Author: Erin

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Bluetooth keyboard teams up well

I have come across the best tool combination for note-taking and efficiency therein. Thomas the New Husband bought me an iPad for Valentine’s Day this year, and although I have been using it pretty consistently for its apps, I’m even more enamored with it now. Now I’m using it with its own little tiny (perfect for my child-sized hands) Bluetooth keyboard, and the team of those two cut down the length of time it takes me to write up progress notes by at least half. Probably more.

I’d been using the Evernote app for dictation while commuting between clients or accounts, but now I’m able to use it for synchronized notes as well.

Anything to make paperwork more pleasant.

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Upcoming new music therapists group meeting

I work on my own, as a contractor and in my own private practice. I don’t co-facilitate with another music therapist, and I don’t work on a team (at the moment). For these reasons, I’ve found that seeking out the support of my peers is crucial, not only for feedback or questions, but to answer, “Is there anyone else who is having the same issues/troubles/concerns/successes?”

I’m looking forward to our next new music therapists meeting here in Minneapolis. Currently, the date is yet to be determined because many of us are out of town in the summer, but I will be sure to update this information as soon as it’s solidified.

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In double-sickness

And I’m sick. Over the past two weeks, this cough I’d developed turned itself into bronchitis and I woke up Monday with a painful sinus infection. Two unrelated problems, that hit me at the same time. Luckily, I have some pretty understanding families (who would want a sick person around their child?), and one mother told me she thinks it could’ve happened because my body hit a let-down following the wedding. Probably true. Honestly, I was expecting to get a little sick, but not quite this bad.

I’m medicated now, and feel much better than even yesterday. Today I’ve caught up on all the music therapy, speech-language pathology, and music education blogs that I read. One of the music education blogs, MusTech.net, mentioned an app I might put into use, called “Note Squish” (find the full description here). The app seems that it would engage some of my clients, especially those who are infatuated by anything technological and who seem to engage with my iPad more than with the dry-erase board I use (and this doesn’t surprise me).

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And now

Now that I have accomplished my wedding (what an accomplishment that process was, too — I spent a whole lot of energy worrying over that lovely day), I have come up with some new goals for my work and my small private practice. Some of these I had incorporated into my daily routine months before my wedding, but some I have just recently decided I’d like to do. Here are a few:

  1. Record the new songs I create, even if they are written in session and I’m not sure they’d be applicable elsewhere.
  2. Attend a bi-monthly instrumental workshop (one I’m planning to attend is a ukelele picking class).
  3. Incorporate one new, as in current, song at some point throughout each working week.
  4. Professionally interact in some way each day on the social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
  5. Create fact sheets for every condition, illness, syndrome, or disability I encounter for current and future reference.

Most of these particular things I have done to some degree or another, but I feel the need to be more diligent about them. And of course, there are many more needs to fulfill, but those I’ll leave for another list, perhaps.

I’ve taken to use monthly, weekly, and daily checklists, but then let each and every un-checked task haunt me if and when it’s ignored. Any good ideas to help let go of those things that simply did not happen?

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Runners’ music

My husband* and I have just begun training for a marathon that is set this fall. Since I’ve been running outdoors, and with Thomas, I haven’t had any kind of music with me at any time. When I’ve exercised indoors, I’ll have my headphones on, but I hardly ever listen to music. Music feels too intense for me to have with me while I’m running. I’m almost afraid that I’ll become too engrossed in the music that I won’t pay attention to my body, and that I’ll break my ankle and won’t even notice. (Doubtful.)

In many races, runners aren’t allowed to run with headphones. I imagine this has something to do with safety and runners’ awareness of their surroundings. Apparently, those athletes who do train with music in their headphones are looked down upon by elite runners. They’re not considered “purist.”

Well, maybe not. I am fully aware of the effects music has on me, and can remember how certain kinds of music would do a lot for my warm-up routines for the various sports I played when I was younger. So, I suppose those elite runners are right; music definitely adds something to a run.

I enjoyed an article from active.com quite a bit. I love learning about research on the effects of music, especially when it addresses a very different population of people. In this case, athletes.

Go ahead and read Can Music Make You a Better Runner? and let me know your thoughts.

*I’ve gotten to write “my husband” only a few times yet.

Thanks to The Husband for sending the article on to me!

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Back in the saddle again

Good Monday to you!

Clearly, I’ve been away. In June, I got married. Leading up to the wedding, I decided to shift my focus much more to all of the end-of-planning work that needed to be done, so I sacrificed my blogging for that. But, I’ve decided that this week is the week I get back into it all.

Much has been happening here in Minnesota. We’ve still been holding our monthly meetings. I’ve been finding new clients and even new students. I’d been considering new ways to approach a couple of places in my community (though admittedly, I knew I wouldn’t get to that until July or August). I’ve decided to try to hit up a ukelele group that happens every other Monday night.

For our honeymoon, we flew down to Florida and then road-tripped along the Gulf Coast and stayed a day in New Orleans. The most striking part about New Orleans, for me, was the first half hour walking around a city square and hearing a band play on the street. Comprised of a trumpet, trombone, tuba, guitar, and bass drum, they improvised inside the song “We All Scream for Ice Cream,” to the extent that I teared up a little– they were fantastic. (Of course they were. New Orleans.) That night we spent some time on Frenchman Street and were happy to hear all kinds of amazing music spill out of each door that we passed.

I did love the South.

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Would you want music at your bedside?

*Whoa. How does a person get anything else done when they’re planning a wedding? Truly, does anyone have advice?

I really liked this article. The piece reminds me of a time I’d heard one of my music therapy instructors tell the class that when she had to undergo some treatment in a hospital, she denied any visits from the hospital’s music therapist and refused any music at all.

How does this article sit with you?

Life, Interrupted: The Beat Goes On

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Subway flash mob

I feel rather distant from a number of things lately, but this is because we are so busy getting together the rest of our wedding planning. Obviously I haven’t been writing daily; but I’ve been working daily.

Last week’s UPS included:

  1. Acquiring new clients
  2. Seeing my once-a-month clients
  3. Setting up a high school student observation
  4. Acquiring new instruments and materials for the little ones I see each morning
  5. Getting a $15.00 discount at a children’s store, just by using foursquare

Last week’s NOT-SO-UPS included:

  1. Learning that I won’t be seeing a really special client after the Spring session
  2. Becoming frustrated with my (in)ability to continuously engage my little ones
  3. Becoming frustrated that I’m finding it more and more difficult to separate my wedding planning from my every thought
  4. Realizing I can’t keep up with everything I’d like to be doing right this minute
  5. Succumbing to feeling overwhelmed

Have a good week, everyone.

 

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The bells will be ringing

I have missed blogging with my regularity this past week, however I am in need of any extra time I can find; I’m getting married next month and I have ohsomuch planning yet to do. So, with this upcoming, life-changing event (a wonderful one), I am going to post to this site only once a week in this month of May. I’ll see how life treats me in June…

This being said, I have to say I was heartbroken when I heard this news story, and I want to share it. (Not because I want you to be heartbroken, too, but because I find it a notable story.)

Oops! Stradivarius cello broken in accident…