One of the things I have missed most during quarantine and social distancing has been play dates with my mom friends and there littles! I didn't realize how MUCH I missed them until they were suddenly restricted. There are so many wonderful things that parents and their littles learn from one another when they are playing together! The proof is in the pudding. I remember being in awe at what Liam, my oldest son, had learned after just a few play dates with another little girl just about his age. I also remember how refreshing it felt to stand along side another parent in the same stage of life and watch our children learn from each other. It was a form a therapy for me really...kind of like a form a co-regulation!

Over these few short years I have continued to try and foster this therapeutic play date environment for myself and my kiddos. It has not always been easy to plan play dates around nap times, meal times, and general toddler tantrums but when you are with the right people it makes it all worth it!

My purpose in forming these Music Play Dates is to create a safe and fun environment for families to connect with their littles and learn together with music! There are still many obstacles that keep us from socializing in the usual way, but I believe with the right precautions and variety of classes we can help keep everyone safe and comfortable. This fall I will be offering both virtual and in-person play dates! Virtual play dates will take place on Friday mornings on Zoom, and in-person play dates (no more than 4-5 families) will take place in my back yard or a local park (based on the weather)!
We also have our incredible Music Play Date Kits from Bear Paw Creek that were created for this very program. I had so much fun picking out the instruments for this kit and can't wait to share them with you! If you are a G-Clef Member, your instrument kits will be coming THIS WEEK! And if you would like to purchase one or two individually to have for our play dates, you can buy them straight from their website. We take pride in supporting small businesses and are so grateful for our friendship with Bear Paw Creek!

I am excited to make music with my families again!!! I would like to send a huge thank you to everyone who has shown their love and support in my work over these past few months! Here are just a few of the people I would like to thank...
Tara Concelman with The Connection Lab, for being an incredible partner, friend, and mentor as I improve my business and self.
Stephanie Leavell with Music for Kiddos for sharing her amazing music and online courses!
Janet Stephens with Bear Paw Creek for helping me put together an incredible music play date kit!!
Kris Smooke with Tiny Hands Learning for her partnership and motivation!
These individuals have all touched this project in some form or another, and I am so grateful to each of them! It's people like you all that allow me to continue making and sharing music for a living.

If you would like to register your family for our upcoming fall play dates you can CLICK HERE.

​Happy Music Making!!!

Hi there!
My name is Danielle Gumb. I am a Music Therapist. Mother of two adorable boys. Wife to Matthew. Enneagram type six. And growing entrepreneur. For more about how I started my endeavors with G-Clef Therapy and Lessons check out "Our Story".
I will not lie, thinking of how to start a blog has been the hardest part about starting a blog. I have recently discovered, through my enneagram studies, that my mind likes to play out every possible outcome before making a decision...and as you can image this causes frequent analysis paralysis! Meaning that I think of so many "outcomes" that my brain literally shuts down and it becomes close to impossible to commit to a plan! I find myself falling into this paralysis most when the topic of thought is something I am passionate about or involves being vulnerable with my personal and professional experiences. So this is how I am choosing to start my first blog post. By talking about how hard it was to start my first blog post! hahaha. But all joking aside, I hope that what I have to share with you all (who ever is reading!) brings a tidbit of comfort or helpful information to you and your family. Music is SO IMPORTANT to our family and I feel so strongly that everyone can enrich their family life tenfold by adding simple music making experiences. No music experience required. Just the ability to show up and try something new.

It is pretty much guaranteed that their is some kind of music going in the Gumb house at all times! This definitely adds excitement to our everyday routines, transitions, and play time. Music brings a joyful and expressive structure to our lives! And spending more time all together the past few months has definitely made me appreciate the musical foundation we are setting for our kiddos and ourselves (More on this later...). 

Anyone who knows me, knows how passionate I am about making connections and making music. Music helps to create space for expressing ones self, structure for learning, and support during difficult times. As a music therapist, it is my job to help individuals and groups accomplish their goals with the use of music. A dream job, for sure! Music activates all areas of the brain at once (check it out!), which creates endless possibilities of connection and expression. As I spend more time with my own little family unit I reflect on the many ways that music can enhance our home life. There is some really fantastic research out there that discusses the therapeutic value that music holds on family relationships, but for now I would like to keep it simple. Music creates space. Space allows for feeling, expressing, and growing! And growing as a family is what brings us closer to one another.
I am stepping out of my comfort zone to start something near and dear to my heart. To start connecting families through the power of music! The G-Clef Membership site is launching July 16th (Happy Birthday to me!!) and I cannot wait to see the community that forms on this platform. My purpose is to create a safe music filled place for parents and families to go for simple music resources. Music resources that are easy to use, and spark connection between family members!
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to hear all about our membership launch TOMORROW! I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you have about the membership and what it includes. I look forward to making music with you all very soon!

Danielle Gumb, MT-BC