Music Therapy Maven » Reviews

Book Review: Why We Like Music

Kimberly — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:06:46 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

I am super-excited to share with you a book recently introduced to me: Why We Like Music: Ear, Emotion, Evolution. The book was originally published in Italy about 5 years. It has been translated into English by Stephen Thomson Moore and released just two months ago by New World Media.

Here’s the short version of this review: If you love reading Levitin, then you’ll love reading this book! I think it’s a must-read for any music therapist…and for anyone who is interested in why it is music touches us so deeply.

Here’s the longer review…

The author is science writer Silvia Bencivello. According to her bio, Ms. Bencivello is not only a writer, but also a radio and TV personality with a background in medicine. Which tells me–and which is apparent in her book–that she knows what she is talking about…and knows how to talk about it in an engaging and easy-to-read fashion.

What was especially interesting to me was that Why We Like Music not only nicely summarizes the music neuroscience research from the 1990s and early 2000s, but it also goes more deeply into music’s role in our evolution. In fact, Bencivello pulls together research not just from evolutionary psychology, but also animal research, neuroscience, and infant development.

Better yet, Bencivello doesn’t just summarize the research, but she interprets it and describes it in an accessible way. With lots of stories and anecdotes along the way to boot.

The biggest down-side to this book is that it didn’t get published in English sooner! And what if she had written it this year? Who knows what Bencivello would have had to say about all the fabulous music neuroscience research that has happened over the past 5 years.

In short, I highly, highly recommend this book if you are professionally or personally interested in why we like and respond to music. It’s available in print and Kindle edition on Amazon, as well as in the Apple iBookstore.

I leave you, then, with an excerpt from the book…What do you think?

——————————————————————————————-

(page 73-74)

PROTOLANGUAGE…

Tecumseh Fitch is a psychologist at St. Andrews University, Scotland, as well as an amateur musician—his “I Don’t Believe in Evolution,” heard in sneak preview at the Festival of Sciences in Rome in January 2006,10 is certainly not to be missed. Fitch is one of those who believe that all that is needed to dismantle the theory of human beings using music as a sexual attractor are a couple of observations:

In the animal kingdom, it is true, it is almost always the males who sing, and they do so especially during mating season. But there are also splendid examples of species in which males and females sing together, as happens with tropical birds. However, for us this is not the case at all. Among humans, both males and females have the same musical abilities. These abilities appear long before sexual maturity. Indeed, we already hear music while still in the womb! (11)

Thus, the fact that a love song can create the right atmosphere during a date does not mean that music was created in order to make us mate. In the same way, the fact that young musicians—from the guitarist who sings on the beach to the pop star in a boy band—are often surrounded by pretty girls has little to do with the erotic potential of music. This, according to Fitch, is more likely to be linked to music’s emotional content and the ability that any song may have to move us, depending on our personal tastes. Moreover, unlike other animal species, it is difficult in the case of human beings to claim that males and females have different abilities, or even different musical tastes—indeed, it is obvious that interest in music is completely independent of reproductive capacity or sexual orientation.

There is a fundamental difference between how humans and animals make use of music. For us music is above all a pleasure, whereas other species need it primarily for communication.

So even though we may interpret the sounds produced by animals as what we would call music, their function is more similar to what we consider as language.

This is why those who deal with the question of evolution and the origin of our musicality cannot help but focus on the relationships between music and language development. This is also true because of the undeniable similarity between the structures that we use in order to sing and talk, listen to music and follow a conversation: our voices, our ears and our brains.

However, the story of evolution has taught us that our mechanisms of communication did not simply appear just to allow us to talk, in the same way as our eyes did not appear just to let us see, and so forth. These are systems that evolved through a series of chance events and proved to be more advantageous than others because they enabled the development of various abilities (or improved some pre-existing possibilities), which in turn made it easier to survive and to reproduce in a particular environment. In fact, the structures we use to produce our voices and those we use to hear the words of others in a conversation also exist in many other animals. The larynx with the vocal cords and the cochlea in the inner ear are not peculiarities found only in our species, nor is their only function that of letting us speak and sing, even though we humans use them mostly for this purpose. When these structures appeared, they turned out to be highly advantageous solutions to general problems of communication and perception: having vocal cords that vibrate with the passage of air while you breathe out made it possible to create sounds or shouts. The ability to hear the noises made by other animals moving among the vegetation was an obvious advantage, both as prey or predator.

In the struggle for survival, combining the two things—being able to call out to a companion to warn it of the presence of a hunter, safe in the knowledge that the cry would be heard and understood, or then again, being able to frighten prey with a roar and then follow it while it retreated through the foliage by listening to the noise it made—gave animals powerful weapons. Later, humans also learned to use these same weapons in order to talk—and who knows how, when and why, also to make music.

According to Fitch, the connections between music and language are clear: music is a protolanguage from which our spoken communication evolved—and it stuck around even after the birth of language because we nd it pleasing. The first person to come up with this theory was Charles Darwin, according to whom, in addition to being used as means of seduction, early musical vocalizations were the origin of words.

Book Review: I Think I Love You

Kimberly — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:17:37 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

Last spring, the music therapy community was all abuzz with the release of two major forms of media–a book and a movie–that both featured music therapy. The book and movie both received wonderful reviews and, from my perspective, highlighted music therapy in an accurate, positive way.

But did you hear about the second book?

Its true! A second book!

Allison Pearson, the same author who wrote the 2002 best-seller-now-turned-into-a-movie-with-Sarah-Jessica-Parker called I Don’t Know How She Does It, published the book I Think I Love You this past February.

And just like my Picoult favorite Sing You Home, the main character is a music therapist!

I just finished reading I Think I Love You the other day. How well did it talk about music therapy? Keep reading to find out…

Synopsis

At its core, Pearsons novel is a love story–a romantic comedy if turned into a movie. The first half of the book follows the main characters as preteens and young adults. Petra is a 13-year-old girl who both live in Wales, is a talented cellist, and loooooves David Cassidy.

Bill is a new college graduate working at his first job at a magazine called The Essential David Cassidy magazine. Their paths cross not only because of their connection to David Cassidy, but also physically cross at an infamous 1974 London concert during his farewell tour.

The second half of the book takes place 25 years later, with Petra as a soon-to-be-divorced mother, music therapist, and mother to a 13-year-old. Bill, also now conveniently divorced, is a successful magazine editor. Unbeknownst to them, their paths are to cross again because of David Cassidy.

For more details about the plot, this New York Times article offers a splendid review.

How Was It?

In truth, there is very little in this novel about music therapy directly. Pearson outlined one mini case study and gave highlights from a handful of session.

That said, what is there seems accurate and is beautifully written. What was interesting to me was the thought that this may describe more accurately how music therapy is practiced and understood in the UK–a region of practice I know very little about.

What I felt was most poignant was Pearson’s descriptions about how music affects us on an emotional level. There are beautiful, almost stunning and visceral descriptions of how music can touch us. It can be hard to put that into words.

Beyond that, Pearson keeps you caring and interested in the characters. In truth, it’s no surprise where the plot is going. But she makes it such a joy to get there that you dont mind. Pearson takes you through some events quickly, but will take time to pause and show in vivid detail what a character is seeing, feeling, and remembering at that moment.

In short, although I Think I Love You is on the surface about teen idol love, it’s more about emotions and the impact of life experiences. The characters are survivors of one form or another, yet Pearson allows their wit, humanness, and spirit to shine through.

Which I why I can say, without hesitation, that I think I love…I Think I Love You.

Top 7 Favorite Apps and Tech Toys for Students

Kimberly — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:02:15 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

It’s only been 5 years since I graduated with my Masters, but so much about being a student has changed! Before, I hand-wrote all my class notes and made sure to carry by $80 flash drive with…what?…8 MB of memory from my apartment computer to the school computer.

During my undergraduate to graduate years, we were just getting into email and starting to move everything from a paper process to a digital process. Need a transcript? You can make a phone call, stand in line, or send a fax. Now it happens with a click of the button. Need to register for class? Do it by hand and submit a form (though make sure to make a copy in case it gets lost…). Now, my own individual registration will be open online on November 8th at precisely 11:15 am.

As I’ve transitioned back to being a student, I’ve had fun exploring how to use technology and apps to facilitate and enhance my student experience. Here’s what I’ve found so far that has worked really well–my top 7 favorite apps and tech toys for students:

1Password. Everything needs a password these days and this app is where I store all mine. Before this year, I only used it for storage, since I saved many of my passwords on my internet browser. But using school computers is different–I can’t save my passwords on those computer. Thus, this app has been a life-saver for me. Price: $-$$ (depending on device and features)
Evernote. I can’t believe it took me so long to find this fabulous app! With all the balls I juggle–work, housecare, family, and school–Evernote is how I keep it all organized. I have notebooks set up for each facet of my life and notes organized with each notebook for certain projects and brainstorming sessions. Plus I can capture and store video and pictures on there, too! Evernote keeps me from having to store vast quantities of information in my head and it gives me the peace of mind and open head space to know that everything is recorded and stored. Price: Free
iPad 2/iPhone 4. Need to take notes? An iPad can do that. Need to shoot a short video clip of a student’s music therapy intervention? An iPhone can do that. Need to access my grocery list on Evernotes lists? Done and done…on both devices. I can’t tell you how much I rely on my iPad and iPhone for almost every facet of my work and personal life. A bit pricey? Yes…but worth every single penny. Price: $$$$-$$$$$
Keyboard Dock for iPad. Let’s be realistic…an iPad is a pain to type on if you have anything more than a short sentence to write out. Thus, this dock and keyboard have been just fabulous! It worked perfectly the first time, it keeps my iPad upright, and works just like a regular keyboard–a necessity for taking notes. There is one down-side: it’s a bit of a hassle to carry because of it’s shape. Price: $$
Dropbox. Dropbox may be one of my favorite things. Ever. It has completely eliminated my need for a flash drive that can get lost. Files I store in my Dropbox folder on my laptop can be accessed on any computer with an internet connection (say…a school computer for printing?). Plus, if working on a group project, you can share a Dropbox folder with your group members, allowing everyone in the group to access the files in that folder for editing, adding content, etc. No need to email documents back and forth. Price: Free
MobileMe–iDisk and Gallery. I know this is changing, soon, to the iCloud…but I’ve gotta say that I’ve gotten a TON of use out of my MobileMe iDisk and Gallery this fall. I store all my class notes on iDisk–I type them up on my iPad, then in a few clicks share them to my iDisk account, and later access them on my laptop. Easy-peasy. And remember the student video clips I mentioned earlier? With a few clicks I have uploaded them to my MobileMe account. Then when online, I transfer the videos to a special, private MobileMe web page and share that link with the students. They are able to not only view their videos, but can download the media file as well. Price: $$$
Pages app. Although many apps are free, this little guy is worth every penny. This app is what allows me to take notes during class and during my GTA lab classes. Though it’s not necessarily as fancy or exciting as some of the other apps I’ve mentioned…it’s highly functional and I use it every day. (I can’t wait to download the Keynotes app and try it out at our upcoming AMTA conference…). Price: $

So those are some of my favorite apps and tech toys for school…what do YOU recommend?

Book Review: The Writer’s Guide to Psychology

Kimberly — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:00:51 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

Music therapists often complain that the media don’t really “get” music therapy. They share the soundbites and seem unable to accurately portray the nuance that is often a part of our work. Rare is the writer who–like Picoult–is able to truly capture our field.

So, given this history, when I had the chance to review a book related to the misconceptions about psychology, I jumped on it! I mean, surely something as prolific in our culture as psychology is doesn’t suffer the same accuracy woes that music therapy does, right? What do they have to complain about?

As it turns out…plenty.

The Writer’s Guide to Psychology: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior is intended to serve as “an authoritative and accessible guide to modern psychological practice” for any book, film, or TV writer who wants to incorporate psychology, therapists, and disorders into their work.

The author, Carolyn Kaufman, is herself a clinical psychologist, writer, and writing coach. This gives her a unique perspective when writing a book for writers. She’s successfully straddles both worlds, serving as an authority on psychology, yet providing information that’s relevant and understandable for writers.

The Writer’s Guide covers the following topics:

Common myths, misconceptions, and mistakes about psychology and psychological practice
How therapy sessions really work
The difference between various psychology professionals in how their trained, their theoretical orientations, and degrees
Several chapters outlining psychological disorders
How mental health treatment works: the meds, the therapies, even ECT and newer neural treatments (such as deep brain stimulation)
What a psychiatric facility is really like…and what causes someone to be admitted

It would be easy for this information to be dry and difficult to read. But Kaufman successfully avoids that mistake. As a writer herself, she’s able to explain this material with enough depth, yet written in an easy-to-digest style. As a bonus, Kaufman includes lots of references from both books, TV, and film showing when the writers got it right…and when they got it horribly wrong!

As a music therapist, much of Kaufman’s book served as a nice review of theoretical orientations, mental health disorders, and pharmacological treatments. In fact, I think it’s going to serve as a bonus reference book for me–if I need a brief refresher on a psychological disorder, I’ll pick up Kaufman’s book before the DSM-IV!

In conclusion, I think Kaufman successfully accomplished what she sought out to do: to create a thorough, yet easy-to-understand, guide of psychology and psychological practice. I agree with the author Jilliane Hoffman, who wrote:

“Every writer who even thinks about creating or explaining a character with a psychological disorder should have a copy of The Writer’s Guide to Psychology on their desk, right next to their dictionary and thesaurus.”

Article Sharing: Music Therapy, Sensory Integration, and Pain

Kimberly — Mon, 23 May 2011 16:43:40 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

The title is kind of funny, isn’t it? I mean, what do “sensory integration” and “pain” have in common?

For starters, articles I wrote on those topics were published last week

I have the good fortune of periodically being invited to write for other blogs. One of those blogs is Pediastaff, a provider of pediatric therapy services.

Last week, Pediastaff published a review I wrote on Songames, a CD and booklet that outlines structured, music-based experience for children with sensory integration issues. Want to know what I, as a music therapist, thought? Check it out here: Product Review: Songames (TM) for Sensory Integration

I am also a blogger on Psychology Today, where last year I started the blog “Your Musical Self.” My most recent post is on musical analgesia…or how music can help your pain. Whether chronic or acute, research is showing that music can be an effective pain management tool: Musical Analgesia: How Music Helps Pain

Finally, I’m always on the lookout for great articles related to music therapy–clinical music therapy, music therapy research, music neuroscience, etc. If you’ve read anything interesting (or have written anything interesting yourself!) and would like to share it, please leave a comment in the boxes below!

Book Review: House Rules by Picoult

Kimberly — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:12:42 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

I’m on a bit of a Picoult kick right now. Years ago, I read My Sister’s Keeper and loved it. Last month I read my second Picoult book, Sing You Home, and loved it. And now I have just finished reading my third Picoult novel, House Rules, and wouldn’t you know?

I loved it.

The basic premise behind House Rules is to explore what might happen when you cross law enforcement with autism spectrum disorder. When you have a person who doesn’t communicate and respond as a neuro-typical would, yet s/he has to navigate the legal system. A system which, as Picoult writes, “works really well, if you communicate a certain way.”

I loved this book as a therapist, too, because it provides the reader with a glimpse inside the mind of some with Aspergers (which, for those who don’t know, falls with the Autism Spectrum Disorder). And it doesn’t just explore the “Asperger’s mind,” but also the affected family and the dynamics that are created with siblings, parents, and others.

With her novel Sing You Home, I felt Picoult very accurately portrayed the work and experiences of a music therapist. She did her homework and brought our work to life. So I trust her process and trust she did the same with House Rules.

It’s not always easy to read Picoult’s novels. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat, maybe with a lump in your belly because of the connection you feel with the characters and what they’re going through. Picoult tackles “heavy” subject matters, but continues to do so with respect, clarity, and by capturing the complexity by sharing the perspective of different characters.

In short? I recommend Picoult’s 2010 novel House Rules for anyone who works with a person who’s “on the spectrum.” And if you have read it? Please leave a comment below and let us all know what YOU thought!

Movie Review: The Music Never Stopped

Kimberly — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:46:56 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

This is the month of music therapy reviews! Last week, I shared with you my review of Jodi Picoult’s new book, Sing You Home (and I invite you to check it out–especially the insightful comments others shared!).

This week, I share with you my review of the almost-released movie The Music Never Stopped.

Review of The Music Never Stopped

This movie is based on the story “The Last Hippie” that was published in Oliver Sacks’s 1995 book An Anthropologist On Mars. The music therapy community is super excited about this movie because, even though the story isn’t about music therapy, one of the main characters IS a music therapist!

As a “general movie-goer,” I thought the movie was superb. I laughed. I cried. The acting was wonderful and the music credits at the end extensive

I also appreciated how “low-tech” the movie was. So many modern movies feature high-tech computer and digital help…which is entertaining in it’s own way. But it was also nice to have a break from that.

As a music therapist, I was highly pleased with how music therapy was portrayed. I was concerned going into it because the story takes place in the mid-1980s. And, although I was a little girl and didn’t yet know about this fabulous field I would enter, I can guess that music therapy practice was a little different 25 years ago!

Yet I thought the description given by the music therapist in the movie (portrayed by the lovely Julia Ormond) was current and accurate. Whether that’s how it was described in the original story or not, it worked as a description for now. Which is important given that this may be the first time thousands of movie-goers have even heard of music therapy!

The only downside is that a lot of recorded music was used in the movie. And, as any music therapist these days knows, live music is much preferred over recorded music. That said, most of the recorded music wasn’t used by the music therapist–it was about a 50-50 split of live music and recorded music when “music therapy” was portrayed.

A final note of appreciation–as a therapist, I was grateful that the movie portrayed the whole family being involved in the main character’s treatment. No client or patient can go it alone and it takes a support system of people helping him/her. This movie showed us that.

Conclusion

All in all, I thought The Music Never Stopped gave a fair and accurate portrayal of music therapy. This will be a nice introduction to the field for hundreds, if not thousands, of moviegoers. And as an added bonus, it’s an overall wonderful movie!

Please check out the website for The Music Never Stopped to see if it’s coming to a theater near you.

P.S. Apparently music therapists aren’t the only ones who are protective of our passion. I got a big kick out of the Grateful Dead fans who were analyzing whether the concert in the movie accurately portrayed a real-live Dead concert

Book Review: Sing You Home

Kimberly — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:49:04 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

Do you ever have the feeling of being so engrossed in a book that you lose yourself in it? Of being to the point of no return, where you will let everything else fall by the wayside because all you want to do is find out how it ends?

That’s what this book was like for me.

Book Review: Sing You Home

Jodi Picoult’s latest novel, Sing You Home was officially released on March 1st. On March 3rd, I downloaded the audio program through Audible.com. Five days later, I was finished. Mighty fast for a working mom with two kids, if you ask me

The short version of this post is that I HIGHLY recommend Sing You Home! Picoult tackles two–as one reviewer put it–”provocative” issues: infertility and gay marriage. The beauty of her writing style is that she approaches these subjects without judgment and from multiple perspectives. Few issues are truly black-and-white and, with this novel, you get inside the heads of characters who’s perspectives vary greatly:

There’s the main character, who finds love with another woman and, despite infertility issues, wants nothing more than to have a child.
There’s the life-long lesbian who has spent a lifetime defending who she is.
And there’s the recovering alcoholic, who turns to the church and struggles with his ex-wife’s newfound love and continued desire to have a child.

As someone who has had loved ones struggle with infertility issues and who was raised by two women, I was touched by Picoult’s perspective of the issues. It was touching

The main character, as you may know, is a music therapist. It’s easy to find fault with how other people describe my profession–and I will admit that there were some descriptions and techniques described in the book that I would not personally have used. But these are minor differences…nuances, really. I felt Picoult described and represented our profession well. She seemed to understand what music therapy is about and was able to describe it honestly, realistically, and emotionally.

I also recommend you read the author’s commentary and description of her research on the Sing You Home website. Much as it brings more meaning to a piece of classical music if you read the program notes, reading about Picoult’s history and interest in these topic areas brings another layer of appreciation to her novel.

So are you convinced yet? Do you plan to read Picoult’s latest novel? And if you are reading it–or have already read it–what are your thoughts? Please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Book Review: The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem

Kimberly — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:58:04 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that I LOVE listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Between work, family, and kids, it’s hard for me to find time to sit and read. Instead, I listen to books and shows while driving and running.

I recently finished listening to a book recommended by the guys over at Internet Business Mastery. In The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, author Nathaniel Branden outlines six characteristics that serve as a guide for building better self-esteem. This higher self-esteem, in turn, leads to better living.

I read this book not as much for my personal self, but more for my “therapist” self. It’s common for therapists, music and otherwise, to have a goal of “increasing self-esteem” for our clients. I thought it’d be interesting to see how this information may inform–and hopefully improve–my clinical practice.

It’s clear from the get-go that Dr. Nathaniel Branden has done his homework. He has spent years studying self-esteem and working with hundreds, if not thousands, of clients. He has fleshed out his ideas and is able to explain them clearly, with depth and detail. I can’t say that any of his major ideas were profoundly earth-shattering for me, but Dr. Branden’s explanations gave me a different and deeper appreciation for the concept of “self-esteem.”

It seems this book is intended for the layperson. It’s a cross between a psychology text and a self-help book. Dr. Branden includes “exercises” designed to help the reader improve in each of the areas. Although the exercises are variations on one basic exercise, it may spark intervention ideas for working with clients.

One of my favorite characteristics of this book is that Dr. Branden weaves his own story into the text. His ideas are based not only on his work with clients, but on his own self-reflection on his life, his successes, his mistakes. It makes his theory much more relatable.

I recommend this book for any therapist–and non-therapist–who is interested in working on self-esteem, either personally or with clients. And even though the book gives you a very comprehensive, in-depth description of self-esteem, which may on the outside seem more appropriate for clients we’d call “higher functioning,” it will still help inform your clinical work with clients we’d consider “lower functioning.”

Interested in checking it out? Click here to purchase it now!

The Beauty (and Benefit) of an Email Newsletter

Kimberly — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:56:50 +0000

If you like this post, please subscribe to the RSS feed. If you like this site, you'll love the newsletter!

If you’re in private practice, are you sending email newsletters yet?

I signed up for my first email newsletter account with Aweber last September. Aweber is what’s called “email marketing software” and there are lots out there: Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, et al.

Email marketing software allows you to easily collect email addresses from your website, create email newsletter, and keep track of how many people open your emails and click on your links. Anytime you get an email newsletter in your inbox, it was likely sent using one of these email marketing software programs.

The initial purpose of email marketing is just as it sounds–using your email inbox to sell you a product or a service.

But many people (and businesses) are also trying to provide their readers with valuable information and tips. So the emails you receive (or send) aren’t strictly used for “marketing,” but also to share information with and help your readers.

I think there are benefits to email marketing for therapists in private practice. Benefits that are untapped and that most people DON’T do. Benefits that can save you time and money. For example:

Sharing important announcements regarding your private practice (e.g. about changes in payment or vacation reminders)
Letting your clients know about upcoming events and workshops they may be interested in
Sending them links to interesting articles and information related to your practice (e.g. if you’re a music therapist, a news story about music therapy)

All while increasing the perceived value of your services by sharing this information in a professional, upgraded fashion.

Here’s Why I Like Aweber

I went with Aweber because, quite frankly, that’s what the guys over at Internet Business Mastery (one of my favorite podcasts) recommended. And it turns out that lots and lots of online blog owners use Aweber as their email marketing manager.

I love Aweber (as does fellow music therapist and blogger Rachel Rambach at Listen and Learn Music) because it’s flexible, powerful, and easy-to-use. Aweber manages all your contacts, makes creating “web forms” easy (used to collect emails like you see here), and has templates so you create professional newsletters in a snap.

If you’re interested in checking out email newsletter, I highly recommend you click here to learn more.