Listen to this grade 4-5 elementary choir performing We Are as you follow along with the lyrics.

Warm-up

Use the opening 16 bars of We Are as a warm-up exercise.

Have students sing a sustained note on the pitch A, using the syllable “ooh”.

• Students should listen to the singers around them and match both the pitch as well as working on blending voices to create a unified sound.
• Have students cup their hands behind their ears, creating “elephant ears”. This makes it easier for the singer to hear their own voice while still keeping their ears open to the voices around them. 
• Concentrate to stay on the “A” pitch while the piano chords shift tonalities against the sustained pitch. Sometimes the A will fit in the chord and sometimes the A will be dissonant. Lean into the dissonances and embrace the tone colour that is created.
• Sing softly and create a shimmering, beautiful sound. There should not be any voices that stick out.
• Use stagger breathing to create the illusion of a single, sustained note.

Expressive singing

The message of this song is one of hope, encouraging all of us to aspire to the best that we can be for ourselves and the world in which we live.

• Use expressive singing techniques to emphasize the lyrics and present an expressive performance (i.e. dynamics, diction, facial expressions, emphasis on certain words, etc.)
• The key change at bar 63 creates a natural contrast to the previous section. Use expressive singing to further emphasize this contrast.
• The return to the original key in bar 79 is presented with a dynamic change to mezzo piano. Use this quiet dynamic to return to the shimmering quality created in the opening bars.
•  Use the increasing dynamic levels to build the intensity of the song until it reaches full strength in the final bars.  

I have always been very vocal (no pun intended!) about my love of working with my elementary school choir. Choir rehearsal was my favourite day of the week. The joy of creating music with a large group of students, excited about singing, ready to take on challenges and sing “something fun, something difficult and something beautiful” filled my bucket!

I love developing the feeling of camaraderie and teamwork within the choir as well. Some choir members are students who excel and who have extraordinary abilities and skills. Other students struggle in many of their daily school subjects. When they all come together and sing, they become a unified team, leaning on each other for support with everyone sharing in the successes we enjoy as a singing ensemble.

It was with all these emotions swirling in my soul that I put pen to paper to create a “power anthem” for my choir to sing. I wanted them to sing for themselves all those big emotions and internalize the idea that they were strong, able to affect change and be a presence in the world. The result was “We Are” which they sang with heartfelt emotion and joy. I loved those kids and we all loved singing together. What a gift that is!

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!