A Musical Adventure Awaits at Music Makes Sense!

Hello, friends of Music Makes Sense! If you’ve been following along on my journey at www.musicmakessense.blogspot.com, you know I'm all about celebrating the magic of music and its incredible impact on our lives. Today, I’m thrilled to share something extra special with you—a brand-new coloring book that brings the joy of music to life in a fun, creative way!

Meet My Music-Themed Coloring Book

This isn’t just any coloring book—it’s a musical playground for young artists! Packed with delightful images of musical instruments, fun-loving animals, and playful music-inspired designs, it’s perfect for kids (and kids at heart) who love to color. Here’s what makes it stand out:

- Variety of Illustrations: From pianos and violins Lions, Tigers and Bears! -- every page offers something new.

- One-sided Printing: Durable pages that work beautifully with crayons, markers, or colored pencils that are only printed on one side to avoid bleed through onto other pages. 

- Educational Fun: Kids can explore their imagination with music while letting their creativity soar.

Whether your little one is a budding musician or just loves a good coloring session, this book is a fantastic way to blend art and music.

Why Coloring Rocks for Kids

Coloring is so much more than a quiet activity—it’s a powerhouse of benefits, especially for children. Here’s why I love it:

- Sparks Creativity: It’s a blank canvas for imagination and self-expression.

- Builds Skills: Gripping crayons or pencils sharpens fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

- Soothes the Soul: It’s a relaxing way to unwind and focus, perfect for busy little minds.

Plus, with the music-themed pages, kids get a bonus dose of learning—discovering instruments and animals as they color!

Grab Your Copy Now!

Ready to dive into this musical coloring adventure? You can find my coloring book on Amazon—it’s the perfect gift for a young music lover or a fun activity to enjoy at home. Click the link below to get yours today:

Get the Coloring Book Here

A Little Piece of My Heart

As a music therapist, I’ve witnessed the incredible ways music lights up lives—bringing joy, healing, and inspiration. That’s why I ventured into creating this coloring book. It’s my way of sharing the love of music with kids and families everywhere, one colorful page at a time. 

Please let me know what you think! Volume 2 will be out soon!

Thanks for stopping by *Music Makes Sense*! Grab your copy, unleash your creativity, and let’s make some colorful music together. Happy coloring! 🎵✨

Music Therapy and Spiritual Care in Medical Settings

I am excited to share an insider's peek into this new resource! Dive into the intersection of music therapy and spirituality in medical settings with our new guidebook! Stay informed and inspired. This guidebook offers valuable insights into the synergy between music therapy and spirituality, providing readers with practical strategies, interdisciplinary perspectives, and research-based evidence to enrich their understanding and practice in medical settings. In 7 chapters, readers will discover strategies for utilizing music and spirituality to create a supportive environment for patients facing health challenges while respecting and incorporating diverse spiritual beliefs and practices. As an eBook, it integrates audiovisual content, live document links, and downloadable resources.

Get your eBook with engaging multimedia content now:

Music Therapy and Spiritual Care in Medical Settings

Here is a sneak peek at the table of contents:

Obamacare Co-op fails: This is what you could do with the money lost!

Today there is more fallout from the collapse of a New York state insurance Co-op set up to offer health insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act.  Health Republic Insurance ceased to exist today and has left a whole bunch of people (okay, a few more than a bunch - 200,000 patients!) without insurance.  

If you have been following my posts on the ACA and music therapy (just type in Obamacare into the search box for a list of articles), you may remember that the insurance co-ops are joint ventures with a given state and the federal government that acts like an insurance company to offer insurance plans on the state exchanges.  

Of the 23 co-ops set up around the country, 12 of them have gone bankrupt this year.  Part of the problem is that these co-ops set artificially low prices for monthly premiums on their insurance plans.  There was a fund set up by the federal government to reimburse these co-ops for the first few years until their subscriber pool became stabilized with the right mix of young and old, and sick and healthy customers.  Unfortunately for the co-ops, this pool of money has been cut back and it will not be able to bail out the co-ops as originally intended.

So this brings us back to the most recent failure: Health Republic Insurance.  The news reports that $265 million dollars in federal loans has virtually disappeared through this company!  Hospitals and doctors that offered services to patients on this health insurance do not expect to get reimbursed for any of the services they have rendered.

So I did some quick calculations based on the 2014 workforce analysis by the American Music Therapy Association and came up with the following as a better use for the wasted $265 million dollars:

• $265 million would have paid for 4,152,954 hours (yes, that is over 4 million hours!) of direct music therapy services at the average hourly rate of $63.81/hour for 2014!
• $265 million also would have paid the average yearly salary of $50,808 for 5,215 music therapists! 

 I don't know about you, but I think the money would have been much better spent on music therapy!  And that is only one of the 12 failed co-ops this year.  Only one co-op out of 24 did not lose money in 2015.  I guess I should keep my calculator handy for next November!