Sunday Singalong: Halloween Stew

by | Uncategorized

I know October has only just begun, but I’m making a concerted effort to get into the Halloween spirit this year. Those of you that have read this blog for awhile or who know me in real life are aware that I am not a fan of this particular “holiday”. But almost every child is, including my own students, so my efforts are for their sake :) We’ll see how this goes…

“Halloween Stew” is a good way to ease into the Halloween season, because it brings back so many great memories of music class with Mrs. Goodhart in the basement of Butler Elementary. Every October, we’d look forward to listening to the recording of “Witches’ Brew” by Hap Palmer; I’d sing it so frequently at home that even my little brother knew all the words!

One way to make this an interactive activity with my students is to have them help me write new verses to the song.  What kinds of things would they put in their own Halloween Stew?  I might even have them draw their own pictures, and add them to the “pot” as they are mentioned in the song.  The greatest part is that there is no wrong answer (unless they suggest inappropriate items, which, if you work with older children especially, you know that happens from time to time).

There are probably about a hundred other ways to incorporate this song into a lesson, music therapy session, or just for fun.  Got any others?  Let’s hear them!

Sunday Singalong: Picture Schedule Song

by | Uncategorized

This week’s video is super short, but the picture schedule song is an important part of every music therapy session (and certain classes) I lead. It sets the tone and lets my student(s) know what to expect, as well as what my expectations for them are.

The post I refer to in the video is a tutorial on creating schedule cards.  Way back when I first started making them (including most of the cards you saw above) I used Boardmaker, but now I prefer finding my own pictures. It’s just more fun that way :)

Now go out and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend, and I’ll do the same.  Happy Labor Day!  See you back here soon.

Sunday Singalong: Shakin’ It Up

by | Uncategorized

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

by | Uncategorized

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

by | Uncategorized

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.