Environment Archives - Donna & Andy

Get Up in the Mornin’

Andy Duinker — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 17:46:01 +0000

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Get Up in the Mornin'

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Get Up in the Mornin' & Get Up Christmas Mornin'.

Part of a song collection

Get Up in the Mornin' is one of 12 songs from the award-winning song collection "Blue Skies and Pirates". 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 110-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy!

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

Blue Skies and Pirates is also available on Amazon

Stream and purchase audio tracks

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

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

Teacher Tips

Introduce the song

Have a weather-related discussion.

Do the students have a favourite kind of weather?
What is their least favourite kind of weather?
Do they ever grumble about the weather?
Does grumbling and complaining improve the weather conditions?

Listen to the song or read the lyrics.

What is the message of this song? Don’t be grumpy or blue about the weather, and don’t “sass” Mother Nature!
Is this good advice?

Expressive singing

Sing expressively to create a different presentation style for each of the types of weather about which you are singing.

Emphasize the lyrics by using:

dynamics
clear diction
facial movement
simple gestures

Improvisation

There are instrumental breaks between each verse (bars 29-40).

Have students use these instrumental bars to improvise using their own musical ideas.

Students may sing specific words e.g., rain, sun, wind, etc. or sing scat syllables.

There is also the option to skip these bars (tracks are provided to accommodate both options).

Be a composer

Create your own verses for this song.

As a composer you will make musical decisions about the content of your song lyrics.

You may decide to sing about your favourite kind of weather, or you may want to take the opportunity to complain a bit about your least favourite kind of weather.

Will you still decide to present the message that it won’t help to be grumpy, or will you create a different message for your weather song?

Use the instrumental accompaniment tracks and sing your new lyrics.

Have fun composing!

Colouring page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Get Up in the Mornin'.

Composer's Notes

Get Up in the Mornin'

I was taking my son to a Scout Jamboree in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. 14,000 Scouts from all over Canada were converging at a massive camp site for a week-long event. As we were heading to the camp on a bright and sunny day, the melody and the first verse of the song popped into my head. I started to sing as we walked from the parking lot to the central gathering location (it was quite a hike so I had some time!) My son has camped in some pretty uncomfortable weather conditions. He always had lots of stories to tell, but he really didn’t complain about the weather. He seemed to enjoy the challenge of surviving even rainy and snowy camping trips. He didn’t get that from his mother. I prefer to be protected from heat, cold, bugs and hard ground when I sleep. Despite my personal preference to avoid being involved in bad weather, I thought it made sense to include the advice not to be saucy to Mother Nature. At the end of the day, being grumpy doesn’t change the weather conditions but a good attitude can go a long way to improving the outlook of the situation.

A few years later, our Donna & Andy duo was invited to sing at a Christmas event. We were practicing some standard seasonal tunes when we started to change the lyrics of Get Up in the Mornin’ to fit in with getting up on Christmas morning. We sketched out alternate lyrics that worked for that concert and I include them with the original words so teachers can have an option for school and vocal studio Christmas concert presentations. The admonishment not to be grumpy or sassy also works in the context of staying off the naughty list!

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!

Send us your video of Get Up in the Mornin' and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Get Up in the Mornin’ appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Garden Symphony

Andy Duinker — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 19:44:24 +0000

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Garden Symphony

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Garden Symphony.

Teacher Tips

Pre-Song Activity - Create a sound composition

Close your eyes and listen.

What sounds can you hear that are created by the things that are around you?
Are any of the sounds created by you?
Do any of the sounds sound like music to you?

Use sounds to make musical patterns. Use the sounds you heard when you were listening or create your own (e.g. tapping a pencil, clicking of computer keys, jingling earrings, etc.). Organizing sounds into patterns is making music!

Create a sound composition.

How will you write down the sounds you use in your composition? Pictures, words, symbols, etc. help you remember the sounds you are using so you can re-create your composition on another day, or give it to someone else to play.

Pre-song Discussion

Discuss sounds you might hear if you were outdoors.

Are those sounds music?
Do you have a favourite sound that you like to listen for when you are outdoors?

What are some things you might see if you were outdoors?

Are those things a symphony for the eyes?
Do you have a favourite flower, or something you enjoy seeing when you are outdoors?

Music Vocabulary

Read the lyrics of Garden Symphony to discover what the composer was hearing and seeing. Do you know what all those things sound like and look like?

Sing the song together.

A symphony is a large piece of music for an orchestra.

The word symphony can also mean a beautiful blend of sights or sounds.

What other words are used to label music? (e.g. melody, tune, song, concerto, duet, solo, concert, performance, recital, etc.)

What other words are used to label art? (e.g. painting, collage, drawing, mural, sculpture, etc.)

Create a poster, a word wall or a dictionary of music words and/or art words.

Expressive Singing

There are many descriptive words in Garden Symphony.

Use clear diction and expressive singing to make the story more interesting for your audience.

There are long phrases in Garden Symphony.

Decide where you are going to take a breath to create the best long and lyrical phrases possible.

Score Study

Garden Symphony is created using simple rhythmic elements. Because of this simplicity, it makes a great rhythm sight-reading exercise.

How many different rhythm elements are there in the song?

(Quarter note, eighth note, half note, dotted half note, quarter rest)

Clap or say the rhythm duration syllables that create the melody of this song.

Clap the rhythm in canon with another student or the teacher.
Create a simple ostinato using only 2 rhythm elements and divide the class with one group tapping the ostinato and one group clapping the rhythm.
Use instruments to play the rhythm and ostinato patterns.
- Is it better to have the ostinato louder or the rhythm of the lyrics louder? Try it both ways and make musical decisions about what you think works best.

Composer's Notes

Garden Symphony

Between 2020 - 2022 I had the opportunity to stay at home with no expectations that I needed to be anywhere or see anyone. This 2-year period provided me lots of time on my hands to be creative. I had time to sit and reflect, and time to sit at the piano and “noodle” and I wrote over 150 songs! Garden Symphony was one of the songs in this large influx of ideas and collection of songs. I was playing with a stream of consciousness as I thought about things that I hear in nature that create “music” if I only stop and listen for them. There are also things to see. Being forced to stop and take some time certainly turned into a productive period for me as a composer. It is a good idea to stop rushing around and being busy all the time. Garden Symphony is a little song with a big message!

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 performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Send us your video of Garden Symphony and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Garden Symphony appeared first on Donna & Andy.

I Really Need to Know

Andy Duinker — Thu, 09 May 2024 01:27:25 +0000

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I Really Need to Know

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for I Really Need to Know.

Part of a Song Collection

I Really Need to Know is one of 10 songs from the song collection "A Jolly Bunch are We". Donna Rhodenizer and Andy Duinker have 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.

Stream and purchase Audio tracks

Stream or Purchase I Really Need to Know from many streaming sites including:

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

The A Jolly Bunch Are We CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (20) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Teacher Tips

Warm-ups

Try some spoken tongue twisters and sung tongue twisters to warm up before singing this song.

Introducing the song

Ask the students what they are curious about.

What things do they like to learn about?

Does anyone know any facts about the things listed in the verses of the song?

Why/how do lightning bugs light up?
What do the students know about dinosaurs?
Can anyone share any information about stars or galaxies?
What animals roar?
What are some famous ships?
Does anyone know any ships that are famous because they sank?

Expressive Singing

Explore the lyrics of the song and discover what words to emphasize to create an expressive performance.
Use clear diction and dynamic changes to create an expressive performance.

The 5 Ws

Choose a topic and discover the answers to “who, what, where, when, and why” relating to that topic. Another question, not included in the song, is the question, “How”.
Write a song, a poem or a story about your topic using the answers you have discovered.

Character Education

How does curiosity affect what happens in our every day lives?
How can curiosity help us learn?
Is curiosity always a good thing?
What are some things that have happened in our world because someone was curious?

Score Study

Many accidentals have been included to create the melody of this song.
Discuss how an accidental is used to change the pitch of a note.
Provide students with the vocal score and find bars where accidentals have been added.
Discuss which pitches are affected and sing those bars to see how the melody sounds.
A one-page explanation of accidentals used in this song is provided in the Teaching Tips PDF download.

Colouring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song I Really Need to Know.

Composer's Notes

I Really Need to Know

My students all know that I talk quickly and even when I try to slow down, it doesn’t last very long. When I get excited I can really get going! In addition to talking quickly, I also like tongue twisters and interesting word combinations. The idea for I Really Need to Know came when I was thinking about how it feels to say the 5 w’s: Who, what, where, when, why. The tricky word combination: “why did who did do what they did” also popped into my head and it seemed to me to be a fun group of words to navigate. The swinging style of the melody is a favourite feel I like to use when writing for young singers. It is cheery and it suits the natural rhythms that we use when speaking. That makes a song easier to sing and it feels very natural as well. It felt like the lyrics needed to examine things we might want to explore when asking all those questions. Andy & I wrote down some things we thought were interesting like lightning bugs and dinosaurs, stars and galaxies, world explorers in boats (with a reference hinting at those ships that were famous because they didn’t float!) and the verses fell into place. I categorize this type of song as a “list” song which is not my usual mode of writing. I usually write more story songs, but as a composer, I try not to turn down the creative ideas that come my way. After all, a list song is still a song!

I introduced this song to my school choir around 2011 and we sang it at a good clip with a tongue twister kind of vibe. Later, Andy and I were asked to submit a song for a commercial project and we tried this as a slower, swing style piece and that seemed to work well, so that is the style that we kept for the final version. Now you really know “who, what, where, when and why”!

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 performance video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Send us your video of I Really Need to Know and perhaps we can post it here.

The post I Really Need to Know appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Penguin Parade

Andy Duinker — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 23:42:49 +0000

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Penguin Parade

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Penguin Parade

Part of a Song Collection

Penguin Parade 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)

MORE Penguin Songs

Here are 3 more penguin songs for fun singing in your home school, classroom, vocal studio or choir.

Purchase all Four Penguin Songs together and save 25%

Stream and purchase Audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including:

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

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

15 cross-curricular activities

15 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, drama,
Language arts
Physical Activity
Social studies
Science
Technology

Teacher Tips

Exploring vocabulary

Read the lyrics aloud and discuss any unfamiliar words.

Do all students know what a belly flop is?
What is a metronome? This may require some online searching as many metronomes are now digital. Metronomes used to be wound with a key and had a moving pendulum that would swing side to side keeping the beat. A penguin would resemble this “old fashioned” type of metronome.

Expressive singing

Discuss the descriptive words to accent to create an expressive performance.
Use crisp consonants and clear diction to tell the story with expression.
Add facial expressions to complement the words. Be aware that too many movements can be distracting!

Add Actions

Suggested actions are provided in the PDF download.

Include a dance

Include a penguin dance during the instrumental 2^nd “verse” of the song.

Use the actions you created when you were singing the song. Don’t sing the words, just do the actions. This uses the skill of inner hearing.
Create your own unique dance during the instrumental section.

Have a parade

This marching song is a perfect time to practice some marching, and keeping the beat with your feet!

Actions suggested by the composer

Bars 9-14

- keep your feet stationary, but move your body side to side to simulate a waddling penguin

Where will they go?

- hands out to the sides, palms facing up and shrug the shoulders

With a funny hop

- after singing the word “hop” actually hop in your spot Stop - as you sing the word “Stop” hold both hands up like the sign for “Stop”

Jump into the water

- move both hands forward and away from the body in an arc showing the trajectory of a diving penguin

With a belly flop

- hold one hand at waist level, palm facing up. Move the other hand in a large arc while singing “with a belly” and on the word “flop” the hands connect in a flat clap

After swimming is over

- make swimming motions

Everybody goes home

- wave goodbye

Bars 29-32

- repeat the waddling motions used in the opening bars

Colouring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Penguin Parade.

Composer's Notes

Penguin Parade

I wrote four penguin songs for a teacher at my school who wanted to add some music to a penguin unit she was doing with her students. I didn’t have any songs to offer her but I agreed to write her some. She had a poem about penguins going on parade and she gave me a copy in case it would be useful for my writing. I wrote a little melody to go along with the poem and the students had fun learning it as part of their penguin unit. Later, I wanted to include Penguin Parade in a printed collection of my songs (Computer Cat). Finding it difficult to track down the authors of the poem, I decided it would be easier to write my own lyrics. I already had the melody I had created so I added my new lyrics and then it was easy to include the song in my collection with the other three penguin songs I had written. The penguin set includes a march, a waltz, a country line dance and jaunty “boom chick” style song. It was so much fun to write this collection of songs. Just like the penguins in The Penguin Ball, I was rather sad to come to the end of my penguin song-writing fun. For now, four penguin songs will have to be enough, but you never know, there just might be another penguin song in my future!

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 Penguin Parade and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Penguin Parade appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Pondering Penguins

Andy Duinker — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 02:37:36 +0000

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Pondering Penguins

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for Pondering Penguins

Part of a Song Collection

Pondering Penguins 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)

MORE Penguin Songs

Here are 3 more penguin songs for fun singing in your home school, classroom, vocal studio or choir.

Purchase all Four Penguin Songs together and save 25%

Stream and Purchase Audio Tracks

Stream or Purchase from many 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.

13 cross-curricular activities

13 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, drama, dance
Language arts
Math
Physical Activity
Social studies
Technology

Teaching Tips

Expressive singing

Read the lyrics aloud to discover the descriptive words that will be highlighted as you explore the art of expressive singing.
Discuss how to use clear consonants and rounded vowels to sing the words expressively.
Use dynamics to create the mood changes that occur in the story of the song.

Create a Penguin Presentation

Create a presentation for invited guests (family members, administrators, another class).
Sing all four of Donna’s penguin songs:

I Wonder (a jaunty “boom chick”’ style song)
Penguin Parade (a march)
Pondering Penguins (a country line dance)
The Penguin Ball (a waltz)

Add costumes.
Have students share penguin facts between each song.

PDF download includes breakdown of activities accommodating specific grade levels

e.g. recorder part, movement, melody variants

Colouring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song Pondering Penguins.

Composer's Notes

Pondering Penguins is one of four songs that I wrote at the request of a teacher at my school who was doing a penguin unit with her students. She wanted to augment her unit with some songs and I agreed to write something for her. When her students came to their next music class with me, they had many great penguin facts to tell me. In Pondering Penguins I included lots of the facts the students had told me: penguins cannot fly, they love to dive and swim, they have special feathers that help keep them warm, the father penguin holds the egg on his feet to keep it warm until it hatches, and they have a call that is not very musical by human standards. I ended up writing four penguin songs for them. I wanted to write each penguin song with different musical styles. Pondering Penguins ended up with a country shuffle feel and we created a line dance to go with it. I had great fun creating my set of penguin songs and the students had great fun singing them.

You Are Invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Pondering Penguins

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 Pondering Penguins and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Pondering Penguins appeared first on Donna & Andy.

My Treehouse

Andy Duinker — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 02:44:46 +0000

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My Treehouse

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Use the 1-verse option of My Treehouse for younger singers. The song itself will be accessible, but lightening the lyric load may be helpful for younger, less experienced singers.

Add a few props to enhance the performance.

Use this song for expressive singing. Discuss which words will be emphasized to create an expressive performance. What dynamics can be added for dramatic effect?

See more detailed teaching tips and strategies in the PDF download.

Structure/Form

My Treehouse supports young singers with developing voices.

Descending, step-wise patterns create the opening section of the song.
The opening phrase is repeated with a slight variation to create the second phrase. The melodic repetition helps the students quickly learn the music for the song.
The swinging eighths add to the cheery character and “musical theatre” feel.
Vocal range of an octave plus one (C4-D5) has only short reaches into the upper range.
My Treehouse is a 1-verse option for this song to accommodate younger singers and a 2-verse option for singers who are able to manage more lyrics and a longer song.

Teaching Strategies

Expressive Singing

Encourage singers to read the lyrics out loud before learning the melody. Ask if students have ever had a treehouse or a special fort. Discuss things the student would like to include in a special treehouse.
Find words the singer will emphasize to create an expressive performance. What consonants need to be crisp and clean to clearly tell the story for the listening audience?
What dynamics or other musical contrasts can be added for the repeated rhyming words in the second half of the song?
Give the singer the option to sing expressively or speak the final lyric, “You’ll see!”

Vocabulary

Understanding the meaning of the lyrics helps the students when they are presenting the “story” of the song.

Have students read the lyrics and find any words that they do not understand.

What is the meaning of bona fide, fortified and glorified?
Look up any other unfamiliar words and discuss their meaning.
Discuss what it means to “wile away the days” (found in the second verse of the song).

Theatrical Elements

Add actions to enhance the theatrical presentation of My Treehouse.
Make sure the musical presentation of the song is still the focal point of the performance. The actions need to support the song, not “take over” or detract from the singing.
When presenting My Treehouse for a recital or school performance, add a few props or costumes to support the performance.

A hammer and a paper bag (presumably containing nails)
Give a final thumbs up at the end of the song following the words, “You’ll see!” Add a very visible bandage to the thumb to add a bit of humour. (We are not always successful hitting the nails when we do building projects!)
Other costume ideas could include: a tool belt, baseball cap or hard hat, overalls/coveralls and a rope or other easily portable building supplies.

Musical Elements to Highlight

There is an accidental F^#in bars 18 and 22. Isolate and review the pitches in these two bars to become familiar with the melody before singing the whole song.

Two verses / Two options

My Treehouse was created with 1-verse and 2-verse options to cater to students of varied age and skill levels.

Younger students may find two verses of lyrics too difficult. To accommodate younger singers, choose the 1-verse option.
Use My Treehouse as a song for a younger singer and then revisit the song when the student is older and able to add the second verse. Bonus – the student will already know the melody from the previous year!
The “B” section functions like a chorus, remaining the same for both verses.

Other Performance Options

Younger students may pair up and sing the 2-verse option of My Treehouse as a duet. Assign each student one of the verses to learn and both students can sing the “B” section together.
Singing the entire song with a small group in unison may be enough support for younger students to manage all the lyrics for both verses.

Composer's Notes

My Treehouse

Some songs are written purely from my imagination, but My Treehouse was inspired by an actual event when my three boys were ages 8, 10 and 12. We had a small pile of lumber left over from a renovation project and a small grove of trees. I went to the hardware store and bought three hammers and a five-pound bag of nails (which were in a paper bag). I presented the boys with these tools and they headed out to the lumber pile. They had a great time pounding nails into wood and created the foundations of a fort. Upon inspection the next day, they decided the fort was crooked, so they tore it all apart and started over. They needed more nails, so I returned to the hardware store to purchase another three pounds of nails. That is a LOT of nails in two days!!! The fort was declared a success and it included a small sapling which would bend enough to gently lower them down to the ground from their tree house fort. They had fun learning about building stuff and the fort was used for many fun activities when it was completed. I regret not taking a photo of that fort!

You Are invited

You are invited to send us your performance of My Treehouse.

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 My Treehouse and perhaps we can post it here.

The post My Treehouse appeared first on Donna & Andy.

Swamp Friends

Andy Duinker — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 21:50:17 +0000

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Swamp Friends

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Because Swamp Friends is a simple song to sing, it can be used in conjunction with other music skills.

Add a rhythmic ostinato
- Use a phrase from the song (e.g. sticky frog tongues) or create your own! I like the rhythm that is created by saying “Moose and frogs” (half note + quarter note + dotted half note).
Add an instrument that plays on certain words in the song
- Play an instrumental sound every time you sing the names of creatures or animals.
- Have students follow the vocal score and play their instrument on all the half notes in the song (or play in all the rests, or choose another rhythmic element to highlight).
Keep the beat
- Have the students step on beat one of every bar. Swamp Friends is written in 3/4 meter so this will assist students in feeling the swaying feel of the song.
- An instrument may also be used to play on beat one of each bar.

Additional detailed Teaching Tips and Strategies available in the download.

Composer's Notes

Swamp Friends

I grew up on a farm where I often pulled on my rubber boots and headed outdoors to explore. There was a swamp with cattails and lots of frogs that would sing their frog songs in the spring. A small brook ran through the cattle pasture. It was always a great place to poke about, pulling out sticks or breaking up ice to assist the bubbling water to get on its merry way. Although it wasn’t very deep, we were not supposed to be playing in the brook (sorry Mom!), but it was great fun! I didn’t see a moose until I was an adult, but I can imagine one standing in the swamp and dealing with those frogs.

I was playing with the words “butterflies, dragonflies and fireflies” trying to figure out a song about these flying creatures. As I thought about this combination of “neighbours” living in the swamp, I got to thinking about what happens when the flying creatures get caught by the frogs who also live in the swamp. As sometimes happens as I mull over an idea, the idea of adding a moose popped into my head. Who knows why these inspirations arrive in the brain? In any case, I decided to add a moose to the neighbourhood. Then I couldn’t resist adding a bit of humour as the moose dealt with those sticky frog tongues. The idea made me laugh and I expect that young singers will also be amused by the imagery of this song. It was fun trying to fit the whole story, the set up of the humour, and the final “punch line” all within a short 32-bar song.

You Are invited

You are invited to send us your performance of Swamp Friends.

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 Swamp Friends and perhaps we can post it here.

The post Swamp Friends appeared first on Donna & Andy.

October Night

Andy Duinker — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 18:36:46 +0000

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October Night

by Donna Rhodenizer

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Add the dynamics and tempo changes indicated in the score to create an expressive performance.

When the dynamic is quiet, sing with crisp, clear consonants so the words are very clear, even though they are being sung softly.

Have the student decide if there are any other words in the song that they wish to accent or sing in any special way to increase the expressiveness of the performance.

The original lyrics of the song describe elements found in the dark, October night. If a student wishes to use the song with a Halloween theme, have them sing the alternate lyrics provided.

The legato “ooh” section of the song has two “ooh” syllables. Can the student sing all four bars in one breath for an even more legato presentation?

Composer's Notes

October Night

Thinking about crisp, fall evenings conjures up thoughts of the mysteriousness that seems to descend when the trees have shed their leaves and we see only bare branches, with the full moon creating dancing shadows. Add in a few flitting bats and the haunting sound of owl hoots, and an October night is a delight for the senses. We often introduce songs in minor keys with legato “ooh” phrases in connection with Halloween. However, I don’t think we need to limit ourselves to a season to enjoy these elements. I like to use (and compose) songs that have multiple uses and that are as versatile as possible. October Night was written as a fall song without narrowing its use to be “about” Halloween. Versatility is very important in a society where there are complex combinations of people who may or may not have shared traditions. Adding optional lyrics means that those who wish to sing about Halloween may do so, and those who want to sing a beautiful song with a minor melody may add this to their fall repertoire, or any time of the year!

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Four Snow Friends

Andy Duinker — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 01:27:25 +0000

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Four Snow Friends

by Donna Rhodenizer

Vocal Range

Story 1: C4 - D6, Story 2: C4 - G5

Audio & Lyrics

Teaching Tips

Four Snow Friends can be sung as a solo/unison song or as a partner song. For a solo or unison performance, learn the two stories and decide which one you will repeat for the final section of the song.

If you are learning this song as a partner song, once you have learned your part, sing along with the melody guide track for the OTHER story. You will hear the music for the other part while you are singing your own part.

How many different sounds are used to create the melody for story 2? Use solfege syllables and/or hand signs as you sing the simple Story 2 melody.

Performance tip

For a fun recital presentation, sing this song with four students. Sing the first two sections as written and then repeat Story 2 for the final section. As the students sing, have them “disappear” one by one until only one person is remaining at the end of the song.

Composer's Notes

Four Snow Friends

My five-year-old grandson, Judah, was singing about one little snowman singing a song. I started singing along with him and adding characters to the song. It was a good idea and I jotted down some notes for later. After Judah went home, I started working on the song, starting with four snowmen that kept disappearing for various reasons until only one snowman was left. The song was very simple with only three notes. I decided to add a counter melody that was more complicated. The lyrics for the second melody told more of the story of the snowmen, setting up the scenario of how they were playing and having fun when the sun started giving them some trouble.

The two melodies fit together as a partner song. I also decided to use the lyrics “snow friends” to be more neutral and inclusive. I try to be very conscious of creating lyrics that connect with young singers. I often write with young boys in mind (a carry over from being the mother of three boys) but I also think singers should change the pronouns in the lyrics if they wish, so the song has personal meaning.

Four Snow Friends turned out to be a great story, a great song to sing as a partner song with another singer, and Judah is delighted to have been the inspiration. That’s what happens when your grandmother is a composer.

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Purchase option

Four Snow Friends is also available through Full Voice Music

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It’s Snowing (Oh yes! / Oh no! / Mixed feelings) (3-song set)

Andy Duinker — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 02:14:09 +0000

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It's Snowing

by Donna Rhodenizer

3 song set

It's Snowing

"Oh Yes!" is set in a major key and suitable for singers of all ages.

"Oh No!" is set in a minor key and accessible for older students.

"Mixed Feelings" (mixed major/minor) is for more experienced singers.

Audio & lyrics

"Oh Yes!"

"Oh No!"

"Mixed Feelings"

Composer Notes

It’s Snowing

I have not ever been a fan of snow storms. I don’t like driving in snowy conditions and I really dislike being cold. Snow seems to include both of these things, so it isn’t on my list of favourite things. However, kids love snow and I decided to write a jaunty little tune from their happy perspective. Where I might see the cold weather and snowy conditions as not so great, those who like snow are not bothered by these things at all and they are ready to have a great time in all winter weather.

I had completed my snow song and the music was sitting on my piano when my sister stopped by my house for a visit. She is a fine pianist, and she sat down at the piano and started playing my song. She does not like snow (even less than I do), so after playing only a few bars she stopped. She suggested that a song about snow would not be a happy song in a major key. She then began playing my song again, changing it as necessary to put it firmly into a minor key. It was a great sound and a great idea, and one that I couldn’t pass up! I kept my original song intact, but then changed the lyrics in only a few places and created the accompaniment in a minor key. This became a two-song set, “It’s Snowing (Oh yes!) and It’s Snowing (Oh no!).

I love the deep, full sound of the minor chords. Minor keys are often deemed “sad” but there is a richness to the minor tonality that has a special feeling all its own. The minor key allowed a bit of whining about the snow, while providing a contrasting “colour” to the happy, “yes” version.

I was singing bits and pieces of It’s Snowing and just for fun, I started switching back and forth between the major and minor tonalities. I decided I needed to write one more variation. I started out in the major key, happy with the arrival of snow. This is very typical of how I feel at the beginning of winter. It is exciting to see the first snowflakes when they appear. The fluffy white flakes are so pretty and make the world look completely different after the starkness of leafless trees, and gardens that have been cut back and left dormant for the winter. However, after the third or fourth snow storm, the enjoyment of snow begins to wear thin. I grow weary of repeatedly shoveling the driveway and steps, and scraping ice and snow off vehicles every time I want to go somewhere. After starting out with a happy-to-see-snow attitude, the song switches over to the minor key and finishes with the sentiment that snow is welcome to take a holiday – we have had enough!

I think I have now completed all the versions of “It’s Snowing” that I am going to write, but as a composer, I have learned to “never say never”. I am writing this anecdote in January and we have only had one skiff of snow so far this season. I am still able to sing the happy version of “It’s Snowing” but I will leave the “Oh no!” version close by. I am sure I will be ready to sing it before the winter is over.

Purchase Options

Also Available - It's Snowing (Oh Yes! / Oh No!) at Full Voice Music

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Composer, Elementary Music Specialist, Performer

Donna Rhodenizer

Donna “digs deep” in her imagination to write happy songs about snowy weather. Sitting next to a lovely fire and watching a good snowstorm through the window is her favourite way to enjoy a snowy day! Donna puts her imagination to good use as she writes songs that delight young singers (and their teachers!) with her clever lyrics and catchy melodies. She has been writing music for choral singers since she was in high school, with a major focus on writing songs for young singers which developed over her 37 years as an elementary music education specialist. Her music is sung around the world in music festivals, elementary schools, private vocal studios, and community choirs.

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