songwriting

Happy Holidays from My Family to Yours

December 22, 2010

In 2008, in honor of my then two-year-old son who LOVED Dr. Seuss, I wrote our annual holiday letter in the style and rhythm of Dr. Seuss. Last year, he LOVED Jingle Bells, so my letter was written to that tune (you can watch the video of that holiday card here).
This year? One of my [...]

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Watch and Learn: The Mirror Neuron Song

January 28, 2010

In the 1990s, scientists at the University of Parma were studying motor neurons in monkeys. They attached electrodes to a monkey’s brain cells responsible for movements. These electrodes recorded whenever those cells fired…a.k.a. whenever the monkey moved.
Monkeys like peanuts. The researchers set out peanuts for the monkeys to grab. Monkey grabs a peanut, motor neuron [...]

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Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas to all of my readers! I hope you have a happy, healthy, relaxing, and wonderful holiday.

I will be taking a break this next week to spend time with my family (can you blame me after seeing that video?!?). I will return next month ready and eager to talk with you again!

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The Neurodevelopment Song (Video)

December 3, 2009

You asked for it and here it is–”The Neurodevelopment Song.”
Why did I write a song about neurodevelopment? Mostly because I’m a big nerd…but also because I’m trying to improve my songwriting chops. And the only way to do that is to actually write songs.
I first performed this during my presentation at the American Music Therapy [...]

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Will These Songs Help You?

October 5, 2009

I have two items to address in today’s post. They are completely and totally unrelated.
Music Therapy Conference Tweetup
Wait…a tweetup? What’s that?
I will post a video this week that defines a tweetup and how it relates to our upcoming national music therapy conference.

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A Teen’s View of Hope and Change: A Song

May 19, 2009

I have been working with an adolescent boy for the past three months. “Joey” is a laid-back and friendly teenager who takes awhile to open up. He has a history of making poor decisions; he used to be in a gang, was involved in minor theft, and used to huff paint. Joey was recently paroled [...]

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How To “Get Faith”: A Songwriting Experience

March 13, 2009

Every once in awhile, therapists (whether music, occupational, art, physical, counselors, etc.) get the opportunity to be involved in something truly beautiful. I had one of those opportunities last month. I had been invited for a second time to facilitate a Hearts of Hope group operated by our local county hospice, Pathways. This group is [...]

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