August Already?

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Why is it that the winter months seem to last forever, while the summer flies by and is over in the blink of an eye? I know it’s not over yet, but as soon as August hits, I’m reminded that these lazy days are dwindling. Not that my summer has been lazy; actually, quite the opposite is true. But the sunshine and warm temps make life a little easier, no matter what is going on.

Well as you know, with each new month comes a song, and August is no exception. Here’s a tune to celebrate month number eight; take a listen:

Hot and sunny days are here,
And the end of the summer is near.
August is month number eight
And all thirty one days are great.

We’ll take a break from school days,
Everyone swims and plays.
Summer will be leaving soon,
So we sing this happy tune:

CHORUS

Time to get ready for the school year,
But there’s nothing for us to fear.
Class is fun and we learn a lot,
And in case you forgot:

CHORUS

Let’s pack up our book bags
And greet our teachers and friends.
Soon enough it will be fall,
But until the summer ends:

CHORUS

Last year around this time, I was knee-deep in wedding plans, parties, and other related celebrations. I have a feeling this August will be a bit more calm in comparison :) We are celebrating our one-year anniversary next weekend in St. Louis, so I’ll have that to look forward to as I jump right into another work week. Enjoy your Sunday evening!

Ten Little Suns

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

I know I’m always complaining about our crazy midwest weather, but in these last few days, I haven’t had much to complain about. We had a beautiful weekend with temperatures in the low 80s, and of course, lots of sunshine. All of these sunny days got me thinking that it is time to do a little counting…summer style!

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

I’ve been so busy this summer that I haven’t taken complete advantage of the summer sun; I wish I could stockpile a few days for the winter months, when I really need them :) August will be here before we know it – go out and enjoy the last few days of July!

Friday Fave: My Grandma

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This is my grandma and I this past spring at my brother’s graduation party. She is coming home today (she lives in Naples, FL) to celebrate her 80th birthday, and our family is throwing a party for her. My mom and I wanted to do something really special for her, so we decided to write a song. The song is called “Legacy” and as I mentioned in last week’s Friday Fave, we utilized the wonderful GarageBand to record it.

A legacy is measured in many, many ways
It’s not the wealth you leave behind,
Or the number of your days.
The little things that mean the most
You won’t read about in the evening post
They’re in a knowing smile,
And the laughter of a child.

Chorus

The music of your life
Will never cease to play,
The wisdom of your lyrics
Shaped who we are today.
The melody is familiar,
We’ve known it all along.
Your legacy is in this gift of song

The hands of time fly quickly and every moment counts
You must leave your mark and give your love
In unlimited amounts.
For all the hearts you’ve held so dear
Even those no longer here
Know this one thing’s true,
Our lives were blessed because of you.

Chorus

Let’s spend this day in celebration
As we tell you how we feel.
We may not have the words we need,
But the sentiments are real.

CHORUS

We put a picture slideshow together, and this song is the soundtrack to it. I can’t wait for my grandma to see it at her party on Saturday!

Learning Left and Right

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

This concept is just plain hard. I struggled with this as a young child, and even today when giving someone directions, I have to stop and think before I decide whether it’s a left or right turn. Maybe this is due to the fact that I am left-handed; us lefties have it rough ;) It’s hard to explain left and right to a child, so in this song I describe the same method I used so long ago:

The sky is up,
The ground is down,
But if you take a look around
There are other ways to go,
Left and right are what you need to know.

Hold up your hands
And reach your fingers to the sky,
Point your thumbs in,
Do you wanna know why?
Well the hand that makes an L
Is the left one.
The other is the right,
And now you’re halfway done.

Stretch your arms to your sides
As far as they can go.
Look at your left hand
And you will know,
That this way is left,
And the other way is right,
You are learning your directions,
And that is outta sight!

Do you have a better way for teaching left or right? If so, please share! You can never have enough tools in the box when it comes to teaching skills like this one.

Ten and Back

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

I know I just posted a counting song yesterday, but you can never have too many…right? This one focuses on counting to ten and back. Many of my students don’t have much difficulty with the first part, but most of them struggle when it comes to counting backwards.

It’s time for a ten and back counting song
And I’d love it if you’d help me sing along.
It’s easy and fun, beginning with one,
Now let’s all give it a try:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine,
Ten is the end – let’s go backwards, my friend,
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one,
We’ve counted to ten and back so now we’re done.

It’s time for a ten and back counting song
And I’d love it if you’d help me sing along.
It’s easy and fun, beginning with one,
Now let’s give it another try:

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine,
Ten is the end – let’s go backwards, my friend,
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one,
We’ve counted to ten and back so now we’re done.

There’s nothing like a new counting song to kick off a Monday morning :) I’m feeling a little groggy on this particular one, despite an early workout and a cup of coffee sitting next to me. Hopefully I’ll feel a little more awake by the time my first student arrives. Have a great day!