I’m a Little Turkey – finger play
Five Fine Turkeys – singing game
What the Turkey Said – sing-along song, finger play
Driver! Driver! – singing game

Happy Thanksgiving!

Download Includes:

• Vocal scores
• Game/activity instructions
• Accompaniment tracks
• MP3 information sheet

The post 4 Turkey Songs and Games appeared first on Donna & Andy.

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

The post Marching Music & Activities appeared first on Donna & Andy.

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

The post Midnight March appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Download Includes:

• Vocal scores - see samples here
• Accompaniment - with melody guide
• Accompaniment - piano
• Teaching Tips

The post 5 Halloween Songs appeared first on Donna & Andy.

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)

The post Welcome Songs, Greeting Songs and Name-learning Songs & Games appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Donna Rhodenizer has created new singing games for movement, exploring the voice and learning to sing in tune with others, preparing and labelling rhythmic and melodic elements and having fun while doing this foundational work.

Donna’s singing games combine her experience from a 35-year career as a music education specialist with a firm grounding in the Kodaly teaching method. She has created new singing games to replace older teaching songs that are no longer deemed appropriate in today’s classrooms. She infuses her singing games with musicality and a sense of fun.

Three collections provide singing games as follows:

• Volume 1 - Grades K-1, ages 5-7 (12 songs - 41 pages)
• Volume 2 - Grades 2-3, ages 7-9 (11 songs - 45 pages)
• Volume 3 - Grades 4-5, ages 9-11 (10 songs - 42 pages)

This 3-book set is a valuable addition for the music library in elementary schools, vocal studios and homeschools where young singers are learning through singing games.

Vol. 1 - Download Includes:

• Vocal scores
• Lead sheets (selected songs)
• Instructions
• Teaching Tips

Vol. 2 & 3 - Download Includes:

• Vocal scores
• Lead sheets (selected songs)
• Instructions
• Teaching Tips
• Letter Templates for Submarine Singing Game

3-book SET -  Download Includes:

• 3-book set - includes Volumes 1, 2 & 3
• Letter Templates for Submarine Singing Game

Letter Templates - Free Download Includes:

• Letter Templates for 12 nine-letter words for Submarine Singing Game

The post 27 New Singing Games for Young Singers appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Valentine Mystery is a 3-note song using the tone set s-m-l. It is short and simple to accommodate young developing singers (K-1). Students sing a short verse as a class before someone is selected to be the solo mystery singer.

Guess Who focuses on individual singing for students in grade 1-3. Within a narrow range of a fifth, students sing easily accessible do-mi-so and so-mi intervals as well as step-wise phrases incorporating s-f-m-r-d. The “game” includes passing a valentine like a hot potato with the last person singing “Guess who” (using a s-m interval) as a solo. Students love guessing who the mystery singer is.

Valentine Name Game – This individual singing/name-guessing game moves within a range of a sixth and step-wise motion throughout most of the song. The final bar is a s-m, individual response and the opportunity for students to guess the mystery singer. This is a fun activity for the students and a great chance for teachers to assess pitch-matching skills. An extension rhythm activity is included creating a challenge for students in upper elementary classes.

Be My Valentine contains a fun rhythmic challenge. The word “valentine” is spelled out and letters are eliminated one by one as multiple verses are sung. Students may choose which letters to eliminate for each verse, creating a different rhythmic challenge every time the song is sung! This song works well with students in grades 2-3 (and even grade 4. My older students also request it!)

I Got a Letter is written for upper elementary students. The minor key creates a rich tonality and a complex melody for the singing part of the game. The end of this game involves reading or echoing rhythmic patterns. Teachers can change the rhythm pattern focus to tailor this singing game to a variety of skill levels.

All five songs have alternate non-Valentine lyrics so these singing games can be introduced as part of a Valentine theme and continue being used throughout the year.

Download Includes:

• Valentine Mystery (song)
• Guess Who (song)
• Valentine Name Game (song)
• Bonus: Valentine Name Game - Rhythm Challenge
• Be My Valentine (song)
• I Got a Letter (song)
• Teaching Strategies

The post 5 Valentine Singing Games appeared first on Donna & Andy.

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)

The post How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost? appeared first on Donna & Andy.

For lower elementary grades/early singers, these songs include movement, individual singing and pitch matching.

•  Open All Your Windows Wide
•  Dogs Hide Bones
•  Owl in the Pine Tree

Older students will enjoy these two singing games:

•  Old Back Door (movement)
•  There’s My Chicken (chasing game)

Download Includes:

• Vocal score (for each song)
• Game instructions
• Teaching strategies

Classroom / Studio License allows you, as a teacher, to share this copy with any number of your own students. Copies may not be shared with other teachers or non-students.
The intent of this license is to accommodate a vocal studio where one teacher has multiple students, and/or elementary school music programs where one teacher teaches multiple classes of students.

The post 5 New Singing Games appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Four songs are included in this package.

    Clap, Clap Bow (Danish Greeting Song)

    Irish Polka

    Sasha (Russian folk dance)

    Seven Jumps (Danish folk dance, adapted)

Download Includes:

• Music and Instructions (for each song)
• Dance instructions
• 4 accompaniment tracks

Classroom / Studio License allows you, as a teacher, to share this copy with any number of your own students. Copies may not be shared with other teachers or non-students.
The intent of this license is to accommodate a vocal studio where one teacher has multiple students, and/or elementary school music programs where one teacher teaches multiple classes of students.

$10.00

The post 4 Dances appeared first on Donna & Andy.