Tongue Twisters 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.

Freebie – Tongue Twisters

Andy Duinker — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 01:14:16 +0000

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Tongue Twisters - freebie

by Donna Rhodenizer

The benefits of tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are a good fit for older elementary singers.

The simple melody and musical form of a tongue twister is at an attainable skill level.
The challenge is learning to accurately sing the tongue-twisting text.
Tongue twisters can spice up vocal warm ups.
Spoken tongue twisters are a fun way to warm up before introducing a song.

Spoken tongue twisters

Spoken tongue twisters are a great ice breaker activity, providing a fun challenge and encouraging participation even from hesitant students.

Tongue twisters are a great warm-up activity at the beginning of a music class or choir rehearsal. Tongue twisters encourage

clear diction
expressive delivery of the words

Both of these are excellent skills for singers to develop.

Tongue twisters can be done individually or with others. In a group setting, reticent participants will have the support of their peers as everyone tries to successfully navigate the tricky word combinations. There will always be one student who wants to step up and be in the limelight and be the “star” by doing a tongue twister as a solo effort. Some students will surprise the class by being able to execute a tongue twister flawlessly. For others, when the inevitable slipups happen, everyone has a good laugh, and second (or third!) chances are appreciated.

Use tongue twisters at the beginning of class as a warm-up or as a fun end-of-class activity.
Invite students to suggest their favourite tongue twisters to include in your collection. They love it when “their” tongue twister is chosen and someone in the class tries to say it.
Add dynamic changes to tongue twisters to add even more challenge!
Use a metronome when the class says a tongue twister. Say the tongue twister with the steady beat of the metronome. Set a faster speed and try it again. Keep a record of the fastest accurate speed and have students try to beat that speed at their next music class.
Create your own tongue twisters!

Fun tongue twister Activities

Tongue Twister Challenge

(Thanks to Nikki Loney, FULL VOICE Music for this idea.)

Create slips of paper with selected tongue twisters.
Put the strips of paper in a container.
At the beginning of the music lesson, draw out a tongue twister that will be the challenge of the day. For online lessons, the teacher may reach into the jar and pull out a slip when the student says, “STOP”. Add a dramatic lead up to the extraction of the tongue twister to create suspense and anticipation.

Initially, the teacher may choose the tongue twisters included in the jar. However, students enjoy adding their own favourite tongue twisters to the collection.

To get your jar started, a list of two dozen tongue twisters is provided in this freebie.

Create Your Own Tongue Twisters

Have students create their own tongue twisters. To do this “from scratch” is quite difficult. Rather than come up with a completely unique tongue twister, facilitate the process by using a tongue twister generator. A tongue twister generator takes a known tongue twister and provides specific, alternate word choices that can be used to create an alternate version.

e.g., choose words from the table to change this tongue twister:

Students love to create their own tongue twister combinations and challenge each other.

Who can successfully navigate the twisty words?

Who can make the most difficult combination?

Creating a tongue-twister generator is not an easy task. A great tongue twister generator has been created by a teaching colleague of mine, and she has graciously given me permission to share it here.

TONGUE TWISTER GENERATOR created by Jennifer Trites.

Download the PDF at:

https://melodiousintent.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/tongue-twister-generator/

Sing tongue twisters

Tongue twisters can also be sung. Adding a melodic element to the tongue twister certainly “ups the ante” for the participants. The fun and challenge of successfully navigating the words can take the focus off the fact that students are actually singing.

Singing tongue twisters is a great warm-up activity.

Any one-line tongue twister can be used as a warm-up by singing the tongue twister once on each degree of the scale. Singing a complex tongue twister can make slow scale singing more interesting and even fun!

Singing tongue-twister songs are great additions to general music classes. More complex tongue-twister songs can be used as performance pieces. Make sure the words are enunciated clearly so the audience can understand the lyrics!

Donna Rhodenizer - tongue twisters to sing

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

When you have enjoyed singing these tongue twisters 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 it on this page!

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

The post Freebie – Tongue Twisters appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Fish Wishes and/or Witch Watches

Andy Duinker — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:15:25 +0000

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Fish Wishes

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Fish Wishes and Witch Watches.

Teacher Tips

Discuss the benefits and dilemmas of making wishes.

Invite students to share their favourite spoken or sung tongue twisters as vocal warm-ups before singing Fish Wishes.

Sing Fish Wishes as a performance piece or use it as a vocal warm-up.

Use expressive singing to present the song.

Use Fish Wishes as an expressive dramatic reading.

The melody of this tongue twisters is in a minor key and in 6/8 meter. Discuss these musical elements with your students.

Sing Fish Wishes as part of a tongue twister unit.

Enjoy singing Fish Wishes as a fun and engaging singing challenge.

Composer's Notes

Fish Wishes

I originally wrote the tongue twister “story” Witch Watches. It really wasn’t a Halloween song, although it works well when trying to include some thematic material in October. It was a fun challenge for my older students adding a minor tonality to the tongue twisty words. The only downside to this tale is that it is often pulled out for a few short classes in October and then returned to the shelf, gathering dust until the next year when a witch song is part of lesson planning. I think witches might want to know what time it is throughout the year, but sometimes it is difficult to get beyond the type casting.

I decided to work on composing a new story using the same melody and rhythm patterns that did not have an affiliation to any particular time of year. This creates more versatility and more opportunities to use this fun song style and its minor tonality. I had thought I would just change enough words so the fish were also checking their watches. (Try saying “fish watches” three times and see how difficult that is!) However, when chatting to Nikki Loney (Full Voice Music) who has inspired many of my songs for young singers, she suggested wishing fishes might be a fun topic to explore. And so, a new song was created.

Fish Wishes is just as much fun as Witch Watches, and in my opinion, it is even more difficult to sing than the word combinations in the original tongue twister. This is a great vocal challenge to sing as a performance song or as a warm-up for students in grades 4-6, middle school, high school and even adult choirs. I am pretty sure it will take all of us quite a while to sing this song with confidence and without slipping up on any of the fishy lyrics. Also, in case you haven’t heard it before, it bears repeating here: Be careful what you wish for!

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!

Go to Witch Watches page

Witch Watches and Fish Wishes are also available on the Witch Watches page.

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

The post Fish Wishes and/or Witch Watches appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Où est le cadeau

Andy Duinker — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:46:21 +0000

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Où est le cadeau

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Où est le cadeau?

Teaching Tips

Speak the words of Où est le cadeau? 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 vocal presentation when you receive your gift?
How will you use your voice and face expressively to show that you really like your gift?

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.

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Où est le cadeau?.

Composer's Notes

Où est le cadeau?

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.

As sometimes happens with songs, I decided to tweak the lyrics of my original song and create slightly different lyrics to stretch the song to three verses. Eventually all the elements settled and the title became Où est le cadeau?

I was approached by Nikki Loney at FULL VOICE Music to see if I would be interested in my “cadeau” song being translated into Spanish. This was done by Tracey Ford and her sister, Andrea. I also wrote an English translation so the three translations could be used as a language study for young vocal studio students.

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!

English Version

Try out the English version of this song entitled A Gift for Me.

English / French / Spanish - Language Study

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

This secular holiday language study celebrates the excitement and anticipation of holiday surprises. The download includes lyrics in French, Spanish and English. A great song for young singing students or choir!

Go to Full Voice Music to get this fun language study.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Où est le cadeau?

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 Où est le cadeau and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Où est le cadeau appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Vocal Warm-ups for Choir, Elementary Schools and Vocal Studios

Andy Duinker — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:49:43 +0000

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Vocal Warm-ups

by Donna Rhodenizer

Print Copies also available on Amazon

Print copies are available on Amazon.

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

When you are on Donna's author page, please click the "Follow" button to get notified when additional new books become available.

More Information

Warm-ups are an important element to include at the beginning of choir rehearsals and vocal lessons. Although it may be tempting to skip warm-ups if time is limited, healthy singing requires vocal and physical preparation. I often use the example with my students that athletes warm up their muscles before running, jumping and throwing for athletic activities. The voice is also a muscle and it needs to be warmed up before making it do a vocal workout. Warming up helps develop strength and prevent injury.

Young singers in elementary school choirs arrive at the music room from various locations and other activities. Private vocal lessons are often at the end of the day and sometimes squeezed between multiple after-school activities. Some students will need time to wind down, others will need to be energized! Warm-ups provide a good focus and transition time. In choir or small-group lessons, warm-ups also help the group begin to work as a team.

Combining movement with vocal warm-ups helps engage the whole body in the singing activity. Combining singing AND doing an action is good for the brain, and is often a welcome challenge that helps engage students, particularly older students.

Warm-ups can be used for diction, warming up the vocal range, challenging the brain and waking up the body.

Vocal Range Warm-ups

Vocal Range Warm-ups

Ascending / Descending Warm-ups:

Down to the Bottom of the Sea
Ee he he
Doobee doo
Vowels

I Know, I Know, I Know

Have You Seen My Alligator?

Parachute / Umbrella Warm-ups

Diction / Articulation Warm-ups and Challenges

Diction /Articulation Warm-ups and Challenges

Consonants

The Tip of the Tongue
Zinga Zinga Zah
Maybe My Mommy

Five Tongue Twisters

Listen to the Vocal Local Yodel
My Swiss Wristwatch
We Will Surely See the Sun
Shawn Swan
The Bold Bluebird Blinks

More Tongue Twisters

Red Leather, Yellow Leather
Pass the Pasta

Piccolo Meenie

One, One-Two-One

Z-Y-X (Backward Alphabet)

Animal Can-Can

Physical Warm-ups

Physical Warm-ups

My Bonnie

Bim Bum

Stretches - Physical Warm-up Story

Creating Harmony

Creating Harmony

Sustained Ooh

Chairs to Mend

Alfred (The Alligator Song)

Round and Round the Earth is Turning

Vocal Range Warm-ups

Diction / Articulation Warm-ups and Challenges

Physical Warm-ups (voice and body)

Creating Harmony

Send us your videos of these Vocal Warm-ups and perhaps we can post them here.

The post Vocal Warm-ups for Choir, Elementary Schools and Vocal Studios appeared first on 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.

Witch Watches and/or Fish Wishes

Andy Duinker — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:21:10 +0000

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Witch Watches

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio and Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Witch Watches and Fish Wishes.

Teaching Tips

Sing Witch Watches as a performance piece or use it as a vocal warm-up.

Use expressive singing to present the song Witch Watches.

Use Witch Watches as an expressive dramatic reading.

Witch Watches is in a minor key and in 6/8 meter. Discuss these musical elements with your students.

Use spoken or sung tongue twisters as vocal warm-ups before singing Witch Watches.

Include Witch Watches as part of a tongue twister focus or a Halloween unit.

Composer's Notes

Witch Watches

I try to always be on the lookout for an interesting phrase that piques my interest and might make a good song lyric. I discovered the tongue twister, “If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?” This was a delightful tongue twister to try with my students, but it was also a great idea for a song.

When the subject matter of a song can be anything at all, the possibilities are vast and unending. Writing song lyrics that are defined by the parameters of a tongue twister helps narrow the possibilities and creates focus. These two witches and their watches were an interesting study. Were they just fastidiously conscious of the time requiring them to watch their watches so closely? Were they suspicious of each other, and maybe wishing they could have the watch of the other witch? As we are watching the action unfold, the question is, which witch should we be watching?

In addition to working on the lyrics, I wanted to create a melody that set the mood. The natural cadence of the language determined the 6/8 meter. I chose a minor key in deference to the witches, but the song is not spooky in any way. In fact, it really isn’t a Halloween song at all, although many teachers like to include this song in their seasonal repertoire. It makes sense not to limit the tongue twister fun to a short Halloween season when singers enjoy singing this song at any time of year.

A composer should also be aware of the needs of the singer. There is a bit of a break halfway through the verse which gives the singer the opportunity to catch their breath and collect their wits before continuing with all the twisty words. You are welcome!

In the second verse the two witches are talking to each other, so we can presume there wasn’t anything sinister about their activities in verse 1. However, now they have a new problem. With both witches talking, there is no watch watching going on. Oh dear! At least they are having fun “tick talking” when the song ends.

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 videos - we might be able to post them on this page!

Go to Fish Wishes page

Fish Wishes and Witch Watches are also available on the Fish Wishes page.

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

Composer, Elementary Music Specialist, Performer

Donna Rhodenizer

Donna Rhodenizer received her first wristwatch at the age of 8 as a Christmas gift from her grandmother. Donna loves spending her time composing songs for young singers, and she has written more than 500 songs over the past three decades. She enjoys playing with words (especially tongue twisters) and adding humour to her songs.

The post Witch Watches and/or Fish Wishes appeared first on Donna & Andy.

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

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.

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.

The post 5 Tongue Twisters appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Pass the Pasta

Andy Duinker — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 02:47:12 +0000

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Pass the Pasta

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Prepare for this tongue-twister song by speaking the lyrics aloud.

Enunciate the words clearly and speak expressively.

If there are any spots where the words get tangled up, repeat that section several times. Slow it down and increase the speed a bit more each time until you are able to speak it accurately at the normal speed.

Learn the melody by singing it using solfege syllables.

Add hand signs as you sing.

Once you know the melody, add the lyrics for Pass the Pasta and use the song as a vocal warm-up.

Sing Pass the Pasta as a performance piece to impress the audience with your ability to accurately sing the complicated word patterns of the song.

Use expressive singing to tell the story. Can you convince your audience that you really do like pasta with peas and pepper?

Composer's Notes

Pass the Pasta

I have always been known to be someone who talks quickly. My grandmother was constantly reminding me, “Donna, slow down.” Hard as I try, I can only maintain a slower speed for a short time before my natural speedy speech tendency exerts its influence, and off I go! Tongue twisters are right down my alley as they often include quick word combinations. I love playing with alliterative sounds and combinations of words to tell the story - if one can get the words to come out correctly!

Pass the Pasta was a song that started rolling around in my head as I was falling asleep. I had several lines of the song that I thought would work and I tried hard to repeat them over and over so I wouldn’t forget them. I know that this often results in the loss of potential words, so I turned on my light and jotted down the few phrases I had started.

I pushed words around for a few days to solidify the first verse and I thought the song was completed. I wasn’t ready to use it for anything at the moment so I put it away. When I returned to it a few weeks later, the song seemed to be too short so I created a second verse. A tongue twister with two verses creates twice as many words for the singer to sing without stumbling. Oh my! Pass the Pasta, please!

Donna Rhodenizer

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 Pass the Pasta and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Pass the Pasta appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Seven Sassy Sailors

Andy Duinker — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:59:10 +0000

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Seven Sassy Sailors

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment + melody guide (and accordion bonus accompaniment) for Seven Sassy Sailors.

Donna had fun adding an accordion to the accompaniment track. Use this accompaniment track (included in your download) to add flair to a performance of Seven Sassy Sailors.

Full Blog Post

Read more about Seven Sassy Sailors in the extensive blog post created by Donna to support teachers with teaching tips and strategies, additional tongue twister activities, and suggestions for adding dramatic flair to the performance.

Composer's Notes

Seven Sassy Sailors

I had just created the song Jolly Sailors and I thought a tongue twister warm-up would be a good way for my students to get ready to sing the song. “Seven sassy sailors sailed the seven salty seas” is a common tongue twister that many people would know. I decided to write a few more verses for the sassy sailors. First the sailors enjoyed slipping salsa in their soup. Next they were sorry when their schooner sank and they suddenly found themselves swimming. After they sent an S.O.S., the soggy sailors were extracted from the sea so the song could end on a happy note! When the sailors start out on their salty, sailing adventure, the melody is in a major key. I had fun changing the third verse to a minor key while the sailors were involved in the sinking of their schooner, but I got to return to the major key for the happy ending.

I couldn’t resist adding some accordion to the accompaniment for this song. It has such a jaunty sound to add to the cheery, major-key verses and it could be made to sound quite melancholy in the minor key. I hope you enjoy my salty, sassy, saucy, sorry, soggy song!

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 Seven Sassy Sailors and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Seven Sassy Sailors appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Tongue Twisters Archives - Donna & Andy

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

Composer - music and lyrics details

Option - purchase songs separately

Print copies Available on Amazon

Teaching Tips

Composer's Notes

You Are Invited

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

Freebie – Tongue Twisters

The benefits of tongue twisters

Spoken tongue twisters

Fun tongue twister Activities

Sing tongue twisters

Donna Rhodenizer - tongue twisters to sing

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

You are Invited

Fish Wishes and/or Witch Watches

Audio & Lyrics

Teacher Tips

Composer's Notes

You Are Invited

Go to Witch Watches page

Où est le cadeau

Où est le cadeau

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Colouring Page - download

Composer's Notes

English Version

English / French / Spanish - Language Study

You Are Invited

Vocal Warm-ups for Choir, Elementary Schools and Vocal Studios

Vocal Warm-ups

Print Copies also available on Amazon

More Information

Vocal Range Warm-ups

Diction / Articulation Warm-ups and Challenges

Physical Warm-ups

Creating Harmony

Physical Warm-ups (voice and body)

Creating Harmony

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

Witch Watches and/or Fish Wishes

Witch Watches

Audio and Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Composer's Notes

You are invited

Go to Fish Wishes page

Donna Rhodenizer

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:

You Are invited

Pass the Pasta

Pass the Pasta

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Composer's Notes

You Are invited

Seven Sassy Sailors

Seven Sassy Sailors