Listen to melody + accompaniment for Splashing in Puddles as you follow along with the lyrics.

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.

Score study

Discuss what it means to “swing the eighths”. Find examples of two eighth notes that are affected by this directive.

Find bars in the score where the rhythm of the melody is syncopated. The eighth note on the second half of beat three is tied to the fourth beat of the bar. Accenting the second half of beat three gives the feeling of “arriving early” on the final word in the bar.

Expressive singing

Determine spots where a breath will need to be quick and where longer space is available. Longer phrases require breath energy to be conserved. Some phrases will need a quick breath that supports the phrase without making it sound disjointed.

Use clear diction, dynamics and subtle facial and/or hand movements to sing this song expressively.

The overall feeling of the song is optimistic and cheery.

Props

An umbrella, or a pair of boots can be a fun prop to add to a performance of “Splashing in the Puddles”. Be sure that your props enhance the performance without being too distracting.

20 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, dance
• Language arts
• Math
• Social studies
• Science
• Technology

I like finding ways of presenting points of view that might be a bit thought provoking. I also tend to be someone who looks at things with an optimistic “glass half full” kind of attitude. Many times we are inclined to observe a rainy day as dismal and a disappointment. But what if you had a pair of boots, a raincoat, and an umbrella ready to use on such a day? Suddenly the prospect of a rainy day has lots of potential for interesting activities like splashing in puddles, running through the raindrops without getting wet, and enjoying that rain! I also thought about how we like cooling off on a hot summer day by going for a swim. But what’s the difference if we get wet by jumping in the lake or if we get wet by letting the rain fall on us?

A jaunty, swinging melody seemed appropriate for these rainy-day musings. I even threw in a reference to the phrase “rain come back some other day” that every child knows from the children’s chant, Rain, Rain Go Away.  This was a fun song to write and my students enjoyed singing it as a call and response song. In later years, when more voice students started using my songs, it seemed like a good idea to create a version that could be sung as a solo. This song is a celebration of what kids know and what adults sometimes forget. Playing in the rain can be fun, and after all, that IS what rubber boots are for…… isn’t it?

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

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

Listen to melody + accompaniment for My Hamster as you follow along with the lyrics.

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.

Introducing the song

Starting a conversation with students about their pets is certain to result in many stories. If students do not have a pet, they can discuss an animal they would like to have as a pet.

The pet in this song is a hamster. Somehow the hamster has gone missing. The singer thinks the hamster has run away. Perhaps it is because he would prefer different food, or perhaps he thinks the owner is hogging the blankets when they are sleeping at night. Ask the students what reasons they think might have caused the hamster to leave his cage and subsequently go missing. Don’t rule out a hamster who is looking for adventure, long lost relatives or maybe, like our school hamster, he just wanted to go to the gym for a workout and then got lost before he could return!

Score study

My Hamster is written in 3/4 time. This may be a less familiar meter for younger singers. Include activities to explore 3/4 meter.

• While the teacher taps the beat, have the students clap or say the rhythm duration syllables for the rhythm of the lyrics.
• Switch and have the students tap the beat while the teacher says or claps the rhythm.
• Sway to the beat, changing direction on beat one of every bar. Add a scarf to this motion to assist with a visual cue for the flow of 3-beat meter.
• Have the students use a 3-beat conducting pattern as they listen to the music for My Hamster.

For students who are having a difficult time with the feeling of 3/4 time, ask permission to tap on their shoulder and then gently tap the beat as they sing the song. Tap beat one with a slight accent to assist with the recognition of three-beat groupings.

Harmony singing

My Hamster includes an alto harmony part.

Introduce the harmony part after the melody line is well internalized.

Teach the harmony line on its own.

Have the harmony part sung by a student who is more experienced and able to sing an independent line to create harmony with the melody.

When adding the harmony line to the melody, have the teacher provide support by singing the harmony line with the student while playing the melody on the piano.

If the student finds it difficult to sustain their part while another part is being played or sung, invite them to cup their hands behind their ears so they can hear their own voice more strongly. We call this “elephant ears”. It allows the sound of their own voice to be captured and sound stronger while still being able to hear the other part being sung.

Expressive singing

Use good breath energy and create long, legato phrases.

Use clear diction so the story can be understood.

Use dynamics to create musical interest and highlight the lyrics as part of your expressive performance.

19 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, dance
• Language arts
• Math
• Social studies
• Technology

The grade five class at our school had a hamster. One day they arrived to find the hamster cage empty. The morning announcements featured the grade five request for anyone seeing their hamster to return him, or let the class know he was okay. I decided to write them a song when I heard their beloved hamster was missing. I am pleased to report that after three days, the hamster was indeed found, alive and well. He was in a bin of basketballs in the gym, down two flights of stairs and at the opposite end of the school. No one knows how he got there, but we know he must have been in good shape after navigating all those stairs and hanging out in the gym for three days!

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!

Listen to this grade 4-5 elementary choir performing We Are as you follow along with the lyrics.

Warm-up

Use the opening 16 bars of We Are as a warm-up exercise.

Have students sing a sustained note on the pitch A, using the syllable “ooh”.

• Students should listen to the singers around them and match both the pitch as well as working on blending voices to create a unified sound.
• Have students cup their hands behind their ears, creating “elephant ears”. This makes it easier for the singer to hear their own voice while still keeping their ears open to the voices around them. 
• Concentrate to stay on the “A” pitch while the piano chords shift tonalities against the sustained pitch. Sometimes the A will fit in the chord and sometimes the A will be dissonant. Lean into the dissonances and embrace the tone colour that is created.
• Sing softly and create a shimmering, beautiful sound. There should not be any voices that stick out.
• Use stagger breathing to create the illusion of a single, sustained note.

Expressive singing

The message of this song is one of hope, encouraging all of us to aspire to the best that we can be for ourselves and the world in which we live.

• Use expressive singing techniques to emphasize the lyrics and present an expressive performance (i.e. dynamics, diction, facial expressions, emphasis on certain words, etc.)
• The key change at bar 63 creates a natural contrast to the previous section. Use expressive singing to further emphasize this contrast.
• The return to the original key in bar 79 is presented with a dynamic change to mezzo piano. Use this quiet dynamic to return to the shimmering quality created in the opening bars.
•  Use the increasing dynamic levels to build the intensity of the song until it reaches full strength in the final bars.  

I have always been very vocal (no pun intended!) about my love of working with my elementary school choir. Choir rehearsal was my favourite day of the week. The joy of creating music with a large group of students, excited about singing, ready to take on challenges and sing “something fun, something difficult and something beautiful” filled my bucket!

I love developing the feeling of camaraderie and teamwork within the choir as well. Some choir members are students who excel and who have extraordinary abilities and skills. Other students struggle in many of their daily school subjects. When they all come together and sing, they become a unified team, leaning on each other for support with everyone sharing in the successes we enjoy as a singing ensemble.

It was with all these emotions swirling in my soul that I put pen to paper to create a “power anthem” for my choir to sing. I wanted them to sing for themselves all those big emotions and internalize the idea that they were strong, able to affect change and be a presence in the world. The result was “We Are” which they sang with heartfelt emotion and joy. I loved those kids and we all loved singing together. What a gift that is!

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!