I’ve been working closely with one of my school’s speech therapists for the last couple of months, and the other day she came to me with a new song idea. She told me that she was sitting in church, singing the African American spiritual “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” with the rest of the congregation, when she realized that it would make a great tune for our students.
The three things she always reminds the kids to do are: listen, work, and practice. Those three words are the basis of this adapted song, and they really do apply to most things in our kids’ lives. Whether it’s a skill they are learning at school, a chore they are responsible for at home, or even a fun new experience such as riding a bike, all of those things require listening, working, and practicing.
I’m gonna listen so I can learn more,
Anywhere and anytime.
I’m gonna listen, so I can learn more,
Anywhere and anytime.
I’m gonna work so I can do more,
Anywhere and anytime.
I’m gonna work so I can do more,
Anywhere and anytime.
I’m gonna practice so I can be more,
Anywhere and anytime.
I’m gonna practice so I can be more,
Anywhere and anytime.
How could you apply this song to your own students’ lives? I’m thinking of singing it with my piano students at the end of each lesson, especially those who often “forget” to practice!
