose ends, and of course Parker kept me on my toes at home.
But at the beginning of my 37th week, things went a little downhill. Zach left on a company trip to Puerto Rico, so of course something had to go wrong.
On that Friday I woke up feeling fine; Parker and I had a nice morning playing and eating breakfast. But as we were sitting on the couch reading, I got a bad case of the chills that wouldn’t go away and started feeling some pain in my back. I called my doctor’s office, and they thought it sounded like the symptoms of a UTI. The pain kept getting worse, though, and later that afternoon I thought I felt contractions. So they told me to go to the hospital.
Luckily Parker was able to stay with my mother-in-law so my parents could go with me to the hospital, and that’s when the real fun began (and by fun, I mean total misery). It turned out I was completely dehydrated, so much so that they couldn’t find a vein to start an IV of fluids. They had me drink a ton of water, and my contractions — which had been coming just a few minutes apart at their peak — started to die down. They sent me home at 8:30 that night with instructions to come back if I started feeling worse.
I woke up around 3 in the morning feeling completely awful…horrible chills, pain, and more contractions. My mom had stayed with me that night, and she insisted we go back to the hospital. By the time I got there I was running a fever and my contractions were worse than ever. They had to call an anesthesiologist to insert an IV since my veins were still so bad, and then they started running tests. Later that morning they admitted me and did an MRI to try and find out what was causing my fever. They thought it might be kidney stones or something even more serious.
All this time, there was a threat that the baby could arrive early if the contractions were effective, which was so scary since I still had over 3 weeks left and Zach was out of the country. My doula Janet stayed with me and helped me through the pain, and my mom too. The results of the MRI came back negative, so they decided it was some type of flu that had caused the fever and other symptoms. Also, I wasn’t dilated at all, which was AMAZING news after all those hours of contractions. After getting all that IV fluid, I started feeling better and later that day they discharged me.
The next couple days were rough, since I had basically been in labor all that time and my body was feeling the effects. Parker stayed with my mother-in-law and my mom stayed with me until Zach got home.
I returned to work after taking two days off, and at that point felt pretty much back to normal. I took it easy for the next couple weeks, but I also realized it was probably a good idea to get ready for the baby in case she did end up coming early. I got all of her clothes washed and put away, had Zach set up the pack n’ play downstairs and install the carseat, and packed my hospital bag.
And then I waited. I was convinced she would arrive at the start of week 39 just like Parker had, but she seemed nice and cozy. I continued working, even though at that point I was pretty uncomfortable and exhausted. In fact, I worked up until the day I went into labor…
TO BE CONTINUED!
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 19
Having worked with children almost exclusively throughout my career so far, I am in total awe of music therapists who have experience with clients in many different settings. Stephanie Bolton fits that description, as she shares in the latest episode of the podcast.
Not only has Stephanie worked in a variety of settings, but she is also a business owner running a private practice. She has the best of both worlds, doing the work she loves while still spending plenty of quality time with her daughter during the week.
Stephanie talks about her career path working with a vast array of client populations, the challenges of having a home office, and how entering into private practice has allowed her to enjoy valuable time with her family in Episode 19 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Stephanie, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, the best way to manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 18
Back in December, my family moved from one side of the neighborhood to the other with an 18-month-old in tow and another baby on the way. Here I was thinking that was a difficult transition…and then I interviewed music therapist Allison Hingley.
She moved across the country with a two-week-old newborn, and that was just one of MANY big life changes Allison went through in a relatively short amount of time. She certainly inspired me to believe that anything is possible when it comes to raising a family and pursuing a fulfilling carer.
Allison talks about raising a toddler and newborn while completing a master’s program, her family’s various moves around the country, and her decision to start a private practice after staying home with her young daughters in Episode 18 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Allison, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, the best way to manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
Sign up here for a 30-day no risk trial. If you choose to sign up after the trial using my link, you’ll save 20% off your first month!
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.
Make Music With Kids This Summer
We captured this moment in one of our early childhood classes earlier this month, and it is basically the perfect photo for this blog post. An adorable child decked out in her summer shades, clacking away on castanets — yep, pretty much sums it up!
I’ve mentioned here before that my early childhood music program really took off last summer, which was my impetus for creating the online course Create, Market, Make Music! It covers all the bases I ran while designing and implementing my own program, from the very beginning planning stages to communicating with families after the class is over.
Summer is just around the corner, so now is a great time to get to work creating an early childhood program. The course is concise and action-based, so you can start putting what you learned into practice right away. (It also comes with 3 CMTE credits!)
If you sign up before the end of May, I’ll send you a complimentary copy of my brand-new songbook collection, Ring, Sing, Strum & Drum! Most of the songs in it were written with my early childhood kiddos in mind, so hopefully they will come in handy as you start creating your own classes.
Click here for all the details and to sign up for the course. I’m looking forward to helping you on your path to making music with kids this summer!
Keep Calm and Sing On
As I mentioned last week, I’m currently participating in the #MusicTherapyBlogger Challenge hosted by Julie Palmieri at Serenade Designs. This week’s prompt was to share a quote that we love and/or makes us think, and then write a blog post reflecting upon that quote.
I’ve come across many inspirational, motivating, and thought-provoking quotes in the past, and while the one I shared above may not be the most prolific, it is definitely the most applicable to my life right now.
I kind of have a lot going on at the moment, which is not news if you’ve been reading my blog lately. My private practice is about to undergo some major (and super exciting) changes, I have lots of projects happening through my online business, and well, there’s the fact that my baby could be born any day now.
But despite all of that, I have to keep singing. All day, every day. With my clients, with my toddler (his current favorite is “Humpty Dumpty” and I’ve never been so ready to move on to a new song in my life), by myself in my car to keep my brain from imploding with all the thoughts constantly running through it.
I have this quote framed and sitting on my piano as a daily reminder. It’s been there for a few years now; the straightforwardness and simplicity of it sets me back on track when I start to feel my stress level rising.
Here’s to a calm day full of singing, sunshine, and whatever else life decides to bring my way. (I wouldn’t be too upset if that included a baby girl…!)
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 17
When I sat down to interview Kristen O’Grady via Skype for this episode, she told me about how she and her daughters had just returned from a day trip to the beach. I have to admit, I was a little jealous of how she had spent her Monday. Kristen explained later in the interview that this day of the week is “Girls’ Day” in her family, because she works on Saturdays.
I love hearing the details when it comes to how my guests make the best of their busy schedules, and Kristen had some great insight to share. As usual, I was taking notes on some of the ways I can do the same in my own life (which is about to get a lot busier with the addition of a second baby any day now!).
Kristen talks about the evolution of her career while working in the same facility for 11 years, how her family structures their unique weekly schedule, and the importance of staying connected with your partner in Episode 17 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Kristen, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
This episode is sponsored by Music Teacher’s Helper, the best way to manage your private music lesson studio and/or music therapy practice. I’ve used Music Teacher’s Helper every single day since 2011, and it is one of the best tools I have to keep my private practice running smoothly.
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