Tuesday at Teachers Pay Teachers

Welcome to our first Tuesday at Teachers Pay Teachers post! I hope that this is a resource that you have already started to explore because it does two things that I am passionate about - supporting fellow professionals and visual aid making!! If you haven't been on this site to get access to lots of digital files that you can adapt to music therapy resources, then there are a couple of things that you should know. First, you need to register to access the files. It's worth it. There are so many free files available (the first thing anyone with a store has to post is a free resource) that signing up for the entire site is worth it. You do not have to pay to be a member, but there are costs if you decide to download someone's resources. Second, those of us who have stores get a cut of the purchase price. We don't get lots, but it is a passive revenue stream for those of us who post files. Third, there is almost everything that you could ever want on this site, especially if you are a school-based music therapist.

So, I've spent some time on the website. I started looking around for music therapy ideas and visuals, and there weren't many. There are more now, but lots of them are mine!! I have found lots of materials that I use in my clinic, but I don't always use them in a way that the original designers intended (I think). There are millions and millions of files on counseling - I tend to purchase those files, write a couple of songs to go with, and then use the visuals to support my therapy theme. Prices range from free resources (like I said before - EVERY seller has to post a freebie) to bundles that cost hundreds of dollars and include pretty much everything that designers can offer. These bundles are great if you like a particular seller and want to make an entire curriculum look like a cohesive theme...or something. I have purchased one of those big bundles - clip art - and it has been a wonderful investment, but that's the only one that I can afford as a school-based music therapist.

If you want free resources, just type "Free" and the keywords for your topic area and then sort by "Price - Ascending." BAM! All sorts of materials show up. Again, you have to register and become a member of the site to get access, but membership is free. You simply pay a per-product price.

Now, one of the things that I try to make sure that I always do is to follow the licensing expectations of all sellers. Basically, I use the resources that I have accessed, and I make as many copies as I want (as part of the license), but I do not share the files that I have with other people. I encourage folks to get their own copies to throw a bit of support to the sellers that depend on ethical usage as part or all of their financial existence. So, don't give someone else's ideas away for free, okay??

Just in case you are wondering, I do have a Teachers Pay Teachers Store - it's called musictherapyworkscom and I try to post things when the ideas come to me. I keep my prices really low - less than a fancy coffee drink - so that music therapists can access ideas without breaking their banks! I also include a song with every file - something that you can use with clients as soon as you get it. If you want to know what therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) go along with my various files, then subscribe to my sing about songs mini edition subscription packet! I try my best to make the products that I offer something that I could afford without giving up too much of my hard-earned monies!

I hope that you will look at Teachers Pay Teachers and that you will consider following my store. I'm not sure if there is anything that happens when you follow my store, but it certainly is a self-esteem boost to me to see that number grow!

Thanks for reading!