Winter’s On the Way

catching snow-winter-on-the-way-season-song

Yesterday during one of my music therapy sessions, I announced that it was time to sing about the season — fall. One of the staff members gave me a strange look and said, “Really?”

I don’t blame her. The wind was gusting outside and the temperature was in the mid-30s; it’s not exactly fall weather. In these last few weeks leading up to winter, it just doesn’t feel right singing Fall Into Fall or All About Autumn.  That’s why I wrote today’s song…for these interim weeks in between the two seasons.

Winter’s on the way,
But for today,
The season is still fall.
The holidays are near,
But the calendar’s clear:
It’s autumn after all.

Winter doesn’t start until the end of
December, this we know,
When the air is really cold, so cold that
It may even snow.

CHORUS

You may see lights and holiday trees,
Popping up everywhere you go,
But remember for today,
No matter how the wind may blow:

CHORUS

Winter time will come, just a few weeks more.
And it will stick around ‘til spring.
But until that day, I’ll wait to see,
What the winter months will bring.

CHORUS

Our last day of school before the holiday break is December 20, so we won’t have a chance to officially welcome winter in song (which begins the very next day) before then. I’ll be ready when we return, though; I’ve got a new winter tune brewing, so look for it on December 21!

Custom Song: Help Me, Rhombus!

beach-boys-help-me-rhonda

I’ve written songs on many unique and interesting topics, but when I received a request for a custom song about a certain parallelogram, I knew I was in for a bit of a challenge.  At the suggestion of my clever customer, I turned to the Beach Boys for help.

rhombus

I also turned to the knowledge I gained in my 9th grade geometry class (thanks, Mr. Nuding!) — I now admit that I was wrong when I said I’d never need to know that stuff as an adult :)  Shapes can be fun…whether you’re just learning the basics or venturing into more exotic territory as we are today.

I wanna sing about a shape
That I can’t get outta my head.
It has four sides, yes four, that’s what I said.
Rhombus, you’re one of a kind,
So tell me would you mind,
Oh could you, help me Rhombus,
Help me learn what you are.

Help me Rhombus, help help me, Rhombus. (5x)
Help me Rhombus, yea, I wanna learn what you are.

Well a rhombus and a diamond,
They look the very same.
One single shape that goes by two different names.
We use the word Rhombus at school,
Diamond is a nickname that’s cool,
Oh could you, help me Rhombus,
Help me learn what you are.

CHORUS

A rhombus has 4 pointy angles that connect its sides.
Just like a kite, in the air up high it flies.
Rhombus, I can illustrate,
Your shape, and I’d appreciate,
If you could, help me Rhombus,
Help me learn who you are.

CHORUS

This song was written for pre-kindergarteners, but I think the recognizable melody and peppy beat will appeal to older students as well. The key to teaching just about any concept is to make it enjoyable, as I have learned and been reminded time after time.

What Are You Thankful For?

thankful-thanksgiving-song-children

Happy November! I woke up this morning with a huge smile on my face, knowing that I could tuck the Halloween songs away for another year and start the new month out right with a new Thanksgiving tune.  Not only am I sharing it with you here today, but I’ll be introducing this song to my students later this morning.

The idea is to kick off this holiday season with an attitude of thankfulness; I want to get my students thinking about the things and people for which they are thankful.  Some of them will be able to respond verbally and some will not, and that is perfectly fine.  I have plenty to be thankful for, as you will hear:

What are you thankful for?
What are the things that make you smile?
The things in your life you appreciate,
People who go the extra mile.
What are you grateful for?
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I will start: speaking from my heart,
I am thankful for you.

What are you thankful for?
What are the things that make you smile?
The things in your life you appreciate,
People who go the extra mile.
What are you grateful for?
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I will start: speaking from my heart,
I am thankful for you.

Your family and friends at school,
And the teachers who help you learn
Are all people to be thankful for.
Now it’s your turn:

CHORUS

Your bed at night, and where you live,
And the clothes and shoes you wear
Are all things to be thankful for.
Now it’s time for you to share:

CHORUS

The food you eat at every meal,
And the table where you sit
Are all things to be thankful for.
Can you think of more:

CHORUS

A few more things I’m thankful for this month: my brother’s wedding next Saturday, the opportunity to participate in this year’s Children’s Miracle Network radiothon, and my upcoming trip to Cleveland, where I’ll be presenting at the AMTA national conference.  Happy November, indeed!

Sway Like a Tree

sway-like-a-tree

As much as I enjoy fall — the changing leaves, the cooler temperatures, and the beginning of the holiday season — it always makes me a little nostalgic for summer (my one true love when it comes to seasons).

This song came about as the result of a brainstorming session for new movement activities.  I have these cool ribbon rings that remind me a little bit of palm fronds, so that was the visual I had in mind as I wrote and recorded the song.

Come on and sway like a tree,
So tall and free.
Sway with me, oh sway with me.
Sway like a tree, so tall and free,
Sway, sway along with me.

Come on and sway like a tree,
So tall and free.
Sway with me, oh sway with me.
Sway like a tree, so tall and free,
Sway, sway along with me.

Come on and flutter like a leaf,
Falling from the tree,
Flutter with me, oh flutter with me.
Flutter like a leaf falling from the tree,
Flutter along with me.

Come on and fly like a bird,
Landing in the tree.
Fly with me, oh fly with me.
Fly like a bird landing in the tree,
Fly, fly along with me.

Come on and wave like a kid,
Sitting under the tree,
Wave with me, oh wave with me.
Wave like a kid sitting under the tree,
Wave, wave along with me.

I really got into the breezy island spirit of this song — as you can tell by my voice! I must have been channeling the St. Lucian friends my husband and I made on our honeymoon a couple years ago :)

Singing a duet at our resort's piano bar in St. Lucia

Singing a duet at our resort's piano bar in St. Lucia

Now that I’ve gotten this song out of my system, I think I’m ready to leave summer behind completely. We’ve got lots of Thanksgiving songs to get to next week, but if you still need a last minute Halloween song, browse my collection here!

Orange & Black Are All Around

orange-black-halloween-colors

During this last week leading up to the 31st, I’m squeezing in as many Halloween songs as possible — both here and with my students.  “Orange and Black” is one I wrote recently and have been singing all month.

Since so many of the classrooms are decorated to the nines for Halloween, we play our own version of “I Spy” and add all kinds of orange and black items to the list I’ve got going in each verse.

O-R-A-N-G-E is the color that you see
On Halloween, on Halloween.
Orange is all around,
Left and right and up and down,
On Halloween, on Halloween.
Candy corn, and pumpkins,
Decorations too,
Orange is everywhere on Halloween,
It’s true.
O-R-A-N-G-E is the color that you see
On Halloween, Halloween.

B-L-A-C-K is the color here to stay
On Halloween, on Halloween.
Black is all around,
Left and right and up and down,
On Halloween, on Halloween.
Witches’ hats, cats and bats,
Spiders too,
Black is everywhere on Halloween,
It’s true.
B-L-A-C-K is the color here to stay
On Halloween, Halloween.

O-R-A-N-G-E spells orange.
B-L-A-C-K spells black.
Orange and black are the colors that you see
On Halloween.

We also look for orange and black in some of my favorite Halloween books for kids, including Ten Timid Ghosts, Skeleton Hiccups, Dem Bones, and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat. (I’m a huge fan of the “Old Lady” books, and already looking forward to pulling out this one next month!)

What kinds of Halloween songs, books, and activities do you have up your sleeve this week?  I’m already working on my list for next year, so please share!

The Right-Left Song for Shakers

right-left-shakers-song

I heard the original version of “The Right-Left Song” for the first time last fall when Kimberly Sena Moore presented it at AMTA National Conference. Kimberly has a great video of this song, which was actually written by another music therapist named Michelle Hardy.

I’ve used it many times as Kimberly demonstrates in her video — it’s wonderful for kiddos who need to work on crossing the midline — but I decided to change it up recently when I was in need of a new shakin’ song.

We’re going right and left,
And right and left,
We’re shaking, we shake.
We’re going right and left,
And right and left,
We’re shaking we shake.

(Repeat, getting faster each time.)

The real challenge is making sure to shake in the right direction as the tempo of the song increases!  I’ve enjoyed using this song so much that I may have to adapt it for other instruments, too.  I love being inspired by other music therapists — thanks Kimberly and Michelle :)