French Archives - Donna & Andy https://donnaandandy.com/context/french/ Music by Donna Rhodenizer and Andy Duinker Sun, 15 Mar 2026 01:32:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://donnaandandy.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-Logo-Red-Castle-Publishing-Music-by-Donna-Andy.png French Archives - Donna & Andy https://donnaandandy.com/context/french/ 32 32 Jingle Bells – Scarf Activity https://donnaandandy.com/product/jingle-bells-scarf-activity-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/jingle-bells-scarf-activity-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:10:02 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=521400 Choosing repertoire for Kindergarten students is particularly tricky when students have had only a few months of music classes. Many students have not discovered their singing voices and those who have may not have developed the skill of matching the pitch of others and singing in tune.

Choosing a familiar song may help the process. Even the generally well known Jingle Bells may present issues because of the wordy verses. To facilitate using this song for Kindergarten concert performances, have the students sing only in the choruses.

Add scarves and move to the beat during the verses for a presentation that includes demonstration of age-appropriate skill development (keeping the beat) and only a few short sections of lyrics. Bonus – even if the young singers are not able to sing in tune with each other, the audience will still know the song and the words!

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Vocal score (French lyrics)
  • Lead sheet
  • Director/piano score
  • Accompaniment – with melody guide
  • Accompaniment – piano with percussion
  • Teaching Tips

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Jingle Bells - Scarf Activity

by Donna Rhodenizer 

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the vocal score as you listen to the accompaniment for Jingle Bells.

Song for Young Singers - Jingle Bells - arranged by Donna Rhodenizer - vocal score - SAMPLE

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Add Scarves and Movement

Scarves are a great addition to this performance. They look great, they are easy for students to handle, and scarves don’t make noise when they are dropped! Scarves are often available as part of regular music classroom or vocal studio “equipment” or the physical education teacher may also have some on hand. An alternative is to use cloth or paper streamers.

Movement and scarf suggestions are included in the download.

ABA form

Use body percussion in the choruses and add scarves to the verses to create visual differences in the A and B sections of the song.

Combine Classes

With kindergarten students or young singers ages 5-7 it is recommended that classes be combined to create a larger group of singers for concert performances. This helps foster confidence (safety in numbers) and even if some students are not comfortable singing, the performance still can be successful. Including singing and physical elements to the song means that both singing and non-singing students are included in the performance. In addition, young voices are not strong at this age and being able to create enough volume to project the sound in a large performing space can be an issue. With more singers, there is a better chance of being heard without asking the children to “sing louder”, something that is to be avoided!

French Language Options

The limited lyrics involved in this performance (partial chorus only) make this song accessible for early French immersion students. A French vocal score is included in the download. In a vocal studio, use the song as a language study, alternating choruses in English and French.

Jingle All the Way!

Include jingle bells in your performance.

Use only a few sets of jingle bells so the jingling doesn’t overpower the singing voices.

Composer's Notes

Jingle Bells - Scarf Activity

I enjoyed using this scarf activity with my students multiple times during my 35 years as an elementary music specialist. It has been a great addition to many concerts when the option of singing a song was totally beyond the ability of my young students. I am excited that it fits in seasonal and non-seasonal concerts, the students love performing it, and audiences love seeing it. Win-win-win!

You're Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Send us your video of Jingle Bells - Scarf Activity and perhaps we can post it here.

Tobogganing - song / music composed by Donna Rhodenizer - return to store image

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/jingle-bells-scarf-activity-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 0 Regardez la neige https://donnaandandy.com/product/regardez-la-neige-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/regardez-la-neige-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:35:44 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=521279 This fun, snowy song is ideal for young singers who wish to sing in French. The lyrics are repetitive and draw on vocabulary that is easily accessible for early French immersion students or Kindergarten Francophone singers.

The melody is written with a narrow range, from E4-C5 with most of the melody falling in the lower part of that range. Repeated notes and step-wise movement makes the melody very accessible for young singers. The song has a cheery vibe with the accompaniment supporting the swung eighth notes of the melody.

The song is written with three verses, however, the lyrics are very repetitious with similar phrases used in each verse. Suggested actions are provided which help singers remember what lyrics to sing. In addition, there are instrumental breaks after each verse giving singers a break and the opportunity to use their audiation/inner hearing skills as they do the actions without singing. This also creates a longer performance experience without overloading the singers with lyrics to learn.

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Lead sheet
  • Director/piano score
  • Lyrics
  • Accompaniment - with melody guide
  • Accompaniment - piano
  • Teaching Tips

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Regardez la neige

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Regardez la neige.

Regardez la neige - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer - lyrics - SAMPLE

Teaching Tips

The PDF download includes these teaching tips with more details.
Introduce the song
Initiate a discussion about snow.
Ask the students questions about snow to connect the song content with familiar experiences. Be prepared for lots of stories!
French language/vocabulary exploration

Identify and explain any unfamiliar vocabulary.

The teacher should model the pronunciation by singing the song and adding actions to assist students’ understanding of what the story is about.

Sing the song several times and have students listen for specific words. Asking them to raise their hand every time they hear a specific word helps them focus and listen carefully.


Add actions

Add actions to the words “qui tombe, tombe, tombe.”       

Actions help students remember the lyrics and keep them “on track.”


Reviewing the song

Help students practice the words by including activities that can seem like a game.

  • Can any student remember the first words of the song?
  • Show the students the actions for one of the verses and ask if anyone knows which verse of the song is being presented.
  • Sing the song for the students and stop in specific spots and ask the students to provide the next word in the song.
Concert performance

Include Regardez la neige in a concert or recital.

Add a few costume items such as a scarf or mittens.

Include the actions learned in the music classroom or vocal studio to help young singers remember the lyrics for each verse. Actions also add visual interest for the audience.

Composer's Notes

Regardez la neige

I taught elementary music in a school that offered a French immersion program in addition to the regular English classes. Half of the classes I taught (from Kindergarten to grade 6) were French immersion students. I conducted my classes in English, but for concerts I would always try to include songs that were either a mix of French and English or totally in French. It was always a challenge to find French songs that were musically at the right level for my students and without overly difficult lyrics for both them and for me. We had a few songs that worked for the older students but finding songs for young singers who are also in the first year of French immersion was a tough task.

I started writing simple French songs for my Kindergarten to grade 2 students. It was a pretty good fit with their French skills and vocabulary being similar to mine. We both needed lots of repetitious words and easy vocabulary. Simple actions helped to keep us on track. When I started publishing my songs, I would get requests from anglophone music teachers with teaching assignments requiring French songs for immersion students for concert performances. I was glad to share my simple French songs with my teaching colleagues.

When I retired, I thought I had pretty much finished writing French songs. With all the song ideas I had rolling around in my head and written down in notebooks, I didn’t need to look for any new challenges by writing in French. However, as often happens, someone asked me for a simple French song and she had already sung ALL of the French songs I had to offer. So with that request and a reason to write, I pulled out a piece of paper and started jotting down some simple ideas. The result was Regardez la neige. It was a bit strange for me to write this without trying it out in my own classroom, but the teacher for whom I wrote it and other teaching colleagues have helped with the “workshopping” to hone this song so it could take its place in school concerts and vocal studios using French repertoire for their young singers.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Regardez la neige.

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

When you have enjoyed practicing and performing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a review on this page. Thanks!

Send us your video of Regardez la neige and perhaps we can post it here.

Four Snow Friends & I'm Gonna Build a Snowman - songs composed by Donna Rhodenizer - return to store image

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/regardez-la-neige-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 1 Marching Music & Activities https://donnaandandy.com/product/marching-music-and-activities-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/marching-music-and-activities-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:21:03 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=519279 Marches are a great style of music motivating students to move and respond. The infectious beat of a march seems to elicit a response from even the youngest of students. Using march music as students enter and exit the classroom provides focus during these transitions. It is an excellent choice to encourage movement whether it is used for entering the teaching space or as a movement break.

Explore marching as a thematic unit or use the two original instrumental marches and four songs in this collection as a movement activity or fun songs to sing.

Instrumental songs for marching (Original Donna Rhodenizer songs)

  • September March
  • January March (Marshmallow March)

September March and January March are selected from a 12-song series of marches Donna created to use with her students. A variety of activities are suggested for use with these marches including ways to incorporate keeping the beat, moving and responding to phrases, silent beat keeping, dynamics and exploring facial expression.

 Songs to sing

  • March Quickly
  • Deedle Deedle Dumpling
  • The Ants Go Marching
  • Midnight March

March Quickly is a singing game for young, emerging singers to internalize the beat and the tone sets s-m, s-l-s and s-m-d.

Deedle Deedle Dumpling is a singing game that includes a unique way to explore the accented beats of a march in 2/4 time. In addition, it can be used with kindergarten and grade 1 students to prepare and internalize s-m-d combinations and with grade 2 students for labelling and practicing s-m-d combinations.

The Ants Go Marching is a well-loved traditional song, sung at many campfires and on long road trips helping to pass the time. Add marching while singing the song. As well, students can make up their own verses, providing a chance to work on composing skills!

Midnight March is a delightful story about toy soldiers who wake up at midnight to march around the toy shop. They practice their left-right marching steps and eventually return to the shelf where they go back to sleep until it is time for the next midnight march. Repetitious words, a simple melody with a narrow vocal range and easy actions make this a fun song for classroom use and also a winner for school concerts or vocal recitals.

Midnight March has French lyrics, creating the song, La marche de minuit. Use the French version as a language study or wherever a simple French song is required.

Listen to melody + accompaniment - Midnight March:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal scores (March Quickly, Deedle Deedle Dumpling, The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
  • Lead sheet (The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
  • Full score (Midnight March)
  • Lyrics (The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
  • Instrumental accompaniment track with melody guide (Midnight March)
  • Piano accompaniment track (Midnight March)
  • French language study (La marche de minuit) (vocal score and lyrics)
  • Instrumental - lead sheet (September March)
  • Instrumental track (September March)
  • Instrumental - lead sheet (January March)
  • Instrumental track (January March)
  • Teaching tips and strategies
  • LINKS
    • List of YouTube links to samples of famous marches for listening, moving and viewing
    • Instructional videos (links)
      • Marching Activities with Donna – Marching into March
      • September March (with teaching tips)
      • September March (demo)

Also, you can purchase Midnight March separately

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Marching Music & Activities

by Donna Rhodenizer 

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Midnight March.

Midnight March - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer - lyrics

Marching songs - Audio

September March

January March

Teaching Tips

Discussion

Use Midnight March as a discussion starter.

  • What do you think the toys would do if they were allowed to wake up and play in the toy store when nobody was around?
  • What other toys do you think would want to join in the fun?
  • Would you like to sneak in the toy store to watch the toys playing?

Movement Activities

Discuss the musical style of a march.

Listen to a few examples of marches.

Play a variety of marches as students are entering and/or exiting music class. Encourage them to march along with the music.

Add dynamics to the marching by calling out dynamic changes: loud, soft, tiptoe, stomp, etc. Students will need to adjust their steps to generate the dynamic that has been called out.

Keep the Beat

Keep the beat by patsching (patting both hands with flat palms on the thighs).

Keep the beat using other body percussion i.e., tapping the shoulders, hot potato fists, tapping the end of your nose, bending the knees while standing in one spot, windshield wiper hands, tick tocking index fingers, etc.

Marches can be written in 2/4, 4/4 or 6/8 meter. Beat one will be stronger than the other beats. This is easiest to hear in 2/4 meter.

  • Find a march written in 2/4 meter.
  • Move around the room keeping the beat by marching as you listen to the song.
  • Take one shoe off. Start marching on beat one with the “shoe” foot and listen for the accented beat one that is created by stepping shoe, sock, shoe, sock.

Sing the song Deedle Deedle Dumpling

  • March with one shoe off and one shoe on. Begin marching on beat one with the “shoe” foot and listen for the accent on beat one.

The main character in this song (John) has gone to bed with one shoe off and one shoe on. Maybe he was so tired he fell asleep before he could take off the second shoe. Maybe he had been practicing marching and listening for the accented beat!

Composer's Notes

March Music & Activities

I love including marches with my elementary music classes. There is something about a cheery march that gets children moving to the beat, almost instinctively. I wanted a march for some "entering the classroom" music, so I started creating my own using my keyboard. My marches needed to be long enough to last while the students were entering the room and getting to their spots, but not too long so the children would lose interest.

I started amassing a number of these marches and I needed to give them names to keep track of them. September March was written at the beginning of the school year and the title made sense to me. However, as I thought about the title, it amused me to think that September March was created by combining two months of the year. I started labelling my marches with names of months and continued to create new songs until I had a set of 12. Now I have marches from January March through to December March. Not content to just have these amusing combinations, I have also given each march a secondary name that relates to the month that they represent, i.e. January March is subtitled Marshmallow March as a nod to all the snow we get at that time of year. The only month that doesn’t have a subtitle is my first composition, September March.

As I write these composer’s notes, only two of my marches have been introduced outside of my music room to date. However, at some point in time all twelve may be presented as a collection giving children and teachers lots of marching options.

Midnight March is a song I wrote about marching toy soldiers. It has its own composer’s story included at https://donnaandandy.com/product/midnight-march-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/

More Information - Blog Post

Read more about Marching Music & Activities in this blog post. Enjoy!

More Marching Songs

Sing songs written in marching style

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Teachers video

Play this for your students

Send us your videos of any of these Marching Songs and perhaps we can post them here.

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/marching-music-and-activities-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 0 Midnight March https://donnaandandy.com/product/midnight-march-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/midnight-march-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Mon, 04 Nov 2024 21:04:40 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=519235 Midnight March is a delightful story about toy soldiers who wake up at midnight to march around the toy shop. They practice their left-right marching steps and eventually return to the shelf where they go back to sleep until it is time for the next midnight march.

With simple rhythmic and melodic elements, a narrow vocal range, repeated lyrics, and simple actions, Midnight March is a terrific song choice for emerging singers. Although there are no seasonal references in the song, the theme of toy soldiers allows it to fit easily in non-seasonal concerts as well as Christmas-themed concerts or recitals.

Marches are a great style of music to motivate students to move and respond to music. When planning student activities “giving them a reason to listen” informs teaching practices and helps teachers create engaging lessons. The infectious beat of a march seems to elicit a response from even the youngest of students. It is an excellent choice to encourage movement whether it is used for entering the teaching space or as a movement break.

French lyrics also included! Use La marche de minuit as a French language study or as a performance piece.

Midnight March is available as a single song purchase or in combination with other marches and activities in the package, Marching Music & Activities (coming soon - stay tuned)

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Lead sheet
  • Director/piano score
  • Lyrics
  • French vocal score – language study
  • French lyrics – language study
  • Accompaniment – with melody guide
  • Accompaniment – piano
  • Teaching Tips

Midnight March is included in Marching Music & Activities on this website

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Midnight March

by Donna Rhodenizer 

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Midnight March.

Midnight March - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer - lyrics

Teaching Tips

Discussion

Use Midnight March as a discussion starter.

  • What do you think the toys would do if they were allowed to wake up and play in the toy store when nobody was around?
  • What other toys do you think would want to join in the fun?
  • Would you like to sneak in the toy store to watch the toys playing?

Movement Activities

Discuss the musical style of a march.

Listen to a few examples of marches.

Play a variety of marches as students are entering and/or exiting music class. Encourage them to march along with the music.

Add dynamics to the marching by calling out dynamic changes: loud, soft, tiptoe, stomp, etc. Students will need to adjust their steps to generate the dynamic that has been called out.


Keep the Beat

Keep the beat by patsching (patting both hands with flat palms on the thighs).

Keep the beat using other body percussion i.e., tapping the shoulders, hot potato fists, tapping the end of your nose, bending the knees while standing in one spot, windshield wiper hands, tick tocking index fingers, etc.

Marches can be written in 2/4, 4/4 or 6/8 meter. Beat one will be stronger than the other beats. This is easiest to hear in 2/4 meter.

  • Find a march written in 2/4 meter.
  • As you listen to the song, move around the room keeping the beat by marching.
  • Take one shoe off. Start marching on beat one with the “shoe” foot and listen for the accented beat one that is created by stepping shoe, sock, shoe, sock.

Actions

Suggested actions are included in the PDF download.

Use the French translation, La marche de minuit to sing the song as a language study or a simple French song for a recital or concert.

Composer's Notes

Midnight March

I am always on the lookout for simple songs for my youngest students to sing. Kindergarten students have only a few short weeks of school before concert preparation begins. Often times this means they haven’t even discovered they have a singing voice, when suddenly they are being asked to sing in a group in front of a gym full of people. This can be daunting! The best plan of action is to choose songs with a melody that is easy for emerging singers to learn, simple repetitious words, and a few actions that help youngsters remember the words. Actions also give the audience a visually interesting performance.

At some point in my teaching career, I stumbled upon a song about toy soldiers. It had good “bones” but there were a few elements in the song that didn’t work the way I would have liked. I changed some lyrics, added some theatrical counting to begin and end the song and Midnight March was the result. Thanks to an unknown composer starting this song, I had a song that was a great addition to my concert. It became one of my favourite songs for young singers and I have included it several times over my teaching career, always with happy singers and great audience response.

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Send us your video of Midnight March and perhaps we can post it here.

Soldiers returning to the Donna & Andy website store

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/midnight-march-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 0 Welcome Songs, Greeting Songs and Name-learning Songs & Games https://donnaandandy.com/product/welcome-songs-greeting-songs-and-name-learning-songs-and-games/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/welcome-songs-greeting-songs-and-name-learning-songs-and-games/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:53:44 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=518725 Welcome songs and greeting songs are a great way to start a music class and set the tone for the day. Students will know they have arrived at a happy and musical haven when they hear a welcome song or greeting song as they enter the room. Students are engaged and focused as they join in the songs.

Names are an important part of music class activities. Being able to address all students by their names creates contact and lets them feel connected. They also benefit from hearing the names of their classmates. It is amazing how many students only know the names of a few of their classmates depending on the learning configurations in their regular classroom. Small group classes in a vocal studio may have a combination of students who don’t attend the same school or who are in different classes. Learning each others’ names is a good way to build rapport and community.

This collection of singing games includes a variety of welcome songs and greeting songs for students in grades K-2, ages 5-9; and name-learning songs and name games for students in grades K-6, ages 5-11. The songs include age-appropriate music skills, and they have a variety of styles including movement-based songs, action songs, challenging rhythm patterns, and other fun elements that engage children and encourage participation.

Download Includes:

  • Vocal scores / Lead sheets
  • Game instructions
  • Accompaniment tracks
  • Teaching Tips
  • Blog post (pdf)

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Welcome Songs, Greeting Songs, Name-learning Songs & Games

by Donna Rhodenizer 

More Information - Blog Post

Read more about Welcome Songs, Greeting Songs, Name-learning Songs & Games in this blog post. You can also download the blog post and print for future reference. Enjoy!

Sample Pages

See SAMPLE pages of scores and instructions here.

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed trying some of these songs with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

New Singing Games for Young Singers - composed by Donna Rhodenizer

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/welcome-songs-greeting-songs-and-name-learning-songs-and-games/feed/ 0 Listen Friends https://donnaandandy.com/product/listen-friends-song-for-young-singers-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/listen-friends-song-for-young-singers-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Sat, 03 Aug 2024 15:52:34 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=518547 Listen Friends is a gentle song about hearing bells ringing a goodnight message. The bells signal the special time of day when children are sleeping in their beds dreaming pleasant dreams.

The melody is created with simple repeated phrases within the range of D4 – C5. The accompaniment is written to stylistically suggest ringing bells. The chordal structure of the accompaniment is easily played using handbells, handchimes or barred Orff instruments.

Young singers enjoy singing this two-verse song without being overloaded with lyrics. The overall ABA form of the song includes repeated lyrics for all A sections with two short B section verses. An alternate Christmas lyric is included for one bar if a Christmas theme is preferred. An English/French vocal score is included for music teachers wishing to encourage language study or for French immersion programs.

Listen to K-1 concert performance:

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Lead sheet
  • Vocal score (English/French) – language study
  • Lead sheet with bell-playing instructions
  • Orff scores
  • Director/piano score
  • Lyrics (English plus English/French)
  • Accompaniment – with melody guide
  • Accompaniment – piano
  • Teaching Tips

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Listen Friends

by Donna Rhodenizer 

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Listen Friends.

I Got a Sister (but I wanted a dog) - lyrics - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer

Teacher Tips

Introducing the Song

Ask the students if they have ever heard bells ringing in a nearby church or other location.

Bells were used to help tell the time for people who lived nearby. Churches and schools would ring their bells to let the people know that a church service was ready to start or classes were ready to begin.

Students can be encouraged to move their bodies to simulate the movement of a large bell ringing its message. It is a slow, swaying motion.

Students may know another song about the bells. The traditional song Frère Jacques/Are You Sleeping is about brother John needing to wake up because the morning bells are ringing.

Listen Friends is about bells ringing to signal the end of the day. Children will be in their beds, dreaming pleasant dreams.

Expressive singing

Listen Friends could easily be considered a lullaby. The gentle melody is accompanied by chords that mimic ringing bells.

Discuss how the song should be sung to portray the feeling of calm and quiet preceding the time when children are sleeping.

The English lyrics ”Ding dong ding” and the French lyrics “din, dan, don” represent the sound of ringing bells. Decide how you will use your diction to make the words sound like bells. Singers may want to gently accent the beginning consonant and let the end of the words be soft and gentle.

Simple Chord accompaniment

Handbells/handchimes

The accompaniment for the A sections of Listen Friends is written using two chords that alternate. Use handbells or handchimes to create the two chords: D-F#-A and A-C#-E-G.

Older students can discuss how these chords are built by adding intervals of a third above the base notes of the Tonic/do and dominant/so notes from the D major scale. Younger students can be assigned a bell to create the chords and simply be instructed to play when it is their turn (either group 1 or group 2). Ideally, if two octaves of the same chord can be generated, playing the lower octave and then the upper octave in each bar creates lovely movement.

Arrange students in four groups. D chord – lower and upper octave, and A chord – lower and upper octave.

Place the lower octaves together and the upper octaves together so hand signals can be used with no confusion as to which group is supposed to be playing.

Group handbell/handchime details are in the download.

Orff instruments

Using Orff instruments is also an option for creating an accompaniment. Keep a steady, open-fifth “bordun”. Metallophones and/or glockenspiels are preferred as they will have a lingering bell-like tone. Orff instrument scores are included in the download for this song.

The metallophone score is the suggested arrangement if there is only one octave of instruments playing with no alternating between lower and higher octaves. If the option exists to alternate between lower and higher octaves, use the metallophone/glockenspiel score.

It is expected that students will most likely learn the Orff accompaniment parts by rote or with teacher signals (similar to the handbells). The Orff scores are included as a reference and an aid for teachers.

Language Study

A French adaptation of this song provides the opportunity for a language study, or to use this song with young French immersion students. With the ABA form and lyrics that repeat in the A section, the lyric load is accessible for young singers learning a new language. The vocal score is provided with one verse in English and one verse in French, creating a longer performance piece with both languages represented.

Composer's Notes

Listen Friends

My first teaching job was at a school where there was a three-octave set of handbells. I fell in love with the sound and the versatility of handbells as a teaching tool in my elementary music classroom. I have used handbell arrangements with my older classes who are learning to read music, and they have used handbells to compose their own songs. Handbells also have facilitated the exploration of chord changes.

Listen Friends was written with handbells in mind. I have used this song as a performance piece with my youngest students (ages 5-6) organizing them into two chord groups and giving them visual cues for when to play. It is beautiful and impressive to see these young students sing and accompany themselves! The lyrics had to be simple (as they always are for my “littles”) and the melody was created to fit in the sweet spot of their developing vocal range. As often happened in my French immersion school, once the English students performed this song, the French students needed a turn, so French words were also created with the help of a French-teaching colleague. Simple songs can be beautiful, effective and a wonderful addition to concert performances. I think Listen Friends is one of those gems! 

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Send us your video of Listen Friends and perhaps we can post it here.

Return to Store - by Richard Bennett

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/listen-friends-song-for-young-singers-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 0 Où est le cadeau https://donnaandandy.com/product/ou-est-le-cadeau-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/ou-est-le-cadeau-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:46:21 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=517157 Where are the presents? Who has the presents? Is there one for me? I have a present! I love getting presents! These are exciting moments we experience as we celebrate gift-giving at Christmas. The playful, repetitious lyrics are written with simple French vocabulary making it accessible for young students in early French immersion programs or those who are just learning the language.

With its narrow vocal range and simple phrases, Où est le Cadeau is a perfect song for young singers participating in their first elementary school concert or vocal studio recital.

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Director/piano score
  • Lyrics
  • Accompaniment - with melody guide
  • Accompaniment - piano
  • Colouring page

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Où est le cadeau

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Où est le cadeau?

Où est le cadeau - Song Composed by Donna Rhodenizer - lyrics - SAMPLE

Teaching Tips

Speak the words of Où est le cadeau? before learning the music. The repeated words make this song seem like a tongue twister.

The words will require clear diction.

Use expressive singing to tell the story.

  • How will you show that you are excited?
  • How will you change your vocal presentation when you receive your gift?
  • How will you use your voice and face expressively to show that you really like your gift?

The words in parenthesis are optional. If you include them, you may use a speaking voice to say them. How will you use expressive speaking to deliver those words?

If you are singing in a small group or class, you may want to choose some solo speakers to say the words that are in parenthesis.

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Où est le cadeau?. 

Christmas Gift - coloring page - from Donna & Andy

Composer's Notes

Où est le cadeau?

I needed a song for my young primary students to sing in the December Christmas concert. These young students were in their first year of school in a French immersion program. They needed a song that was melodically simple and they had a limited French vocabulary after only three months in school. I wrote J’ai un cadeau, playing with the feel of repeating the word “cadeau” multiple times. The students enjoyed singing the song and their performance was well received by the audience.

As sometimes happens with songs, I decided to tweak the lyrics of my original song and create slightly different lyrics to stretch the song to three verses. Eventually all the elements settled and the title became Où est le cadeau?

I was approached by Nikki Loney at FULL VOICE Music to see if I would be interested in my “cadeau” song being translated into Spanish. This was done by Tracey Ford and her sister, Andrea. I also wrote an English translation so the three translations could be used as a language study for young vocal studio students.

The need for a simple French song has turned into a 3-song language study, as well as three songs that stand on their own as good repertoire for young, beginning singers to perform at their first recital or concert. It always amazes me that such simple things can turn into much larger things!

English Version

Try out the English version of this song entitled A Gift for Me.

English / French / Spanish - Language Study

Où est le cadeau? / ¿Dónde está el regalo?, A Gift for Me by Donna Rhodenizer with Spanish lyrics by Tracey and Andrea Ford.

This secular holiday language study celebrates the excitement and anticipation of holiday surprises. The download includes lyrics in French, Spanish and English. A great song for young singing students or choir!

Go to Full Voice Music to get this fun language study.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Où est le cadeau?

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

When you have enjoyed practicing and performing this song with your students - please drop by again and leave a review on this page. Thanks!

Send us your video of Où est le cadeau and perhaps we can post it here.

A Gift for Me - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer

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]]> https://donnaandandy.com/product/ou-est-le-cadeau-song-by-donna-rhodenizer/feed/ 0 How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost? https://donnaandandy.com/product/how-do-you-say-hello-to-a-ghost-arranged-by-donna-rhodenizer/ https://donnaandandy.com/product/how-do-you-say-hello-to-a-ghost-arranged-by-donna-rhodenizer/#respond Sun, 22 Oct 2023 21:01:55 +0000 https://donnaandandy.com/?post_type=product&p=517087 This song is great for vocal exploration with emerging singers. Experimenting with the voice to create different sounds (whispering, silly voices, high voices, low voices, etc.) is a steppingstone to pitch development. How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost? puts this experimentation into a fun context. If you meet a ghost in the morning, what voice will you use to say “hello”? Will you be silly or brave or quiet, or loud? What happens if you meet a ghost again, later in the day? Will you use the same voices or choose different ones?

The spoken voice responses are framed by sung verses using the melody of the traditional tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. The spoken interjections between verses are initiated with a cue from the teacher with a student response. In a classroom setting or vocal studio group class, several students may be given the opportunity to try out their voice choices. In a private vocal lesson, the single student will have the chance to try out a few different voices between each sung verse.

The conclusion of the song is a final response from the ghost who might say, “Boo!” In my music classroom, we approached this as a funny ending to the story. Throughout the song we may be worried about what the ghost is going to say, and then with the nonchalant “boo” response from the ghost everyone goes on their way. We were worried without good reason!

French lyrics for this song are also included in the PDF download.

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score (English)
  • Lyrics ( English)
  • Vocal score (French)
  • Lyrics (French)
  • Actions/instructions (English only)

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How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost?

arranged by Donna Rhodenizer

Lyrics and instructions

Song actions and instructions

How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost - arranged by Donna Rhodenizer - Lyrics
Comment dit-on bonjour au fantome - arranged by Donna Rhodnizer - lyrics

Composer's Notes

How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost?

My students arrived at the music room after reading a big book with their classroom teacher, “How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost?” (This would have been in the 1980s!) With its repetitious text and the opportunity to use the patterns from the book as a vocal exploration activity, this became a favourite activity leading up to Halloween. I appreciated the chance to present the ghost as a non-scary individual, being a firm advocate of not adding unnecessary anxiety to the lives of youngsters. However, we did have fun trying out different kinds of voices. Often we are trying to help students find a singing voice and to sing in tune so we discourage silliness. Students need play-based opportunities to see what their vocal instruments can do – and silly voices are fun! I tried to find the original book that inspired this song, but I haven’t had any luck. If anyone has a copy, or knows where I can get one, I would love to add it to my library!

You Are invited

You are invited to send us a video of your students / kids having fun with How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost?.

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.


When you have enjoyed this song with your students / children - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Song starts at 5:00. Enjoy!

Send us your video of How do you say Hello to a Ghost and perhaps we can post it here.

Return to Store - by Richard Bennett

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