Foggy Day

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

So foggy, in fact, that driving to school this morning was a little scary! I’m a nervous driver in any case, so unfavorable weather conditions do not help my cause whatsoever. But I made it here, and it’s Friday, so I can’t complain too much. In fact, this gives me the opportunity to share my “Foggy Day” song, which I’ve been waiting to do since November. A true example of lemons to lemonade!

When I go outside and look around,
It seems like there’s a cloud on the ground.
It’s hard to see, everything is gray,
It’s a foggy day.

Be careful, move slow,
Everywhere you go.
Like a blanket from the sky,
A foggy day for you and I.

When I go outside and look around,
It seems like there’s a cloud on the ground.
It’s hard to see, everything is gray,
It’s a foggy day.

So there you have it. Hopefully the fog will soon disappear, and the sun will come out to grace us with its presence. Not much can top a warm, beautiful Friday…except maybe Friday Faves at Listen & Learn! Make sure you stop by later today for this week’s installment.

Ring and Sing

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Aside from my job as music therapist at the Hope Institute and in private practice, I also lead a music class for very young children at my church called Church Mice. One of the instruments that we play in every class is the resonator bell, similar to those pictured above. The set that we use is made up of D and A tones, which I need to keep in mind when choosing songs to accompany the bells.

The sound that the bells produce is light and pretty, so for the current Church Mice session, I decided to write a song to complement that sound. “Ring and Sing” is the title, and though it was written specifically for the resonator bells, you could also use it to accompany any type of bell.

It’s a beautiful day, so ring your bell.
Ring your bell, come on and ring your bell.
It’s a beautiful day, so ring your bell.
Ring, ring along with me.

Ring and sing, oh ring and sing,
Make a sound and do your thing.
Ring and sing, along with me,
Because it’s a beautiful day!

There is music to make, so ring your bell.
Ring your bell, come on and ring your bell.
There is music to make, so ring your bell.
Ring, ring along with me.

Ring and sing, oh ring and sing,
Make a sound and do your thing.
Ring and sing, along with me,
Because there is music to make!
And because it’s a beautiful day!

As far as adding additional verses, the possibilities are virtually endless. There are so many reasons to ring a bell…simply change the first phrase in the verse (and continue throughout the song) to make it work it any situation. A few examples:

1) It is time for school, so ring your bell
2) If your name is _______, then ring your bell
3) If you’re wearing ________, then ring your bell

Easy, right? Be creative and see what you can come up with. Or better yet, let your students write new verses, and don’t forget to share them with me!

May Day!

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

May is one of my favorite months of the year. As a kid, it meant that the school year was nearing the end, and now that I work in a school, that remains true! It is amazing to think that there are only four full weeks left before a nice little summer break, and then a much more relaxed summer school schedule.

There are a few other notable happenings this month, including Mother’s Day, my brother’s college graduation, and the day my husband and I have been waiting for…we’re getting a puppy! But in the meantime, let’s kick off the month of May with a song:

May is here, month number five,
Trees and flowers come alive.
Thirty one days from start to end,
So help me sing about May, my friend.

First comes May Day on day one,
Celebrate spring and have some fun.
Then don’t forget about Mother’s Day,
Each family honors Mom in its own way.

CHORUS

Memorial Day is a time that we
Should think about our history.
Let’s honor those who went to war,
And appreciate what they were fighting for.

CHORUS

We’ll have a break when May is through,
Summer time for me and you.
Play outside and sleep in late,
Enjoying our vacation will be so great.

CHORUS

What are you looking forward to this month? I am hoping for May flowers in place of the April showers we’ve been experiencing all week, but it looks like I’m not going to get my wish anytime soon. I am also hoping for a more relaxing weekend than the last one…we’ll see if that happens! Happy May Day to you all.

All Tied Up

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Ahh, shoe tying. It’s one of those rites of passage that most children go through in their early elementary years…at least, that’s the goal. There are so many ways to go about teaching this skill, and a google search led me to countless rhymes, poems, and little ditties breaking down this skill into manageable steps. I thought I may as well throw my hat in the ring, so this is my addition to the collection.

I can tie my shoes, do you wanna see?
I can tie my shoes independently.
First I make a criss-cross, in the air,
Then loop one end under there.

Pull both laces nice and tight,
Make one loop that has a tail just like a kite.
Now I take the other string and wrap it round the loop,
Guide it through the hole, and that’s the scoop.

Now I’ve got two loops, so I’ll pull them snug,
All I really need is a little tug.
Repeat these steps for the other shoe,
Oh I can tie my shoes, and you can too!

This is a skill that takes lots and lots of practice, and it is one that requires patience on the part of both student and teacher. A song may help, but hands-on action is what will get the job done. Happy tying!

Jingle Joe

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Happy Tuesday! It’s another gray day, but it’s always sunny inside the walls of the Hope Institute :) I have been burning CDs and preparing materials for May all morning, so I thought I’d take a break and do a little blogging.

Yesterday as I was brainstorming new song ideas, a character popped into my head. His name happened to be Jingle Joe, and he plays the tambourine. So I opened up a new Word document, and immediately, the lyrics to “Jingle Joe” came pouring out of my fingers. The melody came just as quickly, and this is the result:

Jingle Joe is a guy I know,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was green, and he had a tambourine,
And he taught me how to play.

He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my hand,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my hand,
Jinglin’ with Joe, he’s the tambourine man.

Jingle Stu, well I know him too,
I saw him just the other day.
His hair was red, and this is what he said:
I have a tambourine and I’m gonna play.

He showed me how to jingle, jingle!
Tap the tambourine against my thigh,
Jingle, jingle,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.
He showed me how to shake it high, shake it low.
Shake it fast, Shake it slow.
Tap against my thigh,
Jinglin’ with Stu, he’s the tambourine guy.

I think next month we’ll dust off the old tambourines and jam to this tune. Maybe I’ll even add a few verses…I think Joe and Stu need some female counterparts :) Well it’s time to get back to work – so long for now!

Counting Time: Umbrellas

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Rain, rain, go away! I’ve been singing that tune an awful lot this month, which means I’ve also spent a good amount of time counting umbrellas with my students. Of course I’d rather be counting things like suns, sunglasses, and flowers, but I’m just happy to be through with snowflakes, jackets, and mittens. I’ll take what I can get!

Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little umbrellas, in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Again!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

How many umbrellas?
Ten little umbrellas,
All lined up in a row.

I think I probably have ten umbrellas between my car, house, and office at school. You’ll never know when you’ll need one next!