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| ©2014 Brigid Finucane - Chinese Lanterns |
Special Note: It's impossible to limit this post to two parts, as originally planned. The richness of Heartland
talent necessitates a Part III! Today’s alphabetically arranged post ends with
K for Kate Kuper. Part III will open
with Bruce O’Brien and conclude with Barb Tilsen. Stay tuned!
Hello, everyone. Ms. Brigid here, from Merit School of Music in
Chicago, IL. Thank you for joining me.
I’m focusing on artist’s
whose work I use consistently. You'll notice that specific songs are mentioned with ideas for use. Sound sample links are provided when available. Please
remember that this list is intended to be a gateway and is in no ways
exhaustive.
About Karen: “Music has always been a part of Karen’s life, and she’s grateful to be
able to share it with people of all ages as a Wiggleworms
teacher…” at Chicago’s beloved Old Town School of Folk Music (OTSFM). She also teaches in Ravinia’s
outreach program, Reach,
Teach, Play.
Back and Forth
– the perfect rocking
song, either alone or with a partner. The melody and lyrics
are enchanting, and invite one and all to “make
music a part of your day.” Linda Robertson,
also from OTSFM, recorded it on her lovely CD – so you can listen to a bit!
Hush Little Baby - performed in a minor key. I
use it as a comparative listening example after my classes have learned and
sung the song along with Marla Frazee’s book of the same name. I wrote briefly
about this process in a previous
post.
Bom Bom Biddy –
a nigun, or song without words, is a surefire hit with little ones, and uses
tempo as a driving element. The ending (“shhh”)
can also be used additively. For those of you with older kiddos,
here’s a challenge! (Note: the tune is a different
tonality, but it’s essentially the same song – on steroids). It's amazing how complicated a few syllables can get!
Of Note: If I Were a Bird, the lyrical tribute to the power of
imagination, co-written
with Amy Lowe,* provides
intriguing writing prompts for older kiddos. It could even be the inspiration for a class book with
illustrations contributed by students. *Amy Lowe also teaches at Merit!
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| Joanie Calem |
Wintertime - Joanie
paints evocative pictures with her lyrics, and after this year’s polar vortex
assault, I so appreciate her poetic approach to winter! I partner this song
with the exquisite book, WINTER’S TALE by Robert Sabuda, which explores
animals in their winter habitat though magical pop-ups (the crowd goes
wild!). I move the verses around to pair with Sabuda’s images, and use the chorus
to transition between images: “Wintertime is cold time, slow time, snow time. Winter is the soft time of the year.”
Snow is Falling - I love scale songs. This song goes from high
to low, with the class moving as the words suggest. A glockenspiel is the
perfect accompaniment. It’s short, whimsical, allows
for whole-body movement, and is sing-able (the key to success!). “Snow is falling down, down…”
Spring is A-Comin’ is piggybacked on to the melody of Train is a-Comin’ –and invites children to say and sing simple phrases relating to Spring (rain is a-fallin’, birds are a –singin’, etc.). The repetition of single phrases is great for ELL and our younger kiddos. Create your own class verses for other seasons!
Of Note: Joanie’s has two other CD’s: Shanah Tovah, Shanah M'tukah – A cycle
of songs for the Jewish year (traditional and original songs) and But First Do No Harm, original songs written “for parents, family members,
therapists, and teachers of children not on the neuro-typical path.”
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| I'm a Little Fish |
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| Laura Doherty |
Kiddo Faves:
Laura’s videos are fantastic art collaborations – and never fail to
delight my kiddos. Here are two:
I’m a Little Fish. I’m not sure which is more amazing - the banjo-playing octopus, or the crab walking down the sand bank!
I’m a Little Fish. I’m not sure which is more amazing - the banjo-playing octopus, or the crab walking down the sand bank!
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| Wheels in the City |
Wheels in the City.
“Let’s go looking for wheels in the city, rollin’ rollin’ round and round…” is a celebration of urban transportation
and all things round.
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| Goodbye Song |
Of Note: I just saw Laura at my local Skokie Library. From past experience, I knew that she would beautifully engage the crowd with her songs and props, but I was unprepared for her artistry in another area - creating sound effects. A revelation!
4. Jim Gill, IL
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| Jim Gill |
Kiddo Faves:Silly Dance Contest is a freeze dance, ideal for embracing then shaking sillies out when kiddos must remain inside due to inclement weather (too common in Chicago!). "Dance any way you want to, dance any way you please!....But stop when I say freeze!"
May
There Always Be Sunshine, is a lovely, composed, Russian song, which has become a signature piece for Gill. Years ago, with help from illustrator Susie Signorino-Richards, he turned the song into a book. The illustrations are based on suggestions offered by children he’s sung with over the years. The end page of the book lists hundreds of ideas!* Both songs are on Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and other Contageous Tunes.
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| Two for Tea |
Of Note: *This year, after singing May There Always Be Sunshine and sharing the book with my Merit families, I invited children to draw their response to “May there always be…..” and made my first class e-books from their artwork – a resounding success. The drawings, ranging from tender to hilarious, clearly expressed each child’s personality!
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| Kate Kuper |
The “Gentle Warm Up”
section is lovely, and very singable. Tracks 3-5 reference the melody “Old Joe Clark.”
Action Dance
– Verbs are our
friends. Over thirty of them are used in this guided, stay on one spot, movement piece! Locomotor Movement "goes from one place to another."
Swirl and Twirl,
evolves, using spoken
and “instrument only” tracks, into The Snowflake
Dance. The clearly
designed Companion Guide can be
downloaded from her Home page under AlphaBeat, and contains substantive material related to each
track.
Of Note: Kate
is a master rhymer and wordsmith, with a pocketful of great classroom
management directions, e.g., “Stand tall,
one and all.” Her blog, Let’s Talk Creative Dance, further amplifies how movement,
music and literacy can support learning.
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| ©2014 Brigid Finucane |
I am continually inspired by the Children’s Music Network (CMN) community. an international group of socially conscious musicians, educators, librarians, families, songwriters and good people, who “celebrate the positive power of music in the lives of children by sharing songs, exchanging ideas, and creating community.” Please visit CMN, and find a gathering in your region.
©2014 Brigid Finucane * 847-213-0713 * gardengoddess1@comcast.net
http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com
http://brigidfinucane.blogspot.com
@booksinger1
Blog History: December 2013 – Present
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| ©2014 Brigid Finucane - Thank you for reading! |
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