Small Group Class Archives - Donna & Andy

Père Noël

Andy Duinker — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:02:52 +0000

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Père Noël

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide (sample) or the performance track for Père Noël.

Piano accompaniment + melody guide (sample)

Performance - French treble ensemble

Part of a Song Collection

Père Noël is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "It's Christmas Time" (French title, "C'est Noël"). This bilingual collection of songs is in French and English. Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students in French and English. The 146-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

Please note:

Purchase audio tracks separately for the e-book version and Amazon print copies.

Print copies purchased (in North America) from the Donna & Andy website include 2 CDs (with performance and instrumental accompaniment tracks).

Teaching Tips

Add Props

Include props for your concert performance.

Have students carry the items they are singing about, or hold up pictures of those items as they sing each verse.
Include a large bag of presents as a prop.

See more details in the pdf download

Create Ownership

Ask students to give suggestions for items they would like to include in the song.

Add Drama

Choose a student to pretend to write a list of items while the class sings the song.

For a humorous effect, the student can add the song items to a very long list. A long piece of unrolled paper towel can be pressed into service as the list.

Call and Response

Use call and response to create contrast in the performance.

Divide singers into two groups with one group singing each item and the second group echoing.

This is a great listening exercise for students, particularly younger singers.
Stronger singers can be responsible for remembering the order of the items and the remainder of the singers only need to echo.

Composer's Notes

Père Noël

It can be difficult to choose music for the “Littles”. December concerts are early in the school year for first year students and even children in grade 1 are still sometimes unsure of how to match a pitch with other singers. Adding a second language to the complexity of choosing music for this age group makes it an even more formidable task. Songs for these young singers need to be repetitious and easy to remember.

Père Noël is one of many songs I created for my students to sing in school Christmas concerts because I couldn’t find any French songs simple enough for them to sing. Using the traditional melody, Alouette, I had written my own lyrics to create Father Christmas for my English students. As I searched for a French song the next year, I decided to write French lyrics using the same idea I had used for the English version. With the help of a French-speaking colleague, a French adaptation was created and it was used with students in the early French immersion classes. The song worked well and all of us were happy with our successful concert performance.

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 so much - we really appreciate it!

Send us your video of Père Noël and perhaps we can post it here.

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Ho Ho Père Noël

Andy Duinker — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:42:25 +0000

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Ho Ho Père Noël

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Ho Ho Père Noël.

piano accompaniment + melody guide (sample)

Teaching Tips

Add Actions

Many of the lyrics in this song refer to directions (up, down, left right. fast, slow, etc.).

Add actions that correspond with the words to create visual interest and to assist the students with remembering what to sing.

Include scarves in the performance for a colourful addition to highlight the actions.

Ask classroom teachers to review and reinforce the lyrics and the actions with the students. Even if they are not singing the song, daily review helps young students to learn the lyrics. This is particularly helpful if French is not their first language.

Expressive Singing

It is never too soon to start talking about expressive singing with young singers.

Use clear diction, facial expression, dynamics, and simple actions to bring the story to life.

Talk with students about what they think should be added to the performance. This allows young singers to take ownership of their performance and to make thoughtful decisions through guided discussion about the options they might consider.

Encourage students to think about the overall effect and audience appeal when they are making their choices.

Keep in mind that too much and too little can both detract from a musical performance!

Composer's Notes

Ho Ho Père Noël

I needed a song for my “Littles” to sing in the school Christmas concert. It is amazing how many of my songs came into being from the sheer necessity of finding concert material. To complicate my repertoire decision, the group was a Grade P/1 French immersion class. As always, for the youngest students, the words needed to be repetitious and easy to remember. In addition, because the young students had been in the immersion program for only a few months, their vocabulary was limited. This made choosing the right song even more challenging.

The simple song I ended up writing for my students was “Ho ho, Père Noël”. We repeated the lyric “Ho Ho Père Noël” at the beginning of each phrase followed by asking Santa, where will you go? (où vas-tu Papa Noël?). Then I added a few directional words I knew the students were learning such as up and down (en haut, en bas) and then, of course, we needed to have Santa fly around the world (vole autour du monde). We repeated the entire song twice to give it some length without adding lyric “overload” and actions were added to help the students remember the words. To create visual interest, each student had a scarf to hold and move around as they did the actions, adding pizzazz to our simple song. The students did a fine job with the lyrics and they looked great! My young students were proud of their successful contribution to the concert, and of course they were a hit with the audience. And the song has been in concert rotation (in French and in English) multiple times since its debut.

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 so much - we really appreciate it!

Send us your video of Ho Ho Père Noël and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Ho Ho Père Noël appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Christmas Cha Cha Cha

Andy Duinker — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:42:13 +0000

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Christmas Cha Cha Cha

by Donna Rhodenizer and Andy Duinker

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Christmas Cha Cha Cha.

piano accompaniment + melody guide (sample)

Donna & Andy band - instrumental track (sample)

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase the Donna-Andy Cha Cha Cha version of this song (on the Blue Skies and Pirates CD) from many streaming sites including:

Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

The Blue Skies and Pirates CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (24) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teaching Tips

Alternate lyrics

The lyrics for Christmas Cha Cha Cha can be easily adapted to fit within a variety of concert themes.

Replace “Christmas” with “concert” throughout the song for a generic concert presentation at any time of year.

Replace “Christmas” with “winter” for a seasonal concert without holiday references.

For a grade-specific option, replace lyrics in the following bars:

Bar 5 and bar 25

“Christmas time” becomes “concert time”

Bars 11-12, bar 19 and bars 31-32

“The Christmas Cha Cha Cha” becomes “the grade 1 Cha Cha Cha” or “the Kindergarten Cha Cha Cha” (Sing “kindergarten” as four eighth notes)

Alternatively, sing “Concert time” in bars 5 and 25 and change the lyrics in bars 11-12, bar 19 and bars 31-32 to a school name or the month of the concert.

Teachers have the permission of the composer to create lyric option choices that work for your school.

Add Actions

Add actions to this song to assist young singers with retention of the lyrics and to add visual interest to the performance.

If the students are standing on risers during their performance, it is recommended that they use only their hands for the actions. This allows them to keep their feet still and remain safely stationary during the performance.

Suggested actions are included in the PDF download.

More Performance Options

Include scarves as a colourful addition to the performance.

HINT: To keep scarves from being dropped, attach an elastic to the corner of the scarf and slip the elastic over the wrist of the student. Hands are then free to make fists and move with the actions, but the scarves stay where they are supposed to be.

If not attaching scarves to students, a great visual finish can be created by having students toss the scarves into the air after the final cha cha cha is sung.

HINT: Designate one or two students to be in charge of collecting the scarves at the end of the song to avoid the chaos of all students trying to retrieve their scarves. This is particularly problematic if students are standing on risers. With two students designated to collect the scarves, the rest of the class can carefully exit the risers.

Composer's Notes

Christmas Cha Cha Cha

This song has been used in a variety of settings with a variety of lyric adaptations. I originally wrote this song for my Kindergarten-grade 1 students for a Christmas concert. It was used for a combined group of English and French immersion students so we did a mix of actions using both languages. The lyrics were based on simple directions that students were learning in French. With the actions, both English and French immersion students were able to sing the song together.

Eventually, I wrote a version entirely in English and another one entirely in French and it was used several times in concerts during my elementary music teaching career. I also made adaptations to make the song accessible for a variety of performance settings by changing the lyrics from “Christmas Cha Cha Cha” to “Concert Cha Cha Cha” or “winter cha cha cha.” Depending on the specific needs of each school, there are many lyric options that will work with this simple little song. I like it when my music can be used to meet the needs in a variety of situations.

When Andy and I needed a movement song for our children’s performances, this song worked well. We added our name to the lyrics and voilà, we had a song for our show. The instructions were easy, we used hand motions for the actions so kids could stay seated but still be involved, and we could sing some of the lyrics in English and some in French.

It always amazes me when a seemingly simple song gets so much action!

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 Christmas Cha Cha Cha and perhaps we can post it here.

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Gramma’s Pajamas

Andy Duinker — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:49:12 +0000

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Gramma's Pajamas

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Gramma's Pajamas.

Part of a song collection

Gramma's Pajamas is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me". Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 123-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

Please note:

Purchase audio tracks separately for the e-book version and Amazon print copies.

Print copies purchased (in North America) from the Donna & Andy website include the CD (24 tracks).

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including:

Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

The Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (24) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

11 - Cross-curricular Activities

11 Cross-curricular activities are provided in the PDF download extending the focus of this song to other subject areas including:

Fine arts: music, visual art, design
Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Technology

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Introduce the song

- Invite students to share a favourite story about their grandmother.

- Discuss the story of this song.

Explore the Score

Find the syncopated rhythms.

Clap the rhythms.

After the teacher claps the rhythm (bar by bar, or in short phrases) have the students echo. This rote approach helps students connect what they hear with the rhythms they are reading.

Explore intervals (octave jumps) and notes affected by accidentals.

Expressive Singing

Use dynamics, facial expression and clear diction to sing expressively as you present this humorous story to your audience.

What emotions will you convey as you sing?

Humor, frustration, exhaustion, etc.

Performance Presentation

Plan what you will do during the instrumental interlude.

- Add hand clapping or foot stomping

- Pantomime Gramma wearing her lacy pajamas and giggling

- Add props like a glass of hot milk or a toy sheep

Colouring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Gramma's Pajamas.

Composer's Notes

Gramma's Pajamas

I grew up in a rambling farmhouse that included two kitchens and two living rooms. This “double house” setup accommodated my grandmother who lived with us for my whole life. It was great to be able to slip over to Gram’s kitchen for a treat or a snack when Mom’s mealtime options didn’t appeal to our taste buds. Gram also usually had a treat or two, including “store boughten” cookies. We considered this a treat, but her homemade chocolate chip cookies were also delicious and certainly worth eating.

Upstairs, a common hall connected all the bedrooms. My bedroom was across the hall from Gram’s. Sometimes Gram snored and it was loud enough that I could hear her from across the hall. Of course she denied being responsible for this nighttime din, but one afternoon when she was napping, my sisters and I crawled on hands and knees into her room to record her magnificent snoring. We presented the evidence to her later. She insisted it wasn’t really her and that we had just made up the recording ourselves.

When I first started writing this song, Gram’s snoring was the inspiration. However, my Gram was a proud and proper lady, and would have been mortified to have anyone know that she snored. So, I replaced the snoring details with lyrics about Gramma giggling from being tickled by the lace on her pink nightie and Gram’s reputation was left intact. Until now, I guess!

This song took a long time to write. I had the idea for the first line of the song in 1992. I couldn’t seem to figure out how I wanted the song to go, and the chorus and melodies for the verses kept getting mixed up. I would work on it and then put it away without completing it. In 2005, we (Donna & Andy) began planning for our Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me CD. I knew the bluegrass style of the song would be a fun addition to our CD and I decided to put on a real push to finish it. The musicians we hired to create the bluegrass instrumental track brought the music alive and the result is one of my favourite tracks on the CD. Sometimes song writing takes a long time. I am glad I kept my scraps of notes and didn’t throw them away. In this case, I think the thirteen-year wait was worth it.

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!

Included in this

12 Song Collection

Send us your video of Gramma's Pajamas and perhaps we can post it here.

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Hummy Hummingbirds

Andy Duinker — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:28:30 +0000

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Hummy Hummingbirds

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Hummy Hummingbirds.

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Explore the Score

There is a complete descending scale in this song.

Can you find it in the song? (Bar 19)

It also appears again in the outro. (Bar 22)

Can you sing it using solfa syllables?

Sign it as you sing!

There is an octave jump in the song. Find it in the score (bar 6).

Do some octave warm ups to prepare.

Sing a Duet

Sing this song with a friend or with your teacher singing the echo/harmony part.

Improvising

Improvise your own humming melody in the four humming spots.

Hummingbird Facts

I had the idea for the lyrics for this song before I checked to see if hummingbirds make any sound. I was relieved to discover that they do chirp, but they don’t have a vocalized melody. Phew! I can keep the lyrics as I have written them.

Here are other hummingbird facts:

Hummingbird wings can move in a figure 8 pattern and are built for optimum speed and agility.
They are the only birds capable of sustaining hovering, flying backward, and upside-down.
Hummingbird brains are approximately 4.2% of their body weight – the largest of all bird species.
Hummingbird hearts beat about 250 beats per minute at rest, and 1,260 beats per minute in flight.
Hummingbirds have long, thin bills that allow them to reach deep inside flowers.
Hummingbirds are very curious and will fly close to humans to check them out and figure out who they are.

Composer's Notes

Hummy Hummingbirds

I enjoy watching the birds coming and going in my backyard. I have seeds in feeders and a special hummingbird feeder with sugar water. From my kitchen window I am able to see the birds come and go and I find this very entertaining. The hummingbirds are a special guest. They are very tiny and they fly quickly to the feeder and zip away after only a brief few moments. If you want to see a hummingbird at my house you have to watch closely and be in the right spot at the right time. When I am working in the garden or sitting in my lawn chair I can hear the humming of their wings as they flit by. I usually stop what I am doing and stay still so I don’t frighten them away. I also say hello and by the end of the summer, they will stick around even if I am nearby. One year I had a pair of hummingbirds who visited my feeder with their babies!

I was thinking about these tiny birds and the fact that they make a little chirping sound but they don’t “sing” like other birds. I am always interested in unique ways of thinking about things. I wondered if hummingbirds hummed because they didn’t know the words! That was a funny thought and as much inspiration as it took to decide it was worth exploring as a song idea.

I wanted to compose a gentle melody to represent the hummingbird. I created the choruses with humming, which I thought was amusing as well as a good vocal technique for young singers to try. I worked on the words and the melody at the same time and when everything was crafted to my satisfaction, I realized that the phrases could be sung as call and response for most of the song. This is a great way to introduce early part singing to young singers and for them to sing the song as a duet. There are a few spots where true harmony is included, but these sections don’t last long and are quite natural feeling so I think it is still very accessible for young singers. The song works equally well as a solo or as a duet which offers teachers and students a few performance options.

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 Hummy Hummingbirds and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Hummy Hummingbirds appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Royal Recorders

Andy Duinker — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:42:01 +0000

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Royal Recorders

by Donna Rhodenizer

Student Book 1

Royal Recorders Student Book 1 is part of a motivational recorder teaching method created for students (grades 4-6) learning to play recorder in elementary school music programs, private music classes, or homeschools. Students are excited and motivated to play the recorder when teachers use the Royal Recorders teaching method.

The Royal Recorders teaching method is fantastic for beginners of all ages and comprehensive enough to use for a two-to-three-year recorder program, with upper levels that challenge advanced players.

Beginning recorder players enjoy playing the Royal Recorders songs that are created to maximize success from the very beginning of the program. There are seven Knight levels in Book 1 presenting new notes and musical elements in 3-4 songs at each level. Songs are simple, musical and interesting. Students play each short song, ensuring that new notes are thoroughly learned before moving on to new musical elements. Students are motivated as each small success is celebrated. These small steps create a strong foundation and promote rapid achievement and improvement.

Accompaniment tracks in a variety of styles (available as downloads) provide support and musical interest, motivating students to play songs multiple times. Accompaniment tracks are offered with a practice speed, supporting the early stages of the students’ efforts. A performance speed track is also provided for performances or as an added challenge in regular class activities.

Song challenges for Levels 1-7 (22 songs)
Explanations for each new musical element presented
Practicing tips
Composing opportunities (at three different Knight levels)
Note-naming Challenges (practice pages)
Care and maintenance of the recorder
Fingering chart
Completion certificate

Songs Include:

(* Original songs by Donna Rhodenizer)

G and A All Day *
He B G Bees *
Baa, Baa, Baa *
One, Two, Skip a Few*
Big Bad G *
Flamenco Flair *
Up and Down *
BAG of Surprises *
Fais dodo - French Folk Song
Over Easy *
Blues-E *
Skin and Bones - Camp Song
Go for a Stroll *
Old MacDonald – Traditional
There's a Hole in My Bucket – Traditional
Lady of the Red Castle *
À la claire fontaine - French Folk Song
Jolly Minstrels *
Day is Done - Camp Song
Cabbage Soup *
Ode to Joy – Beethoven
Oh When the Saints – Traditional

First Song

- Student Book 1

See more playing videos of songs from Student Book 1 below!

Student Book 2

Royal Recorders Student Book 2 is part of a motivational teaching method created for students (grades 4-6) learning to play recorder in elementary school music programs, private music classes, or homeschools. Students are excited and motivated to play recorder when playing songs in the Royal Recorders teaching method.

Students with foundational recorder playing skills (e.g. having completed Royal Recorders Book 1) will enjoy the song challenges presented in Student Book 2. Six Knight levels provide a total of 23 songs, adding new notes and musical elements in a sequential progression. The sequential introduction of skills and step-by step presentation of new notes and theory promote rapid progress and improvement until a very high level of playing proficiency is achieved.

Songs include well-known folk and traditional tunes, classical works, and Donna Rhodenizer’s original songs. Longer songs, more complex forms, plus the addition of stylistic elements such as phrasing and dynamics, add to the musicality of the Book 2 repertoire. A wider range of notes expands the complexity as well as the variety of songs offered. At the conclusion of all 13 Royal Recorders levels, students should be able to play simple music written in C, F, G, D and A major and their relative minor keys. Their foundational understanding of music theory and reading notes also makes them well prepared as they move on to band programs.

Students have two opportunities to create an original composition. Applying theory they have learned and using their playing skills to play an original composition creates ownership and a real sense of purpose within the context of learning to play the recorder.

Accompaniment tracks in a variety of styles (available as downloads) provide support and musical interest, motivating students to play songs multiple times. Two tracks are provided: a practice speed, supporting the early stages of playing, and a performance speed for concerts or as an added challenge in regular class activities. The accompaniment tracks are particularly useful at this advanced level when students are providing complex and musical contributions at community events and concerts.

Provides continued development for second-year students and more advanced players

Song challenges for levels 8-13 (23 songs)
Explanations for each new element presented
Practice tips
Composing opportunities (at two different Knight levels)
Note-naming Challenges (practice pages)
Recorder Care and Maintenance
Fingering chart
Completion certificate

Songs Include:

(* Original songs by Donna Rhodenizer)

Moravian Folk Tune - Folk song
Still Waters *
Twilight *
Morning - Grieg
Birch Tree (duet) - Tchaikovsky
Sharp as a Tack *
English Melody - Kingsfold
Merry Branle - Arbeau
C Major Scale - Baroque style
Scarborough Fair - English ballad
My Paddle - Embers McGee
What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor? - Trad. Sea Shanty
Music Alone Shall Live (canon) - Folk song
Un Canadien Errant (duet) - Gérin-Lajoie/arr. Rhodenizer
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Spiritual
Let’s Catch a Rooster (canon) - Trad.
Donna’s Aire *
Scotland the Brave - Trad.
Down by the Sally Gardens - Folk song
Ash Grove - Trad.
Celtic Winter *
Early One Morning - Folk song
Little Burnt Potato - Trad./Boyd

First Song

- Student Book 2

See more playing videos of songs from Student Book 2 below!

Teacher Guide

Teacher Guide includes - Teaching strategies to prepare and practice each song - 6 lesson plans for introducing recorder to your students - How to use motivational Class Castles and Knight Certificates - Tables for tracking student progress - MP3 accompaniment tracks information chart (intros, outros, style, speed, etc.) - Chart with songs listed alphabetically.

Royal Recorders Teacher Guide supports teachers as they use the Royal Recorders motivational recorder teaching method created for students (grades 4-6) learning to play recorder in elementary school music programs, private music classes, or homeschools. Students are excited and motivated to play the recorder when teachers use the Royal Recorders teaching method.

The Royal Recorders teaching method is fantastic for beginners of all ages and comprehensive enough to use for a two-to-three-year recorder program, with upper levels that challenge advanced players. Students are engaged and eager, working their way through 13 Knight levels of the Royal Recorders program, learning 45 songs along the way. They also compose five of their own compositions using the notes and theory they have learned.

Comprehensive Teaching Method
Teachers are supported as they teach recorder with this comprehensive teaching method. The step-by-step approach of Royal Recorders, with sequential presentation of new notes and musical elements, promotes rapid achievement and improvement. Students are excited to play and love celebrating their success with each new song.

Teaching Strategies and Lesson Plans
The teacher guide is like having a personal mentor

30 pages of suggestions and teaching strategies for every step in the recorder teaching process.
Detailed foundational lesson plans give the teacher the tools they need to provide solid instruction for beginner recorder players.
Specific "prepare and practice activities" are provided for new elements as they are introduced in each Knight level.
See the Teacher Guide Table of Contents here

Composing hints and teaching strategies

Teachers are supported as they lead students through composing activities.
Guidelines and composing strategies aid the teacher as they encourage students to use what they know to create their own compositions. This is an empowering exercise for young musicians.

The Teacher Guide has 176 pages packed with support for the teacher:

Teaching strategies
Composing hints and strategies
Classroom management tips
Foundational lesson plans
Activities to prepare and practice new elements appearing in the song challenges
Printable certificates
Student Incentives (class castles, Knight certificates)
Student tracking charts
Printable student pages (certificates, note-naming sheets, etc.)
Fingering charts
All student pages are included in the Teacher Guide for easy reference

Print Copy of the Teacher Guide is available on Amazon

Printed Copies of Royal Recorders Books

Print Copies (in Canada)

Order Book 1, Book 2 and Teacher Guide using this order form

Print copies are also available on Amazon (world wide).

Get Your Student Book 1 Student Book 2 Teacher Guide

Go to Donna's Amazon Author Page to see more of Donna's books.

Accompaniment Tracks

MP3 accompaniment tracks are central to the delivery of the Royal Recorders program.

- Accompaniments (in a variety of styles) add excitement to the foundational, simple 2-note songs. See student recorder playing videos below.

- Accompaniments provide support for more difficult songs

- Each song has two accompaniment tracks; a slower practice speed track and a faster speed accompaniment track for performances.

- Get the accompaniment tracks above in the Royal Recorders Product Options. Look for options 4, 5 or 6.

Permission is given to download MP3s in the best format for you AND your students (phones, computers, Google Classroom, etc.). Students are encouraged to use these tracks outside of class time as well.

Play-along Performance Videos

Check out some of the Royal Recorders Knights / student recorder playing performances below.

Tutorial Videos

Tutorial Videos

Enjoy 63 tutorial videos that have been created to support each song in the Royal Recorders teaching method. These videos may be used for student support in a variety of teaching settings (homeschool, elementary music class, private studio, etc.). These videos are posted on an unlisted YouTube playlist with purchasers having access via the private link provided.

Choose option "9. Tutorial Videos" from the Royal Recorders Product Options above to access all 63 Royal Recorders Tutorial Videos.

Student Incentives

Student Incentives

Use these student incentives (Class Castles and Knight Certificates) to motivate and support students as they work toward achieving their Royal Recorders playing goals.

Choose option "10. Student Incentives" from the Royal Recorders Product Options above to access all student incentives information.

Note-Naming Worksheets

Note-naming Worksheets (challenges) are designed as a 1-2 minute speed activity for the beginning or end of music class. The challenge of beating your own best score keeps things fun (sort of!) and the briefness of the activity keeps students from feeling frustrated when they are impatient to get to the recorder playing part of music class. Note-naming challenges are included in Student Book 1 and Student Book 2. Encourage students to do their challenges at home for even quicker improvement. Extra printable note-naming worksheets / challenges (student practice pages) are available here.

Recorder Fingering Charts

Fingering charts are included in Student Book 1 and 2 as well as the Teacher Guide. However, sometimes an extra copy comes in handy. Check out the free downloadable fingering chart here.

There is also information to help teachers and students determine if they are using an English/Baroque recorder or a German recorder. This information is important because the high and low F and F# fingerings are played differently on each of these recorders.

Find information about English/Baroque recorder or German recorders here.

About Your Recorder

There are two types of recorders: English/Baroque or German. The hole sizes vary between these two recorder types and that affects which fingerings are used for certain notes (specifically F and F#).

For information about how to identify which recorder you are using, go here.

Information about ordering recorders, what brand to choose, and how to care for your recorder is available as a PDF download here.

Composer's Notes

Royal recorders

For a long time, I taught recorder by rote. My students learned the mechanics of how to play and letter names were used to “notate” simple quarter and half note songs. Students were excited to be able to play songs but they were really learning to do so by rote or by ear. I was job sharing with a teacher who discovered Recorder Karate. The students learned simple songs and for each song they were able to play, they were rewarded with karate belts. They were very proud to have a variety of coloured tassles hanging from their recorders.

This program inspired me to create my own songs and a more comprehensive, foundational series of songs to develop both note reading and mechanical facility with the recorder. Living in Kings county, Nova Scotia made it a natural fit to move into the world of castles and knights. Students were given song challenges with the immediate reward of adding their name to a class castle each time they had mastered a song. Three songs resulted in receiving the designation of a knight, with different colours for each level. They received a certificate and a flag (tassle) for their recorder. With three songs for every level, now the students learned more songs with each new note and their skill level deepened and became much more internalized.

Students were excited to see all the names that were being added to the class castles. In order to achieve the right to add their names, testing of songs was required. Students knew that they really had to play the song correctly in order to pass the song challenge. Students started asking peers for help outside of class time. Outside on the playground, the sound of recorders could be heard at every recess and noontime break. Students were asking their friends to help them learn songs they had heard in higher levels, but that we had not started in class. Clandestine peer-to-peer teaching was taking place and the students thought they were getting away with something. I was delighted. They were taking charge of their own learning and they wanted MORE songs!

I usually begin recorders in grade 4 and finish with them in grade 5. My students were excited about the songs they were playing and when they learned all the songs I thought we could cover in two years, they were still asking for more. I think I expanded the number of knight levels and the difficulty of the pieces three times before I arrived at the final iteration of Royal Recorders as it is today. When I had grade 6 students added to my teaching responsibilities the students were delighted to have the opportunity to play recorders for another year. We played duets, we added alto recorders, we had students learn O Canada in a three part arrangement and they were invited to play for the annual teacher’s retirement banquet. That was a real honour, and even more amazing since most people think recorders are only good for playing Hot Cross Buns and that they sound terrible. My group of top grade 6s did an amazing job and the audience was blown away. What a great success story!

There are many, many recorder stories I could tell, but I will close with two more. Firstly, My students loved playing with the accompaniment tracks. They make even simple two-note songs sound great and it is motivating to play when it sounds good. I knew this was going to be a hit when we played the song “He B G Bees” and as the final notes of the accompaniment faded away, a student asked, “Can we play it again?” Now THAT is music to the music teacher’s ear!

As the program developed and more and more students wanted to play song challenge tests, it became clear that I couldn’t keep up with testing individual students at recess and noon. There were just too many kids ready and anxious to play and not enough time to hear them all. We came up with the plan that students could submit a playing test via video. The beauty of this system was that I could listen to playing tests at home (with my feet up and sitting by the fire), I could listen to a test more than once if needed, I had time to give productive feedback, and students were taking time at home to prepare their video tests. Their families heard them practicing and helped with the videos and therefore became involved in the music development of the students. Siblings, parents and grandparents were pressed into service as camera assistants and they also weighed in on whether or not they thought the song was ready to present. I know that students did many video takes before settling on the one they would submit (that is called practicing!) and they were very proud to submit their videos. One day I got an email from a mom who was anxiously awaiting the results from a playing test that had been submitted. She emailed me to ask about the results of the song challenge. She just couldn’t wait until the end of the school day to hear if “they” had passed. When kids are supported at home and they know that what they are doing has worth, it is truly inspiring to see what can be accomplished.

I love teaching recorder. I love seeing the kids being excited when they can play fast songs, beautiful songs, tricky songs and to play them well. I love seeing them so motivated to play and learn and to add to their knowledge. What a great gift that is. They make my castle an exciting place to be!

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

Sample

Tutorial Videos – enjoy 63 tutorial videos that have been created to support each song in the Royal Recorders teaching method. Scroll up to Royal Recorders Product Options to access all tutorial videos (includes one for each song) in the program

Enjoy these Royal Recorders playing videos!

Watch these video samples of students (Royal Recorders Knights) (or Donna) playing each song in the Royal Recorders program with the performance-speed accompaniment tracks.

The printed music is included in the videos so you can have fun playing along. Enjoy!

Student Book 1

White Knight (level one)

Yellow Knight (level 2)

Orange Knight (level 3)

Green Knight (level 4)

Purple Knight (level 5)

Turquoise Knight (level 6)

Blue Knight (level 7)

Student Book 2

Red Knight (level 8)

Pink Knight (level 9)

Brown Knight (level 10)

Black Knight (level 11)

Silver Knight (level 12)

Gold Knight (level 13)

Bonus - Super Knight

Send us your videos of Royal Recorders performances and perhaps we can post them here.

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Winter Concert Songs for Children – Vol. 1 – Grades K-1 (ages 5-7)

Andy Duinker — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:31:12 +0000

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Winter Concert Songs - Vol. 1

Grades K-1 (ages 5-7)

by Donna Rhodenizer

Composer - music and lyrics details

Music and lyrics - Donna Rhodenizer

Five Little Snowflakes / Five Shiny Stars
Jiggle Wiggle Freeze!
See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Traditional music - Donna Rhodenizer lyrics

Winter A to Z

Traditional words and music - arrangement Donna Rhodenizer

Jingle Bells Scarf Activity

Option - purchase songs separately

Print copies Available on Amazon

Print copies of Winter Concert Songs for Children - Vol.1 - Grades K-1 (age 5-7) (85 page book) are available on Amazon. Purchase the accompaniment tracks on this page (above).

Also see Donna's Author Page on Amazon for more fine resources by Donna.

Please click the "Follow" button to get notified when additional new books become available.

Teaching Tips

In this book, Donna explores topics that must be considered by music teachers planning concerts for singers in Kindergarten – grade 1, ages 5-7

Factors to keep in mind when choosing music
Ways to keep a concert program interesting without over burdening young children with excessive amounts of lyrics
Choosing Repertoire
Dealing with small voices in large performance spaces
Non-singers

Composer's Notes

Winter Concert Songs for Children - Vol.1 - Grades K-1 (age 5-7)

Each song in this collection has its own story of how it came to be written and when it was first used. Overall, this collection is a result of many years of presenting concert programs with my elementary school students. I LOVE planning concerts that are fun for the children to sing and enjoyable for family and friends who attend the performance. Over the years I have needed songs for my youngest students to sing. By writing my own songs I have ensured that they meet the very specific set of criteria that I feel is required to make them worth singing and that help ensure their success. It was fun to put some of these songs together in a collection that I know will help music teachers with their concert planning process. There is no need to reinvent the wheel! I am happy to share these songs and imagine all the smiling faces as kids sing them and make musical memories of their own.

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

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

Winter Concert Songs - Vol. 1 - Grades K-1 (age 5-7)

Five Little Snowflakes

Jiggle Wiggle Freeze

Jingle Bells - scarf activity

See My Little Candle

Winter A to Z

Send us your videos of these Winter Concert Songs and perhaps we can post them here.

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Jingle Bells – Scarf Activity

Andy Duinker — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:10:02 +0000

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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.

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!

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

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See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Andy Duinker — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:49:23 +0000

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See My Little Candle

See the Snowflakes Falling

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for See my Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Introduce the song

Connect with the students to engage them in the topic of the song. This can be done by asking them questions that relate to the song that also resonate with something in their daily lives.

Expressive singing

Discuss ways to sing expressively.

Sing with a gentle sound
Sing smoothly, connecting the notes and creating legato phrases
Have students move their hand to trace the shape of the rising and falling melody line. Use a fluid and smooth motion – mirroring the legato phrases that are being sung.
Use clear diction to present the story being told

Concert Presentation

Add small, battery-operated candles to create an effective visual element for the performance of See My Little Candle.

Add snowflakes for a visual element for the performance of See the Snowflakes Falling.

Music Elements

Discuss ABA form.

This song has the same lyrics sung in the opening and closing sections of the piece (A sections) and the 8-bar instrumental break creates the B section within the ABA form.

Look around the classroom or vocal studio for ABA patterns such as window, door, window or chair, music stand, chair, etc.

Can students think of other physical examples of ABA form?

Composer's Notes

See my Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

I was thinking about school Christmas concerts. This is not an unusual activity for me, considering my career as an elementary music teacher. What was unusual is the fact that I was doing this thinking six years after I had retired! This thought process was tweaked after a conversation I had with a teaching colleague about their upcoming December concert season. We talked specifically about songs for the “Littles” that are such an important part of every school concert.

The next morning I was lying in bed, enjoying comfy, warm blankets and a bit of cool air coming in from an open window. I started thinking about snow and the first lines of the song came to my mind. The tune arrived at the same time as the lyrics “See the snowflakes falling, drifting down like a comfy blanket covering the ground.” This thought was enough to inspire me to grab a pen and paper (always kept nearby for just an occasion) and I jotted down my idea using solfege and simple rhythm notation. I have used these tools for a LONG time!

When I got up, I started working on crafting the song. I knew I wanted it to be simple and easy for children to sing who were new to school and perhaps heading into their first school concert. I created four lines of poetry that worked for me, adjusted the melody and, within a short time, I had a new song.

Andy and I had been working on updating a resource list of winter and Christmas songs I have written. Many schools have gone to winter concerts and my song list reflects this shift with many of my songs written on the topic of snow. I thought that my gentle melody was also quite suited to a candle theme and that might be a nice change from snow, so I set about writing alternate candle lyrics. It was a marketing decision to publish this song as “See My Little Candle” with the alternate lyrics being “See the Snowflakes Falling”. The candle title might help the song stick out more rather than it getting lost in a blizzard of snow songs, and either version works for Littles to sing.

This song has a simple melody, but it has a nice feel to it. I think the plaintive, innocent quality of the song makes it a lovely addition to repertoire for young singers – whether they are singing about candles or snow. It makes me (almost) wish I had a school Christmas concert to plan and present with a bunch of kids!

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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 See My Little Candle or See the Snowflakes Falling

and perhaps we can post it here.

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Regardez la neige

Andy Duinker — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:35:44 +0000

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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.

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.

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