Tage in Tirol mit Tah

This podcast episode moved me and I felt the need to share it, along with some personal thoughts about what friendships mean to me. BFFs (best friends forever) The personal One of the biggest blessings in my life are the friends that I have. Finding and being friends was a huge mystery to me for a very long time. It was something that I longed to have and at many times believed that I wasn't a person that anyone would want as a friend. And there was some truth to that, but not because I wasn't enough (like I believed), but because I didn't even know who I was and I couldn't think past "I need to do what I'm supposed to do." I could have stayed with this, but I was lucky. I was very lucky to go to university far away from where I grew up and get some other perspectives and imagine a new life. I'm forever grateful for all the experiences (including the not-fun-parts which help you grow) and people I met in college. Finally really hearing the question fro

 So it's July and halfway through the year. It felt very good to finish June. The end of a studies and work semester, the completion of different group projects, and participating in 4 concerts was all part of June and despite getting sick the last Friday of the month, it all worked out. And funny enough, once I got the okay that things are settling down, the impulse to think of the future kicked in. Yes, of course I am enjoying this freedom of time with relaxation too. And I think when things slow down, one feel good thing is thinking positively about what is in the present and what is to come. So I looked at what I did last year December, the Old Year Reflections again and my last Level 10 Life. It was a good feeling to see that some things have already been completed, and also a reminder of old ideas. And I was motivated to then re-do my Level 10 Life. What is a Level 10 Life? It's a way to be intentional with your life focus(es). It's a concrete method to reflect and c

A throw back 2016 song about being brave to be your unique self. Can't help but dancing and grooving to the recorder beat. Bomba Estéreo is a band that came from Bogotá, Colombia. English and German translations are from the free Deepl translator . Enjoy Soy Yo by Bomba Estéreo :)

When you think of world maps, you might think of a history teacher, but generally not a music teacher. But it does come in handy! As a music teacher, part of what we can do is introduce musical instruments to students. Recently another music educator made a really cool lesson about castanets and so I asked if I could use her self-made castanets for Kindergarten students. When introducing the instrument to the students, it's good to mention where the instrument originated. And especially if they are younger students, having visuals is important.

Being a big fan of self-reflection, I love to think about what is to come in the new year and dream. New Year's resolutions has been seen more now as a shallow promise to make a big change, but I like to think of this more as an opportunity to look back on the previous year and then stop and think about where I want to be, what I would like to do, the possibilities that await. And if you can find a friend or friends who are also into a review, then all the better! Sharing visions and dreams can sometimes really become fuel for a wonderful journey. I've put together 2 small things to get the conversation going. It's not all questions about the meaning of life, but allows for looking into the previous year and then a little thought as what is to come. I recommend this mini reflection workshop below. New Year Reflection Program #1 Find a friend or friends who want to reflect together! Make it a date :) #2 Sit down together and enjoy some snacks and tea/coffee.

I was lucky enough to be part of a group years ago that would meet regularly and watch a video that would be related to self-improvement. Sometimes it was in nutrition, or exercise, and sometimes motivation. This was the one talk that stood out for me among all those shared. It took me a while to find the video, because I sadly forgot the name of Dr. Wayne Dyer . But thank you internet search as I was able to find him by remembering a little of his own personal story that he shared within this talk.

  Upon starting an Elementary Music Pedagogy Ausbilding (Ausbildung means a kind of certification program / study of something) I have been very motivated and interested in going deeper into the topic of what is music and how we connect to it. Going through the YouTube rabbit hole, I was very grateful to run into a TED Talk by Victor Wooten who is a bass player, teacher, and musical ambassador. He starts by sharing his own experience in being raised into a pass player and made a very profound comparison regarding "jamming with the professionals". He believes (as do I) that music is a language. And just as we learn our native language, we start right away in conversing with the "professionals". That a baby isn't told, "oh you don't know enough about sentence structure, therefore you need to wait to talk to mom and dad." This sounds ridiculous, but then when I think about the way music education is structured, this is what tends to happen.