Hope Archives - Donna & Andy

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

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

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Winter Concert Songs - Vol. 1

Grades K-1 (ages 5-7)

by Donna Rhodenizer

Composer - music and lyrics details

Music and lyrics - Donna Rhodenizer

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

Traditional music - Donna Rhodenizer lyrics

Winter A to Z

Traditional words and music - arrangement Donna Rhodenizer

Jingle Bells Scarf Activity

Option - purchase songs separately

Print copies Available on Amazon

Print copies 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.

Teaching Tips

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

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

Composer's Notes

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

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

You Are Invited

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

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

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

Five Little Snowflakes

Jiggle Wiggle Freeze

Jingle Bells - scarf activity

See My Little Candle

Winter A to Z

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

The post Winter Concert Songs for Children – Vol. 1 – Grades K-1 (ages 5-7) appeared first on Donna & Andy.

See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

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

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See My Little Candle

See the Snowflakes Falling

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

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

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Introduce the song

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

Expressive singing

Discuss ways to sing expressively.

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

Concert Presentation

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

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

Music Elements

Discuss ABA form.

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

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

Can students think of other physical examples of ABA form?

Composer's Notes

See my Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling

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

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

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

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

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

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of See My Little Candle or See the Snowflakes Falling

and perhaps we can post it here.

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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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It’s Christmas Time + It’s Winter Time

Andy Duinker — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:29:30 +0000

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It's Christmas Time

It's Winter Time

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for It's Christmas Time & It's Winter Time.

Part of a song collection

It's Christmas Time is one of 11 songs from the award-winning song collection It's Christmas Time. Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels in both French and English for singers age 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 146-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 11 songs. Enjoy!

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

It's Christmas Time song collection is also available on Amazon.

Stream and purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase the It's Christmas Time tracks from many streaming sites including: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

Donna & Andy have yet to record It's Winter Time.

The It's Christmas Time CD and tracks (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental tracks - 22) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teaching Tips

Use this song to work on expressive singing.
Discuss the necessity of clear diction to present the text in the rapidly moving eighth note sections.
In a choral setting, use staggered breathing to accommodate the long, uninterrupted phrases indicated in the music.
Solo singers need to plan breathing spots that will satisfy the need to breathe while accommodating the flow of the phrases. Add breath marks to the score to assist with consistent practice.
When working on the long phrases, have singers move their hand in an arc to show the shape of the phrases.
Decide what to do during the instrumental verse. In addition to the option of including a solo instrument, this section can include gentle movement using scarves or humming the melody line.
If using an accompanist (rather than the recorded instrumental track) it is also acceptable to skip the instrumental section from rehearsal letter D – rehearsal letter E.

Colouring page - download

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

See more free colouring pages below

Composer's Notes

It's Christmas Time

I have been inspired to write many of my compositions to fill repertoire needs for my students throughout the school year. I wrote this song for one of the many, many school Christmas concerts I planned and presented with my elementary school students. It is a lot of work to put on a school concert with over 500 students, but it was one of my favourite things to do during my 35-year career as a music education specialist. The grade 4-5 elementary choir was the group that took on this challenging piece of music with its plethora of lyrics and quickly moving eighth note passages that required extra attention to diction. I am pleased to recall that they did a super job at the concert. As the years progressed, Christmas concerts often included more winter-themed songs to accommodate students who didn’t celebrate Christmas. New lyrics were created and “It’s Winter Time” found its way into concert rotation. I am always pleased to offer my teaching colleagues options so that my music is as versatile and useful as possible. Giving teachers the option to choose either Christmas or winter lyrics is one way to offer this versatility.

In 2006, when recording our Donna & Andy CD: It’s Christmas Time, my son Benjamin and Andy’s niece, Oriana played French horns for this song. These two young players did such a super job adding that magical horn sound to our recording. It has a special place in my heart as one of my favourite Christmas songs.

You're Invited

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

Send us your video of It's Christmas Time or It's Winter Time and perhaps we can post it here.

Free - download coloring pages for lots of Christmas Fun!

Free Download - 3 Christmas Coloring Pages

The post It’s Christmas Time + It’s Winter Time appeared first on Donna & Andy.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Andy Duinker — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:31:17 +0000

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

music by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio Sample

Listen to melody + accompaniment for O Little Town of Bethlehem as you follow along with the lyrics.

Composer's Notes

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I remember writing this melody. It was late at night and I was playing chord changes, just “noodling” and not really working on anything in particular. I have multiple tracks that I recorded during this session and when I listen to them in order, it is possible to hear how the song idea evolved until it reached its final form. It was certainly a process that became refined and molded through many repetitions.

The song’s plaintive, minor tonality seemed to me to require a serious topic for the song. I crafted lyrics about the weeping willow and the secrets it must hold in its branches and that cause the willow to weep. I don’t know what made me think to try the lyrics for O Little Town of Bethlehem with my melody. When I did so, I was delighted to discover that they fit with one minor lyric change. I like the words to this familiar Christmas carol but the melody by Lewis H. Redner has never been one of my favourites. Now, with my new melody I am happy to include O Little Town of Bethlehem as one of the Christmas songs I really enjoy playing and singing.

In addition to its use as a Christmas carol in unison, SSA and SATB arrangements and as the secular song “Willow” (words and music), my melody was edited for use as a Vocalise (a wordless vocal study) for inclusion in the Royal Conservatory of Music Voice Series, 2025 Edition (Vocalises 5). I also play this as an instrumental solo on my violin or on my accordion (see bonus tab below). That’s a lot of mileage for one song!

You're Invited

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

Send us your performance video - perhaps we might post it on this page!

Purchase option

O Little Town of Bethlehem (SSA) is also available through Full Voice Music

Bonus

O Little Town of Bethlehem uses the original melody from Donna's composition Willow. Enjoy this studio instrumental version of Willow from Donna's CD Musically Yours.

Send us your video of O Little Town of Bethlehem and perhaps we can post it here.

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The Peace of Christmas

Andy Duinker — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:57:03 +0000

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The Peace of Christmas

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment + melody guide for The Peace of Christmas.

Arrangement details

Unison - Key of Eb

Download includes:

Vocal score
Lead sheet
Full score
Lyrics
Accompaniment track (piano only)
Accompaniment with melody guide
Bonus demo track – Treble unison choir (Singing in the key of F)

SSA - Key of G

Download includes:

Full score
Lead sheet
Lyrics
Accompaniment track (piano only)

SAB - Key of F

Download includes:

Full score
Lead sheet
Lyrics
Accompaniment track (piano only)
Bonus demo track – SAB Church Choir

Composer's Notes

I remember sitting in my elementary school music classroom writing this song. It was giving me trouble as I tried to fit my lyrics into 4/4 time. When I tried it in 3/4 meter, suddenly the words started falling into place.

Christmas can be such a magical time. People seem to be more willing to work on being loving and kind. We wish each other joy and peace and other wishes that are kind and generous. If only we could hold onto those feelings for the entire year!

My students sang this song as an all-school finale. It created goosebumps to hear over 400 young voices joining together in wishing everyone the “peace of Christmas”. Since that time, SSA and SAB arrangements have been created and, although the message seems simplistic, I think it is just as relevant for adults as it is for children. It would be my Christmas wish for all.

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 The Peace of Christmas and perhaps we can post it here.

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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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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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I’m Wishing

Andy Duinker — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 17:38:04 +0000

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I'm Wishing

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Part of a Song Collection

I'm Wishing 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 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)

Steam or Purchase Audio Tracks

Stream or purchase from many music streaming sites including:

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

....to name but a few.

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

Also Available Here

I'm Wishing is also available from

- Royal Conservatory of Music Voice Series, 2019 Edition: Repertoire 3

Teaching Tips

The Activity Pack included with I’m Wishing provides two activities to introduce the song and explore the lyrics. There are a total of 23 activities across a variety of subject areas: music, math, language arts, visual art, science, social studies, technology and character trait development. This is an excellent opportunity to listen to the music and then incorporate related activities that arise from the lyrics.

Some of the activities listed here are also explained in more detail in the Activity Pack PDF download.

Have the children listen to the music and create a meaningful piece of art.

Add the children’s art to the performance track of I’m Wishing to create a video.
Play the video as part of school Remembrance Day/Veterans Day presentations.

Discuss what a phrase is.

Discover how many phrases are in the opening chorus.
Have the children move one hand in a rainbow shape to show the shape of each phrase as they listen to the song.

Add instruments to specific words or musical elements in the song.

23 cross-curricular activities

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

Fine arts: music, visual art,
Language arts
Math
Physical activity
Social studies
Science
Technology

Composer's Notes

I'm Wishing

I’m Wishing was created from a place of reflection. As a young child I would wish on the first star that would appear in the darkening night sky. This ritual is probably as old as time itself. People who take the time to look up and wait for the appearance of that first star also may take that time for thinking and wishing.

Wishing on a star can be a way to put into words what is wished in the heart. A child might wish for a variety of things: a place where they are able to laugh and play without fearing for safety, peace instead of war, and more love between people and nations. In addition to wishing for such things to be possible, there is the realization that we all have a part to play in making our wishes become reality.

Although initially written as a children’s song, the message it contains is a good reminder for all of us, regardless of our age. I’m Wishing focuses on the message of hope, and the idea of a more peaceful world. Beyond wishing, there is a part we can all play in our everyday lives to create a more peaceful state of being and living. My hope for the world is that we find a way to make wishes like this become reality.

You Are invited

You are invited to send us your performance of I'm Wishing.

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 as well. Thanks!

Send us your video of I'm Wishing and perhaps we can post it here.

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