TME Tuesday - New Ideas for TMEs

There are times when I just plain old don't have any new ideas for TMEs. I sit and look at the computer screen and the TME database and just cannot come up with anything that seems interesting to me. It's a dilemma, but I don't worry. New ideas are all around, you just have to notice them.

One of my favorite things to do is to walk around and just look for things that I could use with my clients. One of the best things about working with children and adolescents is that I have an excuse to play and buy things that I really don't need but I can justify "for the kids..."

So, I spend lots and lots of time wandering the aisles of various and sundry stores looking for new ideas to bring into the music therapy clinic. I also spend lots of time listening to music (of course) and learning different songs to increase my repertoire and expand my use of music as a therapeutic medium. The more time I spend thinking, experimenting, and developing TMEs, the more I find that there are good things and not-so-good things that come out of my exploration!

Some of the most popular and requested TMEs in my clinic are ones that arrived in my head fully formed. My students seem to fall in love with Elimination, Gotta Gonna Go On A Trip, and Gross Nasty. Then there are the ones that I try and just flop and flop and flop. I still keep them and continue to tweak the idea, music, and presentation until something works.

I had an idea, a long, long time ago, during my internship for a sound song. I couldn't seem to flesh out the song during the internship - it took me a full 10 years before the idea just started to flow. Then the song just happened.
www.musictherapyworks.com


But, new ideas?

I'm looking at all the stuff that is crammed into my small office space and am overwhelmed. There is no place for me to spread things out or even look at the things that I have. My creativity is also a bit stifled. So, it's time to look outside myself and my environment in order to find that creative spark. 

So, my trusty idea book and I are going out into the world to see what is out there and to be open to every idea that crosses my mind.

My mantra - "No idea is a bad idea."

Go out there and create your own TMEs, okay? 

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