I discovered this song during an iTunes search a few years ago, and now it’s a spring staple. Bobs & LoLo are awesome — if you’re not familiar with their music, I highly suggest checking them out.
This past summer, I connected with Bobs & LoLo via Facebook and Twitter. When they heard that I had released a new album, they offered to do a CD swap with me. So they sent me a copy of Action Packed, and I sent them a copy of Time to Sing Hello.
My students and I have been jamming out to my rendition of “Raindrop Pop” over the last few days, and will probably continue doing so throughout the rest of this rainy spring month!
Every year, my husband and I look forward to our April vacation. In years past, we’ve gone to Palm Springs, Hilton Head, San Diego, San Antonio, and this year…Scottsdale (that’s our hotel, the Westin Kierland, pictured above). What do all five of those destinations have in common? They’re all much warmer than where we’re coming from.
Even though it’s April, it’s still not very spring-like in central Illinois. Seriously, temperatures in the 50s and low 60s…ugh. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, which is why I’m optimistically posting this song today:
Well it’s not too cold and it’s not too hot,
It’s warm, it’s warm.
Don’t need a coat, won’t sweat a lot,
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
It’s warm outside, right in between
Spring is here, the trees are green
And so today we’ll play outside
Hop on our bikes, and take a ride
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
Well it’s not too cold and it’s not too hot,
It’s warm, it’s warm.
Don’t need a coat, won’t sweat a lot,
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s
Warm, not hot, not cold, just right.
Enjoy the day, it’s shining bright.
It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.
Whether or not it actually starts to warm up here in the Midwest, I’m not worried about the temperatures where we’re headed tomorrow. Hello, 80 degrees and sunshine! Perfect weather for chilling out in the lazy river at our hotel (how cool is that?!) and exploring Scottsdale.
I most definitely won’t be spending much time on the computer while I’m away, but not to worry…I have blog posts ready and waiting to be posted. After all, vacation is no excuse to slack on my 365 in 2011 goal!
It’s raining, it’s pouring…but that’s what we expect in April, right? Luckily, I thought ahead and prepared all sorts of rainy day songs and activities for my students. Here are just a few of my favorites for rainy April days like this.
One staple of every classroom music therapy session at my school is the weather song. (If you’ve joined my newsletter, then you’ve already received a free download of my weather album.) Today’s song, of course, will be “Rainy Day” — or “Pitter Patter” as everyone around here calls it.
Pitter patter, pitter patter
Down comes the rain today
Clouds are forming in the sky,
Inside we’ll have to stay.
Thunder crashes, boom boom boom!
We see lightning too.
Don’t go outside,
Until the storm is through.
This picture book has been a staple in my collection of singable stories for years now. The illustrations that accompany the added verses about the old man are cute and funny, and the song is familiar to almost everyone.
And there are plenty of great songs out there about rainy days. At the top of my list are Leaky Umbrella by Jim Gill, Raindrop Pop by Bobs & LoLo, and The Raindrop Song from Barney. I also like to sing about rainbows throughout the month of April; one particular fave is We Are the Colors of the Rainbow by Holly Brook & Candy K.
And I can’t forget instruments! I’ll be pulling out my rainsticks, chiquitas, and thunder drums this month. Now it’s your turn: what are your favorite songs, books, and activities for rainy April days?
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?
Alternate headlines include Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, Snow-M-G, Blizaster, and Tsnownami, or fill in the blank with your own: _________.
As if you hadn’t already heard, the Midwest (among many other parts of the country) is currently being battered by a serious blizzard. In fact, my city declared a Level 3 Snow Emergency yesterday afternoon, and almost every single school has been shut down…except one.
Suddenly, my snowy day weather song sounds ridiculously wimpy, as do the rest of my winter-themed tunes. I mean, really — how do you do justice to a snowstorm of this magnitude? Maybe you have a spectacular answer to that question, and if so, please share it in the comments.
Truth be told, I’d rather just concentrate on the fact that winter will be over in six weeks or so, regardless of what the groundhog says. (Happy Groundhog Day, by the way!) I keep thinking about the lovely spring songs I’ll soon be able to sing, not to mention the lovely weather that will accompany them.
But then I float back to reality, which at the present time involves lots and lots of snow, ice, and wind. I hope you are keeping safe and warm today. As Al Roker might ask: what’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two.
My Book + Course
This is the book + course that will help you shape your music therapy career in order to make more money and live your ideal lifestyle. Details here.
