Okay, so maybe it’s not technically summer yet…but ask any kid what season it is and they’ll most likely tell so! It definitely feels like summer has arrived, now that school is out and I’m enjoying a nice little summer break.
“S” Is For Summer was actually written as a custom song for a child with specific language-related needs, especially when it comes to the letter s. And since it’s almost summer, which happens to begin with that very letter, her teacher and I decided to stick with the seasonal theme.
You’ll notice that there are LOTS of s’s in this song, not just at the beginning of words but in all positions as well as blends. So while it addresses one child’s needs in particular, it will hopefully be beneficial and enjoyable for other children, too.
What other summery “s” words did I miss? Snorkeling, sailing, snoozing, seashells, surfing…enough to write an entirely new song! And there’s no such thing as too many songs about summer, so I just might go ahead and do that ;)
How do I know it’s almost summer break? Well that’s easy…it’s just about all my students can talk about these days! Most of them even have a countdown going, and can tell me exactly how many days are left.
I always enjoyed school, but that didn’t stop me from feeling super excited when summer break rolled around. And not much has changed; as much as I absolutely LOVE my job, I’m looking forward to having a little break before the summer session begins.
I wrote and recorded a song on this topic a couple of years ago, but wanted something a bit more original as we head into the last two weeks of the school year. Here’s what I came up with:
Most of my students have their last day of school at the end of next week, which coincides with the end of the session at my studio. Those two weeks I’ll have off will be busy ones, between my birthday, a trip to Austin, a visit from the lovely ladies of the Music Therapy Round Table, and of course, some quality pool time. Come on, summer break!
Okay, okay…so spring is still several weeks away. But since it officially begins in March, I couldn’t restrain myself from writing about my second favorite season.
I first used the “march into spring” play on words in my March song, and it amused me enough to base an entire song upon it. As I started recording, I decided to let the music reflect the marching chorus and in contrast, the fun and excitement of spring.
While we’ve had an unusually mild winter here in Illinois, I’m still ready for daily bike rides, open windows, and walks in the park. What do you think: is it too early to start singing about spring?
Winter doesn’t officially begin until December 22 this year — a mere 3 days before Christmas. This throws my students off every year; when it starts getting cold in November, they tell me that it’s winter (and understandably so). That’s why this song came to be.
As much as I usually dread this season, I’m thinking winter and I are going to get along this year. Now that I work from home almost exclusively, I no longer have a scary highway commute to worry about when there is ice and snow on the ground. I’d much prefer to enjoy the view of a winter wonderland from my window rather than walk in one :)
Are you looking forward to winter this year, or are you hanging on to these last couple weeks of fall for dear life? It’s coming either way, so get out the boots, earmuffs and giant parkas (unless you live somewhere warm, in which case I’m super jealous!).
Fall is such a beautiful time here in the Midwest. As much as I complain about the dropping temperatures, I really do enjoy watching the change of seasons reflected in the trees as the leaves turn all kinds of gorgeous colors.
The downside, of course, is all the raking that must be done once those leaves fall to the ground. Luckily for me, my husband does most of the yard work around here :) I prefer singing about falling leaves instead.
This month I dug up an old song I wrote a few years back called The Leaves on the Trees. It always goes over well with students because each time we sing the verse, it gets just a little faster. No matter how fast it gets, they always shout out “faster!” and of course, I oblige.
One of my first-ever “Sunday Singalong” videos featured this song, which you can see here. I’ve also written a few other fall songs that mention the leaves, but was wondering what other tunes YOU know and use on this timely topic. Please share your leafy faves in the comments!
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two.
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