From Piano to Playlist: The Making of the FYBS Songs!
If you had asked me three years ago—back when I was teaching in the classroom—what I’d be doing today, I can guarantee my answer would not have been: “writing, arranging, and performing strategy songs for Feel Your Best Self.” Yet here I am, still pinching myself that I got to be part of such an incredible experience!
I still remember sitting in a meeting last year with my teammates (and FYBS co-founders) Dr. Sandy C and Emily Wicks. One of them joked, “Well, when we have our FYBS songs…” And joking or not, I took that and ran with it. That very night, after my kids went to bed, I sat down at the piano and started writing Belly Breathing. I don’t think I moved from that spot the whole night—I was so wrapped up in getting it just right. By the end, I opened up my voice memo app, hit record, and captured what would become the very first track in the FYBS song playlist.
I must have listened to that recording a thousand times before I finally worked up the courage to share it. I was nervous—what if they thought it was terrible? Or worse, what if they reminded me they weren’t serious about actually making songs? But after a week of overthinking, I shook out my heavy, nervous feelings and hit “send.”
The rest? History.
Sandy and Emily loved the song and instantly encouraged me to write five more to expand our FYBS resources to our youngest learners. And while the songs are kid-friendly, they’ve truly become a resource for all ages, from little ones to adults.
We landed on six songs: Belly Breathing, Shake Out the Yuck, Smell the Roses, Push the Clouds, Bring a High 5!, and Be a Kind Helper. Picking a favorite? Nearly impossible—they’re each special to me in their own way. That said, I find myself especially drawn to the two Catch Your Feelings songs—Smell the Roses and Push the Clouds. Smell the Roses has such a unique, funky groove (that constantly gets stuck in my head!), while Push the Clouds has a gentleness and beauty that always moves me. Still, every song has its own shine: from the slow, calming Belly Breathing, to the energized, peppy Bring a High 5!, to the chill vibes of Smell the Roses. There’s truly something for everyone. One of my favorite parts was bringing my 7-year-old daughter into the process—she sang on all the tracks, which added a layer of authenticity and made the songs even more relatable for kids.
Throughout the songwriting journey, we reconnected with Ethan Hanzlik—the writer, arranger, producer, and performer behind the Feel Your Best Self Theme Song. Ethan produced all six songs and truly brought them to life. Having him on board felt like everything had come full circle.
When it came time to record, I’ll admit I was extremely nervous (though I think my daughter might have been even more nervous!). Thankfully, Ethan made the process so comfortable and supportive that we were able to settle in and just enjoy the experience.
A few weeks later, when Ethan sent us the final produced versions, I nearly keeled over from excitement—and maybe a little disbelief that it was all real. It was a dream come true to create something like this, and even more meaningful to share that experience with my daughter.
Looking back, this whole experience has been nothing short of magical. From the first note of Belly Breathing to hearing all six songs fully produced, it’s been a journey of creativity, collaboration, and connection. Sharing it with my daughter made it even more special and knowing that kids (and adults!) can now use these songs to navigate their feelings is incredibly rewarding. I feel so lucky to be part of FYBS and to see our vision come to life in such a joyful, meaningful way. And honestly? I can’t wait to see how these songs continue to help others Feel Their Best Selves. Give them a listen and tell us—which one’s your favorite? We’d love to hear what you think!”