TME Tuesday: Time to Update the TME File

I am currently in a period of creativity and songwriting. I spent many therapy hours improvising with and for my clients in the past couple of months, but I haven't done much on formalizing these new songs and therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) yet. It's time to start fixing these TMEs in permanent form.

My process of doing this is simple - I use my TME form and get things written down.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? And it really is, but it is very time-consuming to put together all of the different elements and get things ready for others to use or replicate. When I am in this type of creative, songwriting bent, I produce lots of music, and I do not often set that music down on anything other than a post-it note or my favorite 4X6 inch index cards.

It takes me about an hour for each TME that goes into my database. That includes the writing, the use of the music software program, and putting everything together into a file. That's lots of time, and I don't often have the energy or interest in sitting down to write all of these things down. That's why I have a box of semi-finished ideas on my desk (and why I love index cards and post-it notes so very much).

After I take the time to write these TMEs down in a fixed manner, I add them to my database. Right now, that database is an Excel file that lists the name of the TME, the author of the TME, any additional sources, and general treatment domains. I dream of a way to organize that allows me to search by treatment domains - all treatment domains - but I haven't found the way I want to do that yet. One day, I'll figure it out.

Why include everything in a database? Well. I often have times when I am at a loss for what to do during a session. The database offers me a list of ideas and the associated resources so I can access those ideas quickly. I often spend time looking at the database and opening the files that spark my interest.

My database is not comprised of my TMEs alone. I've incorporated the TME assignments of 23 interns, my internship director, and the ideas of other people as well into that database. Many times, my ideas aren't enough for all the sessions that I have to do, so I am glad that I have other options. My database is my TME brain, and it is an invaluable tool for me in my music therapy practice.

I hope to get several of my most recent (and session-tried) TMEs into the database this break. I need to transcribe Never Have I Ever, I'm as Happy as a Pig in a Mud Puddle, and a couple of other ideas. Once that is finished, I can use the process and completed product to get CMTEs (check out the CBMT Recertification Manual for details - page 23 for more details!). Easy way to earn some continuing education credit for something I do anyway!!

It's time to update the TME file. Time to organize, time to add to, time to flesh out the half-ideas that are currently residing in my box and my brain. It's time to fiddle with "the way I do things" to see "what this tool can also do."

One of my rules for my TME file is to accept what I have already written and not worry about updating everything. I update old TMEs only when I am ready to publish them in a book. This allows me to update my TME form and not have to recreate the wheel for all of the TMEs I've collected over the years. One day, I'll take the time to go into all of my TMEs to figure out all of the elements for all of my ideas, but today is not that day!

Today, I am going to set my intention - I will complete three TMEs, including musical compositions, during my first summer break - and then move on.

It is time...