Debbie Clement's Goldie Goldfish

WE DID IT!!!! WE DID IT!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!

We came together as a diverse group of professionals to offer you perspective from our varied vantage points on best practise for children!!!! We had original content for you as readers on a daily basis thru the entire first month!!!! For the record we had over 10,000 page views and we have 155 followers as we conclude our initial round of 'intro' articles.

The first (month) is always the toughest. Right? Now we have a system. We have a plan. This past first month of so many firsts here, has gotten me thinking all about 'firsts' and will be my focus for today.

Your first bike. Your first kiss. Your first job. Your first car. Your first passport. Your first _________________ (fill in the blank.) They're all memorable. They're all meaningful.

My FIRST song: Goldie Goldfish!

I came to this world of writing original children's songs thru a rather unique path.

My degree is in Art and Art Education. So creating a goldfish puppet tutorial, as I have pictured above makes more 'sense' than writing a goldfish song and going into a recording studio to record it. I have had a patchwork quilt of experiences with children. I have indeed taught Art in the elementary school, K-8th grade, as one chapter of my professional quilt. [I have spelled out the directions for creating your own goldfish puppet, step-by-step over on my own blog in this morning's post over there. Click here to see the AWESOME ingrediants I received at NAEYC for Goldie's scales.]

Goldie visits in House 5: Two year olds with Developmental Disabilities

Before and after my Art teacher chapter, I was the Resource Teacher in a private school for young children with developmental delays. It was in that ten year tenure that I had the job description to provide ALL manner of Arts experiences for children: Music + Visual Arts. That's where I first earned my hat as a multi-discipline Arts educator.

This is my fifteenth year owning my own 'consulting-company' known affectionately as Rainbows Within Reach and creating all manner of Arts experiences for children -- around town, around the country + now I can say around the world!

To think that my 9 albums of original songs for children started with humble "Goldie."

Once upon a time in an earlier century I attended a staff development workshop on the power of music. The music professor shared that the simple "childhood-chant" was the easiest song for Earthlings. She said that despite the culture, no matter the langauge you could hear children chanting, "Na-na, Na-na, NAA-na!" Probably twenty years ago now, yet I remembered.

Shortly after launching my solo 'music-lady' endeavor I found myself in the spotlight directing staff development workshops on the value of the Arts and specifically on the value of music!! Those in attendance from the very beginning asked me to make recordings of my little ditties. While that had NEVER, EVER been a part of my vision, I listened to their request. When I found the Folkmanis goldfish puppet I remembered the childhood-chant factoid from years earlier.

It seemed fitting that the first song that I would 'write' would be to the world's simplest tune!!

So I designed a 6 verse, 'zipper' song, where only one word changes per verse..... you zip out that one word (swims) and zip in the new word for Verse 2. Simple lyrics for a simple tune.

"Goldie, Goldie Goldfish

          swims all day around her dish.

 Goldie, Goldie Goldfish

               follow me & make a wish."

Verse two. Everything stays the same except you swap out the word 'swims' and you insert the word: looks.

Some of my very favorite pictures of children that I have ever taken are in the midst of this second verse -- where Goldie: looks all day around her dish. Take a gander at a few amazing faces that I have been fortunate to direct in song & mirth.

The third verse is an all-time favorite for the wee-wonders: EATS!!!! I'll let Mary Jo Huff talk to you about the use of puppets and how they transport the imagination for a world of make believe. The two of us have stayed up late into the night entertaining each other with stories of the amazing-power-of-puppets. [If you missed her intro-post, click back here.]

The fourth verse is SHAKES..... that's where the tempo changes from waltz like to up-tempo rock and roll. It seems that's always the favorite verse for teachers in workshops. They always like to S-H-A-K-E!!!



Staff Development in Ansbach Germany, US Army base 2011



There's a great place in the instrumental shaking verse where I have everyone practise their balancing skills.

Then the fifth verse is TWISTS.

During the instrumental portion, I always ask the children if they can twist down low????

The big ending verse is BOOGIES!!!!

That's when we dance our little selves crazy for the big ending!! Take one more minute to watch the BIG ending.

It's always my GREAT delight when I arrive at schools and they have directed the children to create artwork in response to my projects. Here are two that are my favorites for Goldie.

So now you know the back-story for my first song, released first on an old-school cassette recording. Seriously!!! I used to personally copy the j-card/title page at Kinkos and fold them by hand. People that tell me that they have Goldie-on-cassette are from my original fanclub.

I can't wait to see what everyone else has to add to our December edition of PreK + K Sharing!!!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING ALONG! Become a follower & invite your friends!!!

[I have added this post to a 'round-up' blog hop, of everyone's creative post for the year 2011. This is my fave for my posts here at PreK+K. You simply must spend some time with Creative Connections for Kids -- and tons of other creative bloggers by clicking right here.]

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