Thanks so much for watching my video and heading over to Listen & Learn Music! I’m excited to share “The Toolbox Song” with you because it truly is one of the most effective tools in my musical toolbox (pun totally intended).
My students and clients request this song time and time again, and I am always happy to oblige, because it allows me to work on so many goals at the same time.
To receive the mp3, instrumental track, lyrics/chords and facilitation guide, simply enter your first name and email address below. Then I’ll deliver the download link to your inbox.
Let’s Count: Hold Up 10 Fingers
After four years of actively writing songs for children, I’ve lost count of the songs I’ve written about counting (no pun intended, hehe). It’s definitely not for lack of other song topics; it’s just that counting is a skill that every child needs to learn, whether it is through signing or speaking.
My latest counting song employs the use of our fingers. Not only does this give the child something visual and concrete to represent each number, but it also involves fine motor coordination and imitation – two more important areas of development.
Hold up one finger,
Hold up just one,
And wave it around
‘Cause we’re almost done.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up one finger,
Hold up just one,
And wave it around
‘Cause we’re almost done.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up two fingers,
Yes, hold up two,
I had a wonderful
Time with you.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up three fingers,
Yes, hold up three,
Now join right in
And sing with me.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up four fingers,
Yes, hold up four,
Wiggle and wiggle
And wiggle some more.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up five fingers,
Yes, hold up five,
Fly up to the sky,
Then take a dive.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up six fingers,
Yes, hold up six,
And tap them like
They’re rhythm sticks.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up seven fingers,
Yes, hold up seven,
Down on the ground,
Now up to heaven.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up eight fingers,
Yes, hold up eight,
Close them up
Just like a gate.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up nine fingers,
Yes, hold up nine,
Climbing up
A great big vine.
La la la la, la la la la.
Hold up ten fingers,
Yes, hold up ten,
And wave goodbye
To all your friends.
La la la la, la la la la.
Before and after singing the song, I invite the children to verbally and manually (with our hands) count to 10. I added lots of movement to this song so that it’s not just about counting. I also designed it as a cool-down song, meant to be sung near the end of the class, music therapy session, or what have you.
Like I mentioned at the beginning this post, I’ve written lots of counting songs. But it’s not all Listen & Learn, all the time, around here. I want to know: what are your favorite songs for teaching kids to count? Which have worked best for your own students and children? Let’s see how many we can round up!
It’s officially here, even though the Midwest is experiencing temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s. We’re also experiencing quite a downpour this morning, which makes me glad to be safe and sound in my little music therapy office :) As sad as I always am to see the summer end, there is so much to look forward to in the fall. I love watching the trees change color, and the cool, crisp air is refreshing after months of heat and humidity. I’m excited about getting out my pumpkin-scented candles, wearing sweaters, and making plans for Thanksgiving (I don’t give much thought to Halloween aside from writing songs about it, because it is my least favorite “holiday”). I’ve written quite a few fall-themed songs, and I’ll share two of those with you today. “Fall into Fall” is one of the first songs I ever recorded (back when I had an extremely primitive recording set-up) so please disregard the not-so-amazing sound quality. Fall into fall, September, October, November, fall is here. Fall into fall, Football, and pumpkins, and hayrack rides abound. Fall into fall, The air is getting colder, the wind is getting strong. Fall into fall, I want to tell you all about autumn, Autumn is a time to change the clocks, CHORUS Autumn is a time for Halloween, CHORUS Autumn is a time for Thanksgiving, CHORUS So there you go: two songs for a brand-new season! Since I sing about the season every day with my students, it’s nice to have two to alternate so that they don’t get too stale. What are your favorite fall-ish songs? Handbells, jingle bells, sleigh bells, and resonator bells are all a part of my instrument collection, which is probably why I have so many songs about bells! (Each word links to a different song.) But last week I decided that I needed a fresh one to accompany my little bell players, so I adapted a traditional folk tune to get the job done. Ring to the music, la la la. The blank spaces in the song are there so that if being used in a group, I can go around the room and address each student: “Ring to the music, Jessica; ring to the music, Jackson” and so on. I can also add these verses to make the activity a little more interesting and challenging: I tried this song out yesterday with my Church Mice group using tone blocks, and I’m happy to report that it was a success :) But really, anytime you ask a child to play an instrument quickly and/or loudly, it will most likely go over well! What are your favorite “bell” songs? It’s that time of year: many students are returning to school, and so am I. After a nice long summer break, I’m heading back to The Hope Institute for my 4th (!) school year as a music therapist. It’s going to be an exciting one — I’ll be supervising my first-ever music therapy intern. Up until now, my department has been a one-woman show, so it will be nice to finally have some company! In honor of the new academic year, I’d like to share some school-related songs. These can all be downloaded from my studio album, Time to Sing Hello, which debuted earlier this summer. The first is all about getting there…on the bus, of course! My favorite thing about going back to school (both when I was a student and now as an employee) is seeing old friends and making new ones. Socializing is a goal area that I address often with my students, so this song comes in handy: I’m on a tight schedule during the school day! I have classes to see, meetings to attend, and planning to do, which means I need to keep a close eye on the clock. Many kids are learning how to read the clock for themselves, which is exactly why I wrote the next tune: There’s one thing that must be done before it’s time to say goodbye and head home for the day, and that is cleaning up. Almost everyone knows the old “Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere” song, but I got tired of that one and came up with my own: Check out the rest of my school-friendly tunes here. For those of you who are getting back into the swing of the school year, good luck! It can be a stressful time, but it can also be lots of fun. Seth loved drums. It didn’t matter what kind – if he could use a mallet or his hand to make a big sound, he was a happy camper. What Seth didn’t love was following his music therapy schedule and completing his work. On the rare occasion that he did finish a task, he was rewarded with the chance to play a drum. His face would light up and he would say “Boom, boom!” as he played, which is what gave me the idea for a song that would serve two purposes. All this time, I had been using the drum only as a reward. Why hadn’t I thought to incorporate the drum into Seth’s goal-based interventions? (The answer to that question: because I was an intern, and I still had a lot to learn.) One of Seth’s IEP goals was to count to 20, and I was determined for him to achieve it with the help of the drum. At that point in my young career, I hadn’t written many songs of my own. But this one worked, so I still use it today. Boom, boom! 1, 2, 3, 4, I used a paddle drum just like the one pictured above when I sang this song with Seth. He held the mallet, and I held the drum up only when it was his turn to play (during the “Boom, boom!” lines and as he counted). Not only did Seth achieve his goal, but he wanted to count even higher so that he had more chances to play the drum! This song took the work out of counting, just as music so often does for tasks that might otherwise be mundane or frustrating for children. The key is figuring out the motivating factor. I may have helped teach Seth to count to 20, but I owe Seth big time for teaching me this important lesson. Writing a song about dogs came quite naturally to me, since I’m a dog owner and have always considered myself to be a “dog person”. But I have nothing against cats (that’s my mom’s cat, Izzy, in the picture) and since many of you let me know that you’d like a feline version of the song, I was happy to oblige! C – A – T, my C – A – T, People ask me questions, like C – A – T, my C – A – T, People ask me questions, like C – A – T, my C – A – T, I used Izzy as an example in this version, but just as was offered when I posted “My D-O-G”, I’ll record a special version for your family’s cat if this is a song your child might enjoy. All you have to do is send me an email, and be sure to include your answers to the questions asked in the song! That’s my D-O-G, Sadie, but believe it or not, she actually wasn’t the inspiration for this song! Just yesterday during my last group music therapy session at The Autism Program, one of my students asked me if I had a dog. I saw this as an opportunity to start a conversation, so I used an adaptation of Cathy Bollinger’s song “I Like Movies, So Do You” (replacing movies with pets) to encourage my students to discuss their own pets or favorite types of animals. Almost every student in the group had a dog, so I asked questions like “What is your dog’s name?” and “What kind of dog do you have?” and so on. Most could answer the first one, but some of the other questions were a bit trickier for them. So I came up with this song, which has these questions and more built right in. D – O – G, my D – O – G, People ask me questions, like D – O – G, my D – O – G, People ask me questions, like D – O – G, my D – O – G, Notice that I fill in the answers to each question using Sadie as an example. But if this is a song that might be useful for your child or student, let me know and I will send you two versions: one with the answers left blank, and one with answers pertaining to your specific dog (just make sure you provide those answers in your email). I think I almost have to write the song “My C-A-T” so that I don’t leave out all the cat owners who are reading this right now! Look for that one soon :) Any other summer, I’d most likely tell you how bummed out I am that July is already here. But not this year! I have so much to look forward to this month that I’m not even thinking about the fact that summer is one-third of the way over. (Okay, maybe the thought has crossed my mind…however, I choose to ignore it.) In the next four weeks, I will be: attending my best friend’s engagement party, traveling to Indianapolis for a 4th of July wedding, releasing my album, throwing a big CD release party, and giving a music therapy presentation at a big conference. Whew! Back in June I re-recorded all of my Months of the Year songs, and this is the first time I’ve had a chance to share one with you at the start of a new month. (You can download the entire album, which comes with all 12 songs + instrumental tracks + lead sheet songbook here.) Picnics, ice cream, apple pie, Wave your flag, way up high, Picnics, ice cream, apple pie, Independence is the word, Picnics, ice cream, apple pie, Summer’s coming to a peak, Picnics, ice cream, apple pie, What are you up to this July? Any big vacations or 4th of July parties planned? My students have been filling me in on their holiday weekend plans, and they all sound like so much fun. Whatever your plans may be, I hope you start the month off right by enjoying this gorgeous summer day. Clap your hands ’cause it’s July! Now that there are only 10 days remaining until the release of Time to Sing Hello, I’m more anxious than ever to share it with you. First came the cover art and “My Clothes and Shoes” (admittedlly, my favorite track); today’s preview includes the actual CD art and the final song on the album. “Time to Say Goodbye” was written for children who struggle with separation anxiety and need the constant reminder that goodbyes don’t have to be stressful. So many of my students fall into this category, especially those with autism spectrum disorders. The song is mellow and calming, which I think provides the perfect ending to an album made up mostly of upbeat tunes. I began accepting preorders for hard copies of the CD yesterday, and have been overwhelmed with the response thus far! I guess many of you agree with me that although digital downloads are incredibly convenient, there’s just something about receiving a pretty, full-color album in the mail (shipping is free) along with extra goodies (from yours truly). More about all of that here. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m really excited for July 10 to arrive! And possibly even more excited for July 11, the day of my CD Release Party (including an interactive performance especially for children and reception). Your family is invited; if you live in the central Illinois area and would like to come, RSVP right here on Facebook. As the Fourth of July approaches, I’m probably not the only one with patriotic themes on the brain. Songs like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” are being sung and taught to children all over the country this week, and I know that my own students are hard at work learning the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, the occupational therapist at my school emailed me a couple of weeks ago, asking if I had any songs or resources for teaching the Pledge. I didn’t at the time…but I do now! I came up with a simple rhythmic line, and that serves as my foundation for the chant and song I created to teach the Pledge of Allegiance. Listen below as I speak it in rhythm, and then download (for free) the rhythmic line for your own use. I pledge allegiance, to the flag Next, I came up with a super simple melody on top of the rhythmic line, which I orchestrated with trumpets. Here is my sung version: And here is the same track, only without my vocals. You can download (again, for free) the instrumental track for yourself: When I was in elementary school, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance was part of our classroom’s morning routine. Nowadays, most schools don’t do this, but there are other times at which a child might need to know it. It doesn’t hurt to learn, especially when it’s done through music!
Happy First Day of Fall!
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
At the end of December, we know that winter’s near.
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
Most of the leaves that were once on trees, are now upon the ground.
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
The days are getting shorter, but we keep on singing this song.
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
That’s another name for fall.
It begins at the end of September,
When the days are short and the trees are tall.
We fall an hour behind.
We get an extra hour to sleep at night,
‘Cause that’s what happens when we rewind.
Wearing costumes while we trick-or-treat.
Walking around our neighborhood,
Collecting so much candy to eat.
Let’s be thankful for the food on our plate.
And all of the good things in our lives,
With our family, we celebrate.
That’s How We Ring & Sing
Ring to the music, la la la.
Ring to the music, la la la.
Ring to the music, la la la.
Back to School!
A Drum Song for Seth
We can count to twenty.
Let’s start with number one.
Boom, boom!
We can count to twenty,
While we play our drum!
5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18, 19, 20!
Kids With Cats: This Song is For You
My cat’s a part of my family.
She has such soft and pretty fur,
I love to hear her meow and purr.
C – A – T, my C – A – T,
My cat’s a part of my family.
“What’s your cat’s name?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know,
“What kind of cat do you have?”
So I answer in this way: __________
My cat’s a part of my family.
I give her water, food, and toys,
Luckily, she doesn’t make much noise.
C – A – T, my C – A – T,
My cat’s a part of my family.
“How old is your cat?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know,
“Can I pet your cat?”
So I answer in this way: __________
My cat’s a part of my family.
She likes to chase her toy mouse,
‘Round and ‘round and ‘round the house.
C – A – T, my C – A – T,
My cat’s a part of my family.
D-O-G, My D-O-G
My dog’s a part of my family.
I take her for walks, we run and play,
She’s by my side, every single day.
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
“What’s your dog’s name?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know:
“What kind of dog do you have?”
So I answer in this way: __________
My dog’s a part of my family.
I give her water, food, and toys,
When she barks, she makes so much noise.
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
“How old is your dog?”
And this is what I say: __________
They also want to know:
“Can I pet your dog?”
So I answer in this way: __________
My dog’s a part of my family.
I teach her tricks like how to shake,
We take her swimming in the lake,
D – O – G, my D – O – G,
My dog’s a part of my family.
Happy July!
Clap your hands ‘cause it’s July!
The seventh month of the year,
For thirty one days July is here.
Celebrate the fourth of July.
Let’s all wear red, white, and blue,
Fireworks for me and you!
Clap your hands ‘cause it’s July!
The seventh month of the year,
For thirty one days July is here.
Patriotic songs are heard.
Let’s join in and sing out loud,
For our country we are proud.
Clap your hands ‘cause it’s July!
The seventh month of the year,
For thirty one days July is here.
It gets hotter every week.
Hear the crickets chirp at night,
Until the morning sun shines bright.
Clap your hands ‘cause it’s July!
The seventh month of the year,
For thirty one days July is here.
Time to Sing Hello: Sneak Peek #2
Set to Music: The Pledge of Allegiance
Of the United States of America.
And to the republic for which it stands,
One nation, under God, indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.