In 2012, my business mentor Marie Forleo suggested to think outside the box with a long list of 40 things I love, and then consider if any of them may be of value to current or future customers. Two of the things I listed were recording music and working with kids. So I had the thought- what if I recorded the kids? And that was the birthplace of the custom CDs.
As it turns out, that year marked the first of one of the best Play Music endeavors to date- our Customized Holiday CDs. They feature the voices of (your) little kiddos singing their favorite holiday songs, and it is the cutest. For reals. It wins best gift by a long shot. Play Music - Custom Christmas CDs ​Music is what helps us all feel our feelings- for better or worse. And it's the holiday music we hear that gives this season a special place in our lives. Like- "Silver Bells." That song still gives me the cozy josies. And "Oh Holy Night." They hold memories I hope to never forget. Capturing the sound of their young singing voice on these songs is unlike any other snapshot. Especially the out takes. It is an honor to have made 176(!!) customized holiday recordings over the past three years. I brag about the kids and I spin their tunes in my personal holiday record collection- which I believe is tops. If you haven't received a 'Custom Holiday CD' from a Play Music family yet, ask around cause they're out there. And if you'd like to participate in next years round, be sure and subscribe to Play Music so that you get the advance reminder (because recording sessions begin OCTOBER!). Until next time, enjoy the behind the scenes video preview. And have yourself some slow and cozy holidays. Happy Halloweenie! I use this season as a time to dress up as much as possible. Pippie Longstocking and Rosie Riviter are my go-to's. It's time to shake things up tho, so if you have a different (red-head) kid-friendly costume or character ideas in mind, please leave it in a comment below! And in true Gemini fashion, I have strong feelings in favor of and against sugar. My sweet tooth is alive and strong, along with my growing passion for natural, raw food sources. And I want nothing less than that for the little Play Music Kiddos. So I searched the internet for the best (and EASIEST) healthy holiday treats. My two favorites were these- the banana ghosts with chocolate chips (minis for eyes) and Clementine oranges with celery stick stems (for a taste of sugary sweet, you could replace the stem with a green licorice of sorts). They really are the perfect way to decorate your home holiday parties or classroom celebration snack table. Just the right sweetness, and really fun for the kids to look at and enjoy and eating. I know this from experience. And bonus- zero environmental impact due to no packaging. Win-win. Have any more suggestions? Happy Holiday, everyone! Image found and borrowed via weelicious dot com
I've been asked about how I got our polaroid-style music class photos. The short answer is- Target! (kind of) First, I created a transparent digital polaroid border that I layered on top of the class photo. Then I added text with the names, date, and Play Music logo. Lastly, I saved the new photo to a usb stick and printed them up as 4x6 photos at Target- and voilà! Both the horizontal and vertical digital polaroid frames are below for you to download free. The vertical frame has a gray trim line indicating where to cut after printed. If you're tech savvy enough, you can add your own text at the bottom which is great for bulk prints (i.e. class photos, birthday invitations, holiday cards, etc.) Otherwise, you can write or notate on them after they are printed. Feel free to leave questions if you have any. Happy memory making! IMPORTANT DOWNLOAD NOTE
The digital frames are transparent and white- so you will not see anything until your photo is behind it. This requires any free photo image editing program or app to blend or layer your photo behind it. |
PLAY MUSIC© BLOG
All published content and images are copyrighted material of Play Music, unless otherwise noted. When sharing, please provide proper credit. Thank you! FEATURED DOWNLOAD
Search By Category
All
Note from the EditorCheers from the other sunshine state. The kids call me Miss Sara, or Sara Dee. I am a globe-trotting Play Music and kids music ambassador. If you ask me how old I am, I will tell you- exactly one year younger than the last. I have a wicked penchant for music, guinea pigs, food, vintage, traveling, and instagram. This blog is here to share some of the (music) inspiration and happenings along the way. Glad you found your way here! |