The End...and the Beginning...In Other Words, I'm Taking a Break

I need a picture to change my default.

I have made a decision.

This decision is not monumental, and I know people are out there who have been telling me this over and over again, but it took a post on social media and my subsequent response to finally encapsulate all things about this decision and make it easy to make in this moment, right here, right now.

I've been on the fence about something for the past three days, but no more. On Saturday, I wrote about a giveaway that I want to do. You see, I like the idea of giving things away to deserving folks who may need a pick-me-up in the form of someone nominating them to get some goodies in the mail - for music therapists, by a music therapist. I've had two people respond, and both wanted to nominate themselves. 

Not the point of the giveaway, folks.

I want people to think of others rather than thinking of themselves. If you really want one of my products, then pay the money. Seriously. I price my things VERY fairly when it comes to sharing with my music therapy community. If you want my file folder ideas, then pay the $2.00 to get each file and make them! If you want me to make them for you, then pay me for my time, materials, and effort. It's really not all that difficult.

Oh. You think this is the decision that I had to make. It's not, but it is related.

Here it is.

I am no longer going to give away my intellectual property for free.

That's the decision that I had to make based on this post and my response to it. Many of my business friends are throwing their hands up in the air and saying, "FINALLY" at this moment right now. Anyone who doesn't understand that music therapy ideas, materials, and resources don't just arrive as a blessing from whatever spiritual focus is present in your life is thinking, "What, no more free stuff?" From now on, if you want my therapeutic music experience ideas, I would like to be paid.

The problem with an "open source" music therapy resource model is this.

I have spent my years as a therapist and as a person taking the time to make things. These things include musical compositions, thoughts about how to implement these things for the benefits of clients, years of clinical trials, years of refining protocols, development of materials and checklists and thoughts and procedures. I have spent countless hours away from opportunities that would allow me to have a greater income in order to produce what I have in my compendium of music therapy resources. 

Now, someone else comes along, takes my resource from an open source model and uses it in music therapy services for his or her clients. They do not give away those services for free, do they? No, of course not. They charge their client for the services that they provide. Yet, the services provided are founded in me - my effort, my ideas, my clinical experience. Shouldn't I then, be the one who benefits from the finances that are exchanged for the service?

To me, this is a similar thought to that of fair use of music and other copyrighted materials. There are protections in place for the use of these intellectual products that allow those who create to continue to create while not having to worry as much about whether they will have a roof over their heads. We all know that royalties on music to the artists are very small in comparison to the amount of money that we pay for these pieces, but they are there. Artists do get some recompense for their creations - it may not be enough - but they do get some recognition for their hard work.

When I pay for music, I provide the artist with some financial stability. I pay to use the resource. Once I've paid for it, the artist has no more say over my usage (if I am using it for the purposes that I've said I will use it for). I can listen to that song over and over again. I have done what I need to do to support that artist. If I need to pay per play, then I will do that - that's what an ethical music therapist does - they follow the rules and support their fellow artists financially as well as through other forms of support.

When someone takes music that they do not pay for, they are depriving the artist of that financial support. It is the same with music therapy resources. If you take an idea that came from me and then use it to gain revenue for yourself, then you are depriving me of those finances. My intellectual property = my revenue.

If you pay for my resource, then you have the ability to use it. I have received my reimbursement for the thought, the development, the refinement, and the publication of this resource.

So, from this moment until I change my mind, there will be no TME Tuesday posts. I will keep the years' worth of posts that I already have on this blog (at least, for the moment), but I will not be posting new TMEs on this blog. Instead, I will find something else to think about on Tuesdays. I will make TMEs available on my website, and I will continue to offer visual aid files on Teachers Pay Teachers for reasonable prices, but I need to have my intellect and effort reimbursed. So, if you want to get some new ideas, then plan on paying for them. 

It's the way the world works, and now it's the way my world works.

(Hey, the exception to this "pay" rule is always and forever will be my interns. You give so much to my clients and my own development that you get what you want, when you want it! Just ask!!)