Drum
roll, please for two announcements:
1. For those in the Chicago area, the Children’s
Music Network (CMN) is hosting a Regional Gathering
at the Evanston Library this Saturday, August 22, at 1:30pm. Sanna Longden, internationally renowned
folk dance expert and teacher, is the keynote, and both Susan Salidor (a Chicago treasure) and I are
doing a brief presentation. We’ll end with a song-swap – always a treasure
trove of delightful ideas, songs, books and movement activities to learn then
share with your kiddos. Please come!
2. The annual Children’s Music Network Conference,
is being held in Zion, Illinois, from October 16-18. This year’s theme is Open the Circle. Musicians, teachers,
songwriters, librarians, families, and friends from all over the U.S. and
Canada will come together to raise their voices in song, share resources,
celebrate the life of Pete Seeger, and attend engaging and relevant workshops
on the shores of Lake Michigan. Lots of special events are going to be offered,
including nature walks, yoga, a barn dance, and more. If you’re new to CMN,
we’ll even match you up with a “buddy” for instant connection! Come for the
music – and stay for the laugher and fellowship. Connect on Facebook for more information.
Sing, Sing a Song….
The summer is hurtling toward its end, and
teachers everywhere are either back teaching already (!) or preparing their
classrooms for the start of the new academic year. This week, I am attending
the Teacher Institute for an early childhood center I teach at – a true
pleasure. The visionary leadership and Reggio approach have touched my heart in
profound ways, and the association with this special community has greatly contributed
to my joy of teaching.
 |
| @ChildMusicNetwk |
Today’s session touched upon mindfulness, and
how the simple practice of purposefully identifying something to look forward
to the next day can positively improve wellbeing. We were encouraged to close
our eyes and think of a future event that would give us pleasure. When I closed
my eyes, I “saw" a group of children singing together. I felt my whole body
soften. My thoughts skipped to a recent William James
quote, tweeted by the Children’s Music
Network social media goddess, Alina Celeste. To wit: “I don’t sing because I’m happy. I’m happy because I sing.” Truth encapsulated in 11 words.
Music, especially singing, contributes to the delicate
alchemy required to create a positive and engaging classroom environment – but
where to start? With a hello song, of course! In this and next month’s post
I’ll be sharing favorite songs to start your year off happily and musically. All are classroom
tested, kiddo approved – and two examples use words piggybacked onto melodies you
already know!
Mary Wore Her Red Dress
I initially found Mary Wore Her Red Dress in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American
Folk Songs for Children. If you do not own a copy, run, do not walk, to
your preferred bookseller and get one! In print continuously since 1948, the
scope, sequence and developmental whys and hows are as fresh pertinent as any
current early childhood research. I feel so strongly about the book that I
requested my music school purchase a copy for every one of our early childhood
and general music teachers – and they did! Thank you, Merit!
The melody of Mary Wore Her Red Dress is simple, but not simplistic. The lyrics
are open-ended, and can be adapted to a host of purposes beyond singing hello.
The end use is only limited by the imagination of the singers. Here’s the
inimitable Pete Seeger
singing the song. Here’s another version, with an unexpected twist:
The original lyrics:
Mary wore her red dress,
Red dress, red dress.
Mary wore her red dress,
All day long.
To
turn the lyrics into a hello song, rock gently side to side on the beat while
singing:
Hello to the children,
Children, children.
Hello to the children
This fine day.
Details:
The first several times I meet with the children, we sing hello
to everything in the room, the sun or trees or rain outside, and whatever body
parts we want to acknowledge. The repetition makes it easy to introduce new
vocabulary.
Once the kiddos are comfortable with the song, I introduce
other languages, e.g., Hola to the
children, Bonjour to the children, Shalom to the children, etc. I recommend that you sing the new
greeting two or three sessions before moving on to another language.
Bonus:
Mary Wore Her Red
Dress is a great vehicle for gathering children for
Storytime (Time for a story, story,
story…). It’s even been made into a book!
Time to Say Hello! /
Down By the Bay
Down
By the Bay is a fun and engaging echo song
– with lots of rhyming opportunities. I highly recommend the whimsical “Raffi Songs
to Read” version.
At some point, years into singing the song, it occurred
to me that the melody was the perfect vehicle for using different languages to
say hello. Making language substitutions is easy, and the echoing makes the
song immediately successful. Eventually your kiddos may sing both parts – with
or without you, as has happened in some of my kindergarten classes…and isn’t that
what we want, for our kiddos to delight in and take ownership of what we share
with them?
Time to say ni hao* (kiddos echo)
Time to say joon san,
Konnichiwa
and guten tag,
Jambo and hola,
Hi and hello,
It’s time to sing –
And so let’s go!
*Bonjour (French), Dia dhuit (Irish), Pree viet
(Russian), Bom dia (Portugese), Shalom (Hebrew), Merhaba (Turkish), Jambo
(Swahili), Namaste (Hindi), O’siyo (Cherokee).
Pat the beat while singing the song. When the
children are comfortable, sing the song while clapping the rhythm. Ask the
children to echo. I use the term “rhythm hands.”
Call on Merit School of Music! Our onsite school is
in the West Loop. We work in the schools throughout the area providing band,
orchestra, percussion, choir, early childhood, and general music instruction
with project based units including Recorder, Music and Storytelling and
Songwriting. We do great work! YoYo Ma is a supporter!
Chicago Families
Please come to Merit’s Storytime sessions It’s
free, fun, and facilitated by singers and storytellers Amy Lowe, Irica Baurer
& Brigid Finucane. Stories and songs start at 11am, and we end with
instrument exploration and family networking. The next session is August 24. Starting
in September, Storytime is going to be offered once a month on the 2nd
Monday.
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.
©2015 Brigid Finucane *
847-213-0713 * gardengoddess1@comcast.net
http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com
@booksinger1
Blog History
Blog History
June 2015. Summer
Songs
April 2015. Crescendo
-And Sites to Sigh For: edWeb & CMN
July 2014. Educators
Who Care, Share. Singers, Sites & Songs Part I: Midwest & Ontario (Listening Locally)
Feb.2014. Pete
Seeger – A Time to Thank
Dec.2013. Singing
Time! Embracing Appadiction
Lovely as always Brigid :-) Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
ReplyDeleteThank you, first friend (in CMN). I like collecting hello songs as much as different versions of Sally Goes Round the Moon/Sun. One of these days we should compare notes. It's been awhile.
ReplyDelete