It’s the time of year when there is a cluster of patriotic celebrations in this country – Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day, the 4th of July. As a child, I was raised to value and respect the liberty and opportunities available as a citizen of the United States. I tried to pass these beliefs on to my own children while teaching them that these privileges came at a price and a responsibility. The lesson was very close to home, since their father was an officer in the Air Force and was deployed during the first Iraq war. As small children, they experienced the burden of responsibility to freedom when saying goodnight to Dad meant writing him a letter or waiting for a phone call from overseas. [Read more…]
What My Tone-Deaf Dad Taught Me about Music
June 15, 2013 By
One of the best things about writing a blog is the opportunity to tell the story of an everyday hero whose strength and depth might never be widely known but who has so much valuable wisdom to share. The hero for today is my Dad. [Read more…]
Parents as Reading Partners: Songs, Snuggles and Musical Support
June 11, 2013 By
Many of the children and some of the parents came to my school last night dressed in pajamas and carrying a pillow, stuffed animal and their favorite book. It was the annual Friday night pajama party celebrating a weeklong event known as ‘Parents as Reading Partners’ or PARP. During the week, the families pledged to read every day to their child. Each title was recorded on a paper heart, and sent back to school. By last night, the front lobby walls were crammed with hearts- a testament to the dedication and concern of our parents. [Read more…]
Sowing Seeds, Note by Note
June 3, 2013 By
We finally got around to planting our vegetable garden today, and I couldn’t help thinking again about the relationship between growing plants and growing children. My grandparents were farmers, and probably their parents were farmers. Growing up, my family always had a vegetable garden, and now I have my own. As I sat there in the warm dirt this morning, I felt the presence of all those ancestors who undoubtedly sat, just like me, in a plot of humid earth with a young seedling in hand. [Read more…]
Music Motivators for Moms
May 12, 2013 By
The music therapists of Raising Harmony™ and Sprouting Melodies® are so grateful to all the MOMs who believe enough in the importance of music in their children’s lives that they pack, and carry and drive and unload and climb and shuffle in order to get to music group each week. We are committed to supporting you in your journey through motherhood. [Read more…]
National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day- May 9, 2013
May 5, 2013 By
Thursday, May 9 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Musical Markers: Show Me the Way to Go Home
April 20, 2013 By
When I was younger, I would look in envy at the magazine and newspaper articles about travel and dream of the day when I would jet off to new cities, new experiences and new cultures. Well, now that I am older, part of that dream has come true. I have been fortunate in the past few years to be invited to share my thoughts and music on early childhood and development across this country and sometimes outside of the country. 
[Read more…]
It’s Not Just a Song…
April 4, 2013 By
One of the best parts of being a music therapist is the shared sense of commitment and passion in the music therapy community. I have the honor to travel to many of the national and regional conferences of the American Music Therapy Association and share the early childhood music therapy information and vision of Raising Harmony and Sprouting Melodies. The latest gathering came in the beautiful and awesome area of southern Arizona. The conference center for the meeting is an intricate collection of walkways, gardens, and stucco buildings designed by a student of the famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Every aspect of Wright’s design is deliberate and detailed with the mission of reflecting and respecting the natural environment while providing for simplicity in function and form.
The March Leprechauns, Bunnies, Lambs and Lions Are Here: Making Imagination Flourish through Music
March 10, 2013 By
In my work as an educator and consultant I have plenty of opportunity to visit early childhood centers and schools. Most of my visits are very pleasant, and I get to see some really excellent programs.
This time of year, though, I am always amused to see hung on walls and decorated in projects the lasting vestiges of the March Imaginarium: Leprechauns, Bunnies, Lions and Lambs. How come these symbols and icons have lasted so long? And how come they sometimes become the foundation for educational curriculum? [Read more…]
Parents as Reading Partners: Songs, Snuggles and Musical Support
February 23, 2013 By
Many of the children and some of the parents came to my school last night dressed in pajamas and carrying a pillow, stuffed animal and their favorite book. It was the annual Friday night pajama party celebrating a weeklong event known as ‘Parents as Reading Partners’ or PARP. During the week, the families pledged to read every day to their child. Each title was recorded on a paper heart, and sent back to school. By last night, the front lobby walls were crammed with hearts- a testament to the dedication and concern of our parents.
My school setting is fully integrated, and so we have children with all kinds of abilities and challenges. But the staff and families are committed to the importance of early literacy for every child. Developing print literacy, though, can be difficult when the child’s growth is impacted by disability. [Read more…]
