…and Tax Day is here again! (Womp, womp.) From the lingering pain in my chest that this day causes me each year, I have found inspiration! Yes, inspiration… to create. (What?! From taxes?! That doesn’t even make sense.) I KNOW.
Okay- enough with the theatrics, Noa. I provide individual and group music therapy services in high school Functional Skill Development (FSD) classrooms, where I use music interventions and experiences to address and immerse students in tactile, social, and “academic” concepts and constructs.
That being said, taxes are an unfortunate and reoccurring component of our adult lives. When we have a job, we pay taxes. When we buy or rent a living space, we pay taxes. When we purchase a soda (or “pop,” as my students call it), we pay taxes. So, I think it’s safe to say taxes are a pretty important concept to be even basically familiar with.
I created this intervention about taxes — what they are, why we pay them, and different instances in which we encounter taxes — with the idea of “keeping it basic” in mind. Many of my FSD students currently have job placements in the community, and will soon be transitioning into the working world at greater lengths upon graduating, so I want to provide opportunities for my students to begin to understand why not all of the money they earn lands right in their pocket.
In this song, I introduced 3 types of taxes: Sales tax, Income Tax, and Property Tax (some of which are more relevant and/or prevalent than others) to establish a basic template for tax knowledge. Feel free to alter these components to fit the needs of your clients or students. I plan to implement this intervention in both individual and group settings, as there is an inherent participatory quality in the song that can be super fun in a group, but just as rockin’ one-on-one.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Lyrics + Chords —- Audio
(Ignore the ads on MediaFire. You do not have to pay to download the file- it’s freeeee!)
Keep your head up, tax payers! — Noa
Allegro Harmonies 