Choir Archives - Donna & Andy

20 Best Camp Songs – Donna’s Camp Song Collection

Andy Duinker — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 21:09:30 +0000

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Camp Songs

Print copies available on Amazon

Purchase a Print copy on Amazon. Enjoy!

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

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

Teaching tips

Use camp songs at the beginning of the school year to “break the ice” and encourage students to join in singing. They are more likely to participate if their nervous laughter is covered by the laughter resulting from a silly song.

Camp songs can be used as warm-ups. Canons and rounds that are delightful around an evening campfire are also lovely as an easy harmony exercise and vocal warm-up. Action songs get students singing and moving to warm up (or wind down!) physically before singing.

Use camp songs as an end-of-year activity. Students anticipating the end of the school year may find it difficult to settle. Camp songs have a good combination of fun and exuberance to handle attitudes at this time of year.

Use camp songs to give your students a library of songs they can share in summer social settings when someone says, “Let’s sing something!” As much as the students learn from singing games and pedagogical songs, they are not the type of songs a student would suggest when they are contributing to a sing-along.

Read the lyrics carefully before using any camp song in this collection or anywhere else. Some lyrics that are acceptable to some may be considered inappropriate for others. You will need to make your own assessment of what is appropriate for your unique setting/school. “When in doubt, leave it out,” has always been sage advice.

Ask the students if they have a favourite camp song to share. Again, this is best done with some monitoring from the teacher!

Composer's Notes

Camp songs are fun to sing and can leave a lasting impression. I remember with great clarity being at camp and hearing "The Bear Song” for the first time. I listened in horror as that bear closed in on the singer. I could see that huge tree and the branch so far from the ground. When the runner jumps and misses, my heart was racing and I couldn’t figure out how this could possibly end well. The twist at the end when the singer actually missed the branch on the way up, but caught it on the way down was funny and a relief all at the same time. Fast forward to decades later, and I still love sharing this song with my students. The call and response format makes it accessible for the students with no words to remember (it’s all up to you, the song leader!). It is still a relief when the safe arrival on the branch concludes the song.

I also remember the crackle of the fire, darkness settling slowly and gently around us as we sang and roasted marshmallows. Singing songs in this setting is such a great memory.

Music and singing was a huge part of family life when I was growing up. My love of music has carried on to become my chosen profession, what I enjoy for fun, and my greatest joy. Perhaps young singers will learn a silly camp song, discover that they enjoy singing and include music in the activities they pursue for the rest of their lives. That’s a pretty big mandate for the lowly camp song, but you never know!

Couloring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you sing the songs in the Camp Song Collection. You can also colour while you play the song videos.

You are invited

When you have enjoyed singing these camp songs - 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!

Camp Songs come in a variety of categories:

Songs with disgusting lyrics

that make us say, "Eeuw!"

Found a Peanut

Herman the Worm

Tom the Toad

Action Songs

Bim Bum

Dum Dum Dada

I'm Glad I am a Camper

Waddle-ee Ahcha

Call and Response / Echo Songs

The Bear Song

Boom Chicka Boom

Going on a Lion Hunt

The Moose Song

Sing-along Songs / Story Songs

Banjo Song / My Old Banjo

The Chicken Song

The Fox

Long-legged Sailor

Old MacDonald Mash-up

Rattlin' Bog

Canons / Rounds

A Ram Sam Sam

Fire's Burning

One Bottle o' Pop

Bonus

The Rooster Story

Songs with disgusting lyrics - that make us say, "Eeuw!"

Action Songs

Call and Response / Echo Songs

The Bear Song

Sing-along Songs / Story Songs

Canons / Rounds

Bonus

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

Composer, Elementary Music Specialist, Performer

Donna Rhodenizer

Donna Rhodenizer loves playing singing games with her students. In addition to pretending to be a bird flying in and out of windows, an owl hiding in the forest, or a mother chicken calling to her chicks, Donna’s vivid imagination is put to good use composing songs for young singers. She has written over 500 pieces of music in the past four decades and, unless that pesky wolf in the forest causes an early demise, she has plans to write more songs in the future.

The post 20 Best Camp Songs – Donna’s Camp Song Collection appeared first on Donna & Andy.

27 New Singing Games for Young Singers

Andy Duinker — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 17:43:32 +0000

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New Singing Games

for Young Singers

by Donna Rhodenizer

Vol. 1 Grades K-1, ages 5-7

New Singing Games for Young Singers Vol. 1 Grades K-1, ages 5-7

Donna Rhodenizer has written twelve original singing games for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students, singers ages 5-7. These songs focus on the early skill development of emerging singers including galloping, action songs, fast and slow, as well as songs with simple tone sets (mainly s-m-l combinations). Individual singing opportunities are built into many of the singing games. Students have the opportunity to work on discerning differences in pitch and pitch matching, leading to singing in tune with others. All of the singing games provide young singers with a play-based learning experience, inherent to their innate learning style and crucial to their skill development. All songs include scores and game instructions, plus adaptations for small group and individual instruction.

Vol. 2 Grades 2-3, ages 7-9

Donna Rhodenizer’s second volume of singing games focuses on singers in grades 2-3, ages 7-9. Eleven original singing games focus on providing practice for skills learned earlier and adding songs and skills with expanded tone sets and more complex rhythmic elements. Individual singing games are still a mainstay as students continue to hone their ability to sing in tune with others. Repetition is a key element of singing games, creating opportunity for internalizing musical concepts for labelling and practicing in future lessons. Games with movement, guessing games and even a few chasing options make these singing games interesting and motivating for students. All songs include scores and game instructions, plus adaptations for small group and individual instruction.

Vol. 3 Grades 4-5, ages 9-11

The third volume of Donna Rhodenizer’s singing games is created for singers in grades 4-5, ages 9-11. Ten original singing games delve into more complex musical elements such as minor tonalities, wider tone sets and complex rhythms. Singing games with individual responses include singing as well as rhythmic and melodic improvisation. Musical challenges for this age group are offered using a play-based learning style that creates a relaxed atmosphere for exploring and learning without pressure. All songs include scores and game instructions, plus adaptations for small group and individual instruction.

Print copies Available on Amazon

Print copies are available on Amazon.

Go to Donna's Amazon Author Page to purchase your print copy.

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

Composer's Notes

New Singing Games for Young Singers

My music classroom has been singing based from day one. Everything we did hinged on singing, and the best way to get kids to sing is to make it a game. Singing games were part of my music education courses and my approach was influenced by my training in the Kodaly teaching method, also founded on the use of singing games to teach concepts to children.

Over the years I have had certain singing games that I enjoyed sharing with my students. I knew they liked those particular games, it was exciting to play them, and they were motivated to participate. As time and political correctness became an issue in our classrooms, some of the singing games from decades (centuries?) ago began to come into question. Old singing games that were based on less than favourable past-times and ways of doing things began to be considered inappropriate and needed to be removed. Song context aside, the games that went with some of those songs were favourites of my students (and of mine as well) so I set about to create new songs that would fit the games that went with the old songs. I had collected quite a few singing games by the time I was chatting with Nikki Loney (Full Voice Music) about doing a question and answer online session with teachers about singing games. With my collection already started (sort of) it seemed like an opportune time to put together an official version of these songs.

What started out as a single collection across grade levels (K-5) started to get too large and unwieldy for a single book. We decided to split the book into K-2 and 3-5. Then THAT got too big so we revised and split the book into 3 volumes. Now there were not quite enough songs to make a reasonable sized book (in my estimation) so in addition to the songs I already had, I designed some new ones. Trying to figure out games that would work for each of the songs had us galloping, passing sticks to the beat, counting bars to match dance steps and having lots of fun! I also needed to think outside of my elementary classroom focus and create adaptations for singing games that could be used by private vocal teachers with small groups or just one student. That was a fun challenge!

I ended up writing six new songs in a week to insert into various age groupings. I was reminded of my days in the classroom when I needed songs for specific events and I ended up writing them. It was an intense, productive two weeks and I was exhausted but creatively energized by the whole process.

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed doing these singing games 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!

New Singing Games - Vol. 1 - grade 1-2 (age 5-7)

New Singing Games - Vol. 2 - grade 2-3 (age 7-9)

Also found in New Singing Games - Vol. 1

Also found in New Singing Games - Vol. 3

New Singing Games - Vol. 3 - grade 4-5 (age 9-11)

More Singing Games

Send us your videos of these New Singing Games and perhaps we can post them here.

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4 Penguin Songs

Andy Duinker — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 17:41:22 +0000

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Four Penguin Songs

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for these Four Penguin Songs

I Wonder

Penguin Parade

Pondering Penguins

The Penguin Ball

Part of a Song Collection

These Four Penguin Songs are included in the award-winning song collection "Computer Cat" (total of 12 songs). 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 93-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

Please note: audio tracks for the e-book version are sold separately. Print copies of the book include CD (24 tracks)

I only want one Penguin song - can i do that?

You can purchase each Penguin song separately.

Save 25% when you purchase all Four Penguin Songs together.

Stream and purchase Audio tracks

Stream or Purchase the Four Penguin Songs from many streaming sites including:

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

The Computer Cat CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (24) is available for download or purchase physical CD on this website.

53 cross-curricular activities

53 Cross-curricular activities are provided in the PDF download (divided over 4 penguin songs) extending the focus of these songs to other subject areas including:

Fine arts: music, visual art, dance, drama,
Language arts
Math
Social studies
Science
Technology

Teacher Tips

Teaching tips are provided with each individual song. See the teaching tips when you visit each penguin song webpage.

Save 25% when you purchase all Four Penguin Songs together.

Colouring Pages - Free Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring these Penguins as you li sten to the Four Penguin Songs. Enjoy!

Composer's Notes

Four Penguin Songs

I wrote my collection of penguin songs as a result of a request made by a classroom teacher at my school. She was doing a penguin unit with her students and she asked me for a penguin song. I didn’t know any, so I wrote my own! When her students came to my music class they told me lots of penguin facts to give me ideas for my songs. I discovered that penguins are amazing creatures. The conditions in which they live and the way they survive, live, and raise their babies are all fascinating. With all the facts I found out, I ended up writing four penguin songs.

Some of the songs rely on the facts that the students told me, but other songs in the set dive into the world of imagination with penguins checking their closets for clothing options, attending the ”penguin ball” for some romantic moonlit dancing on the beach, or having a parade in the snow. All in all, I had a grand time writing these four songs and the students enjoyed singing them. After almost three decades, I am happy to report my penguin songs are still being sung and enjoyed by young singers (and their audiences) around the world!

You are Invited

When you have enjoyed singing these Four Penguin Songs, and doing the activities with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

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

See more penguin song videos on these pages.

Save 25% when you purchase all Four Penguin Songs together.

Send us your videos of 4 Penguin Songs and perhaps we can post them here.

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5 Halloween Songs

Andy Duinker — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 19:38:19 +0000

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5 Halloween Songs

by Donna Rhodenizer

Blog Post - 5 Halloween Songs

Learn more about Donna's most popular 5 Halloween Songs in this blog post.

You Are Invited

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

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

5 Tongue Twisters

Andy Duinker — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 01:39:45 +0000

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5 Tongue Twisters

by Donna Rhodenizer

Tongue Twisters - Blog Post

Read more about Tongue Twisters in this blog post created by Donna to support teachers with teaching tips and strategies plus additional tongue twister activities.

Teaching Tips

Use a metronome to set a slow and steady speed.

Say each tongue twister slowly and clearly.

Increase the speed of the metronome and continue to strive for accuracy as you speak the tongue twister.

For an added challenge, select an element of the tongue twister for which you will add an action (like a clap, snap or tap). The element you choose may be a specific word, words that rhyme, or words that begin/end with the same letter.

Continue adding the action you have added, but leave out the word where you have added the action.

Speak your tongue twister in canon with another person. Can you stay on track?

Use spoken or sung tongue twisters as a warm-up activity before singing other repertoire.

Composer's Notes

5 Tongue Twisters

When I was in grade 7, our math teacher held multiplication table competitions. Two of us would stand in front of the class and be given a specific times table to recite. I remember doing the 12 times table. Because of my ability to speak quickly (and maybe because I was used to singing and had developed some breath control) it was possible to get all the way to “12 x 12 is 144” without needing to take a breath. My opponent would stop somewhere along the way to take a quick breath and, voilà, I would be at the finish line – the winner! I can still rattle off all those times tables which astounds my grown up children who whip out their phone to do some of those higher combinations that are still firmly established in my memory.

How do math times tables have anything to do with tongue twisters? Like reciting times tables, tongue twisters also incorporate the ability to speak or sing words in rapid-fire succession. I enjoy playing with words and seeing how they sound in various combinations, so tongue twisters are a great fit for how I work with language. I know there is much research on how music and math are connected. Note values correlate with mathematical equations and the harmonic overtone series can be explained using principles of physics. I don’t know if anyone has ever researched the tongue twister – multiplication table connection, but maybe someone should look into that!

My collection of Five Tongue Twisters evolved when Nikki Loney of FULL VOICE Music asked me to create some melodies for a few simple tongue twisters. In addition to creating the tunes, I added lyrics to produce a song with a bit more substance. I chose five tongue twisters and put them together to create a set. The beginning of each tongue twister might sound familiar, and if I did my composer’s job well, the extra parts I have added should sound like they belong with the rest of the words. One-verse and two-verse tongue twisters mean the singer (or speaker) has many more words to accurately manage, increasing the challenge of the tongue twister. I also created a three-verse version of We Will Surely See the Sun that is included as a study in the FULL VOICE Music publication, Songs and Studies for Kids, Introductory A. That should prove to be a good challenge.

Tongue twisters are a fun writing exercise and I know I will return to this form of writing for future compositions.

More Tongue Twisters

More Tongue Twisters to Sing and Purchase

This collection of 5 Tongue Twisters can be spoken or sung and they can be used as a challenge, a game, a warm-up, and for fun. They are a great tool for working on pronunciation and expressive delivery of text.

Pass the Pasta is a two-verse tongue twister that can be spoken or sung. Use it as a challenge, a game, a warm-up or just for fun. It is a great tool for working on pronunciation and expressive delivery of text.

Seven Sassy Sailors enjoy sailing the seven salty seas until they run into trouble and sink their schooner. Their sorry state is reflected by a switch to the minor key. Do not worry, they send an S.O.S, they are rescued, and the song finishes on a happy note.

Witch Watches is a twisty witch tale that fits with a Halloween theme, however, singers will enjoy singing this song at any time of the year.

Fish Wishes is a delightful tongue-twisting tale of two fishes caught in the dilemma of how to share the three wishes they have been granted. They are happy to each have a wish, but how will they share the third wish?

Try this notoriously difficult, but hilariously fun tongue twister warm-up:

Pretty, Itty, Bitty, Kitty Unicorn (by Donna Rhodenizer & Nikki Loney) - on the Full Voice Music website.

You Are invited

You are invited to send us your performance of any of the 5 Tongue Twisters.

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

Send us your videos of your tongue twisters and perhaps we can post them here.

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A Birdly Debate

Andy Duinker — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 20:58:29 +0000

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A Birdly Debate

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for A Birdly Debate.

Coldbrook & District Elementary School

(director - Joanna MacPhee Simpson) in rehearsal with composer Donna Rhodenizer. The singers (grades 4 & 5) are demonstrating the ending with the Cuckoo wining the debate.

This was a March rehearsal leading up to the school's year end concert in June.

Teacher Tips

Expressive singing

Use clear, crisp diction for the repeated “cuckoo” and “rat-a-tat tat” lyrics.

The melodic placement of the “cuckoos” provides the opportunity to work on singing with a light upper register tone.

Discuss how to create a contrast between the major and minor sections. The tonality, staccato or legato phrases and dynamics all play a part in creating the contrast.

Discuss the term leggiero at the beginning of each B section. How will that expressive instruction affect the way the singer will sing in this section?

Find the rit. at the end of each C section. Following this marking creates a final bit of drama and highlights the shift between the minor and major tonalities.

Composing

Decide on the final outcome of the song. This may require compromise if there are varied opinions regarding which ending should be sung. Try not to get into a singers debate!

When composing the two endings, I was thinking that the cat either manages to eat one bird or two. However, without specific details provided, that outcome is open to interpretation. If students feel better with no carnivorous activity taking place, it is certainly possible that the cat scared away the woodpecker, leaving the cuckoo to declare its status as the "winner" of the debate. Teachers are encouraged to discuss this background information with students as they make their decision about the song ending!

Call and Response

A Birdly Debate has three sections.

Section A – dialogue between the two birds

Section B – cuckoo and rat-a-tat tat alternating lyrics

Section C – minor tonality and dealing with the cat

The sections can be managed in a variety of ways with unison sections or the lyrics divided between two groups of singers using call and response.

Call and response provides the opportunity for singers to add different perspectives and hone their expressive singing skills as each singer or group expressively represents the view of “their” bird.
Call and response helps singers develop musical independence, an early introduction to a skill used for harmony singing.

The teacher and student(s) may decide together how much of the song will be sung back and forth between the two groups and which sections will be sung in unison.

Part options:

Sing sections A and C in unison. In the B section, divide the singers into a “cuckoo” group and a “rat-a-tat tat” group. Each group will sing only their words alternating back and forth (call and response style) through this section.
Divide all cuckoo and rat-a-tat-tat lyrics between the two groups of singers. This will mean the A section and the B section will include the call and response treatment of the lyrics.
Divide the dialogue lyrics so each group only sings the lyrics that correspond with the bird they are representing.

The PDF download includes more detailed instructions and suggestions for dividing the song between two parts.

Ensemble Singing

It may be helpful to involve a director to assist a small ensemble with the call and response sections and help singers stay together. If a director is part of the performance, singers will need to practice watching carefully for direction.

Without a director, singers need to listen carefully to each other so call and response sections flow seamlessly one to the other.

When practicing the 2-part version of this song, have the two groups face each other to help the singers hear and respond to the other part more clearly.

Composer's Notes

A Birdly Debate

Inspiration for a song can come in a variety of ways. This song was written because of another cuckoo song I saw in a book. The song included repeated cuckoo lyrics but they were hard to sing and the song didn’t really work for me. For some reason, that sparked the idea of two birds talking back and forth. What would they talk about? Would they argue about who was the superior bird? I jotted down ideas and knew it was going to work as a song when it made me laugh as I was writing.

The cat showed up, almost the same as it does in the song, skulking about the edges of my thought process and inserting itself into the story. I wrote two different endings for the song. I thought both had merit and I couldn’t decide which one to include. My kids used to read “choose your own ending” books. I decided to include both lyric options and leave it up to the singer to choose the ending. As much as it was really a copout on my part not to make the choice, I also think it is fun for the singer to have a bit of say in the matter. I have tried to sing this song with Andy dividing up the cuckoo and rat-a-tat tats back and forth and we usually end up laughing. When the Coldbrook & District School Grade 4-5 Choir (in Nova Scotia) premiered A Birdly Debate, they did a super job and gave this song a good start in the world! Congratulations to the singers and their teacher, Joanna MacPhee Simpson.

You are Invited

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

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

Send us your video of A Birdly Debate and perhaps we can post it here.

The post A Birdly Debate appeared first on Donna & Andy.

A Gift for Me

Andy Duinker — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 02:07:22 +0000

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A Gift for Me

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for A Gift for Me.

Teaching Tips

Speak the words of A Gift for Me 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 presentation when you are sneaking to the tree in verse 2?
In the final chorus, be sure the audience believes that you DON’T want underwear or socks!

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.

Discuss the meaning of the word catastrophe.

Are there any other words in the song that need to be explained?

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song A Gift for Me.

Composer's Notes

A Gift for Me

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.

I was approached by Nikki Loney at FULL VOICE Music to see if I would be interested in translating my “Cadeau” song into English. I agreed to do that and then we partnered with Tracey Ford and her sister, Andrea who also did a Spanish translation so the song could be used as a three-language study for young vocal studio students.

Like the French version, A Gift for Me plays with repetitious words, like a tongue twister of sorts and the words are fairly simple. Because direct translations don’t work well, my English version of this song ended up with a different “story line” than the French one. There is still the excitement of going to “the tree, the tree, the tree” to see lots of presents. However, there is a bit of humorous ending when the receiver of the gift hopes the gift is NOT underwear or socks!

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!

French Version

Try out the French version of this song entitled Où est le cadeau?

English / French / Spanish - Language Study

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

This secular holiday language study celebrates the excitement and anticipation of holiday surprises. This is a great song for young singing students or choir!

Go to Full Voice Music to get this single song download. The download includes lyrics in English, French, and Spanish.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of A Gift for Me.

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 A Gift for Me and perhaps we can post it here.

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A Robin’s Tale

Andy Duinker — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 21:29:37 +0000

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A Robin's Tale

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for A Robin's Tale.

Teacher Tips

Introducing the song

Pre-singing discussion connects students’ interest to the song content. Questions may include:

Have you ever seen a robin pulling worms out of the lawn?

How do you think they know where the worms are? Do they hear the worms? Do they feel the vibration with their feet? (Both would be amazing skills!)

What facts do you know about robins?

Do you have a favourite bird?

Score Study

Dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.

The melody of A Robin’s Tale is written with dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.

While the teacher sings the song, have the students listen and follow the score.

Find all the bars where there are dotted quarter note/eighth note combinations.

Have students tap or clap the rhythm of the song as the teacher sings one more time.

Have half the students sing the song and the other half tap the rhythm. Switch.

Phrases

Listen for phrases that are the same or almost the same. Finding these similar phrases helps when learning the melody of the song.

Major/minor tonality

The B section of A Robin’s Tale is written in a minor key for a few short bars. Find the bars that are written in the minor key. Where does the melody return to the major tonality?

Expressive Singing

Use good breath energy to sing the long, legato phrases.

Breath marks show where the singer will take a breath even thought the notes look like there is no spot to breathe. Take as much time as needed to take a comfortable breath.

How will you sing differently to create a contrast in the B section when the melody is written in the minor key?

Use clear diction so the story can be understood.

Add dynamics to create musical interest and highlight the lyrics as part of your expressive performance.

Composer's Notes

I enjoy watching the birds in my backyard. A bird feeder of seeds encourages certain birds to make regular visits. Robins don’t frequent the feeder. They prefer worms and stay on the lawn to forage for their snacks. The robins hop from spot to spot. It is interesting to watch the tug-of-war that ensues when they locate a worm and try to pull it from its hiding spot. Because they eat worms and grubs, robins leave Canada to go to warmer climates for the winter. We know spring has arrived when they show up again. A Robin’s Tale was written as I watched this vignette playing out in the backyard. Andy and I worked on the words together and we ended up with this short song for young singers.

You are Invited

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

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

Send us your video of A Robin's Tale and perhaps we can post it here.

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A Snake Tango Tale

Andy Duinker — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 03:11:07 +0000

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A Snake Tango Tale

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for A Snake Tango Tale.

Part of a Song Collection

A Snake Tango Tale is one of 10 songs from the Donna & Andy CD "A Jolly Bunch Are We".

Stream or Purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including:

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

Teaching Tips

Expressive Singing

Discuss how the use of dynamics or emphasized diction can assist in the expressive singing of this song.
Practice clear diction by speaking a few tongue twisters for a warm-up. Find tongue twisters that require strong and accented consonants.
e.g. - The tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips.
- Twelve turtles take turns twirling.
- Twenty-two turtles tiptoe between the tulips
- Eat your cake, clean the plate
Sing with crisp consonants in the verses and legato, melodic phrases in the choruses to create contrast and interest for the listener.
The mood of this story is upbeat and expresses the joy the snakes experience when doing things they love, like dancing and dining out.

Discuss the Text

Maitre d'
tuxedo
sequins
hardwood

Research

An Argentinian Tango is mentioned in the lyrics but there are other types of tango's as well. Find a video sample to watch. Can you imagine two snakes doing this dance?

Colouring Page - Free download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song A Snake Tango Tale.

Composers Notes

A Snake Tango Tale

I like to think about things in ways that might be considered to be outside the box. I like to explore ideas that have a bit of a twist from the normal way of thinking. These are great things to develop when writing song lyrics. How can a story/song be created in a way that causes the listener to pause, to think, or to laugh? Animals can often be used to create lyrics that are fun – particularly when the animals do things usually only thought of as human activities. To go one step further, perhaps the animals are doing something that is contradictory to their nature. I think a song about an owl who is afraid of the dark could be fun. Or perhaps a fish who doesn’t like to swim would make a good song.

For some reason, I started thinking about snakes dancing. Who knows why these thoughts randomly pop up? I am not someone who likes snakes, so I am not sure why a snake entered my thought processes at all! In order to make a snake song work for me, my snake had to be charming and not at all reptile-like in his behaviour or his presentation. What if the snake were a ballroom dancer doing a tango? The title “A Snake Tango Tale” had a good feel to it and I liked the idea of the play on words between the “tale” and the “tail” of the snake. Ah yes, a song was starting to formulate. I grabbed some paper….

I decided my charming snake would like to go out for dinner and dancing and he would love to tango. When he called his girlfriend, it was Esmerelda who showed up. I wasn’t necessarily expecting her, but that is how some songs roll. Authors often talk about characters that seem to evolve on their own, outside the efforts of the writer. When I wrote, “He called his girlfriend,” the name Esmerelda fit into the music just at the right spot, and there she was! Of course it was crucial that she also loved to tango, so I got to decide that for her.

I had fun imagining their arrival at the restaurant – a fancy establishment with a maître d’ who took their coats and helped them get seated. There are several types of tango and I watched a few ballroom dancing videos to decide which type of tango my snakes would be dancing. Research is a very important part of the writing process, providing details that develop a thought or a plot that shapes the song. My research helped me determine that the Argentinian Tango was best suited to my dancing snakes. This tango involves close body contact at all times (helpful if the dancer has a single “leg” on which to balance) and we were off! The tango style of the music was part of the writing process and helped establish the feel of the melody line with its syncopated rhythms and sustained notes.

To be certain that the singer/listener knows that we are in a classy establishment, there is reference to “his black tuxedo and the sequins on her ball gown”. Plus, they are dancing on a hardwood floor. There are not many dance venues in my area, and the ones that offer a hardwood dance surface are in high demand from ballroom dancers. I have been at a few ballroom dances and I can vouch for how wonderful it is to dance on a hardwood floor.

As I worked on my tango tale, I imagined how humans would have tired feet after an evening of dancing so I applied that to my snakes. It made me laugh to think of these two snakes going home to “soak their aching feet” so I included that as a bit of a joke in the song.

The art for this song was also a joy to create. Richard Bennett, a music teaching colleague of mine, has loved to doodle and draw since he was a teenager. We contacted him to do artwork for us and it has proved to be a fun and rewarding collaboration. (You will see many of his pieces of art sprinkled throughout my published music). Richard was very patient as we talked through options: A snake with feet? A snake dancing without feet? I also was very sure I wanted my snakes NOT to be slimy reptiles, but rather, elegant dancers. We searched for samples of ballroom dancers, tango costumes, dress styles, and hair styles. There is a lot of research to be done when writing a song and/or creating art! I am delighted with the end results.

Some of the art process

You Are Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song and doing the activities with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review of A Snake Tango Tale. Thanks!

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

Send us your video of A Snake Tango Tale and perhaps we can post it here.

The post A Snake Tango Tale appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Because

Andy Duinker — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:18:43 +0000

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Because

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

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

Teaching Tips

Introduce this song by asking your students if they know the answers to any of the questions mentioned in the lyrics.

Do they have any questions they can ask to stump the teacher?
Clap the simple rhythm of the song.
Sing the song using solfege and/or note names.
Find the phrases that use step-wise movement.
Find the notes that are a fourth apart or a third apart.
Find the three notes that create an arpeggiated triad.

Performance tip

Have two students join their vocal forces to sing this song as a partner song. Singers alternate singing phrases for the verses and then join to sing the chorus in unison. This helps facilitate younger singers who may find it challenging to learn and/or memorize a three-verse song.

Composer's Notes

I keep a notebook where I jot down song ideas. Bits and pieces of words that pique my interest, and things I see that are curious or funny (or beautiful or inspiring!) all find their way into the pages where they are kept for a later time.

Questions are often great inspiration for songs. As they were growing up, my own children asked me many questions as they explored the world around them. Whatever children see they will question, and “Why?” is one of the most frequently asked questions of all.

I remember being asked if worms poop. Fortunately, I had paid attention in grade 7 science class enough to be able to come up with the astute response, “If it eats, it poops.” My son went on his way and I was pleased to have been able to give a satisfactory answer. Other questions are not as easy, but these days we have a world of information at our fingertips and we can look up just about anything almost instantly. Wow.

“Because” evolved from a list of questions that I thought would be interesting to use as song ideas. Instead of writing a song about each of the questions, they became a group of questions all contained in one song. The questions came from the place in my imagination where I am still a curious child, wondering about things. However, the answer to all those questions seems to have formulated from that internal spot many parents revert to when we really don’t have answers for the hundreds of questions our kids ask us. “Because, that’s the way it is” is probably not a very satisfying answer for a truly inquiring mind, but it became a fun combination of words to sing, so that’s how it was written.

Before my grandchildren (or my young students) sing this song and ask me for the REAL answers, I have some homework to do!

You Are invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song and doing the activities 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!

Purchase option

Because is also available through Full Voice Music (2 verse version) as part of the publication Songs and Studies for Kids Level B

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

The post Because appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Choir Archives - Donna & Andy

20 Best Camp Songs – Donna’s Camp Song Collection

Camp Songs

More Information - Blog Post

Print copies available on Amazon

Teaching tips

Composer's Notes

Couloring Page - Download

You are invited

Camp Songs come in a variety of categories:

Call and Response / Echo Songs

Sing-along Songs / Story Songs

Canons / Rounds

Bonus

Donna Rhodenizer

27 New Singing Games for Young Singers

Vol. 1 Grades K-1, ages 5-7

Vol. 2 Grades 2-3, ages 7-9

Vol. 3 Grades 4-5, ages 9-11

Print copies Available on Amazon

Composer's Notes

You Are Invited

New Singing Games - Vol. 1 - grade 1-2 (age 5-7)

New Singing Games - Vol. 2 - grade 2-3 (age 7-9)

New Singing Games - Vol. 3 - grade 4-5 (age 9-11)

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4 Penguin Songs

Audio & Lyrics

Part of a Song Collection

I only want one Penguin song - can i do that?

Stream and purchase Audio tracks

53 cross-curricular activities

Teacher Tips

Colouring Pages - Free Download

Composer's Notes

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5 Halloween Songs

Blog Post - 5 Halloween Songs

See also - Dark Night Sky

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5 Tongue Twisters

5 Tongue Twisters

Tongue Twisters - Blog Post

Teaching Tips

Composer's Notes

More Tongue Twisters

Try this notoriously difficult, but hilariously fun tongue twister warm-up:

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A Birdly Debate

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A Gift for Me

A Gift for Me

Audio & Lyrics

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Colouring Page - download

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French Version

English / French / Spanish - Language Study

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A Robin’s Tale

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Composer's Notes

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A Snake Tango Tale

A Snake Tango Tale

Audio & Lyrics

Part of a Song Collection

Stream or Purchase audio tracks

Teaching Tips

Colouring Page - Free download

Composers Notes

You Are Invited

Because

Because

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips