Melodies To Grow On

Owner/Music Therapist

“My earliest memories as a small child include my mom singing to me. Thank goodness she did sing to me, otherwise my only memories would have been of getting into trouble! My life has been musical as far back as I can remember and music has always been a comfort to me during difficult times. My parents had an ancient upright piano that came with their house when they bought it. It was my favorite “toy.” I could not wait until I was old enough to take piano lessons. I figured out how to play “Chopsticks” and played it over, and over, and over again. I think the real reason my parents decided to pay for lessons was so that I would learn another song. Music brought me so much joy as a child that I wanted to share that joy with my own children. I began singing to them before they were even born. I made up special songs for them to calm them as newborns. As they got bigger, they would sing as they were playing with their toys, no song in particular, just singing to sing. Now they are learning to play piano, and when I hear “Jingle Bells” I know how my parents felt when they heard “Chopsticks” for the four hundredth time. But it makes me so happy that music is a holding a special place in their lives. I hope they’ll remember their mother singing to them as I do mine.

I started Melodies to Grow On to help parents and grandparents share this joy of music with their little ones. As a music therapist, I believe that music has an important place in promoting healthy development and an important role in community wellness. Music can bring people together through positive shared experiences because it is fun to make music! While making music with children, we need to let go of preconceived notions of what music is, or what music is good and bad, and get back to child-like music making– making music for the joy of making sounds. I am happy to share the joy of music making through Melodies to Grow On while helping children to develop some important non-musical skills.”

Rachel received her bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy from the University of Dayton. She completed an internship at the Center for Discovery in NY working with children and adults with multiple disabilities. She received her certification from Florida State University in affiliation with Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare as a NICU music therapist in 2020. She has had experience working as a music therapist with both children and older adults. After taking time off to be a full time parent, she is eager to share the joy of music with the youngest members of the community with Melodies to Grow On. When not singing and playing piano or guitar, she enjoys spending time with family outdoors, baking, and reading.