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 4
I first met Natalie Mullis way back at the beginning of both our music therapy careers, when she emailed me about a song I posted on my blog. Since then, we have followed similar professional paths by leaving full-time jobs at facilities to open our own private practices.
She became a mom to a baby boy almost exactly one year after my son was born, and it has been so much fun to keep in touch with her as she too learns to juggle owning a private practice with motherhood.
Natalie shares how she prepped her business before her baby was born, spent her maternity leave making major changes to her private practice, and her secrets for getting work done with her son at the office in Episode 4 of the Guitars & Granola Bars podcast.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Natalie, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
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.
Say Something (Loudly & Quietly)
I sat down a few months ago to write a song targeting the goal of appropriate voice volume for one of my music therapy clients. As I brainstormed, the song “Say Something” by a Great Big World immediately came to mind (quite possibly because 3 of my voice students were working on this at the time).
My client was working on controlling the level of her voice in certain situations, including using a loud voice when giving commands to her companion dog and talking quietly in places like church.
I pepped up the tempo, changed the words, and grabbed my ukulele to record this little ditty in one take…here’s the result.
When I use this song in music therapy sessions, I have my client fill in “loudly” and “quietly” at the appropriate spots in the lyrics. We also practice speaking in both a loud and soft voice, usually just counting to 10.
There are lots of other ways to target this goal, but it’s always fun to insert some pop culture when possible.
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?
{Guitars & Granola Bars} Episode 3
Confession: I’ve been waiting impatiently for this day all week…not because it’s Friday, but because I’m SO excited to share this episode of the podcast.
It’s funny how being a mom helps create an almost instant bond between two people, and I felt that immediately during my interview with music therapist Amanda Clay. I found myself nodding along with just about everything she said, and was taking notes as she doled out tons of great advice.
Amanda shares her adventures in the pysch setting during her pregnancy and addresses the dreaded “mommy guilt” in Episode 3 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.
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 2
Happy Friday! This week has been pretty wonderful for many reasons, but in large part thanks to the emails, comments and social media feedback I’ve received about the new podcast.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about putting it out into the world…especially since it is geared to my colleagues who I so greatly admire. Many (okay, most) of them are far more experienced music therapists and moms than I am, so to tackle both topics in podcast form is going a bit beyond my comfort zone.
But that’s what life is all about, right? Pushing past those comfortable boundaries and trying new things. So with your encouragement, I’m back this week with a new episode — this time featuring music therapist Tamara Leszner-Rovet.
Be sure to check out the show notes page for more information about Tamara, along with links to the resources she mentions in the episode.
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.
The Empathy Song
A few months ago, my wonderful teacher friend Rene came to me with an idea for a song. She uses music quite a bit in her classroom, and wanted to do so in teaching and reinforcing the concept of empathy.
I tried to put the definition and description of empathy into words (that rhyme, no less) as best as I could, and I think the song paints a good picture of what empathy looks like for a kiddo who is just learning.
However, I think you’ll agree with me that empathy is something that needs to be experienced to fully understand it. I hope that my song provides a bridge to putting empathy into practice.
Do you have other musical tools you use for teaching concepts like empathy? I would love to explore this further, perhaps in a group setting where social skills are targeted. Yet another idea to add to my ever-growing list…
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?
Guitars & Granola Bars: A New Podcast
A funny thing happened in the last six months or so: I became addicted to podcasts. Although I’ve been co-hosting the Music Therapy Round Table podcast for five years now, I never thought to branch out beyond the few music therapy podcasts out there to which I subscribe.
But after one of my favorite bloggers listed a few of her favorite podcasts, I decided to check them out and was hooked. I loved hearing interviews with woman who owned businesses, were pursuing creative endeavors, and most of all, were doing both while raising children.
A seed of an idea was planted in my head: what if I started a podcast featuring music therapists like myself — women who balance their music therapy work (whether it be clinical, academic, entrepreneurial, or otherwise) with being a mom?
That was back in November. I tabled the idea because I had a lot of other things going on and wasn’t feeling well due to pregnancy, but it kept surfacing in the back of my mind.
I took that as a sign, and a few days after the new year began, I decided to go for it. I didn’t tell a soul, not even my husband. Instead, I brainstormed a title, came up with a concept for the artwork, wrote some interview questions, and then emailed Janice Lindstrom. I knew I wanted to feature Janice as the inaugural guest, because she pioneered music therapy podcasts when she started The Music Therapy Show many years ago. Luckily she was on board, and we had a really wonderful discussion that got me even more excited about my new endeavor.
So there you have it: a really long-winded introduction to Guitars & Granola Bars: Music Therapists Talk Motherhood. You can follow the link to read more and subscribe on iTunes (you can also do that here).
I have a long list of potential guests that I would love to have on the show, so if you are a music therapist and a mom, be on the lookout for an email from me in the future — or get in touch with me if you’re interested!
I Have a Bean Bag
This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned what a HUGE fan I am of the movement props created by Bear Paw Creek. Their stretchy bands and connect-a-bands are both staples in my collection, and I just recently added their bean bags as well.
There are so many ways to incorporate bean bags into my music therapy sessions and early childhood music classes, but I knew exactly how I wanted to introduce them for the first time — with a brand new song, of course :)
I wrote “I Have a Bean Bag” with several goals in mind: listening skills, body part identification, and imitation. An added bonus skill this song addresses is balancing, which is funny to watch my kiddos try to do once they’ve placed the bean bag on the correct body part.
Although this song was written with bean bags in mind, I’ve already adapted it for scarves in bigger groups where I don’t have enough bean bags to go around (yet!).
A special thanks goes to Janet Stephens, owner and creator of the products at Bear Paw Creek, for her support of Listen & Learn Music. Everything in her shop is made right here in the U.S.A. and is of the utmost quality. Please check out her movement props and other resources if you haven’t already!
Pregnancy with a Sidekick
I loved being pregnant the first time around. I had the perfect situation, really: self-employed and working from home, I could take naps when I needed them and move as slowly as I needed to during the height of my 1st trimester morning sickness. I felt that “glow” from my 2nd trimester on and worked out every weekday morning up until the week I gave birth.
Naturally, I was thrilled to be pregnant again, and just assumed it would be as enjoyable as my first one. But any second-time mom knows what I soon found out: subsequent pregnancies can be…challenging.
I’m still thrilled to be pregnant, and there have been some wonderful moments — like when Parker kisses my belly, and every time I feel those little kicks — but it hasn’t been easy. I was much sicker this time around than I ever was with Parker, starting at week 6 and holding strong until week 18. Even now, at almost 22 weeks, I still have not-so-good days.
On top of the relentless morning sickness, I looked about as good as I felt. My skin went crazy, my hair was a lost cause; I swore that I was having a girl because any beauty I once might have had was completely stolen from me.
Turns out, I was right! Our little girl is healthy and growing right on track, and I’m finally starting to get back some of that energy I missed so much. It’s a good thing, because I need a LOT of energy to keep up with my little sidekick. At 19 months old, Parker is a ball of fire and needs my constant attention; there are far less naps for mama this time around!
Pregnancy #2 has not been a walk in the park, and I’m only a little over halfway there. But I’m done complaining, because I know it could be much, much worse. I’m extremely lucky to be pregnant, especially with a perfect baby girl.
2nd trimester is all about getting settled in our new house (more about that soon!), charging full speed ahead on some exciting work projects, and enjoying these last few months with Parker as an only child. Still trying to wrap my head around that one.
Taking Music Therapy Mainstream
January is Social Media Advocacy Month in the music therapy world! This year’s theme is re:VISION, and many bloggers, including myself, are sharing our own stories about how we advocate for music therapy.
For the first 7 years as a practicing music therapist, my work has been contained within schools, facilities, and my home private practice. But this past year, I had the unique opportunity to change that by moving my private practice into a very public location.
No longer is my presence known only to my clients, their caregivers, administrators, and the occasional visitor; it is now visible to the community at large. The Music Therapy Connections private practice and teaching studio is now located inside of a well-respected and highly-trafficked music store here in Springfield.
Just by going to work, I am spreading the word about music therapy. I meet new people at the store every day, and naturally they are curious about what I do. The management and staff at the store are familiar with our work now as well, and will frequently bring customers by our studios to explain our services.
We are now receiving more new client referrals than ever before, and I have no doubt that taking music therapy “mainstream” has a lot to do with that. But there are SO many ways to be an advocate for music therapy beyond doing your work in the public eye.
If you’re a music therapist yourself:
- Develop your music therapy “elevator speech” and give it. Often.
- Share information about the work you do with friends and colleagues in related fields.
- Give our your cards and brochures to anyone and in anyplace you think might benefit from music therapy.
- Seize every opportunity to participate in fairs, expos, and other public events.
- Take to social media! Use and follow the #mtadvocacy hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay current with the latest happenings.
If you have benefited from music therapy or know someone who has:
- Spread the word about what music therapy can do.
- Share music therapy success stories with your healthcare providers and other professionals.
- Support and attend music therapy-related events and programs. Invite your friends.
- Give referrals to others who you think may be able to benefit from music therapy.
2015 is a very exciting year for our field, as there some big changes in effect! Read about them below, and be sure to visit the Music Therapy State Recognition website for more posts about #MTadvocacy throughout the month of January.
As the profession of music therapy has been moving forward with recognition at the state level, it has been identified that a document was needed to reflect a similar format to other health care professional organizations’ Scopes of Practice. CBMT and AMTA worked together to create a Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015) for the profession based on published documents from both organizations. This new document entitled Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015) is available as an educational tool and legislative support document that broadly defines the range of responsibilities of a fully qualified music therapy professional with requisite education, clinical training, and board certification. Click here to read the Scope of Music Therapy Practice (2015).
The Year is 2015
How is it possible that this is the 8th “song of the year” I’ve written since becoming a music therapist?! When I wrote my first one way back in 2008, I thought about how challenging it would be to write a new song that essentially says the same thing — just with a different number at the end — every year.
But it has been much easier than I originally imagined, and I’ll probably be here another 8 years from now sharing my song for 2023. What a crazy thought!
As always, this song includes not only the name of the year, but also the number of months, weeks and days. It’s catchy, short, simple, and repetitive…ingredients that make for a good song to sing all year long.
This is only the first of MANY songs I’ll be sharing with you in 2015. As I mentioned back in December, I have a whole slew already written and recorded, just waiting to be posted.
Even though I didn’t make any official resolutions for the new year, my plan is to get better at posting new tunes in a timely fashion! You’re more than welcome to remind me of that goal if I go too long in between songs ;)
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?
Hello, New Year!
Happy New Year, friends. I hope 2015 is off to an amazing start for you. This year has already been a bit of a whirlwind for me — we ended 2014 by moving into a new house and started 2015 surrounded by lots and lots of boxes waiting to be unpacked. Needless to say, I’m just a little exhausted from my “vacation” as I head back to work today.
As I sat down to write this post, I started thinking about the big work-related goals and plans I’ve made in years past. A new song every week, a new blog post every day…yep, those were definitely in the pre-baby era.
Instead of making resolutions this year, I’m going to continue focusing on the goals I’ve been working toward over the last few months: 1) continuing to grow my early childhood classes; 2) establishing a new contract with our local hospital; 3) expanding the Music Therapy Connections team; and finally, 4) writing more songs and creating more resources for music therapists.
But in 2015, I’m going to give myself more GRACE as I work towards those goals. Last year was full of changes and growth and challenges, and I know that I stretched myself a little too thin at times. Now with a baby girl (!) on the way in May, I need to be kind to my body and soul both for her sake and for my own sanity.
I’m grateful to have a place to share my thoughts with you, as well as all my creative endeavors. Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope this year brings you nothing but the best. Up next: a brand-new song for and all about 2015!
Christmas Song Round-Up!
It’s holiday crunch time: those last few days before winter break when I try to fit in as many seasonal songs and activities as I can, because I know I won’t have the chance again for an entire year. I love, love, love Christmas time, especially the music, which is why I have been inspired to write so many original songs over the year.
I’m doing my best to make use of them, many of which I’m sharing with you below in case you need a little extra inspiration in the remaining days before Christmas.
It’s hard not to “catch the spirit” when you work with children every single day. This time of year feels so magical, which I try to capture and put into words with this song. It’s a great way to share in the excitement of this time of year with my little ones.
I wanted to write a song that includes all of the winter holidays, and one thing that they have in common is the lights — whether they are on the Christmas tree or glowing on top of lit candles. “Lights, Lights, Lights” has a mellow feel to it, which is a nice contrast to most of my more upbeat seasonal songs.
“Red and Green” is a song I’ve been having so much fun singing and playing in my holiday-themed early childhood music class this month. We use red and green colored shakers so that there is a visual component to the song, and take turns holding up and shaking the correct colored shakers as we sing about each.
You know I love a good counting song, and aside from the old standby, “The 12 Days of Christmas”, I rely on this one. “Ten Twinkling Trees” is all about picking out the perfect tree, and also works on counting backwards from 10 to 1.
My students seem to have a LOT of extra energy right about now, which of course is completely understandable! That’s where a movement song comes in handy, especially one where they can help come up with fun ways to work out all that energy. “Spread Christmas Cheer” is set to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, and I always sing the traditional lyrics at the end of the song.
One of the big topics of discussion with many of my students is how they will spend their holiday break. This song is a great way to get the conversation going, and prompt them to share their plans for spending time with family, traveling, or whatever other fun things they’ll be doing over those two weeks I won’t see them.
We all know the traditional song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, but there aren’t many songs out there dedicated to those other reindeer that help fly Santa’s sleigh. I wrote two songs just for them, both of which are included in this little album (which, as a bonus, also comes with the lead sheets and instrumental tracks).
I have just 5 more working days left to enjoy these songs along with the other many classics we all know and love. Let’s all go forth and “spread Christmas cheer” with all these musical goodies!
A New Addition on the Way
Almost exactly two years ago, I shared the news that I was expecting my first baby. It’s hard to believe, because that feels like just yesterday, but I’m thrilled to announce that baby #2 is coming in May!
I wrote all about finding out the news on my family blog, where I plan to journal occasionally about this pregnancy just as I did with my first.
My due date is May 26th, just two weeks shy of my son Parker’s 2nd birthday. I had heard that pregnancy isn’t exactly a walk in the park with a toddler underfoot, but I wasn’t quite prepared for just how exhausting and challenging it would be. After a not-so-pleasant 1st trimester, I’m so happy to be feeling better now that I’ve reached week 17.
The most common question people ask is “are you hoping for a girl?” — and in all honesty, I really don’t care either way. I know it sounds cliche to respond that it doesn’t matter as long as the baby is healthy, but it really is true.
That being said, we WILL be finding out the sex of the baby…on Christmas day! We have a cute plan for a gender reveal with our families, and I’ll be sure to share the results with you.
It’s been a whirlwind pregnancy thus far, and the whirlwind continues as we are closing on a new house at the end of the week. Never a dull moment around here, I tell you. I’m looking forward to getting settled in and regaining some semblance of normalcy.
I’ll be posting baby news here every so often, but mostly I want to focus on the gigantic pile of new songs I’ve been stockpiling these last couple of months. Thanks as always for reading and your generous support!
Rudolph & Co.
Every December, I get to sing reindeer songs with lots of excited children at my church’s annual Breakfast with Santa event. This year just might have been the most fun yet, because my little boy was old enough to attend. He joined right in with the rest of the kids, playing instruments and singing along.
There are a few key ingredients to our reindeer singalong: castanets and rhythm sticks (because how else do you make reindeer hoof sounds!?) and the perfect tunes. “Do You Hear the Reindeer?” and “The Other Eight Reindeer” are two original songs that I wrote just for this occasion, and we round out our singalong with the classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
Since I get so much use out of these songs every year, I bundled them up — along with their instrumental tracks and notated lead sheets — into one little album. Listen to the songs below, and click through to get it for yourself.
Here We Go Again! (Baby #2 Arrives in May)
Confession: I was ready to have another baby mere months after Parker was born. Luckily, Zach was the voice of reason and convinced me that we should wait until at least his 1st birthday, and the logical side of me agreed.
We ended up waiting until July, since June was full of birthdays and travel (including Zach’s 10-day trip to Brazil). Those first two months were disappointing, especially since it only took one try with Parker. But I chalked it up to the fact that I was still breastfeeding a couple times a day, and life went on.
In mid-September, I could tell something was up. Parker was refusing to nurse, which was very unlike him, and I just felt…off. So the morning of September 16, I took a test. The second line wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been two years ago, but it was there!
Zach was still at the gym, so I dressed Parker in a “big brother” shirt I had bought MONTHS ago, and we waited for him to come home. When I heard the garage door open, I set up the video camera on my phone to record his reaction — but it was a total fail because he didn’t even notice the shirt! I had to point it out to him, and then I got the reaction I was waiting for.
I was so excited, I could barely focus enough to teach my morning early childhood class. Afterwards, I headed straight to the lab to have my blood drawn; I wanted to make sure the test was telling the truth. A couple hours later, my aunt (who is also my OB’s nurse) called with the results: I was definitely pregnant!
It’s almost as if Parker knew, because that very day he weaned completely. We made it to 15 months, and I would have loved to keep going, but he was done. I had been preparing myself for this day to come, and had I not been pregnant, it would have been a million times harder.
Keeping quiet about my pregnancy was a much bigger challenge this time around. I wanted to tell everyone from the very beginning, but I kept my lips sealed to all but close friends and family. After two and a half months, I am SO relieved that the secret it out!
Next up, all about my 1st trimester. (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty…neither literally nor figuratively.)
Elmo’s Halloween Adventures
By the time October 31st rolled around, I completely lost count of how many times Parker had already worn his Elmo costume. My mother-in-law bought it at the beginning of September, and every time Parker saw that red fur, he’d beg for it. Needless to say, we didn’t have to twist his arm to participate in a little pre-Halloween photo shoot with Zach’s cousin Matt.
On the afternoon of Halloween, Zach and Parker met up with our friend Jose Carlos and his twin boys to do a little indoor trick-or-treating. Thank goodness they had that option, because we decided it was too cold to go visit our neighbors like we had originally planned.
Zach treated Parker to his first taste of Halloween candy, and that little bit of sugar really got him going (as evidenced by his feat of strength below). All in all, Parker’s 2nd Halloween was a big success for everyone — he slept reeeeally well that night :)
Thanksgiving Song Round-Up!
The holidays are here! This time of year is so much fun — I love the anticipation of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the fresh start that the new year brings. With only a few days left before Thanksgiving, I wanted to share a quick round-up of the songs I’ve written to celebrate the first big holiday of the season.
I came up with this adaptation of the holiday classic “The 12 Days of Christmas” several years ago, and it has been my go-to Thanksgiving tune ever since. The download also includes an instrumental version and PDF visual to accompany the song.
At Thanksgiving time, it’s easy to get caught up in turkey talk…which is why I always try to include songs about the real reason we are celebrating. “Count Your Blessings” is a great way to start a conversation about the things we’re thankful for, and on top of that, there’s some counting practice thrown in ;)
Hands down, the best part about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. This song is devoted to that very topic.
Thanksgiving is as good a time as any to work on identifying those colors. I sing about several of the foods and objects we see on Thanksgiving and their colors in this song.
This song asks, “What are you thankful for?” I use it as a conversation starter with my older students, and it has spurred some wonderful dialogue about the blessings in our lives.
Okay, okay, so I have to include at least one totally turkey song. I’m not sure why, but this one is ALWAYS a hit with my younger kiddos. I included it in my current early childhood class, and we have so much fun singing and counting down the turkeys.
I only have 5 working days left to make the most of these and the rest of my Thanksgiving songs. If you have any favorites to add to this list, please feel free to share them in the comments!
#AMTA14: Conference Recap (With Pictures)
Last week I took a solo road trip to Louisville, KY for the 2014 AMTA national music therapy conference. As all conferences seem to go, it was a complete whirlwind of meetings, meals with friends, sessions, and exhibiting. Although it seems like just yesterday I was attending my first one in San Diego, I now have 6 national conferences under my belt!
I arrived in Louisville on Wednesday evening, and the first item on my agenda was our annual Music Therapy Pro “fancy dinner”. This tradition started back in Cleveland ’10, and is one of my favorite parts of conference. Kimberly, Michelle, Matt and I ate at Proof on Main, which was ridiculously good. Almost as good as the company and conversation.
Thursday morning came quickly, since my technology committee meeting started at 8 am. I’ve served on this committee since 2011, and this was by far the most productive meeting we’ve had yet. There are some exciting things coming in the next year, which we actually wrote and filmed a video about during our meeting. Details coming soon!
The majority of my time was spent in the exhibit hall, where Music Therapy Pro hosted a booth for the 4th year running. This is the best place to scope out familiar faces (including that of my friend CJ Shiloh, owner of Annapolis Music Therapy).
We were super lucky to score a prime location in the hall, right between Metro Music Therapy and Music Therapy Book Club. Music Therapy Ed was just down the row, as well. When I wasn’t visiting with my lovely booth neighbors, I was reuniting with old friends, making new ones, and spreading the word about all that Music Therapy Pro has to offer.
Michelle is our roving reporter, and spent much of her time interviewing music therapists for our mini-podcast, MT in 3. Among her interviewees were Jody Tucker, inventor of the Guitten, and Kat Fulton, curator of Music Therapy Ed.
Even though I’ve been to quite a few conferences at this point, I still feel like a relative newbie in the music therapy world. So it’s pretty awesome to get stopped in the hall by people who have either read my blog, connected with me via social media, or have otherwise crossed paths with me virtually. Shout-out to Caroline West, who I ran into on the way to the exhibit hall Thursday night.
Of course, I have a list of people I can only hope to rub elbows with at conference — the “rockstars” if you will. Petra Kern is one of those music therapists who inspires me with her innovative and creative work; I had the chance to visit with her during the exhibit spectacular on Thursday.
Petra is a professor at the University of Louisville, and I had the opportunity to meet with a group of her students during conference this year. We spent an hour discussing private practice and music therapy entrepreneurship (a topic I could spend days taking about) for their senior project. That was a conference highlight!
Speaking of conference highlights, there were lots of others: lunch at Hillbilly Tea with Michelle, Mallory Even, and Sarah Seo (our friends at Metro Music Therapy); Julie Palmieri’s “Enhancing Your Online Presence” session; music therapist mama talk with too many colleagues to name; lunch with Illinois task force members to discuss upcoming state recognition endeavors, and late-night powwows with my lovely roomies, Michelle and Kimberly.
All in all, it was a fantastic conference that left me exhausted, fulfilled, inspired, and recharged. I’m grateful to AMTA and the music therapy community for reminding me how exciting it is to be in this field, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference in Kansas City!
{Mama Moment} Joining in the Fun
The following is a guest post by Gretchen Chardos Benner, MSW, MT-BC. Gretchen is the owner of Piedmont Music Therapy, whose mission is to engage, empower and accompany individuals to reach their goals grounded in the frameworks of music therapy and social work.
My children remind me of the best ways to get a job done while having fun and learning a lot in the process. Let’s take my recent guitar project as an example. Having my private practice’s office within my home grants opportunities for my children to learn more about the field of music therapy. Replacing the six strings on my work guitar was a long overdue task.
My children’s precious involvement made the routine task more of an accomplishment when it was restrung and tuned. My son (17 months) and daughter (3 1/2 years) transformed a work project into a time of bonding. We counted the strings, pegs and our fingers. We talked about what Mommy does with music therapy at a school or hospital and other children I teach through private music lessons. We compared strings with my primary instrument, the viola, and wove them in with some of their favorite requests, Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, Wheels On The Bus and family creations about our dog.
As my children grow and develop, their curiosities and personalities help remind me to include them more often with kid-friendly projects related to work. They enjoy learning and exploring newly purchased instruments, improvising or working through compositions for clients. We have more time spent with each other while identifying colors, sharing, and being respectful with others’ properties.
Music therapy is the field that I initially joined as a student in 2003 at Duquesne University. A year later my path crossed with my future husband because of our neighboring music instrument storage lockers and experiences through Spiritan Campus Ministries. With our current musical interests and pursuits, there is often music in our home.
I’m enthused that our children have been able to learn about my work by joining in the fun of counting inventory such as egg shakers or sorting visual aides. Our children have opportunities to learn about buzzing their lips to play their “trumpets” (recorders and harmonicas), preparing posters with song lyrics for active music engagement interventions or organizing the materials used for my business.
I am grateful for my children’s curiosities and eagerness to join the fun of preparing items for work and packing instruments for group contracts. They joyfully remind me to be proud to be their working momma.
Are you a music therapist with a “mama moment” to share? If so, please submit your story, along with a photo and short bio, via email.
Off to Louisville for #AMTA14
November is one of my favorite months of the year, because it means I get to reunite with all my music therapy friends at AMTA national conference. I always look forward to a few days away, recharging my batteries and getting pumped up about my career field. I always come home completely inspired and ready to dive back into work.
This year’s conference is being held in Louisville, KY — a city I’ve never visited but am looking forward to seeing. Bonus points that it’s close enough to drive! I’m heading out this afternoon and meeting up with my good friends Michelle, Kimberly, and Matt for our annual “fancy” dinner.
Thursday will be spent in meetings and preparing our Music Therapy Pro booth in the exhibit hall, which is where I’ll be spending the majority of my time for the duration of conference. This year will be pretty chill compared to years past, when I’ve presented, attended trainings, and had other big responsibilities.
Last year I brought an entire entourage along with me to conference, since my son was only a few months old and still nursing. It was a lot of fun having them there, but I didn’t really have the full conference experience since my time and attention were divided. As hard as it will be to leave my husband and toddler, I’m excited to have a few days to myself. (Remind me of that on Saturday when I’m missing Parker like crazy and counting the minutes until I get home!)
I have yet to look through the conference program and decide which sessions I want to attend, but hopefully I’ll have a chance to do that before they start on Friday. At this point, I’m just happy to be all packed and ready to hit the road.
If you’re heading to Louisville, I hope to see you there. Be sure to stop by the Music Therapy Pro booth in the exhibit hall and say hi. Coming up next: my 6th annual AMTA conference recap!
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