Community Archives - Donna & Andy

Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter

Andy Duinker — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:10:53 +0000

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Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide or the Donna & Andy band track for Deo / Sing Together / Winter, Winter.

Piano + melody guide

Donna & Andy band - instrumental track

Part of a Song Collection

Deo is one of 12 songs from the song collection "It's Christmas Time". 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.

Purchase print copy from Amazon

Stream and Purchase Audio Tracks

Stream or Purchase Deo (It's Christmas Time CD) from many streaming sites including:

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

The Donna & Andy CD: It's Christmas Time includes performance and instrumental tracks (20). Available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

To assist with successful presentation of the quickly moving lyrics in the B sections of this song, divide the ensemble into two parts. Sing bars 50-65 as call and response with one group singing the whole note “calls” and the remainder of the group singing the eighth-note responses.

Add body percussion

Include a clapping pattern/motion in the choruses to add visual interest to the performance.

NOTE: Donna has created a clapping pattern that works well with the song. Complete instructions for each lyric variation are included in the download.

Create your own clapping pattern/motion to enhance your performance.

Add scarves

Create visual excitement in your performance by adding scarves to your presentation.

Many vibrant colours add to the celebratory feel of the lyrics.
White scarves can be used to represent snow.

Create your own movement patterns.

When adding any type of “choreography”, create shape within the form of the piece

Begin the song without any movement
Add scarves or movement as the lyrics repeat to create momentum within the song.
Add scarves or other movement in the choruses or verses, but not both, to complement the contrasts between sections of the song.

Composer's Notes

Deo

A recurring theme in my composer’s notes is the fact that I would write a song because I needed repertoire for a school concert or other school event. This was the case for Deo, but there is also a back story that goes with this song.

As a young teacher putting together concert programs for my students, I enjoyed including an all-school finale for the ending of the concert. Particularly in schools with smaller populations, it was fun to have a large group of students singing together. At one point, I took a job at a larger school where I found out that Christmas concerts were historically long, drawn-out affairs. Because of this, parents were in the habit of leaving with their kids as soon as the class song had been sung. Here was the opportunity to use my all-school finale songs to their fullest advantage. In addition to having the great sound of all those combined voices, an all-school finale meant that all students were involved in the final song of the concert, so parents needed to stay!

Deo was written as the all-school finale for my first concert at this new school. I knew I needed something dramatic and worth waiting for. I also had to have something that was simple enough for the youngest students to sing while being musically interesting for the older students. The driving rhythm of Deo kept things exciting, the simple repetitive words in the opening chorus were easy to remember and more difficult words in the contrasting B section were handled by the older singers. In addition to these musical choices, I included simple hand clapping “choreography” which created visual interest and pizzazz.

The concert finale was a hit! Students loved singing Deo and the audience perceptibly gasped at the flashy ending of the song. That first Christmas concert finale became a tradition that I continued through my entire career – with new songs needing to be written in subsequent years, of course!

We recorded Deo on the Donna & Andy CD: It’s Christmas Time. We were delighted to be joined by a full choir and absolutely wonderful instrumentalists to create a smoking track for the recording. The instrumental track turned out to be a super accompaniment for use with young singers in schools.

The original Deo, with its more sacred lyrics, was included in the Christmas cantata I composed for my local church. This song has had quite a musical journey.

In subsequent years, as school concerts moved away from any reference to anything considered to be sacred, music teachers began asking me for lyric adaptations that were more generic. Those requests resulted in two variations for this song: Sing Together and Winter, Winter. In addition, the winter version of the song has a B section that is less busy lyrically and easier for younger singers, while still fitting with the original accompaniment. Deo has been around for a long time now and in a variety of forms!

You are invited

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

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

Send us your videos of Deo, Sing Together or Winter, Winter and perhaps we can post them here.

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Hanukkah, Hanukkah

Andy Duinker — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 12:37:51 +0000

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Hanukkah, Hanukkah

by Donna Rhodenizer

Background Information

See background information for the song Hanukkah, Hanukkah

Audio & Lyrics

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

Teaching Tips

Discussion

Use Hanukkah, Hanukkah as a discussion starter.

Read aloud the lyrics and explore the vocabulary:

Menorah
Dreidel
Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin

For context and to add some fun, bring a dreidel to class and let students try playing this Hanukkah game.

Add instruments

Add unpitched percussion instruments to augment the feel of the strong, percussive accompaniment.

A sections: Add a steady stepping/stamping beat on beats 1 and 3 and add a tambourine strike on beats 2 and 4. Players must listen carefully to the accompaniment in the final A section when the accelerando affects the speed of the song.
B sections: Create a contrasting percussion addition. Continue using the tambourine, but shake it every time the word “dreidel” is sung. The jingling of the tambourine will be a different and contrasting sound compared to the percussive strike used in the A section.
Add a vibraslap every time the word spin or spinning is sung.

Invite students to explore different instruments and combinations to accompany the song. Encourage them to make musical decisions to create their own unique accompaniment.

Add Visual Interest

Add colourful scarves or ribbons to the performance.

Choose two different scarf movements to coordinate with the A and B sections of the song.

When adding instruments or visual elements to a performance, it is a good time to discuss with students how to use sound/no sound and movement/no movement combinations to create a musically interesting performance. Encourage them to include variety when adding rhythmic or visual elements: change the rhythmic pattern or movement for different phrases or sections, add elements to only selected sections, vary the instruments that are used, etc. Think of it like adding spice to a recipe – a little goes a long way!

Composer's Notes

I was working with a teacher to create a school concert program with a multi-cultural focus. The teacher wanted songs to address a variety of holiday observances and traditions of students in her school. I had great fun doing online research and using information provided to me from the school and I learned a lot! I ended up writing four new songs which were sent off to the music teacher to use in the concert.

Hanukkah, Hanukkah is one of the songs I wrote during the process of working on the multi-cultural concert repertoire. It mentions two of the most common symbols associated with this holiday, the menorah and the dreidel. Working on this song brought back a memory of playing a game of Dreidel with my students. A Jewish colleague on staff at my school explained how the game was played and provided enough dreidels for an entire class to play in small groups. I remember that the two best things to land on are “Nun” which means you don’t have to do anything (a position of safety) or “Gimel” which means you win ALL the items contributed to the winner’s pot throughout the game to that point. It created much excitement in music class that day!

You Are Invited

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

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

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

The post Hanukkah, Hanukkah appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Celebrate Diwali

Andy Duinker — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:37:21 +0000

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Celebrate Diwali

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

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

Background Information

See background information for the song Celebrate Diwali

Teaching Tips

Discussion

Discuss with students the traditions they observe for holidays or special occasions.

Are there any unique activities or traditions observed by the student’s family?

What are the student’s favourite parts of these traditions?

Invite students who celebrate Diwali to share some of the activities that are meaningful to them that are connected with this important part of their culture.

Read aloud the lyrics of Celebrate Diwali

Discuss the four activities that are presented in the lyrics (one per verse).
Do any of the students take part in these same kinds of activities even if they celebrate a different holiday that is not Diwali?

Add instruments

Add instruments to the performance of Celebrate Diwali.

Choose an instrument to play every time you sing the word celebrate.

Use a triangle, finger cymbal, vibraslap or other similar instrument.

Choose another word in the song. Add a different instrument to be played on this word.

Play the different instruments on one selected word per verse, or use a combination of all the different instruments playing all of the selected words. Make a musical decision regarding how you will add the instruments to your performance.

Is it too busy to include all the instruments in every verse?
What words do you want to accent by adding an instrument?

Be sure that the instruments do not detract from the most important part of the song – the singing!

Performance suggestion

Add scarves to the performance for visual interest.

Have students wave their scarves every time they sing, “Celebrate Diwali”.

Two scarf options:

For the final verse have students gently throw their scarves into the air and let them fall to the ground (without interfering with their descent!) to simulate the fireworks.
Divide the class into three groups. Have one group throw their scarves the first time “fireworks” is sung. The second group will wait until the second time “fireworks” is sung. The third group will throw their scarves on the final beat of the song.

The voice of experience when dealing with falling scarves. This works best if all students know that they are NOT to impede the falling scarves, and to let them lie where they fall. At the end of the song, a designated scarf collector can quickly manage the scattered scarves more safely than to have a scrambling group of children trying to accomplish that task!

Composer's Notes

Celebrate Diwali

I love celebrating holidays with my family. As a child, I have many memories that include large family gatherings, laughter, lots of food and great fun. Although each culture celebrates different events, be they religious, cultural or based on heritage, every culture shares this bond of gathering with loved ones to share meaningful traditions.

I was asked to assist with the creation of a concert program that represented a combination of celebrations and traditional observances across a variety of cultures. The songs I ended up creating are in no way to be deemed as “cultural” offerings. Rather they are a stepping stone providing context and some of the elements that are included in those cultural activities. The simple song I composed for Diwali was to provide an opportunity for young singers to sing about this celebration, learn more about it and present that information to an audience. Hopefully it will allow children to showcase their familiar traditions presented in the concert in which they are singing. It may even spark discussion about the songs that are sung in the homes and as part of true Diwali celebrations. I consider it a privilege to be part of the ongoing building of community offered to all of us through music.

You are Invited

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

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

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

The post Celebrate Diwali appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Ramadan is Coming

Andy Duinker — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:56:02 +0000

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Ramadan is Coming

by Donna Rhodenizer

Background Information

See background information for the song Ramadan is Coming

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Ramadan is Coming.

Teaching Tips

Discussion

Discuss with your students the traditions they observe for holidays or special occasions.

Are there any unique activities or traditions observed by a student’s family?

What are the students’ favourite parts of these traditions?

Invite students who observe Ramadan to share some of the activities that are meaningful to them that are connected with this important part of their culture.

Read aloud the lyrics of Ramadan is Coming

Find the three Ramadan activities highlighted in the song (one each in verses 1-3).
Discuss each of these activities and their impact on the people who are taking part in the activity, and also how this affects those around them.

Score Study (for students in grades 2-3, ages 7-9)

The melody of Ramadan is Coming is composed using familiar tone sets.
Sing the first bars of the song using solfege names for the notes.

How many times is that tone set repeated to create the verse of the song?

The final phrase of the verse begins the same way as the opening phrase. However, look for the difference in the ending of the phrase.

Sing the entire song with solfege names and using hand signs.

Add Instruments

Add instruments to the performance of Ramadan is Coming.

Play on the first beat of each phrase.

Use a triangle, finger cymbal or pitched instrument such as a handbell (playing a D sounds good with the chord structure) and let the sound ring until it naturally fades away.

Use a different instrument for each of the first three verses and then combine all the instruments for verse 4 as it repeats the lyrics from verse 1.

Create a concert that presents a cultural mosaic

Research the various cultures and observances / holidays that are represented by students in your school or vocal studio.

Invite family members of your students to contribute songs and culturally significant traditions or tenets that are part of their observances.

Include narrations that give a brief but meaningful explanation of each of the cultural observances associated with the songs being sung to give context to the performance.

A cultural mosaic concert can also be used to introduce students to other traditions and cultures with which they may not be familiar. In our present-day climate of instant access to a variety of cultures through online avenues, learning about other cultures can be informative and bridge building.

Performance suggestion

Include battery-operated lights to the performance of Ramadan is Coming.

Two options:

Lights are turned on and held high for verses 1 & 4 and hidden for verses 2 & 3.
Turn on a few lights for each verse, cumulatively adding lights until all are lit for the final verse.

Composer's Notes

I spent some time with music teacher, Carolyn Duerkson brainstorming ideas for a multi-cultural concert music presentation for her school. Carolyn’s student population is diverse and she wanted to create a concert that was meaningful for students from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. As we discussed song options, it became evident that there were “gaps” in the repertoire available for cultures represented by her students. Particularly difficult was finding meaningful songs for the youngest students in the school while also addressing their need for simple lyrics and simple melodies to ensure a positive performance outcome.

Ramadan is Coming was created using notes Carolyn compiled in consultation with a fellow staff member with cultural experience with Ramadan. She passed on her notes to me and we determined the grade level for which the song was intended. I take seriously Carolyn’s trust in me to craft words into a song for her inclusive concert program. I consider it a privilege to use my composing skills to fill a need that benefits young singers in their school concert.

You Are Invited

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

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

Send us your video of Ramadan is Coming and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Ramadan is Coming appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Star Above

Andy Duinker — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:20:25 +0000

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Star Above

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

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

Part of a song collection

Star Above is one of 12 songs from the song collection "It's Christmas Time". 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.

Purchase print copy from Amazon

Stream and purchase audio Tracks

Stream or Purchase Star Above (It's Christmas Time CD) from many streaming sites including:

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

The It's Christmas Time CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (20) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

Discussion

Use Star Above as a discussion starter.

Discuss the meaning of the lyrics.

Expressive singing

Breath energy will be needed to support the long phrases in Star Above.

Discuss the places in the music where it makes sense to take a breath. Look for commas and ends of sentences and phrases for natural breathing spots. Sometimes a breath will need to be added quickly to ensure the long phrases can be managed.

Use dynamics and sensitive endings and beginnings of phrases to create an expressive performance.

Two-part singing

When singing Star Above as a two-part arrangement, be sure the melody line is the stronger part when harmony is added.

In the partner song section, when the melodies of Star Above and Great Big Stars are sung together, balance both melodies equally.

Extensions

French

Star Above has been adapted into French (Étoile du ciel). Older singers may enjoy learning both the English and the French versions as a language study.

Handbells

Details are provided in the PDF download describing how to achieve a “shimmering star” effect using handbells or metallophones.

Composer's Notes

Star Above is a reflective and personal song. It is heartfelt and serious with a strong message, although simply stated. When I discovered the American spiritual Great Big Stars in a music text book, I decided to insert it into my original song as a contrasting section. My students sang this two-song combination as a unison piece. One year when I was looking for a Christmas song for my choir to sing, the qualities of peace, hope, love and joy that are referenced in Star Above seemed to be a good fit so we changed “great big stars” to “Christmas star” and it became part of our Christmas repertoire.

We (Donna & Andy) included Star Above in the concert repertoire for our duo. It became a favourite song for us to sing and we recorded it on our Donna & Andy CD: It’s Christmas Time. In arranging the song for our mixed voices we determined that Andy would sing the opening original melody and I would sing the Great Big Stars section. When we started adding harmony, I realized that Great Big Stars would fit as a partner song with my melody with a few minor adjustments. The two songs became even more intertwined.

Star Above had its early beginnings with my school choirs and then it was recorded as a Donna & Andy song. It has continued its journey in the musical world by being included in the Royal Conservatory Voice Series as one of its exam pieces. It has been sung in many exams, music festivals, voice lessons and school concerts since its humble beginnings.

You Are Invited

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

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

Star Above concert performance - starts at 6:30

French version - Étoile du ciel

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

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We are the Children of the World

Andy Duinker — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 00:48:17 +0000

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We are the Children of the World

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for We are the Children of the World.

Part of a Song Collection

We are the Children of the World is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "Computer Cat". 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 singers, 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)

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

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

Teaching Tips

Use We are the Children of the World with your choir, in your music classroom, with your small group vocal class, or as an all-school finale. Approaches will vary depending on the group with whom the song is being used.

Choir

Elementary school choirs often find part singing difficult. To assist with this process, teach all singers the melody throughout. Once the melody is well established, choose a select group of singers to sing the descant. NOTE: The accompaniment includes the descant melody that will be added, preparing students for the musical line that is sung in the second chorus.

If students are finding the lyrics a challenge, divide your singers into two groups and share the responsibility for learning alternating phrases. As you continue to rehearse the song, all students may feel comfortable to sing all the lyrics, but there will be a core group to anchor that section.

Speak the lyrics phrase by phrase with the teacher modeling the syncopated rhythms and students echoing by rote.

Sing the song phrase by phrase with the teacher modeling both the melody and rhythm and the students echoing by rote.

Find the syncopated rhythms in the music. Sometimes these are created with ties, sometimes there are dotted notes and sometimes there are eighth/quarter/eighth combinations. Find examples of each kind of syncopated rhythm and see where they are repeated.

Classroom or Vocal Studio

Use this song as a discussion starter when exploring character traits such as community, respect, empathy, acceptance, responsibility, etc.

Use discussion to make an emotional connection with the song.

Focus on / discuss specific lyrics:

“Every face is different, yet we are all the same.”

“We have the same hopes and fears and dreams for the future.”

How are students the same as other people they know? How are they different? We are all part of community and the world. Our differences make us unique and our similarities unite us.

“We are the children of the world.”

Does this include adults?

Comparing the age of the world with the age of the people who live here, even adults are children of the world. We all learn throughout our lives regardless of our age.

“We know the future’s in our hands.”

Is this just the responsibility of the adults? Of the children? Or all of us?

“Yesterday was yours, we have tomorrow, but in between we all must share today.”

We are all responsible for how we treat others and our planet.

Learning the Music

Teaching this song as part of an elementary music class may involve more rote learning versus trying to read the complicated syncopated rhythms. The melody and lyrics are created with natural flow that should be fairly easy for students to learn by rote.

The amount of lyrics may prove to be challenging to learn. Singers may be divided into groups to learn specific parts of each verse. This allows students a moment to be in the spotlight without expecting them to be responsible for all the lyrics.

23 Cross-curricular Activities

23 Cross-curricular activities are provided in the PDF download (Unison / optional 2-part version) extending the focus of this song to other subject areas including:

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

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song We are the Children of the World. Enjoy!

Composer's Notes

We are the Children of the World

I cannot remember the initial inspiration for this song. I do remember the lyrics for the opening chorus came quickly and the “pop balled” style evolved as I wrote the piece. I also remember struggling with the chord progressions of the song. Every time I would finish a section, the key would seem to need to change. I really tried hard not to create this song with all the key changes, but the music “had its way” and the key changes became part of the song.

I wanted to create a song with a positive message for my students. Sharing the world peacefully, embracing our differences and celebrating the things that unite us were important concepts. I had young singers in my school choir who were starting to learn the skill of singing simple harmony parts and the descant line was added. I used the song as an all-school finale with over 400 students and the ending worked well with the “folding over” of the final phrases, again incorporating harmony that was simple and easily accessible.

Later, I created SATB choir harmonies to be added in a joint performance with treble choir. The depth of the harmonies provided by the adult singers was lovely as they supported the simple treble voices. Truly, we are all “children of the world” regardless of our age. Sharing the joy of making music across ages and generations is a fitting way to celebrate the fact that we are all “children of the world.”

You Are Invited

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

If you have a performance video - we might be able to post it on this page.

Thanks!

Song starts at 0:35

Send us your video of We are the Children of the World and perhaps we can post it here.

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I Will Be There

Andy Duinker — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 22:53:58 +0000

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I Will Be There

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for I Will Be There.

Teaching Tips

Concert Repertoire

This song expresses the feelings associated with being friends.

I Will Be There is ideal for graduation ceremonies and celebrating the end of the school year with your students. This song explores the experience of saying goodbye to good friends, with reassurance that shared experiences will be remembered and remain in our hearts.

The words are also appropriate for saying goodbye to retiring staff members or other members of the school community who are leaving for any reason.

Expressive Singing

Discuss the sentiment of the song.

The mood of this song is optimistic even though the singer is away from people about whom they care.

Use dynamics to support the lyrics and sing expressively.

When the song divides into two parts, be sure the harmony line supports and complements the melody line without being overpowering.

Form

I Will Be There begins with the chorus.

The form of the piece is ABA, ABA - Chorus, verse, chorus; chorus, verse, chorus, with the words changing slightly between chorus 1 and chorus 2.

The final chorus is slightly extended for the ending.

Listen and Discuss

Extend the song into a time of discussion and personal reflection.

Read the lyrics and get to know the music.
Use I Will Be There to initiate and stimulate engaging discussion with students.
How do the students feel about graduating?
Discuss the emotions of ending one phase of life and beginning another.
At what other occasions might people feel these same emotions?

Special Graduation Presentation

Have each member of the graduating class provide their photo from Kindergarten plus a more recent photo.

Organize the photos in two-photo groupings showing the younger photo first and then reveal who that youngster is by showing their recent photo.

Have the school choir perform I Will Be There as the background for your photo presentation for a memorable walk down “memory lane”.

Other year-end “memory” activities

Print the lyrics for I Will Be There on special paper.
Make a copy for each student.
Leave space around the lyrics for students to collect autographs from their classmates, or include a blank sheet of special paper for autographs.
Create a class yearbook with photos, writeups, stories, poems and other class contributions. Include space for autographs and messages from friends, teachers and even the principal!
Create a friendship rainbow using hand tracings and writing memories of your friends on each hand.
Make a class time capsule.

Composer's Notes

I Will Be There

I was preparing to retire after a 35-year teaching career and I was leaving a school where I had been the music teacher for 25 years. I was beginning to teach children of former students! The students in my classroom grew up with music classes being an affirming, creative, supportive and safe place to be. Out of that creative space, we enjoyed a fine, singing culture within the school. Students sang until the end of grade 6 when they moved from my classroom to the band program. (And for many years the band teacher put their skills to good use as they used solfege to sing their band parts while learning to play their new instruments.) To add to this musical culture, we also had a choir that met once a week for 45 minutes. This was a highlight of my week. It was a chance to challenge students to use their foundational music skills beyond the regular classroom activities to create wonderful music as a team. We were able to present musical performances with "beautiful songs, fun songs and difficult songs". As I neared the end of my final year with “my” children, I wanted the choir to know how much they meant to me and how much I had enjoyed spending my days with them making music and being creative together. I decided to write them a song. I Will Be There was the result. When it was completed, there was a problem. I couldn’t sing it for them without falling apart and I couldn’t teach it to them to sing for me for the same reason. I finally hit on the plan to sing the song at home and record it. I would then play the video for the students. That is what I did and it was still heart wrenching for all of us. It was not ever performed outside of my music room, and the students were the only ones who had ever heard it.

A short while later, I submitted I Will Be There the Cantabile Choral Society's 2019 Composition Competition for the Cantabile Truro Youth Singers. It was selected as the final winner and premiered on Feb. 8, 2020. It was a great song to put into the hearts of young singers at this point in time in our world. This song is about community and finding that space in our hearts where we keep our loved ones, even when we are not able to be with them. It was a hopeful message to hold onto for the next few years when singing was restricted.

P.S. I did write a goodbye song for my students that we DID sing. It was “See You Later, Alligator”, a cheery, up-tempo song to ease us through the process of saying goodbye. It was hard enough to be parting ways (for all of us) so my final gift was a goodbye song that was not sad!

You Are Invited

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

Song starts at 0:45

Send us your video of I Will Be There and perhaps we can post it here.

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The Love of the Sea

Andy Duinker — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 20:39:35 +0000

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The Love of the Sea

by Donna Rhodenizer

SATB - Key Of E♭

Context Choir: high school, adult/community

Level High school, adult

Audio Sample See video below

SSA - Key Of E♭

Context Choir: high school, adult/community

Level High school, adult

Audio Sample See video below

Unison - Key Of E♭

Context Choir: high school, adult/community

Level High school, adult

Unison - Key of C

Context Choir: high school, adult/community

Level High school, adult

Composer Notes

The Love of the Sea

I am often asked which comes first, the music or the lyrics? When I write, I often sit at the piano where I play various chord progressions or try out a melody line. Once I get the beginning idea, thinking of words and the music together, helps shape and direct the process. Sometimes a phrase or an interesting word combination strikes my fancy and I create the melody to fit that. The process is quite organic and really goes back and forth quite a lot as the writing progresses.

The Love of the Sea started out as a melodic phrase. I was in my elementary music classroom waiting for my next class to arrive. Small intervals of time between classes do not happen often and I went to the piano to play something while I waited. I picked out a melody that lasted for only two bars. I liked the interval jump, I liked the 3/4 feel and I decided it was worth writing down to mull over later. I rolled the phrase around in my mind a few times and thought, “the love of the sea” fit nicely with both the melody and the timing. Then my class arrived. I scurried to my desk to write down those five notes and the corresponding five words so that I could remember them to work on them later. (A word to the wise, you may think you will remember these bits of inspiration, but more often than not, they get lost in the rest of the day. My advice is, write it down, even if you end up throwing it out!)

When I finally had time to work on my initial inspiration, the melody and the words were sculpted and crafted back and forth as I filled out the melody and form of the song. I spent a long time wrestling with what I wanted to say about the ocean. As a Nova Scotian, the sea is a very big part of the culture, the landscape and the very air we breathe in our Maritime location. (I lived for a year in Manitoba and I desperately missed the salt air and the ocean that I felt was “in my blood” and my very soul.) The form of the song turned out to have a double verse, a chorus, another double verse and two final choruses. Strangely enough, the lyrics do not rhyme in the verses. The lilt of the 3/4 time carried the lyrics without confining them to a rhyme scheme, although I must admit, I didn’t really make a conscious decision NOT to rhyme the words. In fact, I didn’t really notice that they didn’t rhyme until well after the process was underway. In any case, The Love of the Sea eventually came to its final form and started on its journey into the world.

Someone once told me they loved how the words just fell into place, like they were meant to be that way. I have a fairly thick file of rejected lyrics to prove that the lyrics had many versions and revisions before arriving at their final form. I guess that is part of the writing process.

The Love of the Sea has been around since 1996 and it is still being sung by choirs and soloists around the world. It has been recorded multiple times, it has been sung by singers of all ages. This song has been sung in many locations and for a wide variety of reasons. My singing partner, Andy Duinker was on an airplane heading to Newfoundland and struck up a conversation with the person next to him. He asked her:

Where are you heading? Home for my Dad’s funeral.

What kind of music will you have at the service? We are singing one of my Dad’s favourite songs, "The Love of the Sea".

How does that go? She hummed a few bars.

That song was written by my singing partner, Donna Rhodenizer – what a small world!

We may not be able to explain inspiration, but composers talk about “receiving” a song. I remain grateful that The Love of the Sea was entrusted to me. Thankfully, I had a moment of silence in my usually busy music classroom to receive the opening notes, the time to write it down and the inclination to work at crafting the rest of the song. It has been almost thirty years since I wrote it and it is still being sung around the world. That is music to my composer’s heart!

Stream or purchase audio track

Stream or Purchase The Love of the Sea from many streaming sites including:

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

Andy's Fine Company CD (on which you will find The Love of the Sea) is available for download or physical CD on this website.

You are invited

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The Love of the Sea - SATB

Performed by:

Ann Arbor Singers from the University of Michigan

Thomas Burton - Conductor

The Love of the Sea - SSA

Performed by:

Northern Arts Academy Choir

The Love of the Sea - SSA

Performed by:

The Fredericton Ladies Choir

Send us your video of The Love of the Sea and perhaps we can post it here.

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A Jolly Bunch Are We – Donna & Andy CD

Andy Duinker — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 19:11:38 +0000

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A Jolly Bunch Are We - CD

by Donna & Andy

Audio and Lyrics

Jolly Sailors

Turn it Around

When You're Smiling

I Really Need to Know

Don't Make Me Do Laundry

My Kaleidoscope View

A Snake Tango Tale

The Compliant Giant

Music in the Kitchen

See You Later, Alligator

Print Music

Jolly Sailors - Print Music Download - print music and teaching strategies
Turn it Around - Print Music Download
When You're Smiling - print music coming soon
I Really Need to Know - Print Music Download
Don't Make Me Do Laundry - print music coming soon
My Kaleidoscope View - Print Music Download
A Snake Tango Tale - Print Music Download
The Compliant Giant - Print Music Download
Music in the Kitchen - print music coming soon
See You Later, Alligator - Print Music Download

Stream on various Apps

Stream and download from various applications (e.g. iTunes and Spotify)

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A Jolly Bunch Are We

Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.

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Scroll up to the "Reviews" tab and let us know what you think of our new CD! Thanks!

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I’d Rather be a Bear

Andy Duinker — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 17:40:20 +0000

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I'd Rather be a Bear

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for I'd Rather be a Bear.

Part of a Song Collection

I'd Rather be a Bear is part of the award winning song collection "Blue Skies and Pirates" Click the link to see more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 110-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 include CD (24 tracks)

Stream or Purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase 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.

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song I'd Rather be a Bear. Enjoy 35 more colouring pages when you get a "Top of the Class" Donna & Andy Membership.

Composer's Notes

I’d Rather be a Bear

I had made plans to run some errands, but the day was cold and snowy. As I looked out the window I debated whether or not it was worth venturing out into the cold or if I should wait for a different, and hopefully warmer, day. I wondered if it was an option to avoid the cold completely by staying in my nice, warm house until spring arrived. Hmmm. Bears get to do that! They go to sleep in the fall when the weather starts to get cold, they sleep all winter, and they wake up in the lovely spring weather. If a bear is awakened from its winter sleep, it might be grumpy and nobody says, “Stop being a grump!” It is just accepted as a characteristic of their personality. Bears also get to eat all summer and get fat – on purpose! And they get to wear a lovely fur coat wherever they go. Seems to me, a bear has a pretty good life! This wintery thought process inspired the song, I’d Rather be a Bear.

The recording process brought another fun element to this song. The sung phrase, “I’d rather be a bear” is echoed by a spoken response. Andy and I had a great time thinking of different ways to do the echoes. We thought about recording multiple tracks and changing our voices each time to create a group response. Then we had a super idea! We had 8-10 musicians lined up to play on the recording to create our band backing tracks. As each instrumental musician came into the studio, we requested that they would say the line, “I’d rather be a bear” so we could record it and add the voices together to create our group of bears. At first, the musicians were hesitant, but once they started adding their “bear voice impersonations” they had a blast trying to make their bear voice sound different than everyone else’s. You can hear the end result in the Donna & Andy performance track for I’d Rather be a Bear. It turned out to be one of our favourite tracks on the Blue Skies and Pirates CD.

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!

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Included in this

12 Song Collection

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