We have a class for everyone now. Whether you are an adult looking to learn a new instrument, a caregiver wanting their child to explore instruments or work on social skills, or a mom or dad looking for a class for your newborn or toddler, we have something for you!
It was only two years ago that Rachel and I sat down and first talked about starting an LLC, leading weekly classes, and opening a studio space together. It was simply an idea two years ago and now things have taken off!! We are so excited by the incredible growth we have experienced and the immense support we have received from the community!
We want to continue to support the needs and requests of community members so we are continually trying to improve and expand our services. As the year progresses, we will work even harder to provide the services you want!!
Over the past few months, we have been truly blessed to have Shelbi Baker helping us out at Music Therapy Connections.
Shelbi approached us in the early fall to ask if we were hiring an administrative assistant. At that point, we hadn’t even thought about it. Shelbi asked for a position that didn’t exist and we created it. She helped us realize that we really did need the help! Since then, she’s been coming into the office once or twice a week to help with all of the behind the scenes activities that take place and we are soooo grateful for all of the help she provided!
Shelbi saved Rachel and I numerous hours creating packets, burning CD’s, prepping materials, emailing families, scheduling lessons, communicating with teachers, and more.
We are deeply saddened that this is Shelbi’s last week at MTC but are thrilled that she will be moving on to an exciting new adventure working full time in her field in St. Louis.
When Rachel & I sat down for a quick coffee date in January 2014, neither of us had ANY clue where it would lead. We talked about life, goals for the new year, and she gave me some reading recommendations. She asked about wedding planning, I asked about Parker. You know, the normal stuff. Then she dropped the single sentence idea that would change everything.
I’m sorry… what??? Like a freestanding building dedicated to music therapy??? Of course!!
The following two years were an absolute whirlwind of amazing things I could never have imagined. We joined practices, rented space at Capital City Music , took on subcontractors, added an internship, moved into a 2,300 sq. ft. space of our own, and so much more. We have met and exceeded almost every one of our 2-5 year goals in only 18 months. The past two years have been a constant state of growth and movement. However, with growth comes the need to create new goals and re-examine the business.
A couple weeks ago, Rachel and I sat down for a long business meeting to re-assess where we are at and what the next steps need to be. Over the course of this meeting we developed our three focus words for the new year.
We’ve each written a little more about what these three words mean to us and how we plan to implement them in 2016, but I believe we can ALL benefit from is implementing the words above. Check out our posts for some ideas:
Ever wonder what it takes to prep and clean up an early child hood group? The short time-lapse video at the end of this post shows exactly what I do before and after a class!
Each Listen & Learn Class requires a little effort to set-up and tear down.In our recent post “little details, big difference”, I outlined some of the small things we do to make our space more comfortable for the families we work with each week. On top of those small amenities we bring (hand sanitizer, a rug, tissues, etc), we carry instruments, binders, a book, and a guitar to and from our sessions.At the end of the session, everything gets packed up, taken to the other room, cleaned, and put away.This setup and cleanup generally takes about an extra 10 minutes before and after the session, making the total time for a class just over an hour.
I love using sign language in our early childhood groups because it gives children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to participate and communicate in a meaningful way while learning new words and skills they can use at home.
In the video below you can learn and practice the sign language to my song, “Sing With Me Love.”Along with providing opportunities for parent/child bonding, children learn the sign language forfamily members (mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma, and grandpa). “Sing With Me Love” is featured in our Facilitator Package 3 and in the “Bonding” mini-pack.
One of my favorite apps for learning new sign language is “ASL Dictionary American”.This app shows you the sign language for individual words using videos that you can slow down and replay as many times as you need.
Note:I am by no means a sign language expert. After reviewing the video I posted, the I found that I accidentally used the sign for “my” instead of “me” when signing the first two parts of the video.I corrected this in the later parts of the video, including the full sing through at the end of the video.
