One of my biggest musical inspirations and influences for a majority life has been Taylor Swift. This week is Taylor Swift’s birthday and my 13th blog post. I thought it would be fun to reflect on the influence Taylor Swift and her music have had on me as a person and a future music therapist.
My Swiftie Origin Story
As a child I listened mainly to country music. Country music is very male-heavy, which, while I enjoyed it, didn’t resonate with me as a 9-year-old girl. I think this is why Taylor Swift’s music stood out to me. Her music was country, but held a similarity to the music in other media I was consuming, like Disney Channel. Taylor Swift’s debut album was one of the first CDs I owned and I was hooked from there.
Inspiration to Learn
As a child, seeing videos of Taylor Swift playing the guitar excited me. I wanted to play the guitar like Taylor Swift. I received a guitar for Christmas when I was in the 6th grade and I attempted to learn to play it for years to come. Taylor Swift’s songs were a helpful tool for me while I was learning how to play the guitar, ukulele and the piano. I used songs like “Mean” and “Stay Stay Stay” to learn and become comfortable with bar chords on the guitar. When I did my guitar and piano competencies in college, I used the songs “New Years Day” and “Stay Stay Stay.”
Soundtrack to My Life
Taylor Swift’s songs have a reputation for being about relationships and breakups. However, there are many songs that I was able to relate to as a child and then teenager listening to her music. Using Taylor Swift’s music, I learned how to emotionally relate and identify with songs. Additionally, I have many memories associated with the songs and albums of Taylor Swift.
“I’m Only Me When I’m With You” makes me think of my elementary school friendships.
“Mean” got me through the ups and downs of middle school.
Her album, 1989, brings me back to driving around my hometown as a teenager with old friends.
Her album, Lover, brings me back to driving around Macomb, Il with my friends in college.
Her albums, Folklore and Evermore were bright spots to an otherwise dark year, 2020.
“This is Me Trying” was a support for me during the stressful times in my senior year of college.
A Uniting Factor
Taylor Swift’s songs have been a uniting factor in my life. I bonded with people in college who later became my friends because of Taylor Swift songs. Additionally, I have bonded over Taylor Swift songs with professors and supervisors. Since Taylor Swift is a very widely beloved singer, discussing and using Taylor Swift songs helped me build rapport with clients and patients who are Taylor Swift fans.
Without a doubt, I wouldn’t be the person and musician I am today without Taylor Swift and her music. I am incredibly grateful for her music and am so excited about what she is going to do next.
Thanksgiving has sadly come and gone. The silver lining to Thanksgiving being over is that it’s now officially the Christmas/holiday season! I am so excited for all of the baking and Hallmark movies that the next month has in store. I have always had a love for Christmas music, so I’m going to ring in the season by sharing some of my favorite Christmas/Holiday songs!
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
I have known this song since I was a young child. However, it didn’t become one of my favorites until I was in the 5th grade. I was a member of a traveling choir at my school, which O Come O Come Emmanuel was a part of our Christmas set that year. Ever since then this song has had a special place in my heart.
My favorite lyric: “Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel.”
City of Silver Dreams and Gold and Green
When I was a child, my mom LOVED the band, Sugarland. One year she bought Sugarland’s Christmas album: Gold and Green. I spent many Christmases listening to this album and still give it a listen at least once during the Christmas season. Out of the songs on this album the songs City of Silver Dreams and Gold and Green are my favorites. They are both very pretty ballads that bring about a feeling of nostalgia for me.
My favorite lyric from City of Silver Dreams: “Snowy night, catch the light, shimmer bright, Angels sing.” My favorite lyric from Gold and Green: “And everything looks better in gold and green, The lights on the trees in the eyes of our children, Are the prettiest I’ve ever seen.”
The 12 Days of Christmas
The 12 Days of Christmas is a song that I have always found to be really fun! It’s a long song, but easy to sing along with and the imagery is so fun to me. The music therapy adaptations for this song are really fun too! The song is a good template for song rewrites and adaptations. Additionally it is a great song to reinforce academic skills, particularly counting up and back. Since it is a well known song it is also a great song to encourage participation by having clients sing along and fill in words.
My Favorite Lyric: “On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: 12 Drummers Drumming.”
Christmas Tree Farm
Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a BIG fan of Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift had released a short Christmas album in 2007 that I didn’t enjoy, I have held onto hope she would release new Christmas music at some point. Two years ago, Taylor Swift unexpectedly dropped a Christmas song, which was everything I could have wanted from a Taylor Swift song and a Christmas song. Christmas Tree Farm is an upbeat bop that feels so Christmassy to me! Taylor Swift has recently released a jazzy version of Christmas Tree Farm, which I love so much too.
Favorite Lyric: “In my heart is a Christmas tree farm where the people would come to dance under sparkling lights.”
O Holy Night
During my freshman year of college, I was going to take part in a Christmas concert at a student center that I was actively involved in. On a whim I chose to sing O Holy Night as my solo for this concert. Not many people attended this concert, but I felt really good about the performance I gave. The beginning of my freshman year of college was a very stressful time for me, but singing this song really helped raise my self esteem. Ever since then, this song has held a special place in my heart
Favorite Lyric: “Fall on your knees and hear the angels voices.”
Happy beginning to the Christmas/Holiday season! I’m excited to get to sing and play our clients favorite Christmas/Holiday songs with them. Hope you all get the opportunity to sing and hear your favorite Christmas/Holiday songs this year!
Hey everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic week.
I have been sharing a lot about my journey throughout my internship. This week, I want to tell you about why I chose music therapy.
I would say that I have a fairly musical background. Many of my family members have played piano or trumpet. Some have even had musical careers! From a young age, I was exposed to music through my family.
My earliest memory of music is playing the piano at my great-grandparents home. I remember not knowing how to play but I do remember that one side sounded like a big truck and the other sounded like little birds.
Thankfully, I had the opportunity to begin taking piano lessons when I was older. Later, I also joined choir and played trumpet in band. I continued building these skills throughout my middle and high school career.
During my senior year, I started to really think about what I wanted to do with my life. For a while, I considered being a music teacher. I loved the idea of using my love of music in my job and having the opportunity to share that joy. However, after talking to some of my teachers, I decided to start looking for other professions.
One day, I remember opening up my email and seeing a message from my grandmother telling me about a new profession. She had sent me an article about Music Therapy! After reading the article, I became more and more intrigued about this job. It combined both my love for music and desire to help others.
A few months after receiving this email, I went to a Therapy Party at St. Johns for my little brothers. There, a music therapist was providing services for the children there. This was my first glimpse into what this profession truly looked like. Coincidentally, that same music therapist is now one of my supervisors during my internship. What are the odds?!
After this encounter, I set up a meeting with one of the music therapy professors at WIU to discuss this profession further. After this meeting, I decided that this was what I wanted to do. Soon after, I applied and auditioned at WIU and was accepted into the program and now, I am halfway through my internship!
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine it not being a part of my life as an adult. I am so thankful that I was able to find this profession and was brave enough to pursue it.
Thanks for reading! Stay safe and healthy this week!
I don’t know about you, but I really wish spring would arrive! Here in Springfield, we have had glimpses of warmer weather, but it is quickly overturned as winter reminds us it is still here. I’m definitely having the winter blues.
I am sure all of you have your holiday list of music ready to go during this time of year. I started getting requests for Christmas music before Thanksgiving, which I suppose is quite common. I personally try to wait to listen to holiday music until after my Thanksgiving meal, but I will definitely break that rule if someone requests it. :)
The holiday season is definitely my favorite time of the year. There is so much joy to be experienced and to share with others. Lots of people have been waiting all year to hear their favorite holiday tune again. There is nothing else quite like singing a beloved holiday song with your group members and seeing the excitement in their eyes.
It has been fun to see all of the suggestions I have gotten so far. Here are just some of the requests I have gotten from clients ranging in age from school age children to older adults:
Adeste Fideles
Angels We Have Heard on High
Frosty the Snowman
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Hallelujah (Pentatonix version)
Here Comes Santa Claus
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Jingle Bells
Little Drummer Boy
O Holy Night
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Silent Night
Silver Bells
Up on the Housetop
Winter Wonderland
While my personal list of favorite holiday songs is much longer than this, it has been interesting to hear what my clients and students are most often wishing to sing.
What holiday tunes do you get requests for most often? Let us know in the comments!
