Resources Galore!

As a music therapist, I’ve learned to rely on numerous resources to better serve my clients, streamline my business and well, just keep things groovy!  Check out my recommendations below:

MUSIC THERAPY

MUSIC

  • Music Notes-is a fabulous website for downloading and printing music. Become a member for free and you can get 10% off all purchases! If that wasn’t enough, they even offer an app which allows you to use all the music you’ve purchased again and again in digital form.
  • Ultimate Guitar- has been my ‘ultimate’ resource for lead sheets since I became a board certified music therapist in 2005. Membership is free, but you don’t have to join to gain access to over 250,000 songs! UG even boasts a new feature which allows you to transpose songs to any key…uh, yes please!? Definitely a great feature for MT’s that need to adapt for teaching or therapy!
  • Blank Sheet Music-no need to EVER buy staff paper again.  This website provides you with tons of formatting options for printing blank staff paper. That is, unless you have a printer that is doing this.

INSTRUMENTS

  • Music Is Elementary-is my number one source for music instruments, methods books and music therapy resources. They have the best prices (and believe me I’ve checked!) and they are local (to me, at least).  MIE also ships to anywhere in the US of A.
  • West Music-has a HUGE selection of instruments, books and supplies for any musician. They even offer free shipping on larger purchases.  If MIE doesn’t have it, West does.
  • Remo-I heart drums! I wouldn’t really call myself a drum expert but I do have an ever expanding collection of Remo drums that my clients (and I!) enjoy.  My first drum circle was through Remo and I will never forget the intensity, the passion and the soul that came from it’s sound.

MUSIC LISTENING

  • Pandora- is my favorite site for listening to music. Just type in an artist or song you like and voilà, you have a playlist of music similar to that of what you typed in.  Pandora is a great way to discover new music. If you have an ipad you will want to check out the free app.
  • Last.fm-is an awesome site for streaming music and video. The best feature of this site is the ability to create your own playlist one song at a time. Unlike Pandora, Last.fm gives you more control over the music that you want to hear. Last.fm also offers a free app for ipad.
  • The Listening Program-I’ve had many clients show improvement in music therapy because of their work in the listening program. It’s designed to improve auditory processing, listening learning and communication, all of which are easy targets to measure in the music therapy setting.

VISUALS

  • Google Images-gotta love google, right? This is kind of a ‘duh’ resource, but I figured I’d better include it. Whether I need to create visuals, invoices, flyers, presentations, or proposals google makes things groovy!
  • Picnik-is one of the best photo editors on the internet and it’s FREE!  A must have for creating and editing photos. Picnik also offers a membership which gives you paid access to editing tools, fun filters, borders and much more.
  • Kindergarten.com-Well, technically this an app, but I use it as a visual aide via my iPad, so I thought I would list it here. This free app offers categories of visuals each as their own app. Categories include the alphabet, sports, fruits, veggies, emotions, transportation and much more!
  • Magnificent Creations- Buy these specialty cards or create your own to teach self-awareness and encourage positive self-esteem to your clients.

AUTISM

  • Son-Rise Program-is a unique, home-based program designed for children and families affected by Autism. It embraces a unique approach in which the family/caregivers join the child at their level of understanding in turn opening up opportunities for socialization and learning. Several of my client families introduced me to this program which has only strengthened my approach and understanding of Autism even further. Definitely a great resource for MT’s.
  • Autism Society-great resource for presentations and information sharing.
  • Autism Speaks-spreads autism awareness ‘from sea to shining sea’. Check out this great resource and get involved in your local chapter today!