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 this blog, because let’s face it: parenting is one of the toughest (and most rewarding) jobs out there. So many caregivers struggle in silence, may not have a village around them, or are looking for guidance when it comes to parenting. My goal with this blog is to be an informative, fun, and supportive resource for any caregiver.
Background
I was born and raised in southwest Michigan, the 4th of 5 children, in a small town where everyone knows everything about you and your family. Music was an integral part of my childhood and shaped who I was to become. I am passionate about music and the wonderful benefits it brings to people. Growing up, I participated in many sports, including track and field, basketball, softball, and cross country. I graduated high school as valedictorian.
Education
I graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy, then went on to complete my internship at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital. After getting married and traveling abroad, I passed the board certification exam for music therapy and began working as a full time music therapist. I remained in the field until the birth of our second child, which is when we made the decision that I would stay home to care for the kids full time.
Family Life
We are still learning how to navigate the challenges that parenthood brings each and every day. While we don’t get it perfect every time, we value family connection, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, staying curious about learning, and striving to make progress through practice, not perfection. We love baking together, dancing and making music, exploring nature, and reading to each other. Fostering family bonds is important to us, and I often reiterate to my kids that we are all on the same team – not competing with one another. When one teammate is hurt, the entire team is affected.
Hobbies
When I’m not working on the blog, you’ll also find me reading on my Kindle, out on a walk or bike ride, or playing Zelda. After having our third child, it was a bit of a challenge getting back into hobbies. I often found myself just scrolling mindlessly at the end of the day, too tired to do anything else, and was just wanting that break from reality for an hour or three (often at the detriment of my sleep). Although I still find this a difficult habit to break, through this blog I’ve found myself getting back into doing activities that are just for me.
The Melody of Life 