Raising Harmony: Refreshed, Renewed, Revitalized – Our Training and Your Practice!

August 31, 2022 By

Great news from Raising Harmony! We always ask for your feedback and we really do listen! Integrating all of the requests from our community, this fall we are:

  • Hosting new live and online courses
  • Launching a new songbook from Elizabeth Schwartz, and
  • the Sprouting Melodies Training, our core course, is newly revised and updated

Chances are, if you’re reading this post, you fall into one of three categories –

  1. You always wanted to take the Sprouting Melodies Training and just haven’t found the right time (HINT: This is the right time!)
  2. You already took the course and learned a lot. (Maybe consider retaking the course at a special reduced rate, or pass this email on to friends and colleagues who you know would love this content!)
  3. You took the course, but wish you had spent more time with the content and implementing the songs and strategies. (You can now take advantage of our special offer to retake the course!)

If you’ve already taken the Sprouting Melodies Training, and you want a refresher, or if you know someone who would benefit from taking the course for the first time, please share this with them! If you haven’t taken our Sprouting Melodies Training yet, join us for this updated and revised course including:

  • New, up-to-date, professionally recorded videos
  • Exciting new contributions from practitioners leading Sprouting Melodies classes
  • New songs and music
  • Same quality foundations and practice information

Earn 23 CMTE hours fully on-line, in your own space, in your own timePlease join us for the Fall ’22 launch. Click here for registration information. https://raisingharmony.com/training/sprouting-melodies-training-info/Prices will go up in 2023 to reflect the updated content and professional video recordings, so please take advantage of this first round of the updated training.

If you’ve already taken the course and this is a retake for you, please use the coupon code 2022SMTRefresher to get your special offer!  If you’ve already taken the course, encourage your friends to take the training! If you refer someone to take the Sprouting Melodies Training Course will us, email Meredith directly and she will set you up with a free 3 Credit Short Course from Raising Harmony!

Want to learn more about our new courses and details for the Songbook Launch Party? Keep watching our Facebook page and watch your emails for more details to come!! We look forward to seeing you this Fall!

Meredith and Elizabeth

Filed Under: Sprouting Melodies

What More Can You Do?

March 22, 2022 By

When Meredith and I started Raising Harmony, we were determined to provide solid, effective information on music, young children, and families. After hearing from the 100s of music therapists who have taken the Sprouting Melodies Training, we’ve learned that the training provides so much more.  Through taking the training, people have:

  • Created new career opportunities in their communities

  • Grew their practice by partnering with neighborhood services

  • Used the Sprouting Melodies concepts and framework to expand and deepen practice for people of all ages

  • Learned how to talk to clients, families, administrators and others about the power of music

  • Discovered new and creative music experiences

What more can you do? Come join us for the next Sprouting Melodies Training and find out.

Click the link below to register for our next course beginning March 30, 2022.

https://raisingharmony.com/training/sprouting-melodies-training-info/

Hope to see you!

Elizabeth

Not ready for this round of training? Visit www.RaisingHarmony.com  to download 5 free songs composed specifically for music therapists to learn and use.

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Listening, Music and Development, Music and Early Education, Music and Families, Music and Movement, Music Therapy

Getting a Two-Year-Old to Tune In?

December 28, 2021 By

Wow! What a year this has been. I have been thinking that 2021 is a little bit like the two-year-old’s I know – tantrums, tears, testing limits; but also times of incredible tenderness and tremendous growth.

Understanding development of little children is so helpful in understanding people in general. Want to know more? We’ve got a great course that gives you comprehensive information on development as well as music development. How to get that two-year-old to tune in? Covered. Getting parents, staff, and administrators to tune in? Covered.  All this covered in our 23 CMTE credit, totally virtual Sprouting Melodies training course. Here is the link to register for our January 2022 course.

https://raisingharmony.com/training/sprouting-melodies-training-info/

Bonus! As part of the course, Meredith Pizzi, Erika Svolos, and I will meet with you virtually to answer questions or to brainstorm ideas and solutions. This would be a great time to learn more about successful ways to run Virtual Early Childhood groups. Yes, it can be done. And yes, you can get a two-year-old (and their grownups) to tune in!

Hope you will join us. Register by January 1st and receive an early-bird discount. Contact me directly with any questions Elizabeth@RaisingHarmony.com.

Here’s to 2022!

Elizabeth Schwartz

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Music and Development, Music and Families, Sprouting Melodies

No Gimmicks

August 25, 2021 By
It seems certain that 2020 and 2021 will go down in history as years of challenge on many levels. How has it been for you? And more importantly – how can we help? While the difficulties loom large, Meredith and I have been so moved by the resilience and flexibility of music therapists and of you as part of the Raising Harmony community. We are determined to work harder than ever to provide support, resources, and maybe motivation for you. That is what community is all about.
Our most recent Sprouting Melodies Training really highlighted the hope that music therapists bring to their work. When we met through Zoom last week, the mood was one of excitement for the possibilities of the future. Can you use that kind of atmosphere right now? Below is a list of opportunities we have scheduled for this fall and into next year, and we would love to have you join us.
On a personal note, I am THRILLED to share that the year of COVID motivated me to finally finish my second book of songs. ‘Together with the Beat: Songs for Me, and You, and Us’ will be available in a few weeks! We are hoping to have a celebratory launch, so look for more information coming soon. If you have used ‘You and Me Makes…We: A Growing Together Songbook’ you are going to love this new book.
Whether its new music, coaching, fresh ideas, support or motivation – how can we help you?

Beth


Additional Fall Opportunities

Fall Sprouting Melodies Training
We’ve all seen it. Images of an expecting mother with headphones over her belly, playing classical music through the speakers to soothe and calm her baby. Now more than ever, parents are looking for ways to support their children through their developmental journey. Join us for the fall session of the Sprouting Melodies Training while we explore songs, developmental stages and music interventions for early childhood. This training will begin on September 8th and end on November 17th. The registration link can be found here. We hope to see you!

Music Therapy Job Opportunities
Many of you are familiar with Sprouting Melodies & Raising Harmony, but you may not be familiar with Raising Harmony’s sister company, Roman Music Therapy Services. Raising Harmony’s Co-Founder and Roman Music Therapy Services Executive Director, Meredith Pizzi, MPA, MT-BC invites you to explore the potential for your next career opportunity with Roman Music Therapy Services. We are hiring qualified, people-driven professionals to join a small, dynamic team that provides music therapy to communities across eastern Massachusetts. Open positions include Board Certified Music Therapists as well as a Customer Service Coordinator. Click here for the job postings, or reach out to jobs@romanmusictherapy.com with any questions.


Graduate Education Opportunity
Are you looking for an opportunity to expand your knowledge and learn from an experienced Music Therapy Business Owner? Meredith Pizzi, Raising Harmony’s Co-Founder, will be teaching Music Therapy Business Development at Alverno College this fall. Enrollment is open until the end of August. Classes begin this week, so reach out today! See the flyer for more information or click here to register now.
Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Sprouting Melodies

It’s Not a Secret

March 16, 2021 By

Have you ever wondered how music begins? How does a tiny infant learn music that helps them grow into a Grammy Award winner, or a basement band fan, or a music therapist? It’s not a secret. We know how music develops and how it becomes woven into a person’s identity. But we also know that many college programs don’t spend much time on music development. It’s only when you get out in the field that you realize that it would be something good to know.

In our Sprouting Melodies Training course, we lay it all out for you in a clear and practical framework. Each small music detail leads into the music making and then leads into a persuasive understanding of music in overall development. Right from the very start. In every session we give you new songs, music, and strategies that can be used in your work the very next day.

It’s not a secret. We’ve had well over 200 music therapists take the training, and we hear all the time how helpful the information is, no matter where you work.

Our Spring 2021 course begins on March 31. Visit our web page at https://raisingharmony.com/training/sprouting-melodies-training-info/.

It’s not a secret that this is really great training. Come and join us.

Beth and Meredith

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Music and Development, Music Therapy, Sprouting Melodies

Feeling Lost?

August 7, 2020 By

Dear Raising Harmony Friends,

Let’s be honest. This is a really challenging time on so many levels. And it is also a really challenging time to be a music therapist. I’ve seen so many music therapists who are feeling confused, overwhelmed, and lost.

When I’m feeling this way, I know I need to get back to the basics – to the things that really matter. I think this is one reason I love early childhood music so much. Young children bring me back to what’s real and honest. I’d like to share that feeling with you, especially if you are finding that you’ve lost your way in music therapy.

So today, I invite you to join me for the next Sprouting Melodies Training course to help you get back to the basics of music and renew your sense of why you went into music therapy – for the music, the relationships, and the sense of purpose and meaning.

Because money is tight right now for so many, I’m going to urge you to sign up for our Early Bird Discount from now until August 12. You can read all about the course and register here.

For those of you who have taken the Sprouting Melodies course over the last seven years, thank you for your support and suggestions. Earlier this year, we refreshed and revamped the training and we’ve had wonderful comments for the recent group of participants. The one thing we haven’t changed though is our basic commitment to provide quality content and a vibrant community of support for music therapists.

Hope you’ll consider joining us.

Beth

Elizabeth K. Schwartz, MA, LCAT, MT-BC
Co-Founder; Education and Training Director
Raising Harmony: Music Therapy for Young Children
www.RaisingHarmony.com  www.SproutingMelodies.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized

We Need You

June 11, 2020 By
I rarely cry. But just the other week I found myself tearing up at the most unusual time – during a Zoom call. I was the faculty supervisor observing a music therapy student. She was part of a program for adults with developmental disabilities, and when the Covid-19 shutdown happened the music therapists quickly moved to on-line services. Watching her make musical connections with the people in these little screens was so inspirational. But it was a staff member’s impassioned comment that brought on the tears – ‘We need you.’

The challenges of the past months have uncovered depths of unmet needs in our country. I need you. You need me. We need each other.

At Raising Harmony, Meredith and I have poured our hearts into creating a community for you and for us, so that we can be there for others. We sincerely hope that our trainings give music therapists new ideas and skills so that we can be the place for all people to join together and be there for each other in community.

Will you join us? Our next Sprouting Melodies Course is a good place to start. The summer session begins June 17. The course is ten weeks and totally on-line. (We’ve been doing virtual for a long time 😉 www.RaisingHarmony.com/training

https://raisingharmony.com/product/sprouting-melodies-training-june-2020/

And if you need me, just email! Elizabeth@RaisingHarmony.com. I’ll be there for you.

Elizabeth

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Thoughts and Tips on Teletherapy for Music Therapists

March 31, 2020 By

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Connect. Collaborate. Stay Current.

March 29, 2020 By

Now more than ever, we need meaningful opportunities to be connected to others.

We search for ways to collaborate in creating innovative, creative programs.

And we seek flexible solutions to the challenges of staying current in a fast changing health-care environment.

Meredith, Erica, and I would like to welcome you to just such an environment through the Sprouting Melodies Training. Our newly updated and refreshed course begins Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The course provides you with:

 

  • Completely on-line training – done in your own space, in your own time
  • 23 continuing education credits
  • A vibrant interactive community of music therapists who gather and share in the course on-line forum
  • New ways of thinking about music therapy and about using your skills as a music therapist
  • Tons of new songs and intervention ideas
  • A comprehensive guide to musical development and early childhood development
  • Realistic and useful strategies for planning and practice

Register here

https://raisingharmony.com/training/sprouting-melodies-training-info/

Come join us! Beth

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Music and Development, Music and Families, Music and Movement, Music and Social Skill Development, Music Therapy, Sprouting Melodies

What’s the Deal with Dorian?

December 17, 2017 By

Well, I’ve done it again! There is something about the Dorian mode during the winter season that really draws me in. And what I’ve noticed again and again is that it also draws young children into the music in a way that is unique.

I think that it is the ambiguity which the Dorian mode creates that fits so well with my style of music therapy. I want children to explore and express and examine. I don’t always want to box children in to a certain harmonic structure that will lead them to a foregone conclusion. The Dorian starts out with the flatted third that tricks the ear into thinking it has a specific path. But then, along comes the raised sixth. It surprises me every time. It no longer feels minor, but it doesn’t feel major either. That is another reason that Dorian is perfect for young children as they explore all types of pitched and melodic sounds. Anything they contribute musically seems to have a place in Dorian.

I also like to add the Dorian mix into the pot during the holidays. By the time December is nearing its end, many of us are ready for a break. We sometimes get stuck in the stress of season and keep our jingle bells on constant loop. Dorian digs me out.

Maybe this song in Dorian will help you find a little bit of novelty and newness in these last few days before the New Year. Give it a try this week. “Look and See” invites you and your children to take a break from the normal and find some creative play time. Let me know if you, like me, find a big deal in Dorian.

Enjoy the Music!
Beth

Look and See!
E. K. Schwartz 2017

1, 2, 3. Look and see!
1, 2, 3. Look at me.
1, 2, 3. Look and see!
We can play together. We can play together.

Come and play with me.
Come and play with me.
Come with me and you’ll see, we can play together.

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music Groups, Music and Development, Music and Families, Music and Social Skill Development, Music Therapy, Sprouting Melodies
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