TME Tuesday: Not Feeling the Whole Writing Thing Today, To Be Honest...

So, let's just start off by saying that I really do not have a thought about what I will end up writing about this morning. I just need to kill some time because I will have to stay after school to finish up some things with my last intern, so I want to get to work on-time rather than early. I also have an additional hour of preparation time since we are still down one classroom space, so I have the time to take. Since I will be staying after my official 8 hours of time, I can justify the staying home a bit longer. Anyway, I do not really have anything in mind to write about, so here goes nothing!

For session time fillers this week, I have gone deep into my TME compendium (database) for some inspiration. The thing is, TMEs come and go in the life of a music therapist. There are times when all I sing is one specific song and then it goes back into the vault until a later date. I have so many of my own songs in that state right now that I am enjoying the opportunity to bring them back to my clients. It is wonderful to see that TMEs written a long time ago still hit the same goal areas and have the same reaction from my current clients. It is satisfying to know that I wrote a song that encourages kids to have a bit of fun and giggle during their placement in a facility where no one wants to live for any amount of time. It is also nice to know that this and that song works no matter how old my clients are - there is some nostalgia for my older students and some enthusiasm from the younger students who are hearing those songs for the first time.

I think this is the primary reason that I keep my compendium and that I make my interns do the same thing. We, as humans, tend to go with what we feel in the moment. As a result, we often find that we forget things that have worked in the past. We say we will remember, but writing things down makes them a bit more permanent. I use my file in times like the one I'm in right now - sole therapist taking back caseload responsibilities after three interns in a row. When interns take over, their songs become more prevalent than mine. I like having some time off where I can bring my songs back into the therapeutic environment.

I've toyed with the notion of making a book of my songs and requiring interns to learn them, but what I have found is that they just don't sing them the way I wrote them. When I am sitting in my office, providing observation, I have so much difficulty when an intern sings one of my original songs but changes it. I don't interfere during those times because I understand how folk music traditions work, but it can be a painful situation for me. I imagine that most composers feel that way when they hear the interpretations of other musicians of their compositions. 

My apologies, composers, for all the times that I "interpreted" your compositions in my own way.

Let me explain the whole "time filler" thing from three paragraphs and one sentence up. In my session strategies, I always have two different categories - must do's and time fillers. The must do's are the things that fit the theme of the week. This week, we are talking about musicians born in February and the first three days of March and about Dr. Seuss. Those TMEs are what everyone will do during music therapy this week. How we explore those topics will change based on the clients in each group, but we will be exploring those topics. There are times, though, when we finish with the must-do's before session time is finished. That's where the time fillers come into play.

Time fillers are TMEs that have therapeutic benefits and justifications but that are not part of the must-do list. These are things that either encourage movement, communication, or are just plain old silly. We work on all sorts of therapeutic goals during these TMEs (like we do in all TMEs), but these songs can be lengthened or shortened based on the amount of time left in the session. I can select students to take a leadership role or keep that role for myself depending on how much time is left.

I have so many of these songs that I used to do but don't anymore that it is a bit embarrassing. So, I'm bringing them back to get them into our repertoire again. It will take some time, but it will be worth it. Those time fillers tend to be the things that my students remember. They will remember some of the must-do's, but they request the time fillers more often. So, I am going through my compendium to find the old favorites and am bringing them out during each session. By the end of this intern hiatus, we will have gone through quite a few.

Time to get going on my day. I have five groups and two individuals today. After bus duty, I will see my former intern for the last time to finish up paperwork and get things sent out into the world. After that, I will head home to unload the dishwasher, finish some laundry, and do some cramming for an interview for a consultant position coming up soon. My back has been screwy lately, so I am trying to both stretch and rest to see if it will slip back into place after slipping out of place last evening.

Well, for not having anything to write about, I certainly wrote quite a bit. Happy Tuesday.