Bedtime Tango

$7.00$20.00

Bedtime Tango is a delightful combination of a lullaby (for hopeful parents) and a Tango (for hopeful children) centered around the bedtime rituals that occur in many households as parents and children navigate and negotiate the time between play and sleep.

Children enjoy the musical and mischievous switch from lullaby to Tango and someone will want to be assigned the “solo” to deliver the stern admonishment, “It’s bedtime. Stop dancing!”

Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:

Download includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Director / piano score
  • Lyrics
  • Accompaniment – with melody guide
  • Accompaniment – piano
  • Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
  • Donna & Andy – performance track

Bedtime Tango

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Bedtime Tango!

Bedtime Tango - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer

Part of a Song Collection

Bedtime Tango is one of 12 songs from the Juno-nominated song collection "Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me" Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs using a variety of styles including a lullaby/tango, bluegrass, blues and pop in a variety of skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.

Learn more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 122-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)

Bonus Audio Tracks / CD

  1. The song collection - Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) audio tracks are available for download or physical CD purchase on this website.
  2. Get audio tracks and activities with a Donna & Andy Membership
  3. Stream this song on popular streaming apps (Spotify, iTunes etc.)

Colouring Page - download

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

Bedtime Tango - song composed by Donna Rhodenizer - coloring page - artwork by Richard Bennett

Composer's Notes

Bedtime Tango

I vividly remember when I started writing Bedtime Tango. I was on my way home from a three-day conference, having left my three small children at home with their dad. Three days of busy conference included a quiet hotel room for two nights, making it a real vacation for this composer/Mom! As I was driving home, I was thinking about the nighttime rituals that occur in a household of young children: one more story, one more drink of water, one more kiss goodnight.

My initial idea was to write a lullaby (how optimistic of me!) but as soon as I thought of the opening line, “when it is time for bed, and I don’t want to go” I had visions of my boys as they would find all sorts of things to stretch out the day and stall the inevitable destination of sleep. I knew that once I arrived home there would not be a moment of quiet to write down my ideas, so I pulled over to the side of the road to jot down lyrics and write the melody using solfege syllables (a handy tool when there is no manuscript paper at hand). I could take you to the exact spot where I parked the car to write down my ideas.

Later, I was able to work with those scribbled notes to complete the story. I had fun flipping back and forth between a lullaby and a tango as the backdrop for the lyrics of Bedtime Tango. I also let my adult self win the battle, as I ended the song by winding things down with a final “goodnight”. After all, eventually we do need to sleep, right?

In the recording studio, I wanted a “mother’s voice” but I didn’t want it to be my voice (in addition to the singing) so I conscripted my sister to read the lines “it’s bedtime, stop dancing.” She was a nervous wreck trying to make sure she nailed her three lines of “script” with just the right combination of stern reprimand and supportive parent. Making her task even more difficult was the fact that she really thought it would be more fun to continue dancing, reading and playing. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be put in the role of the authoritarian. We talked her through the process and we got the track recorded. I’m glad I asked her to contribute to this track!

Teaching tips

Introduce the song with a discussion.

  • Do you ever find it difficult to settle down when it is time to sleep?
  • Are there are any other things you do instead of going to bed?

What is a tango?
Find some examples of this fiery dance.

Use expressive singing to change the feel of the song when it is a lullaby vs. the feel of the song when the child is dancing, playing, or reading.

Use legato singing and a change in dynamics for the final “goodnights” of the song.

You're invited

  • You are invited to send us your performance of Bedtime Tango. Maybe your video will be featured here on this page.
  • Please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Included in this 

12 Song Collection

Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me - Songbook - by Donna & Andy
3 Songbooks - by Donna Rhodenizer and Andy Duinker (Donna & Andy)

Related Products - age 10 and under

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Voicing

Vocal Range

Bb3 – Bb4

Duration

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