Greetings and Salutations!
I try to pay attention to things that keep presenting themselves in my life. When the same ideas keep coming up, I figure I'd better listen up. A couple of times now, my Twitter friend Kat Fulton has mentioned something to me about blogging. When I was feeling a lot of good energy at work and talking about leading an inspired life, she said that "Inspired Life" sounds like a great blog title! A few days ago, I mentioned that I was working on learning traditional Middle Eastern rhythms on my riq (Middle Eastern tambourine) from a book by Yousif Sheronick and Kat suggested that I blog a review of it.
So here I am in the blogosphere.
What can you expect from this blog? Without sounding too cliche´, expect the unexpected. I have many roles in life and many of them are so interconnected that it is hard to separate them. I am a board certified music therapist, more specifically a neurologic music therapist. I am a licensed music teacher and certified to teach students with visual impairments (yep, I read Braille!). I am a dad to three amazing children biologically and one amazing child by choice. I am a Reiki master. I am working to become a lay minister in our local Unitarian Universalist Society. I am a martial artist. I am a healer. I am empathic. As my Twitter profile says I am a lover AND a fighter. I think of the line from "The Most Interesting Man in the World" ads..."he's a lover, not a fighter...but he's also a fighter, so don't get any ideas!"
I suppose the complexity of my character will be revealed in time, but at least you have an idea of what you're in for.
Why the name "Hidden Rhythms?"
For the one contract that I have in my private music therapy practice, I was filling out a tax form several years ago and I came upon the line "DBA...Doing Business As." This was an opportunity for me to come up with a business name that would identify me to others, and reflect the nature of what I do.
I thought for a while on this subject and thought about what REALLY gets me excited about music therapy and teaching music. I thought back to an introduction several years ago I gave to a class of newbie guitar students. I told them "I believe everyone has music inside of them. Some people find theirs easier than others, but everyone has some musical gifts to share. That is why I'm here...to help you find some of your gifts."
This idea was reinforced for me after I took HealthRhythms training in 2003. I came back to the retirement community I was working as a MT at and started a weekly drum circle. So many of the residents were interested but reluctant. They thought they were incapable of playing a drum. They soon found the success and joy that anyone who's participated in a drum circle finds.
They found the rhythms hidden within.
So I defined my philosophy and practice by this term: Hidden Rhythms.
Helping people discover abilities they did not realize they had and to connect to their own musicality in a meaningful way. Using music to help heal and nurture...those are driving forces in my soul.
Welcome to the adventure!