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🌙 AFTER DARK EPISODE 2 IS HERE! And NO ONE prepared us for THIS! 🎙️

Biting incidents, questionable career decisions, unexpected bodily functions, and lessons we DEFINITELY didn't learn in music therapy school!

Rachael and Ericha are back with another Sparkles & Sunshine: After Dark episode, spilling the tea on “Things We Wish We Had Known Earlier in Our Careers!”

🎶 Real stories.
😂 Unfiltered chaos.
💛 Hard-earned wisdom.
🔥 And a few moments that probably deserve a WARNING LABEL!

Because sometimes the best professional development comes from surviving the experience! 🤣

🎧 LISTEN NOW — AFTER DARK EPISODE 2!

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite podcast platforms!

📺 Catch the unedited chaos on YouTube!

💬 YOUR TURN: What's one thing you wish someone had warned you about before starting your career? 👇

✨ Keep sparkling, keep shining, and remember… ALWAYS watch your back! ☀️

#SparklesAndSunshine #AfterDark #MusicTherapyPodcast #MusicTherapy #MTBC #ThingsWeWishWeKnew #PodcastHumor #MusicTherapistLife

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

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☀️✨ EPISODE 10 IS HERE! Big Personality, Fun-Sized Package, and a Whole Lot of SPARKLE! 🎙️💖

What do music therapy, DEI, professional burnout, Animal Crossing, a former homecoming queen, and garlic Parmesan pretzels have in common?

CHELSEA! 👑✨

This week on Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast, Rachael and Ericha welcome Chelsea Mabes—music therapist, educator, clinical supervisor, doctoral candidate, and self-proclaimed fun-sized human with a SIX-FOOT personality!

🎙️ In this episode, we dive into:

💛 Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Creating space for meaningful conversations and growth within our profession.

🎶 Music therapy careers: Finding your path, embracing change, and balancing all the pieces of your professional "pie."

🌈 Burnout, boundaries, and self-care: Learning when to say YES, when to say NO, and how to protect your joy.

👑 Homecoming royalty: Because apparently we're interviewing actual queens now!

🎮 Animal Crossing, crunchy snacks, and questionable life choices: Because would it really be Sparkles & Sunshine without a little chaos?

And Chelsea leaves us with an important reminder:

"Don't yuck someone else's yum!" 💖

Whether you're a music therapist, student, educator, or someone figuring out your next chapter, this episode is packed with laughter, perspective, and a whole lot of heart!

🎧 LISTEN NOW — EPISODE 10!

Find Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite podcast platforms!

📺 Catch our unedited shenanigans on YouTube!

💬 YOUR TURN! What's something that brings you joy that other people just don't understand? Tell us below—and remember, this is a YUCK-FREE ZONE! 😂

✨ Keep sparkling, keep shining, and protect your joy! ☀️

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

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☀️✨ EPISODE 9 IS HERE! Grab the tissues… and prepare to meet Mr. Toad! 🐸💛🎙️

What do dementia, 49 years of marriage, a man nicknamed "Toad," questionable smartphone skills, The Temptations, and a whole lot of love have in common?

JIM! 💛

This week on Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast, Rachael and Ericha welcome Jim, affectionately known as Mr. Toad, for a conversation that had us laughing one minute and fighting back tears the next.

After spending 17 years as a caregiver for his beloved wife, Kathleen, Jim has turned his personal experiences into a powerful mission: helping create communities where individuals living with dementia and their caregivers feel welcomed, supported, and valued.

And let us tell you… this man has STORIES! 🐸

🎙️ In this episode, we dive into:

💛 Love, marriage, and dementia: What it truly means to love and support someone through the progression of dementia.

🧠 Caregiving and community: Why caregivers need support, connection, and understanding just as much as the people they care for.

🎶 The power of music: How one unforgettable moment with The Temptations' "My Girl" reminds us that music can create meaningful connections, even near the end of life.

🌈 Dementia-friendly communities: How Jim is helping change the conversation around dementia and encouraging others to lead with compassion.

🐸 The legend of Mr. Toad: Because apparently being compared to a cute little toad is a perfectly acceptable expression of true love.

📱 Technology versus Jim: Let's just say his smartphone might have a mind of its own… and possibly a smarter backside. 😂

But underneath the laughter, the stories, and our usual Sparkles & Sunshine shenanigans is a message we hope EVERYONE hears.

"We can't yet cure Alzheimer's or any of the other dementia diseases… But until we get a cure, we can offer community." — Jim 💛

And THAT is what this episode is all about.

Whether you're a music therapist, caregiver, family member, healthcare professional, or simply someone who believes in the power of kindness and connection, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

⚠️ Fair warning: This episode may result in unexpected tears, uncontrollable laughter, and an overwhelming desire to hug someone you love.

🎧 LISTEN NOW — EPISODE 9!

Find Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite podcast platforms!

📺 Want to see the facial expressions that go along with our emotional roller coaster? Check out our unedited conversation on YouTube!

💬 We want to hear from YOU! What's a song that instantly reminds you of someone you love? Drop it in the comments! 🎶💛

✨ Keep sparkling, keep shining, and remember… sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone is simply showing up. ☀️

#SparklesAndSunshine #MusicTherapyPodcast #Episode9 #MrToad #DementiaAwareness #AlzheimersAwareness #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #MusicTherapy #MTBC #DementiaFriendlyCommunities #ThePowerOfMusic #MyGirl #Caregiving #LoveAndConnection #MusicAndMemory

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

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☀️✨ EPISODE 8 IS HERE! And the Force is STRONG with this one! 🌈🎙️

What do music therapy, legislative advocacy, autism, Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, and a whole lot of laughter have in common?

TODD SCHWARTZBERG! 🎉

This week on Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast, Rachael and Ericha welcome the incredible Todd Schwartzberg—music therapist, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, researcher, passionate advocate, and longtime friend!

With 28 years in the music therapy profession, Todd brings a wealth of experience, wisdom, humor, and just the right amount of nerdiness to our conversation.

🎙️ In this episode, we dive into:

🎶 The joys and challenges of being a music therapist, educator, and lifelong learner.

☀️ Advocacy, professional relationships, and why showing up for our profession matters.

💛 Supporting individuals with autism and embracing meaningful, person-centered connections.

🌈 Self-care, self-compassion, and why taking care of ourselves helps us take care of others.

🎮 Star Wars, Zelda, parenting adventures, and some seriously questionable math skills!

And somewhere between the laughter and the nerdy references, we find ourselves having some pretty meaningful conversations about connection, kindness, respect, and simply being there for one another.

Because sometimes the most important thing we can offer someone isn't an answer—it's our presence. 💛

Whether you're a music therapist, student, caregiver, advocate, or just someone who enjoys a good conversation that occasionally goes completely off the rails, this episode has a little something for everyone!

🎧 LISTEN NOW — EPISODE 8!

Find Sparkles & Sunshine: A Music Therapy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite podcast platforms!

📺 Want even MORE of our chaos? Check out the unedited conversation on YouTube!

💬 We want to hear from YOU! What's one song that has been resonating with you lately? Email us or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

✨ Keep sparkling, keep shining, and may the Force be with you! ☀️

#SparklesAndSunshine #MusicTherapyPodcast #Episode8 #ToddSchwartzberg #MusicTherapy #MTBC #MusicTherapyAdvocacy #MusicTherapyEducation #SelfCare #AutismAcceptance #StarWars #PodcastLife #MusicTherapists #SunshineAndSparkles

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

✨ EPISODE 7 IS HERE! ✨

What do punk music, music therapy, birthday-stealing seagulls, chaotic cats, social media detoxes, burnout, Italian ice, and a whole lot of honest conversation have in common?

Apparently… Episode 7 of Sparkles & Sunshine. 😂🎸☀️

This week, we’re joined by Ava Marvin and April Hickey—music therapists, educators, entrepreneurs, community-builders, members of Pink Squeeze, AND the incredibly talented humans behind the Sparkles & Sunshine theme song. 🎶💛

Yes. We have celebrities on the podcast now. We’re handling it very professionally. 😂

And this episode goes EVERYWHERE.

We talk about:

🎸 Punk music, songwriting, and the power of being vulnerable through music
🧠 Burnout, nervous-system regulation, and why “self-care” sometimes needs to go a whole lot deeper
📱 Realizing you might actually be addicted to social media when you suddenly CAN’T open Instagram
😂 A cat who managed to vomit, flip over his litter box, AND poop in the bathtub in roughly ten minutes
🐦 A birthday seagull attack involving both poop AND the theft of a perfectly good bagel sandwich
💼 What employers actually look for in new music therapists
✨ Building confidence, community, authenticity, and a career that actually feels like YOU
🌊 And intentionally making choices that bring joy—even when your first instinct is to just… do more work

One of our favorite reminders from this episode:

“Sometimes you have to make a choice that is just for joy.” 💛

Because apparently adulthood is partly learning how to regulate your nervous system…

…and partly protecting your birthday bagel from seagulls. 😂

🎧 Listen to Episode 7 of Sparkles & Sunshine now!
Be sure to follow Sparkles & Sunshine on Facebook and Instagram for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, guest announcements, parenting—and apparently pet-parenting—fails, Funny Friday moments, and plenty of laughter.

🎥 The unedited video recording link is below!
https://youtu.be/y2BRx50Nr3w

#SparklesAndSunshine #Episode7 #NewPodcastEpisode #MusicTherapy #PinkSqueeze #MusicTherapyPodcast #FindingJoy #BurnoutRecovery #ParentingFails #PetParentFails #PodcastRelease #RealLifeRealLaughs #ChooseJoy

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

✨ EPISODE 6 IS HERE! ✨

What do rainbow heart-shaped glasses, truffle potato chips, broken dreams hiding in your hair, parenting fails, imposter phenomenon, glitter bombs, and the Tooth Fairy have in common?

Apparently… Episode 6 of Sparkles & Sunshine. 😂🌈✨

This week, we’re joined by Heather—aka “Rainbow”—an entrepreneur, mom, professional problem-solver, mobile notary, wedding officiant, and all-around wonderfully colorful human who has fully embraced bringing brightness into both the joyful and incredibly hard moments of life.

And trust us… this conversation GOES PLACES. 😂

We talk about:
✨ Finding joy in the middle of chaos
🌈 Why sometimes you just have to lean into the rainbows
😂 Parenting moments that absolutely did NOT go according to plan
✂️ Hair apparently being full of “broken dreams”
🧠 Imposter phenomenon and learning to quiet the unhelpful voices in our heads
💛 Patience, boundaries, and the realization that patience and peace are NOT the same thing
✨ And why the people in our lives should probably be a little more like glitter bombs

One of our favorite reminders from this episode:

“There are little moments of joy…and they’re going to sneak up on you and show up in the most random places.” ✨

Honestly, if you’ve ever tried to keep it together while parenting, working, figuring yourself out, and wondering how glitter somehow ended up THERE… this episode is for you. 😂

Find us wherever you stream your favorite podcasts!

Be sure to follow Sparkles & Sunshine on Facebook and Instagram for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, guest announcements, parenting fails, Funny Friday moments, and plenty of laughter.

🎥 The unedited video recording is found on our Youtube Channel, https://youtu.be/VAjiVNVIECo?si=_1l5QDjV5Hah0fUj!

#SparklesAndSunshine #Episode6 #NewPodcastEpisode #FindingJoy #ParentingFails #ParentingRealTalk #MusicTherapy #PodcastRelease #ChooseJoy #ImposterPhenomenon #RealLifeRealLaughs

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

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Every five episodes, the lights go down and the conversation gets a little more candid. Welcome to Sparkles & Sunshine After Dark—a recurring bonus series where Rachael and Ericha talk about the parts of music therapy that rarely make it into textbooks, treatment plans, conference presentations, or perfectly polished professional bios.

For the very first After Dark episode, there is no guest—and absolutely no shortage of stories.

Rachael and Ericha revisit the awkward, hilarious, and occasionally painful moments that shaped them as students and early-career professionals. There is a practicum intervention that ended with Ericha literally swimming like a turtle on a questionable preschool floor, a senior music group that briefly turned into a wedding-DJ moment for Rachael, a difficult supervision experience that revealed just how small—and complicated—the music therapy field can be, and one unforgettable client response that permanently changed the way Rachael asks an open-ended question.

The stories are funny, but the lessons are real: prepare enough to remain flexible, think before speaking when possible, protect your professional boundaries, pay attention to the culture around you, and remember that some of your greatest teachers will be the clients, residents, and patients you serve.

Naturally, the episode also includes a missing-shoe gremlin, a soccer-camp navigation disaster, suspiciously long bathroom “business meetings,” and a rooster impression that may need to be seen on YouTube to be fully appreciated.

Come for the chaos. Stay for the reflection. This is music therapy without the pedestal—honest, imperfect, and very real.

Have a topic, question, or unbelievable music therapy moment for a future After Dark episode? Email hello@sparklesandsunshine.net.

Listener note: This episode includes adult humor and occasional strong language.

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!

This week on the Sparkles and Sunshine Podcast, we welcome Rebecca “Becca” Barnard—a professor, clinician, mom, and music therapist whose 21-year career has taken her from the NICU to hospice—for a heartfelt and hilarious conversation about giving ourselves grace, finding humor in difficult moments, and choosing connection over perfection. ☀️🎙️

Together, we explore:

💛 Why we don’t have to have all the answers
🎵 The power of authentic connection in music therapy and everyday life
😂 Preschool music mishaps—and why Becca may someday throw her walker at a music therapist

As Becca beautifully reminds us, “Connection matters more than perfection.”

Find us on Facebook and Instagram! Like, comment, share, and subscribe for more real conversations filled with laughter, connection, sparkles, and sunshine! ✨

#SparklesAndSunshinePodcast #MusicTherapy #MTBC #ConnectionOverPerfection #GiveYourselfGrace #AuthenticConversations #FindTheJoy #PodcastCommunity

If you'd like to be on our next episode or would like to share some of your answers to our questions. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at hello@sparklesandsunshine.net!