by Rachel | Uncategorized
With all of the allergens floating through the air and the bipolar weather we’ve been experiencing here in Illinois, I’ve heard a lot of “achoo-ing” going on lately.
So much of it, in fact, that it inspired my latest song. You know how much my students and I love a song that starts out slow and speeds up as it goes along (as evidenced here and here) and that is exactly what my newest song does, too:
When you feel a little tickle in your nose,
Then you know how the next part goes:
You shut your eyes tight,
Cover your face just right,
And then you have to sneeze!
Achoo, achoo!
Excuse me, and bless you!
Achoo, achoo!
I sneezed, and you did, too!
{Repeat, speeding up each time}
Even some of my not-so-verbal students are saying “achoo!” right along with me, and it’s so much fun to hear them keep up with me as the song speeds up. I’ve been having them play egg shakers and chiquitas, since the “ch” sound they make fits perfectly.
Oh, and speaking of songs about sneezing, please check out the song “Spring Fever” by Mr. Heath. It’s a staple at our annual spring singalongs. Do you know any other tunes that celebrate the joy (ha!) of spring allergies?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
It’s heeeere! Spring, of course. I spent the weekend in Chicago, where the first day of spring was 34 degrees with 30 mph winds and a snow/rain mix, but hey, at least I can say that winter is technically over.
Two years ago, I wrote new lyrics to the traditional tune “This Little Light of Mine” for a song all about spring. I don’t do much piggybacking (changing the words of existing songs) these days, since writing the music myself is much more fun; but I still pull out “Spring is in the Air” every March.
This year, I decided to breathe new life into it, adding some instrumentation and changing the key of the previous version. I can’t wait to sing it with all of my students tomorrow!
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone away,
Spring is in the air!
Winter’s gone, let’s go outside, it is spring!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers start to grow,
Spring is in the air!
Flowers grow, no more snow, it is spring!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm and sunny days,
Spring is in the air!
Warm days, sun’s rays, spring is here!
Only one more week of the normal routine before life gets a little crazy (in the best possible way). The following week is my spring break, which I’ll spend in St. Louis recording my first studio album. Then the week after that, Zach and I are jetting off to San Antonio for a few blissful days of vacation. No wonder there’s a spring in my step!
