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
Week 25
15 weeks to go! Not much new to report pregnancy-wise lately; baby boy is still kicking up a storm and growing bigger by the day, it seems. I am feeling pretty big these days, and doing things like bending over to put on socks and shoes is becoming quite the chore.
I am also feeling super loved lately! I’ve had three people offer to throw baby showers for me, including my best friend Katie who is flying all the way home from NYC. I’m counting down the days until spring (only 14 to go) because I’m so over the crappy winter weather, and now I have even more reason to be excited.
Seeya Later, Alligator
After a few years of relying on the same old goodbye songs for my music therapy sessions and classes, I decided it was high time for a new one. The phrase “seeya later, alligator” popped into my head immediately, so I went with it.
I tried this song out for the first time yesterday with my Listen & Learn for Little Ones group, and it went over really well! And now I can’t get it out of my head, no matter how hard I try. But since that’s my gauge for measuring the potential effectiveness of a song, I suppose that’s a good thing!
Now that I have this brand-new goodbye song, my hello songs are feeling a little stale. I think I know what’s next on the songwriting to-do list :)
Week 24
Check out that bump! Even I can’t believe it when I look at this photo, and I see it in the mirror every day. I’m getting LOTS of comments now, especially from my students…they love asking about the baby (and giving me name suggestions, which are genuinely amusing).
Week 24 started with GREAT news at our doctor’s visit. We had to get another ultrasound, because at the last one they discovered that my placenta was positioned a little lower than it should be. It needed to move about half a centimeter to be considered “normal” — and luckily it had moved more than enough over the last four weeks.
So everything baby-related is going great. I’m feeling tons and tons of big kicks now, and even saw my stomach moving a little yesterday. That was too weird! But I guess I’d better get used to it :)
On Saturday, Zach and I ventured to Babies ‘R Us to start our registry. We ended up leaving less than 10 minutes after we got there, and opted to do the whole thing online. I also created an Amazon registry, since the prices are so much better there. And it took a couple weeks of researching, but I finally chose a stroller, which my grandma generously offered to buy for us. It’s so exciting to think that we will soon own (and eventually be using) all of these baby things!
Music, Movement, Fun!
Every so often, I invite my favorite amateur photographer (aka my husband Zach) to join one of my early childhood music classes, where he captures some great action shots for the families to have as keepsakes from the class.
The kiddos were as animated as usual last Sunday when Zach visited, and the photos turned out so well that I put together this little video slideshow.
That was the final class of my winter session, and I’m already bummed that it’s over…but thrilled that I only have to wait a couple more weeks for the next one to begin! My new class, Listen & Learn for Little Ones, is open for registration now and will start on March 5 & 6 (two concurrent sessions).
If you live in the Springfield area and are looking for a fun, enriching activity for your child (ages 0-3), I hope you’ll consider joining me. Check it out and register here!
Week 23
Week 23 is just about over, and here I am finally getting around to writing about it. I was pretty occupied over the weekend; I spent all day on Saturday working at Festival, and after 7 hours on my feet, it was all I could do to collapse into bed when I got home. Sunday was just as busy, between church, a rehearsal, and Church Mice.
Zach and I finally got to spend some time together on Sunday night, so we went to dinner and continued our baby boy name discussion. We may or may not have decided on one :)
Tuesday night, Matt and I (better known as Rachel & Matt) performed our concert for the Prairie Grapevine Folklore Society. It went really well! Hard to believe that we only have one performance left before we take a break for the baby.
I’ve spent the last couple of days busy with work, and now we’re approaching week 24 — 6 months! We have another doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning, where we’ll get to see our baby during the ultrasound. Time is moving much faster lately, which is juuuust fine with me. Come on, spring!
Snowflakes, Snowflakes
As I type this blog post, there are snowflakes flying outside my office window. It’s no secret that I am not a fan of winter, and luckily the Midwest hasn’t been hit too hard with the white stuff so far this year.
I shouldn’t speak too soon, though, because we are expecting almost two inches on Thursday; good thing I’m prepared with plenty of snow-themed songs! The newest addition to the collection is Snowflakes, Snowflakes.
One of my favorite types of songs to use in music therapy sessions and classes is that with varying dynamics or tempos, and this falls into the latter category (going from slow to fast). My kiddos are always up to the challenge of playing their instruments along “even faster” — sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them!
Snowflakes, snowflakes
Falling to the ground
Down they come without a sound
Little ones, big ones
Swirling from the sky
Faster, faster
Down they fly
(Repeat, getting faster each time)
Friday Fave: Festival Time!
Every February, many of my students participate in the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs’ Junior Festival. This will be my fourth year as a member of the federation, and it’s no less nerve-racking than it was when I first started!
At the end of October, I help my students choose their two pieces (one required, one choice) that they will learn, memorize and then perform at Festival. It’s a long few months, and by the end of January, we’re all ready for the big day so that we can move on to some new repertoire.
But all their hard work pays off in the end: last year, two of my students received their first gold cups, meaning they received a “superior” score three years in a row. This year, I have 5 students hoping to receive their first gold cups.
I like participating in Festival for many reasons, both for my benefit and the benefit of my students. Here are just a few of them:
- It makes me a better teacher. My job is to help those kiddos get ready to perform not only for an audience, but for judges who will score their playing. No room for slacking!
- My students are held accountable for their practicing. If they don’t do the work, they don’t get that superior score. It’s funny how motivation levels skyrocket between October and February :)
- It’s an opportunity to learn from other teachers and students. I really enjoy being amongst a group of teachers, all of whom have different teaching styles, and my students can learn from the other participants.
- Performing in Festival builds self-confidence. There’s nothing better than the smile on a student’s face after he or she has played well and received a great score.
It’s going to be a busy weekend for all of us, as they perform both on Saturday and Sunday while I’m busy serving as a room chairman (of two rooms, this year!). I have a feeling we’ll all be much more relaxed come Monday…but until then, wish us all luck!
Listen & Learn for Little Ones
Today really couldn’t get any better: not only is it Valentine’s Day, but it’s also the day that I finally get to launch my brand new class! For over a year now, I’ve been working on securing a space to hold early childhood music classes, and this week has proved that the wait was worth it.
Skill Sprout, a facility here in Springfield that provides educational and therapeutic services for children ages 2 to 18 years of age, has graciously offered an agreement for the use of their space, and it really is the perfect location for my classes — which I’m calling Listen & Learn for Little Ones.
The Listen & Learn for Little Ones curriculum is designed for children ages 0-3 and is comprised entirely of original songs and activities from my Listen & Learn Music collection. Skills that are addressed include (but are not limited to) fine and gross motor movement, rhythmic foundations, intonation, peer interaction, turn-taking, and academic concepts.
The full run-down, along with registration info, can be found here. I’m offering two concurrent sessions at the beginning of March, and then hoping to squeeze in one more round of sessions before Baby Rambach makes his entrance into the world :)
If you’re local to the Springfield, IL area, I hope you’ll consider joining me for my inaugural classes next month! And if you don’t have a little one between the ages of 0 and 3, feel free to pass this link on to someone who does. Oh, and either way, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ring Ring, Count to 20
As much as I love writing my own completely original tunes, sometimes you just can’t beat a good old fashioned piggyback. I’ve adapted the song “Boom Boom, Ain’t It Great to be Crazy” several times in the past, and now I’m doing it yet again.
My most recent adaptation is for the bells — I use it with handbells like those on the album cover, tone blocks tuned to D and A, and even jingle bells.
Ring ring
We can count to 20
Ring ring
We can count to 20
Singing and ringing is so fun to do
Especially when we’re counting, too
{Count to 20, playing the bell on each number}
I started using this as a counting song way back during my internship, inspired by a student who loved to play the paddle drum. So not only did this song give him incentive to work hard (he got to play the drum on the “boom boom” lines and with each number he counted) but it has come through for me time and again ever since.
Week 22
Week 22 has been pretty calm so far. No major surprises, big purchases, or crazy excitement — for me, at least. I spent the weekend relaxing at home (again) while Zach traveled to Marco Island for a company rewards trip. Since I couldn’t go, he took his dad and sister with him. I’m glad they got to enjoy the beautiful warm weather — I can’t say I did the same here in cold, rainy Illinois.
This week is going to be pretty busy on the work front for me. Many of my students are participating in the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs’ Festival this weekend, so we’ll be getting ready for that, and then I have two weekends of working at it. Next week Rachel & Matt will be playing a concert (eek!) which means lots of rehearsals between now and then. I will be very relieved when February is over.
Baby-wise, we have chosen a theme for the nursery and I am SO excited about it! I have been collecting ideas via Pinterest and starting registering, though I have a long way to go where that is concerned. Oh, and we have narrowed our list of names down to 2! We still haven’t decided whether we will keep the final pick a secret until June…18 weeks is a long way away.
Listen, Learn, Love!
Here’s the truth: February is not my favorite month of the year. It’s bitterly cold, and my stress levels are higher than usual since our local National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival takes place over two weekends later in the month.
But February does have its redeeming qualities. For one, it’s short. And two, there’s Valentine’s Day. And while I don’t get too over the top excited about this particular “holiday”, I do like that it gives me an excuse to write and sing songs about L-O-V-E.
This year, instead of complaining about February, I’m choosing to celebrate it. So I compiled some of the songs I’ll be using the most this month, wrapped them in a pretty little package, and called it Listen, Learn, Love!
This 6-song collection features not only the recordings for each song, but also a PDF download with lyrics and chords. Five of the songs are originals I’ve written, and one is an adaptation of a pop song that I use frequently with my kiddos.
Give your month repertoire a boost with Listen, Learn, Love! — at $5 for this package deal, what’s there not to L-O-V-E? Happy February!
Weeks 20 & 21
Oh-oh, we’re halfway there! Although I feel like I’ve been pregnant for YEARS now, I still have 19 weeks to go. Things are going very smoothly, and I’m feeling lots more movement now that baby boy is getting bigger. Speaking of getting bigger, so is my belly — and I am loving my maternity jeans and pants. They are so comfortable!
And now for some more BIG news. Last weekend was a complete whirlwind: it started with our gender reveal party, where we found out that baby Rambach is a boy, and then the excitement continued into the next day, when we sold my Mitsubishi Eclipse and bought a brand new 2013 Honda CR-V!
Isn’t it pretty? I’ve never had a brand new car before, especially one with as many awesome features as this. Heated leather seats, bluetooth technology, 4-wheel drive, the list goes on. I feel like I’m well on my way to becoming a bona-fide soccer mom ;)
Life has calmed down a little since last weekend; well, for me, at least. Zach is off in New Orleans for the Superbowl, so Sadie and I are enjoying a lazy few days at home. I’ve been trying to watch Downton Abby on Netflix, but so far I think it’s terribly boring…what am I missing?
Clatter Clatter Clackity Clack
For that same reason, they have been a staple in my early childhood music classes throughout the years. And since I use them so often, it should come as no surprise that I have written and adapted LOTS of songs exclusively for rhythm sticks.
My most recent sticks-inspired song is actually a chant (although it could easily be set to a melody, which I may decide to do in the future). It’s short and to the point — the idea is to have children listen to a rhythm I play, and then play that rhythm back.
Just as I did in the recording, I keep my rhythms very brief and uncomplicated since the children I’m working with are very young. But I could also envision using this chant with older students, making the rhythms more difficult. Another idea would be to ask students to take turns being the “leader” and come up with their own rhythms for everyone else to repeat.
Do you rock the rhythm sticks, too? Tomorrow I’ll be sharing some more songs I use to accompany all that clacking and tapping…see you then!
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?
Team Blue!
Baby Rambach is all boy! We were a little nervous that we’d have an uncooperative baby on our hands at yesterday’s ultrasound, but the “money shot” was the very first our tech got when she turned on the screen. Lucky us :)
We did have a chance to see our baby’s non-revealing parts, and everything checked out perfectly! He’s growing right on target and weighs in at a whopping 14 ounces. So tiny.
However, we did NOT find out right then and there…instead, we had her put it in an envelope so that we could have a cake made for the big gender reveal dinner last night.
Needless to say, we were thrilled first and foremost to have a healthy baby, and secondly, to be expecting a BOY! I didn’t have too strong of a preference either way (although I did admit on Thursday that I was kinda hoping for a boy) but Zach was really, really, really wishing for a son. His wish came true, and now we are working on choosing a name.
We have a couple ideas brewing, but nothing is set in stone just yet. We haven’t decided whether we will make it public before June, or wait until the birth to share his name. I really don’t like keeping secrets — especially BIG ones — so waiting an entire five months isn’t very likely.
We have more big news to share, but I’ll save it for a different day. Stay tuned!
Friday Fave: BOY or GIRL?
Okay, so this post is a little more personal than usual, but this is my most frequently asked question both personally AND professionally as of late. Everywhere I go, people — my students, their parents, fellow therapists, perfect strangers — want to know: are you having a boy or a girl?
The answer is inside of that envelope, and even I don’t know what it says yet! The only people who know are the sonographer who did my ultrasound this morning and the person who is decorating the cake for our big reveal tonight. In just a few short hours, we’ll know whether to buy pink or blue!
The most IMPORTANT news is that the baby looked perfectly healthy and is developing beautifully, according to my doctor. My husband and I were so thankful to hear that and to get another look at our little Junebug, who is now at the halfway point to being born. Only 20 weeks to go!
If you want to keep up with my pregnancy (and growing baby bump pics!) on a regular basis, check out our family blog, www.TheRambachs.com.
You, Me & Music Therapy
In the music therapy world, January is social media advocacy month. During this time, music therapists all over the country use social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and so on) to advocate for our field, share our stories, and spread the word about music therapy. The theme this year is CONNECT — which immediately inspired the song in the video above.
It is, without a doubt, through my connection with my clients that I best advocate for music therapy. By providing them with the best services I possibly can, I’m able to improve their lives and therefore, the lives of their loved ones and caretakers. They (the family members, teachers, health professionals, and other team members) become my biggest advocates because they have seen the power of music therapy first hand. It’s amazing how many people can be educated about music therapy because of a single client.
I connect with my clients mainly through the music I write specifically for them based on their interests, needs and goals. Sometimes, though, we write songs together…or my clients write their own songs with just a little guidance from me.
Each of those songs has a specific purpose, and so does the song in the video, which I adapted from one of my current favorites, “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers. It’s a shout-out/love letter/thank you note/ode to my clients — because they are the reason I advocate for music therapy. They are the reason I have the best job on earth.
Want to read more about social media advocacy month, along with blog posts from other music therapists spreading the good word? Check out this page, put together by Kimberly Sena Moore, who does such wonderful work organizing this month-long event every year. And to learn more about music therapy, visit the American Music Therapy Association.
Week 19
My baby bump might not be very big yet, but this week sure is! First of all, I hit a really exciting milestone on Wednesday the 16th — I felt the baby’s first movements! They really did feel like little kernels of popcorn popping, though they have gotten more noticeable as the week has gone on.
This week’s other big news…we find out whether it’s a GIRL or BOY on Friday! It’s pretty amazing to think that in just 5 days, we’ll know whether to go crazy buying pink or blue. I can’t wait to start picking things out for the nursery, especially after going through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog yesterday.
Non-baby related: Zach and I have been on the hunt for a new car this month to replace my little 2-door sports car, which I’ve been driving for almost 9 years now. It’s been very good to me, but I’m ready for something bigger and safer. So far we’ve ruled out several small SUVs, and now have our eyes on the Honda CR-V.
I’m not too particular when it comes to cars…I’ll just be glad when the whole buying process is over. Spending an entire Saturday at a dealership listening to Zach negotiate with salesmen is not my idea of a good time!
Week 18
Here I am at 18 weeks…not looking much bigger than I did at 15, 16, or 17. I know I’ll probably regret saying this later on, but I really wish that bump would grow so that I “look” pregnant!
As small as it may be, my belly has outgrown just about all of my regular clothes — I’m down to one pair of non-maternity pants (ironically, my “skinny” jeans). I am SO loving my closet full of maternity clothes, which are extremely comfortable and make my bump look much bigger and cuter than it actually is.
The Big 3-0
Someone turned 30 yesterday, and his initials are Z.R.R. It’s hard to believe that Zach’s twenties are really and truly over, especially since I’m not too far behind him!
When Zach and I got together, we were both 21 years old –almost an entire decade younger than we are now. We definitely lived it up over the past (almost) nine years, and I think we’re just where we should be in life at 29 and 30.
We celebrated the big birthday with a family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Maldaners. That was followed by the standard fudge nut and mint chocolate chip ice cream cake along with that big ol’ caramel ice cream sundae. Too much ice cream for Zach? No such thing.
Zach is going to celebrate again on Saturday with a boys’ night out, which I am more than happy to miss out on since I’ll be playing a gig. I won’t have any wild and crazy birthday celebrations this year, considering I will be 9 months pregnant on June 5! But that’s just fine with me…I’m more than willing to wait an extra week or so for the best 30th birthday gift ever.
Week 17
Another week, another baby belly photo! This week, Junebug is the size of an onion. I can definitely tell a difference in the size of my bump, but no one has actually called me out on it yet (other than people who know I’m pregnant).
We had our 16 week doctor’s appointment at the end of last week, and it went great. We listened to the baby’s heartbeat, which was about 150 beats per minute, and scheduled our next BIG appointment — when we’ll find out whether it’s a girl or boy!
On January 25, we’ll have an ultrasound to check out the baby, but instead of having them tell us then and there, we’re going to have them write it down in an envelope. Zach’s dad is taking the envelope to Baskin-Robbins and having them decorate the cake based on the baby’s sex, and we’ll do a big reveal at dinner later that night with our family. I’m going to be going crazy all day with anticipation, but I think it will be worth it to have that fun moment.
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