Five Little Snowflakes/ Five Shiny Stars – Beginning with one snowflake, each verse adds another snowflake and a new action until ending with five snowflakes. The same melody is used with alternate lyrics to create the song, Five Shiny Stars.

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Jiggle Wiggle Freeze! – Although technically not a winter song, this freeze dance is so much fun no one will mind sneaking it into a winter-themed concert. With tongue twisty movement words and fun freeze dance poses, this song is sure to become a favourite!

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Jingle Bells Scarf Activity – This song is one of the top traditional songs and it is about sleigh riding, not holiday specific at all. By singing only part of the chorus and then adding scarf movement, this is a great song for concerts early in the year with beginning singers. It has great visual appeal for concerts and it is lots of fun!

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

See My Little Candle / See the Snowflakes Falling – Sharing a small candle can make a big difference in the world. This delicate song is super effective with the addition of small battery-operated candles. It works for Remembrance Day or Veterans Day programs as well as any time a song about peace is the order of the day. Alternate snowflake lyrics are also provided creating even more versatility.

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Winter A to Z – Using the familiar alphabet song/Twinkle Twinkle Little Star melody, 26 wintery items are presented in this song. You may be surprised at some of the items that are included!

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

These five winter concert songs for Kindergarten and grade 1 singers (ages 5-7) have simple but memorable melodies, and lyrics that are repetitious or very predictable, keeping the lyric load attainable. Instrumental sections are often included to accommodate movement in addition to singing. Adding a featured movement section is a great way to prepare a song with greater length without adding more lyrics. Finally, the songs in this collection are fun for the kids to sing and entertaining for the audience.

The download includes student vocal scores (with permission to print as many copies as required) or teachers may choose to teach the songs by rote. Lead sheets and piano scores are also provided. Lyric sheets are included and are a real time-saver for teachers who can quickly make copies to send home for students to practice. Finally, the inclusion of piano accompaniment tracks with and without melody guide are a great help for teachers who want to be able to direct the students rather than being busy at the piano during the performance.

The book also includes concert planning tips, drawing on Donna’s experience from planning many, many concerts during her 37 years as an elementary music specialist. This collection of songs is a valuable addition to the music repertoire library in kindergarten and grade music classrooms.

Download includes:

• Vocal scores
• Lead sheets
• Director/piano scores
• Lyrics
• Accompaniments – with melody guide
• Accompaniments – piano
• Teaching Tips

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

The jaunty melody is sung with swinging eighth notes and a few spicy accidentals to keep things interesting. A two-verse song is created by changing only one line of the lyrics for the repeat of the song, giving young singers a longer performance experience without adding the stress of learning a lot of lyrics. The melody falls within the one-octave range C4-C5, ideal for young singers.

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• Accompaniment – with melody guide
• Accompaniment – piano
• Teaching Tips

The post Fluffy Flakes of Snow appeared first on Donna & Andy.

The Christmas words mention things that make Christmas a special time of year: sleigh bells, snowflakes, cold frosty air, traveling and visiting loved ones. This is an ideal song choice for concerts where the focus is on family, gifts, love and kindness and how these sentiments are associated with Christmas.

It’s Winter Time - The winter lyrics sparkle with winter imagery such as “houses with icicle diamonds to wear” and describes other features of a cold, frosty winter. This song also focuses on fun winter activities that are enjoyed with family and friends.

This song includes step-wise melodic lines presented in sequences. Long, fluid phrases take full advantage of rising and falling lines to create momentum and musical interest. A key change adds to the “lift” and contributes to a dramatic concert performance.

Conserving breath energy will be important to sing the long, flowing phrases. Use clear diction and expressive singing for a strong presentation of this song.

3 purchase options include:

• It's Christmas Time
• It's Winter Time
• It's Christmas Time + It's Winter Time - 2-song Combo

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Listen to Donna & Andy performance track (It's Christmas Time):

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• Accompaniment – with melody guide
• Accompaniment – piano
• Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
• Donna & Andy – performance track (It's Christmas Time)
• Teaching Tips
• Colouring page

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

What would you do if you discovered an invisible dragon living at your house? If things started getting broken, would anyone believe that Ed, the invisible dragon was the cause of all the problems? Read this story, sing the song, and enjoy sharing some adventures with this lovable invisible dragon!

Ed, the Invisible Dragon first arrived on the scene in 1993 as a song for young singers, written by Donna Rhodenizer. It is one of Donna’s most popular songs and has been sung by young singers around the world.

The illustrated children’s book follows the song lyrics as the story unfolds. The book also includes the vocal score and a colouring page.

Young listeners enjoy hearing the story and are also able to stream or purchase the audio tracks of the music version of Ed, the Invisible Dragon as performed by Donna & Andy. Ed is one of 12 songs on the ECMA award-winning and JUNO nominated Donna & Andy recording, Dinosaurs, Dragons and Me.

Ed, the Invisible Dragon is a fun book to read to a child or a grandchild, a classroom of elementary students, a small group class, or an individual student in a vocal studio.

• Song/Story by    Donna Rhodenizer
• Illustrated by    Richard Bennett
• Song performed by    Donna & Andy

Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track of "Ed the Invisible Dragon":

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Please provide a first name in the “Order Notes” at the bottom of the Check-out page – for whom the book is to be autographed.

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Singers are instructed to swing the eighths as they present this jaunty melody with its positive message. A brief reference to the children’s chant “Rain Rain Go Away” and some nonsense syllables are all part of the charm of this composition.

The melody is rhythmically interesting while being accessible for young singers in grades 4-5, ages 9-11. The melody stays mainly within a one-octave vocal range from C4-C5 except for a few stretches to notes in the upper range (D5) and the option to sing a bright and dramatic F5 as a flourish on the final note of the song.

Splashing in the Puddles was originally written as a simple call and response, 2-part song for Donna’s elementary school choir. It has also been adapted into a solo/unison version without the call and response echoes so everyone can have fun singing this optimistic rainy-day song. Both the unison and 2-part arrangements are included in this download package.

Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:

Listen to melody + accompaniment - unison - SAMPLE: Note: the tempo is slower to accommodate the volume of words for a solo singer

Listen to melody + accompaniment  - 2-part version - SAMPLE:

Download for Classrooms and Choirs Includes:

• Vocal score (unison and 2-part)
• Lead sheet (unison and 2-part)
• Director/piano score (unison and 2-part)
• Lyrics (unison and 2-part)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (unison)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (voice 1)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (voice 2)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (2 parts together)
• Accompaniment – piano (unison and 2-part)
• Donna & Andy band – instrumental track (2-part)
• Donna & Andy – performance track (2-part)
• Teaching tips
• Colouring page
• 20 Cross-curricular Activities

Download for Single User License includes:

• Vocal score (unison)
• Lead sheet (unison)
• Director/piano score (unison)
• Lyrics (unison)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (unison)
• Accompaniment – piano (unison)
• Teaching tips
• Colouring page
• 20 Cross-curricular Activities

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This lyrical 3/4 meter melody supports the mood of the song and could easily fit into the lullaby category. Singers who have ever had a pet will be able to draw on that experience as they use expressive singing to convey the story presented in My Hamster.

The melody of My Hamster is written within a range of B3-D5, with only one brief dip to the lower notes stretching young singers a bit beyond their most comfortable singing range. A harmony part is included with a range of A3-B4, intended for students with access to a lower range and who are independent singers able to sing an alto line. This song works equally well as a solo or duet and as a unison or 2-part choir selection.

Cross-curricular activities are included extending the focus into other subject areas beyond the music classroom or vocal studio.

Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:

Listen to melody + accompaniment - SAMPLE:

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• Accompaniment – with melody guide
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (alto)
• Accompaniment – with melody guide (duet)
• Accompaniment – piano
• Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
• Donna & Andy – performance track
• Teaching tips
• Colouring page
• 19 Cross-curricular Activities

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The melody of My Chihuahua is written within the C4-C5 vocal range making it accessible for young singers. The rhythm includes syncopations that look complex but that flow with the natural accents of the language. These syncopations will be learned more by feel than by “mathematical” counting and calculation.

My Chihuahua is a fun solo, or use it as a song for group classes for singers ages 12 and under. This song works well with elementary school classes grades 3-4 (and possibly also grade 2 if teaching by rote).

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Listen to band - melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• Accompaniment - with melody guide
• Accompaniment - piano
• Band - Accompaniment - with melody guide
• Band - Accompaniment
• Teaching Tips

The post My Chihuahua appeared first on Donna & Andy.

The accompaniment includes chord changes that may be unexpected, but which support the lyrical melody. The melody has easily accessible intervals combined with stepwise passages. The B section is written with shifts between major and minor tonalities providing melodic contrast before returning to the dreamy opening melody. The range of the song fits comfortably in the D4-D5 range that is ideal for the developing voices of young singers. It is likely that singers will enjoy singing about cleaning under their bed more than they enjoy the cleaning process itself!

Listen to melody + accompaniment - sample:

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• Accompaniment - with melody guide
• Accompaniment - piano
• Teaching Tips

The post Under My Bed appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Explore marching as a thematic unit or use the two original instrumental marches and four songs in this collection as a movement activity or fun songs to sing.

Instrumental songs for marching (Original Donna Rhodenizer songs)

• September March
• January March (Marshmallow March)

September March and January March are selected from a 12-song series of marches Donna created to use with her students. A variety of activities are suggested for use with these marches including ways to incorporate keeping the beat, moving and responding to phrases, silent beat keeping, dynamics and exploring facial expression.

 Songs to sing

• March Quickly
• Deedle Deedle Dumpling
• The Ants Go Marching
• Midnight March

March Quickly is a singing game for young, emerging singers to internalize the beat and the tone sets s-m, s-l-s and s-m-d.

Deedle Deedle Dumpling is a singing game that includes a unique way to explore the accented beats of a march in 2/4 time. In addition, it can be used with kindergarten and grade 1 students to prepare and internalize s-m-d combinations and with grade 2 students for labelling and practicing s-m-d combinations.

The Ants Go Marching is a well-loved traditional song, sung at many campfires and on long road trips helping to pass the time. Add marching while singing the song. As well, students can make up their own verses, providing a chance to work on composing skills!

Midnight March is a delightful story about toy soldiers who wake up at midnight to march around the toy shop. They practice their left-right marching steps and eventually return to the shelf where they go back to sleep until it is time for the next midnight march. Repetitious words, a simple melody with a narrow vocal range and easy actions make this a fun song for classroom use and also a winner for school concerts or vocal recitals.

Midnight March has French lyrics, creating the song, La marche de minuit. Use the French version as a language study or wherever a simple French song is required.

Listen to melody + accompaniment - Midnight March:

Download Includes:

• Vocal scores (March Quickly, Deedle Deedle Dumpling, The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
• Lead sheet (The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
• Full score (Midnight March)
• Lyrics (The Ants Go Marching, Midnight March)
• Instrumental accompaniment track with melody guide (Midnight March)
• Piano accompaniment track (Midnight March)
• French language study (La marche de minuit) (vocal score and lyrics)
• Instrumental - lead sheet (September March)
• Instrumental track (September March)
• Instrumental - lead sheet (January March)
• Instrumental track (January March)
• Teaching tips and strategies
• LINKS
  • List of YouTube links to samples of famous marches for listening, moving and viewing
  • Instructional videos (links)
    • Marching Activities with Donna – Marching into March
    • September March (with teaching tips)
    • September March (demo)

Also, you can purchase Midnight March separately

The post Marching Music & Activities appeared first on Donna & Andy.

With simple rhythmic and melodic elements, a narrow vocal range, repeated lyrics, and simple actions, Midnight March is a terrific song choice for emerging singers. Although there are no seasonal references in the song, the theme of toy soldiers allows it to fit easily in non-seasonal concerts as well as Christmas-themed concerts or recitals.

Marches are a great style of music to motivate students to move and respond to music. When planning student activities “giving them a reason to listen” informs teaching practices and helps teachers create engaging lessons. The infectious beat of a march seems to elicit a response from even the youngest of students. It is an excellent choice to encourage movement whether it is used for entering the teaching space or as a movement break.

French lyrics also included! Use La marche de minuit as a French language study or as a performance piece.

Midnight March is available as a single song purchase or in combination with other marches and activities in the package, Marching Music & Activities (coming soon - stay tuned)

Listen to melody + accompaniment:

Download Includes:

• Vocal score
• Lead sheet
• Director/piano score
• Lyrics
• French vocal score – language study
• French lyrics – language study
• Accompaniment – with melody guide
• Accompaniment – piano
• Teaching Tips

Midnight March is included in Marching Music & Activities on this website

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