Sunday Singalong: Wave Goodbye to Winter

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It’s here!  It’s here!  Hellooooo, SPRING!  My students and I have been singing Wave Goodbye to Winter all month long in anticipation of the new season, and though I had planned to feature this song in last week’s video, laryngitis got in the way.

As you can tell by listening, the song was written to be sung before spring actually begins.  But I’ll continue singing it for the rest of March with just two minor lyric changes:

Sing because spring is finally here.
Sing because the sky is blue and clear.
Sing with the birds, up in the tree,
Sing and clap your hands with me.

When I started writing this song last year, I didn’t intend for it to be a movement song.  But it’s hard not to move and dance around when you’re singing about something as happy as waving goodbye to winter…am I right?

Sunday Singalong: Winter All Around Us

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I know what you’re thinking…not another song about winter!  Trust me, I don’t like winter any more than you do, but my students (and yours as well, most likely) need to hear about and understand it as it’s happening.

As I mentioned in the video, this is an older song that I don’t use very often these days.  (Here’s my latest song about winter.)  But it’s still fun to sing, and I like that it’s so short.  It’s also a great one for use during songwriting activities — it’s easy to come up with additional verses.

Who else is counting the days until spring is here?  As the midwest prepares for yet another winter storm, I’m assuming I’m not alone in my countdown.  Stay warm, stay safe, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Winter’s Here, All Right!

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Rachel in Winter

Ahh, just another day in the life of a midwesterner heading to work in the winter.  My husband managed to capture this oh-so-flattering shot of me around this time last year…a fashion statement that will become all too familiar over the next few months.  Can you tell how much I LOVE winter?!

Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy a white Christmas just as much as the next guy.  But the never-ending cold and snow just isn’t my thing.  I have to look on the bright side, though: the change of seasons gives me an excuse to write a new song!

Winter’s here, the first season of the year.
From the end of December until April’s near.
The birds have gone away, the cold is here to stay,
Day after day.

Brrr, the wind is blowing.
Brr, put your earmuffs on.
Along with your coat, scarf, hat, and gloves,
As we sing this wintery song.

CHORUS

Brr, the snow is coming,
Brr, my nose is red.
Gotta stay inside where the heat is on,
And get warm from my toes to my head.

CHORUS

As thrilled as I am to be off of work for Christmas break, I’m a little bummed that I didn’t have the chance to introduce this new song to my students before we left. However, the fact that we’ll have three long months to sing it when we return makes up for it. Oh, winter.

I’ll be spending the first day of the season doing last-minute shopping, wrapping presents, and writing thank-you notes to my students (they were quite the gift givers this year!). How will you spend this wonderful winter day?

Winter’s On the Way

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

catching snow-winter-on-the-way-season-song

Yesterday during one of my music therapy sessions, I announced that it was time to sing about the season — fall. One of the staff members gave me a strange look and said, “Really?”

I don’t blame her. The wind was gusting outside and the temperature was in the mid-30s; it’s not exactly fall weather. In these last few weeks leading up to winter, it just doesn’t feel right singing Fall Into Fall or All About Autumn.  That’s why I wrote today’s song…for these interim weeks in between the two seasons.

Winter’s on the way,
But for today,
The season is still fall.
The holidays are near,
But the calendar’s clear:
It’s autumn after all.

Winter doesn’t start until the end of
December, this we know,
When the air is really cold, so cold that
It may even snow.

CHORUS

You may see lights and holiday trees,
Popping up everywhere you go,
But remember for today,
No matter how the wind may blow:

CHORUS

Winter time will come, just a few weeks more.
And it will stick around ‘til spring.
But until that day, I’ll wait to see,
What the winter months will bring.

CHORUS

Our last day of school before the holiday break is December 20, so we won’t have a chance to officially welcome winter in song (which begins the very next day) before then. I’ll be ready when we return, though; I’ve got a new winter tune brewing, so look for it on December 21!

Happy First Day of Fall!

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

fall-girl-leaf

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?