Fall officially begins on Friday, and I’ll tell you what: I’m going into it kicking and screaming. But it’s going to keep getting darker earlier and chillier whether I like it or not, so I might as well just accept it.
I wrote “Fall Into Fall” almost three years ago, maybe I’ll come to terms with the arrival of fall by writing a new song about it. That would be a much more productive coping mechanism than complaining, huh!
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,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
September, October, November, fall is here.
At the end of December, we know that winter’s near.
Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
Football, and pumpkins, and hayrack rides abound.
Most of the leaves that were once on trees, are now upon the ground.
Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
The air is getting colder, the wind is getting strong.
The days are getting shorter, but we keep on singing this song.
Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.
I want to tell you all about autumn,
That’s another name for fall.
It begins at the end of September,
When the days are short and the trees are tall.
Autumn is a time to change the clocks,
We fall an hour behind.
We get an extra hour to sleep at night,
‘Cause that’s what happens when we rewind.
CHORUS
Autumn is a time for Halloween,
Wearing costumes while we trick-or-treat.
Walking around our neighborhood,
Collecting so much candy to eat.
CHORUS
Autumn is a time for Thanksgiving,
Let’s be thankful for the food on our plate.
And all of the good things in our lives,
With our family, we celebrate.
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?
It is officially fall! Preparations are being made at The Hope Institute for this weekend’s Fall Festival, which include homemade scarecrows from each classroom (for a song about scarecrows, click here) and decorated leaves.
Though “Fall Into Fall” has been our official song of the season since last year, I wanted to add another one to the rotation. “All About Autumn” includes the major events in the coming months, and although I could have easily added several more verses, I decided that three was enough :) Take a listen:
I want to tell you all about autumn,
That’s another name for fall.
It begins at the end of September,
When the days are short and the trees are tall.
Autumn is a time to change the clocks,
We fall an hour behind.
We get an extra hour to sleep at night,
‘Cause that’s what happens when we rewind.
CHORUS
Autumn is a time for Halloween,
Wearing costumes while we trick-or-treat.
Walking around our neighborhood,
Collecting so much candy to eat.
CHORUS
Autumn is a time for Thanksgiving,
Let’s be thankful for the food on our plate.
And all of the good things in our lives,
With our family, we celebrate.
CHORUS
One of the things I’m looking forward to this autumn is the end of daylight savings. While I know most people would like the sun to stay up longer, I’m eager for it to rise earlier! I wake up at 4:30 am during the week in order to hit the gym, and it is always so much easier to get going when it’s lighter outside. What are you looking forward to in the next few months?
As I’ve mentioned, oh, just a few hundred times or so before, summer is the #1 season in my book. But there’s just something about the change in temperature, the beautiful colors, and the smell outside as fall approaches that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The crisp air is so refreshing, and everything seems brand new.
Fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, but I’ve already begun brainstorming and writing songs all about the coming season. The first of those is “The Leaves on the Trees”, which imitates the process of trees shedding their leaves: slowly at first, and then faster and faster until all the leaves are on the ground.
The leaves on the trees,
They sway in the breeze,
They sway all around, all around.
Slowly first, then faster
Until all the leaves fall down.
(Repeat, gradually getting faster each time)
My students love, love, LOVE these “speeding up” songs, and no matter how fast I play, they always yell, “Faster!”. Instruments that work well with this type of song include shakers, bells, tambourines, or anything that a child can play easily and quickly.
How are you and your students preparing for fall? The walls of The Hope Institute (where I work) are covered in autumn artwork, and the kids are already talking about Halloween. They are one step ahead of me!
I know we’ve already counted turkeys this month, but I just had to tell you about this book that I’ve been reading (well, singing) with my students. You may already know it; it’s called Ten Fat Turkeys and it’s just as silly as the other book I recommended, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.
This story is a new student favorite, which is good enough for me! I especially enjoy the pictures, which are colorful and goofy. Be sure to add this to your bookshelf for next year. I have one more Thanksgiving song for you, so make sure to stop by and take a listen tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying this short week, and gearing up for the official start of the holiday season. I sure am!
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