“The Toolbox Song” for Rhythm Sticks

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.

The Toolbox Song | Listen & Learn Music

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Hooray for June!

At last, my very favorite month of the year has arrived. This first week of June is an eventful one: Tuesday is the last day of school and my first music therapy session of the summer at the Autism Program, Thursday I’m going to a Cardinals game with my dad and brother, and Friday is my birthday! Let the fun begin.

Aside from being the first day of June, today marks another momentous occasion – this is my 200th blog post! Holy cow, I can’t believe that in the last 9 months, I’ve written 200 posts. I hope you’ll stick around for the next 200 :)

But let’s get down to business. As you know, every month has its own song, and June is no exception. I think the June song might just be my favorite of the 12, but I’ll let you decide for yourself which one is your favorite.

Let’s all sing a happy tune,
And celebrate because it’s June!
Month number six for thirty days,
So go outside and catch some rays.

For part of June, we’re out of school,
Let’s go swimming at the pool.
But when our summer break has passed,
The days are fun and they go by fast.

CHORUS

Next to come is Father’s Day,
Whether near or far away.
We’ll thank him for the things he’s done
And tell him that he’s number one.

CHORUS

This is the month when summer starts,
That’s one of the best parts.
The days get longer as they go,
Which helps the flowers bloom and grow.

CHORUS

I have lots of last minute things to do before I say goodbye to school for a couple of months, so I’d better get to it! Enjoy the first day of June :)

Bells Are For Shaking

Bells, bells, and more bells…I just can’t get enough of them when it comes to developmentally appropriate instruments for my students. They come in so many different sizes and shapes that I have one to suit the needs of even the most challenged kids. A student with little or no grip abilities? No problem – there’s a bell with a velcro strap for him/her. A child with noise sensitivity issues? Give him/her bells with small jingles that produce equally small sounds. What about kids who are working on color identification or turn-taking? I love bells like those pictured above: fun shapes and bright colors motivate my students to participate in such activities.

But the song I want to share today has a different goal in mind…discrimination between right and left. This can be a particularly difficult skill to master; heck, even sometimes I get the two confused ;) Any type of bell can be used for this activity, as long as it appropriate for the student.

Bells are for shaking, bells are for shaking,
Up and down, all around,
Bells are for shaking, bells are for shaking,
Listen to the sound.

Hold the bell in your right hand, grip it tight,
And shake it side to side, with all your might.
Hold the bell in your right hand, up in the air,
Shake it side to side without a care.

CHORUS

Hold the bell in your left hand, grip it tight,
And shake it side to side, with all your might.
Hold the bell in your left hand, up in the air,
Shake it side to side without a care.

CHORUS

It seems that I have a plethora of songs dedicated to playing the bells, which tells me I need to give a little attention to the rest of the instruments, too! Just another thing to add to the list. Luckily I’ll have some time to do that soon, as the school year is winding down and summer break is on the horizon. Only four days left…what about you?

Flower, Stand Tall!

Flowers are popping up all over the place, and they are a great topic for a song around this time of year. Flower songs are good opportunities to address color identification, which is what I had in mind when I wrote the song below.

Red, orange, yellow, green,
White, purple, pink and blue.
Flowers are so colorful and smell good too.
There are many different kinds Mother Nature grows,
In a pot or in a field or garden rows.

Red flower, stand tall,
Red flower, stand tall,
Can you choose your favorite red flower of all?
(You just might be the fairest flower of all!)

Repeat, using each color.

My initial idea was to give each child a scarf and ask him/her to stand up as that color is mentioned in the song. I made visuals for each color flower, and to practice making choices, the child can choose which of three flowers of that color he/she likes best. For children who don’t have that ability, there are alternate lyrics in parentheses.

Safety Comes First

I love hearing from my readers, especially when they have a success story to share involving a song I’ve shared on the blog. A close second to that is readers who give me ideas for new songs and activities, because sometimes I need a little grease to get the wheels turning!

Well as I mentioned yesterday, music therapist Amy from L.A. did just that earlier in the week. She asked if I knew of any good street and traffic safety songs, as she was addressing this topic with one of her students diagnosed with autism. I told her I didn’t, but that I would love to try my hand at writing one. She specified that the language should be pretty basic, and then gave me a few key elements to include. Here is what resulted:

Left, right, left.
Left, right left.
Look both ways before you cross the street!
Left, right, left.
Left, right, left.
Use your eyes before you use your feet.

You gotta be safe,
And you gotta be smart,
When there are cars around,
So do your part.
Always think
Before you act,
Because safety comes first,
And that’s a fact.

Do not run.
Do not run.
Walk very slowly in the parking lot!
Do not run.
Do not run.
Slow is good but going fast is not.

CHORUS

Stay away.
Stay away.
From the street unless it’s time to cross.
Stay away.
Stay away.
Because the street is very dangerous.

CHORUS

Watch the lights.
Watch the lights.
Red means stop, and green means go.
Watch the lights.
Watch the lights.
They will tell you what you need to know.

CHORUS

I like that the lyrics to this song can be easily modified or added to, since the verses are so simple. There are many other concepts it could cover, such as walk/don’t walk signals, crossing guards, etc. Hopefully Amy can use this tune, or a version of it, to better teach these concepts to her student!

I’m So Glad it’s Springtime

Good Wednesday morning! This post is going to be short and sweet, because I can’t wait to get to work on the new song I’m writing about traffic safety (a wonderful suggestion from music therapist Amy in California). I woke up today with this simple song about spring – with a familiar tune – running through my head and thought I’d share:

My eyes can see it’s springtime
It’s springtime, it’s springtime
My eyes can see it’s springtime
The grass is so green.

My ears can hear it’s springtime
It’s springtime, it’s springtime
My ears can hear it’s springtime
The birds sweetly sing.

My nose can smell it’s springtime
It’s springtime, it’s springtime
My nose can smell it’s springtime
The flowers perfume

My arms can feel it’s springtime
It’s springtime, it’s springtime
My arms can feel it’s springtime
The sunshine so warm.

The green grass, the birds sing,
The flowers, the sunshine.

Oh I can tell it’s springtime
It’s springtime, it’s springtime
Oh I can tell it’s springtime
And I am so glad.

My eyes, ears, and arms could definitely tell that it is springtime this morning, but not because of the flowers, birds singing, and warm sunshine…more like the storm clouds, thunder crashing, and rain falling!

Counting Time: Flowers

It’s that time again – counting time! I’m so glad to be counting flowers rather than umbrellas, like I did so often last month. One of my favorite things about spring is watching all the beautiful colors pop up in my neighborhood. My neighbors have the most gorgeous red tulips in their front yard, and every time I see them it makes me want to plant my own garden! Soon enough, I’ll get around to that…but for now, I guess I’ll have to settle for counting flowers rather than growing them.

Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little flowers 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 flowers?
Ten little flowers.
All lined up in a row.

Now that I have flowers on the brain, I have the urge to write a new song about all my favorites. From tulips to hydrangeas to roses, there’s an endless list of sweet-smelling blooms to sing about. Do you have any favorite flower tunes?

Foggy Day

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

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!

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

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!