music, therapy, and me

Here it is... Yet another Wednesday, and I don't have a writing plan. I really hate when I do not have a plan. My brain craves structure. I like planning, and being without a plan causes stress in my life. Add in the fact that this is Wednesday, I am perpetually exhausted, and I really don't want to go to work today, and this day is not going the way I want it to. It was hard to get up, and I am going to take a later than usual day. So, a website for Wednesday... Have you all checked out Bear Paw Creek ?  Bear Paw Creek is a music and movement focused company that produces movement props. Janet Stephens, the owner, is the sister of a music therapist, and started making these props to help music therapists (and others, but let's be serious - this is a music therapy blog, so...) tote things around. Starting with bags, Janet moved into making other props as well - scarves, balloon balls, body bands. I do not get any sort of financial recompense for sending you to Bear Paw Cre...

I am flummoxed about finding something new to write about this Wednesday morning. All of the websites that I can come up with that influences my world as a music therapist is something I have already written about at one time or another. It is interesting to get to the point where I need to go exploring around the internet to see if there is anything new out there for me. So, here is a list of my favorite websites for music therapy resources and ideas... there really isn't anything new... Pinterest TPT (formally known as Teachers Pay Teachers ) Ms. Stouffer's Music Room West Music Music Is Elementary Bear Paw Creek   What am I missing? I use these for lots of purposes, but usually to either give me some inspiration or for materials. I often will browse and then write TMEs or make visuals to support ideas that I generate. TPT is the best for that type of process for me. Bear Paw Creek is great for durable props like scarves, body bands, and balloon balls (I am looking forward to...

I am currently without something to write about today because I have not made it to my list yet. In fact, I need to write a list of websites that I use often in my work as a music therapist. I wrote about TPT a couple of posts ago, and that is the only website I can think of right now. My brain is a bit scrambled. I am tired. I am not able to think things through these days. Most of this is due to the month off that I had to take for surgery. Some of it is due to having to get back into a work routine. Some of it is due to the fact that I am still in the midst of some medical questions. So, in order to make these Wednesday posts something to actually write about, I need a list of websites. Places that I go when I need resources. Any suggestions? Right now, all I can think about is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue. This website has provided me with correct APA formatting for many years - I highly recommend that site for anyone who is having to write any sort of academic paper. If ...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I like to purchase things for my music therapy clinic that work well, and that I don't mind having to buy once they get destroyed. My clients are not easy on things. Most of my clients have been shown that the only way to get attention from others is to destroy things, so they do. It makes it difficult to provide them with things that they need - fidgets, sensory boxes, alternative seating - because they immediately either throw them, rip them, or dismantle them. I have to monitor all use of every thing that I provide for clients, and it gets difficult when there are eight clients in the session.  Having said all of this about my chosen population, I want you to know that I am constantly looking for my white whale - materials that are durable and that aren't too expensive. I like Oriental Trading Company. (Please remember that I do not do affiliate links or get any sort of financial benefit from recommending anything on this ...

It is Wednesday again, so it is time to highlight a website that I use for either inspiration or materials. Today's website is one that I use as both a storefront and to get materials. It used to be called Teachers Pay Teachers - now it is just TPT .  (I am conveniently linking you to my store - if you are interested in music therapy visual aids at low, budget-friendly prices.) I have always made it a point to be completely transparent when it comes to recommendations. I get a financial benefit if you purchase something from my store on this site. I do not get any sort of financial benefit if you purchase from any other stores on the site. It is free to sign up, and there are SO many free resources on the site that are just sitting there! I am always surprised when I hear that a music therapist has not signed up, especially those who work with children, adolescents, and young adults. So, head out there and sign up for TPT. Also, check out the resources that I have available for th...

So, my sister likes Website Wednesday as a theme. I have done this in the past (check out the label for earlier posts), but it might just need to be something that I come back to. So, here it goes - the second attempt at this theme... It's Wednesday which means it is time to feature a website. I am currently paying attention to all sorts of music education folks - their blogs, posts, and classroom reveals. For some reason, I really like classroom reveals. It probably has something to do with hearing about my sister's themes and not being around her for the big reveal. Anyway, one blogger that I am enjoying right now is Mrs. Stouffer . Her website, Mrs. Stouffer's Music Room , offers lots of blog posts about things that are not relevant to music therapists but as many that are, especially if you are a school-based therapist like me! I am currently going through Mrs. Stouffer's Ultimate Book List.  This is a resource that will be helpful for me this year as I try to make ...

I've decided that I've pretty much exhausted the options available to me for my Website Wednesday posts, so it is time to change to something else. The problem? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT! How about Webinar Wednesdays? I'm not exactly sure that I could sustain that on a weekly basis. Maybe that could be an occasional series - announcing upcoming webinars once or twice a month. Hmmm. That would mean having webinars once or twice a month. I could do that (I'm thinking right now). Now I just have to figure out some webinar ideas. Maybe I could do a weekly wrap-up of the articles that I've seen over the week. That might be a good idea. So, this week I saw three music therapy related articles. I could start to save the links and then share them. I'm kinda liking that idea as well. So, starting next week, Wednesdays will either be Webinar Wednesdays or Weekly Wrap-Up Wednesdays. Now I'm off to do my two jobs and some brainstorming ...

It's time to change what happens on Wednesdays again because I am running out of new websites to feature. There aren't many different sites out there, and I've featured many of the ones that I really like. When I go out looking for blogs, websites, and the like, I start off by typing random things into search engines and see what pops up. (I still get a strange thrill from seeing my own sites show up on the feed.) I then go exploring. Lately, though, my explorations aren't finding much that's new. As a result, I'm going to figure out some other series to write about - it probably won't be a Wednesday series since I've pretty much used all the alliteration that I can (and I REALLY like alliteration when it comes to naming my blog series!!), but I'll figure out something. See you later.

I have found several places with music therapy ideas that I wish I had first. They are varied, but I encourage you to look at these sites and see for yourself what's going on. Some of these you've seen on this blog before. Others may be new to you. See what you think! Music Therapy Mailings : This is fun. I send in my money, and I get an envelope full of creativity every month. I wish I had had this idea before Rachel Rambach did. Tracy Reif now runs the business and sends lots of interesting things. I enjoy getting something different every month - the materials really spark my own creativity. Music Therapy Activities : This is a site that has an interesting premise, but it never really seemed to get going. The Music Therapy Marketplace : Here's a place where you can find specific therapeutic music experiences (TMEs) for purchase. Briana Priester has a creator's lounge as well. I haven't been part of that, but it sounds intriguing! What music therapy sites d...

As I am busy getting ready for the Online Conference for Music Therapy (OCMT) 2017 conference , I started thinking about other music therapy organizations. Lo and behold, a quick Google search and I found a link to many different organizational websites. Guess what? This resource is available on our very own music therapy association's site!! Go American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) !  My experiences with OCMT have shown me the differences in music therapy around this planet. Some countries have well-developed professional identities. Others do not. It is interesting to see where my ideals and visions of music therapy meet those of others in places far remote from where I learned about this profession. I encourage you to take advantage of the work of the AMTA International Relations Committee and check out some of these sites. I'm going to spend the weekend listening and speaking to international music therapists at OCMT 2017. You are welcome to join us there as well!...

It's music therapy advocacy month, and I enjoy the process of looking at music therapy posts, websites, and blogs to see what else is out there for us music therapy-types. This is sometimes a silly idea, other times it's an exercise in tolerance, yet other times it is frustrating. I was strolling around the internet this morning, and I thought I would see what was out there. I wasn't disappointed. One blogger wrote about "music therapy. It's where you take three songs that have significance in your life and write about them on your blog." Oh dear. I have to decide if I go through the process of commenting on this random blogger's page or just let it go. I tend to be a person who just lets it go. This random mommy (what she called herself on the blog) is not doing music therapy, but she was told this by another mommy blogger, so she is just spreading some misinformation. We've all done that at one time or another. The idea itself is sound, b...

I have always harbored a secret desire to work for Sesame Workshop. Sesame Street was a big part of my childhood, along with Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo, and I have always been interested in the use of music to teach kids about things.  Most of my therapeutic music experience (TME) development over the years has been focused on teaching about things, but many times, my clients don't want to learn about things. They need other forms of treatment from me, so my academic TMEs just sit in my TME file, waiting patiently for others to want them. I bring all this up to introduce my website pick for today. It's from the people at PBS and offers kids an opportunity to do some improvisation centered around emotional expression. You can find the website here . I tried to play around with it this morning, but my computer was too slow to make it very interesting. I like this because it links the idea of music as an expressive agent with the emotions of kids. There are other game...

I am a camp and scouting nerd. I freely admit it. Many years of being a Girl Scout, a very brief stint as an Explorer Scout, and years and years of camping in all forms and states has made me very appreciative of campfire songs. When I am looking for a silly something to lure my clients into interactions, I go for the Flying Pigs Campfire Songbook . (Don't you just LOVE the name of this book?) Now, I am the first to admit that I don't know all the songs in this book, but I've found YouTube links to most of the few that I haven't sung around a campfire in my life. For the ones that I just haven't found anywhere, I make up my own melodies! Some of my favorites for therapy? A Ram Sam Sam Boom Chicka Boom Come On and Sing With Me Doodley Doo - I know this one as Wadaliactcha ...oh, there are so many more that I love. The songs can be adapted and used for all types of goals and objectives. I can make any song work for therapy, and these tend to be funnier th...

All of my website searches seem to include You Tube. All of them. So, why haven't I written about it before? Because I think that everyone uses You Tube the way I use You Tube. I guess I'm wrong because I can find the answers to questions that others post quickly when I use Google and You Tube, and they can't seem to find the same resources. Ooh, getting into snarkiness here - must move on! Anyway, do you want to see some cool new ways to play a cabasa? Type it into the search window and, voila - you tube video ! Need a little Muppet music in your life? Again, search Muppet Music, and there are many different choices ! When I have a question, I immediately turn to my online resources - Google and You Tube. I only turn to others when there is no information on those sites that make sense - believe it or not, I've never found a topic that isn't represented on those sites. Just to finish things off, here is one of my You Tube videos (actually, my only one so far ...

A couple of years ago, my sister dragged me into the world of computer interfaces by asking my Dad for a Makey Makey for the holiday. When my father saw what she was asking for, he decided that we both needed one, so I received one as well. My sister gave me a Makey Makey Go for Christmas this year with requests to figure out how to rig it to my cat's behavior (in some way - Auntie wants more pictures of the kitty, I guess!). I will be playing with this a bit more in the near future. I've played with mine a bit, but haven't really delved into the possibilities of what this device can do. I like that it has lots of implications for clients with limited mobility. I can rig just about anything to do something - great cause and effect work opportunities as well as access to communication or composition or many other things as well. It wasn't cheap, but it also didn't break the bank, especially when compared to switches, Big Macks, and other software programs. Make...

Because I am still knee-deep in organizing and getting my stuff together in my new room, I am very interested in what others do to get their rooms together. I love looking at how others organize, and I often strive for the same type of coordination in my own clinic area. So, when I am stumped, I go to the internet. Made for Music Teachers has a post that really makes me think about what I'm trying to do in my own space. I like the idea of having all related things together (that makes logical sense to me). I am currently sorting my stuff into four different categories - explore, listen, learn, and therapy. Each corner of the room will have a different focus. One corner will be for exploration. For me, this includes sensory exploration beyond that of listening. I have a large cabinet that holds my tubs of bells, pom poms, sensory bottles, sound bottles, and lots of other things as well. I'm going to take my electronic instruments for that center/station/area of the room. ...

I forgot that yesterday was a Wednesday, so I hustled off to work and didn't remember to find a website to talk about. Forgive me if I combine the two on this Thursday of this very strange week? I think of this as cheating a bit, but I am going to talk about the website for the Certification Board for Music Therapists . Honestly, this website is one of the ones that I refer to most often during the course of the year. I use it to find specific therapists, I look for approved providers, and I also use it, over and over again, to develop learning objectives for my various presentations. The reason I think of it as cheating is that every music therapist in the United States should know about this website. The best feature of the site? Information on how to talk directly to the folks at CBMT! They are willing to answer any and all questions and are our best resource when it comes to finding answers. Go check it out if you haven't. There is so much that is available to us all on t...

Happy Wednesday! It's time for our Wednesday Website post, and this week's post is about Barcelona Publishers . Founded in 1989 by Kenneth Bruscia (Hooray! A music therapy hero of mine!!), Barcelona focuses on publishing music therapy specific titles. I like this site and use it when I want or need something new to read. One of the things that is wonderful about Barcelona is found on the Periodicals page - Free stuff! If you are in any way interested in qualitative research, this page is invaluable, and all the resources are free. FREE! If you haven't taken the time to explore this website, I highly recommend that you do - there is something there for everyone. (Please note that my opinions are my own - I do not get any financial or product gains from my recommendations. I write about what I find to be useful in my life. All opinions offered are my very own and that's that!)

It is Wednesday again - a time for looking around the internet for something that I use as a music therapist.  I enjoy looking for materials, and I especially enjoy talking about the thing that I find. Today's site is EducateAutism.com .  I was looking for some simple emotion cards that went farther than just the regular "happy, sad, and angry" for my students who are unable to communicate using verbal language. I was also looking for the same cards to represent very different emotions and some nuanced emotional states. The last criterion that I had was that I wanted the visual aids to represent a variety of people - not just the pink people on the basic PECs that I had found at other sites. I wanted some brown folks as well. I found them all at this website...for free! (That's very important to a music therapist working for school pay!!) Now, I'm pretty picky when it comes to visual aids. I usually start off with a vision in my head, and I either keep sea...

***Please remember that I do NOT get any compensation for my discussions about these websites as you go further into my personal experiences with West Music Company. Nada. Nothing. All opinions stated are my own and all opinions are simply that - opinions. Thank you.*** It is Wednesday, and time for yet another Website Wednesday post. This time around, I picked a company website, West Music. If you are therapist in the States who hasn't ordered instruments, materials, or books from West Music, you are really missing out on a good experience. My facility recently ordered some instruments from them. The administrative assistant came to the music therapy room about two weeks later to state that the folks at West had sent her "a HANDWRITTEN thank you note for the order!" She was thrilled that the company cared enough about our business to thank us for it! She told me that it was the best way of ordering materials that she had ever experienced!! She asked if I needed anyth...