Monday of Moving Week

 I am moving into a magical room. Besides the space, the walls are covered with murals painted by my very talented friend, Tawnya. (If you are interested in her artwork, you can contact her here.) I have inherited the play factory room, so there are some things that are no longer relevant (see the elf), but she's going to change the art to bring in some music-type elements. I am going to try my best to keep the murals as a part of my room.

Mr. Elf - I think I'll name him Bartholomew - will soon say "Welcome to Music Therapy." The expectations will also change a bit. I don't use the same terminology as the play therapists, so "No hurts" is no longer relevant. The rest of the murals can stay as they are. They add such a nice whimsy to the room. I love them and am ready to figure out how to use them.

Here's a run down of the murals that I get to live with from now on. There is a ship high up on the wall above my large instrument jam space. Perpendicular to that wall is the wish making wall. Do you see the puppy? Some of the art that I cannot publish includes pictures that some of my former clients designed and painted. Stretching up from the wish maker is a rainbow which sits over the jam area. 

The wall facing the instrument area is what I call the "fairy tale" wall. Others have called it the "enchanted" wall. This is going to be the listening/composition area. The rest of the pictures are details of the "fairy tale" wall. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Prince Charming, the Lady of the Lake all make appearances. In addition, there are dwarves, fairies, a dragon, and a unicorn.

Stretching off onto the other wall is a bubble maker that both makes the "fairy tale" wall and another outlet that is currently empty. Tawnya thinks that some music notes would look good up there, over my office door. There is another beanstalk with client-drawn bugs climbing. That's where the chairs will be stacked.

I am a bit under 2/3 of the way moved after a long day on Friday. I had help for about 20 minutes, but I moved everything else by myself. I didn't have to move the drum set pieces or the chairs. That was a HUGE help! 

Today's task is to completely move out of the last room, clean it up, and leave keys for the OT department. Then, I am going to focus on ordering cabinetry and organizing my spaces. This will include finding a desk and taking some measurements so I can order some things that I need. I also have to get my computer ready and find another computer for my clients to use during sessions for non internet related composition and video making. Right now, my conundrum is how to store my Orff instruments in a way that protects the instruments and does not take up all of my space.

This will be the first day of not having music therapy sessions. It will also be the first day that the music therapy room is not available during those regularly scheduled times. We will see which teachers read their emails and which do not.

It is amazing how a change of environs can change your attitude about things. I am looking forward to trying some new things and trying some old things as well. I recently bought two linking parachutes from Oriental Trading Company. I am looking forward to making unusual parachute shapes and seeing how they work in the new space. I will be able to bring back my collection of electronic toys for my little kids to use during sessions. I can have a fidget box out and ready for kids to use when they need a fidget. I can make different locations in the room for different things - including my jam area, a listening center, a learning center, and an exploration center. I get to make and STORE sensory boxes. I will be able to more easily use many of the theme ideas that I've created over the past 4 years but haven't been able to implement because of the lack of space to do those things.

Can you tell I am getting excited?
 
I am. I really am excited about this move. Other than the fact that I actually have to move, I am ready for something new to shake up my therapy life.

This post started off talking about the magical environment I now find myself in. It's ending up talking about the magic of new challenges and creativity. It is wonderful how something can morph from one idea and expectation to another through thought.

I am going to get my stuff together today - I need all my grocery shopping reusable bags to tote the books, loose materials, and other things from the old room to the new room - and then head to work a bit early. 

I will walk many steps today from one part of the building to the other. I will take things and put them about where I want them to end up (at this point right now), and then I will get some more. After I have moved everything, I will clean the old room and leave the keys. That will be it for the old room. It will be time to move on.

After all that, I will spend some time sitting on the new carpet in my new room, looking at the mess of stuff that I have, and spending some time thinking about what I want to do with and for clients in that space. Then, I will try to find the things that I need in order to fulfill those things that I want to do with my clients.

I have a vision of music therapy that I hope will support my clients and their desired outcomes. It is time to put that into reality and go! Thanks for reading!!