Welcome to The Melody of Life Blog

A warm and non-judgmental place for receiving tips and inspiration from everything to parenting and toddlerhood, to self-care and finding the joy in life’s simple moments.

About Me

Hi! My name is Julie Perley and I’m a board-certified music therapist, wife, and mom to three wonderful children. I hope to share my experiences and knowledge with you through my writing, because let’s face it: parenting is one of the toughest (and most rewarding) jobs out there. On top of that, aside from a few booklets you’re handed at the hospital after birth, parents are left to figure everything out on their own. There are many times where it can feel isolating and confusing.

I am right there with you.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent countless hours researching and scrolling through advice, wondering if you’re doing this parenting thing right. Will yelling damage my relationship with my kid? How do I entertain my toddler all day without relying on a screen? Is it possible to get back into shape after having a baby 2 years ago? My blog aims to give you guidance, ideas to consider, and important tools in your parenting journey, as well as in your own life, to make those hard moments easier to navigate. And not only that, but to help transform those tough times into a fun and engaging experience for everyone involved. How?

Through the power of music.

Being present, staying patient through outbursts, active listening – these are all skills that I’ve utilized as a therapist and are also incredibly important for all parents to learn.

In future posts, I will provide thorough details in how you can learn and practice these skills in your own family. I’ll also be regularly posting activity ideas and ways you can incorporate music into you and your child’s life that are easy to implement on a daily basis. Authenticity and reliable information is of the utmost importance to me, so wherever possible I will provide reputable sources to support any claim I make on this blog.

Like how music making in young children enhances skills needed for speech and improves brain activity.¹

Before making the difficult decision to stay at home after the birth of my second child, I provided music therapy for children and adults with a wide range of diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and a variety of developmental disabilities. This blog will strive to be an inclusive place for those with neurodivergence and/or for parents who have neurodivergent children.

Now, you may be wondering, “I already play music for my kids,” or “Sometimes we’ll sing and dance to music, what more is there to do?”

Get ready, because there is so much more you can do for your child using music as your tool. If you want to build stronger relationships, learn healthy coping skills and ways to express anger and frustration, foster loving bonds between siblings, and SO MUCH MORE – then subscribe and stay tuned for future updates.

Parenting is hard. I see you. I am there in the trenches living it with you. And I hope that through this blog we can build a sense of community and know that we are not alone. Let’s tackle each challenge with grace and humility, and learn how to compose your own beautiful Melody of Life.

1. Musical intervention enhances infants’ neural processing of temporal structure in music and speech ↩︎