Sunday Singalong: Shakin’ It Up

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Happy weekend! After a short hiatus, I’m back with a brand new “Sunday Singalong” video. This time I’m shakin’ it up with a song I wrote specifically for fruit shakers, which I added to my instrument collection last summer.  I’ve posted this song before, so you can listen to the entire song and get the sheet music by following that link.

The “Shaky Fruit” song is very straightforward, and the objectives are clear: listen (or use visual cues) for your turn to shake your fruit, and only shake your fruit during your turn.  But the second version I presented goes just a little deeper.

The key moment comes when I ask the group, “Where is (child’s name)?” and the child replies, “Here I am!”.  The primary objective was for the child to respond verbally to his or her own name; playing the instrument is simply a reward for doing so.

My friend and colleague, Lea Keating, explains the importance of a child being able to do just that in her latest blog post.  It took a very scary situation to remind her of this, as she details in her post, but it serves as a lesson for every parent, therapist, and educator out there.  You can read it here.

Sunday Singalong: You Are My Sunshine

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Happy Sunday! Singing this song (in any one of its many forms) always puts a smile on my face. Good thing, because I sing the calendar version in almost every music therapy session, both at school and in my private practice. People always ask me if I get tired of singing the same songs over and over, and while the answer is sometimes yes, this song does not fall into that category.

It does, however, fall into the category of the ever-popular “piggyback” song, which involves taking a familiar song and changing the lyrics, but keeping the melody the same. It’s a common practice among music therapists and educators, and although I enjoy composing my own melodies, piggybacking does come in handy from time to time.

If you search the Listen & Learn archives, you’ll actually find quite a few. What are your favorite songs to piggyback on? Please share them in the comments!

Sunday Singalong: Little Fishes

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It’s true, I am wearing my swimsuit underneath my clothes and not one stitch of makeup, but I had a window of opportunity (read: absent puppy and hubby) in which to record this video, and I took advantage of it!

If you haven’t checked out the music of Genevieve Jereb, you really should.  I just love her Australian accent, and the songs are so much fun – not to mention, purposeful.  I use “Little Fishes” all the time, and this song can go on for literally 10 minutes in a big group.

As I mentioned, using pictures to stimulate participation is a great way for kids who need a little extra help.  You could either hold them up yourself and have the students name the creature that is pictured, or have each child hold a picture, and name the creature (or point to the student) so that he or she holds up the picture when it’s his or her turn.  You could even use this as an art project opportunity, and have the students create the pictures themselves.

Sunday Singalong: CD Release Edition

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Today is a big day! I’m throwing a CD release party this afternoon, because what better way to celebrate than surrounded by my friends, family, coworkers, and students? I’m kicking off the celebration with an interactive performance of the songs from the album, followed by refreshments and merriment. And of course, I’ll have plenty of CDs and download cards on hand.

But I couldn’t let the party preparations get in the way of creating this week’s “Sunday Singalong” video! I actually recorded this on Friday morning, before the chaos began…and thank goodness I did. Watch as I talk a little about the CD and then do an acoustic version of “The Feelings in My Heart”.

My husband is going to record the live performance this afternoon, so look for new videos this week. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in the “happiness” and “excitement” with me. Oh, and don’t forget to visit Time to Sing Hello and download the album!

Sunday Singalong: I See a Girl Named…

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Out of all the songs I’ve written, “Everybody Has a Name” might just be the one I use most often. As I mentioned in the video, the idea came from a teacher…and it seems that the really good ones almost always do! The look of pride on a child’s face after spelling his or her own name is priceless, but getting to that point is half the fun.

And isn’t that the case with so many things in life? I think that so often, people focus on the end result that they don’t take pleasure in the process. I’ve been guilty of this on numerous occasions, but I’m making a conscious effort to enjoy every small milestone, every flower along the path, every long car ride to state board meetings (as I did just yesterday, thanks to Audible and iTrip), and so on.

But I digress.  Getting back to the topic at hand, “Everybody Has a Name” is one of those universal songs I’ll probably be using in the school and early childhood setting until the day I retire my guitar.  There is a long list of songs I can hardly stand to sing and play anymore, but this isn’t on that list (well, yet).  What about you?  Do you have go-to songs that never get old?