All About Autumn

It is officially fall! Preparations are being made at The Hope Institute for this weekend's Fall Festival, which include homemade scarecrows from each classroom (for a song about scarecrows, click here) and decorated leaves.

Though "Fall Into Fall" has been our official song of the season since last year, I wanted to add another one to the rotation. "All About Autumn" includes the major events in the coming months, and although I could have easily added several more verses, I decided that three was enough :) Take a listen:



I want to tell you all about autumn,
That’s another name for fall.
It begins at the end of September,
When the days are short and the trees are tall.

Autumn is a time to change the clocks,
We fall an hour behind.
We get an extra hour to sleep at night,
‘Cause that’s what happens when we rewind.

CHORUS

Autumn is a time for Halloween,
Wearing costumes while we trick-or-treat.
Walking around our neighborhood,
Collecting so much candy to eat.

CHORUS

Autumn is a time for Thanksgiving,
Let’s be thankful for the food on our plate.
And all of the good things in our lives,
With our family, we celebrate.

CHORUS

One of the things I'm looking forward to this autumn is the end of daylight savings. While I know most people would like the sun to stay up longer, I'm eager for it to rise earlier! I wake up at 4:30 am during the week in order to hit the gym, and it is always so much easier to get going when it's lighter outside. What are you looking forward to in the next few months?

The Leaves on the Trees

As I've mentioned, oh, just a few hundred times or so before, summer is the #1 season in my book. But there's just something about the change in temperature, the beautiful colors, and the smell outside as fall approaches that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The crisp air is so refreshing, and everything seems brand new.

Fall doesn't officially begin until next week, but I've already begun brainstorming and writing songs all about the coming season. The first of those is "The Leaves on the Trees", which imitates the process of trees shedding their leaves: slowly at first, and then faster and faster until all the leaves are on the ground.



The leaves on the trees,
They sway in the breeze,
They sway all around, all around.
Slowly first, then faster
Until all the leaves fall down.

(Repeat, gradually getting faster each time)

My students love, love, LOVE these "speeding up" songs, and no matter how fast I play, they always yell, "Faster!". Instruments that work well with this type of song include shakers, bells, tambourines, or anything that a child can play easily and quickly.

How are you and your students preparing for fall? The walls of The Hope Institute (where I work) are covered in autumn artwork, and the kids are already talking about Halloween. They are one step ahead of me!

Ten Fat Turkeys

I know we've already counted turkeys this month, but I just had to tell you about this book that I've been reading (well, singing) with my students. You may already know it; it's called Ten Fat Turkeys and it's just as silly as the other book I recommended, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.

This story is a new student favorite, which is good enough for me! I especially enjoy the pictures, which are colorful and goofy. Be sure to add this to your bookshelf for next year. I have one more Thanksgiving song for you, so make sure to stop by and take a listen tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying this short week, and gearing up for the official start of the holiday season. I sure am!

Ten Little Scarecrows

Surprise! Here I am, blogging away from Connecticut in the midst of wedding excitement. In just a few hours, Rob and Shannon will tie the knot, and I'm lucky enough to provide the soundtrack (well, the vocals, at least) to the ceremony. But I couldn't forget about all my faithful readers, so I stopped in to share a counting song with you. This time it's Scarecrows, which aren't exactly Thanksgiving-related, but hey, it's still fall!



Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little scarecrows in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow!

One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Again!
One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

How many scarecrows?
Ten little scarecrows!
All lined up in a row.

Be sure to stay tuned for the last few Thanksgiving songs I've been waiting to share with you! Have a great weekend, and see you on Monday :)

The Turkey Dinner Dance

Good morning! The countdown is on: Thanksgiving is a week from today, which means I only have a few more days to share the rest of my turkey day songs with you. I'd have to say that today's song, "The Turkey Dinner Dance", is my favorite of the bunch, mostly because I love watching my students bust a move.



Let’s do the Turkey Dinner Dance,
Come on, come on let’s go.
Join right in and follow me,
You can do it fast or slow!

Turkey to the left, cha cha cha
Turkey to the right, cha cha cha
Turkey up and turkey down,
Turkey all around!

CHORUS

Stirring gravy to the left, cha cha cha
Stirring gravy to the right, cha cha cha
Stirring gravy up and down,
Stirring gravy all around!

CHORUS

Mashed potatoes to the left, cha cha cha
Mashed potatoes to the right, cha cha cha
Mashed potatoes up and down,
Mashed potatoes all around!

CHORUS

Pumpkin pie to the left, cha cha cha
Pumpkie pie to the right, cha cha cha
Pumpkin pie up and down,
Pumpkin pie all around!

CHORUS

The choreography is so basic that it really can't be called choreography. Each element in the song has its own move, explained below:

Turkey
What you'd expect...tucking your thumbs under your armpits and flapping your arms.

Stirring Gravy
Hold your right arm in front of you, curving it to make a half circle (this is the pot). Then use your left to "stir" inside the pot.

Mashed Potatoes
I'm sure you all know this basic dance move, where you pump your fists up and down in front of you.

Pumpkin Pie
Hold your arms out in front of you, curved at the elbow, and twist back and forth at the waist.

Or you can make up your own movements - but if you do, be sure to share them with the rest of us! Enjoy :)

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie

This book is a MUST for your child or classroom, as I've discovered this month. It's a new take on the classic, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, complete with hilarious illustrations and a funny story that even the kids who are too cool for school will enjoy. You can find it where I did, on Amazon, for a very reasonable price.

Just a note before I share the song and lyrics: in the book, the last line of every refrain is "Perhaps she'll die." I always change this to "Perhaps she'll cry", which is much more kid-friendly - many of them like to pretend that they are crying when they sing this line along with me. It's simple to type out the word "cry" and cut and paste it into the book over the word "die" on each page.

This book is the perfect way to help your child/students/YOURSELF! get excited about Thanksgiving while having fun and being silly at the same time.

Ten Days of Thanksgiving

I'm back from Florida and really excited to share today's song with all of you. Since Thanksgiving is ten days away, I thought it was the perfect time to post "The Ten Days of Thanksgiving". This is a huge hit with my students, though the staff at my school prides themselves on being able to sing along with me:) So I hope you're hungry; and if you're not, you will be before this song is through!



On the first day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Some turkey on my plate.

On the second day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the third day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the fourth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the fifth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the sixth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the seventh day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the eighth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the ninth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Nine cranberries,
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

On the tenth day of Thanksgiving, this is what I ate:
Ten pumpkin pies,
Nine cranberries,
Eight cups of eggnog,
Seven sips of soup,
Six scoops of stuffing,
Five golden rolls!
Four heaps of green beans,
Three mashed potatoes,
Two cobs of corn,
And some turkey on my plate.

How did you do? You'll be a pro after listening to the song just a few times, trust me! Well it's Monday, which means my to-do list is long and I better get to it before my first class begins. Have a wonderful day, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Ten Little Turkeys

I've been trying to hold off posting my Thanksgiving-themed songs, but I can no longer resist! My students and I have been singing about Turkey Day for a week now, and I know that lots of teachers and music therapists out there are probably looking for such songs right about now. So the first song I'll share with you is called "Ten Little Turkeys." I found the lyrics over at Preschool Education, though I made a few tweaks, and I set them to my own original melody.



Ten little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey ran away in a line,
And when he was gone, there were nine.

Nine little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey flew out of the gate,
And when he was gone, there were eight.

Eight little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey flew up towards heaven,
And when he was gone, there were seven.

Seven little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey hid with the chicks,
And when he was gone, there were six.

Six little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey took a dive,
And when he was gone, there were five.

Five little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey hopped out of the door,
And when he was gone, there were four.

Four little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey climbed a tree,
And when he was gone, there were three.

Three little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey flapped his wings and flew,
And when he was gone, there were two.

Two little turkeys sat in their pen,
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey sped off in a run,
And when he was gone, there was one.

One little turkey sat in his pen,
"Hide, turkey, hide!" said the little red hen.
The last little turkey flew up towards the sun,
And when he was gone, there were none!

I like to pause at the end of each verse and let the kids fill in the number - they love to keep track of how many turkeys are left and show me using their fingers. Stay tuned for several more turkey songs before the month is over!

November is Here

I hope you all had a fun and happy Halloween! Now that it's over, it's time to dive into November and all the fun things this month brings. I love Thanksgiving, and I'm excited about the songs I'll be posting in relation to it in the coming weeks. But before we get to those, first things first. Below is the November song...I hope you like it!



For thirty days November’s here
Let’s give thanks and show good cheer.
The days are short and the wind will blow
It’s the eleventh month I know.

For thirty days November’s here
And Election Day will come.
Grown-ups will go to cast their votes
There will be a celebration for some.

For thirty days November’s here
Let’s give thanks and show good cheer.
The days are short and the wind will blow
It’s the eleventh month I know.

For thirty days November’s here
And next comes Veteran’s Day
We’ll remember those who served
And home from school we’ll stay.

For thirty days November’s here
Let’s give thanks and show good cheer.
The days are short and the wind will blow
It’s the eleventh month I know.

For thirty days November’s here
And then comes Thanksgiving Day.
While we eat turkey and pumpkin pie
We’ll be thankful in our own way.

For thirty days November’s here
Let’s give thanks and show good cheer.
The days are short and the wind will blow
It’s the eleventh month I know.

Elections, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving...what a busy month! I hope it's off to a good start for you - see you tomorrow for some rockin' with maracas :)

A Song for Halloween Day

Greetings, and happy Halloween! Because it is a special day, Friday Faves has been postponed until next week (sorry!). You probably know by now that this isn't exactly my favorite "holiday," but that hasn't stopped me yet from writing and sharing my collection of sometimes spooky but mostly silly Halloween songs. Today's song leans a little bit more towards the spooky side, but don't worry - it is appropriate for all ages and stages of development.



Do you know about a day
That’s not so very far away
Everywhere there’s orange and black
And chills are running up your back.

Jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and bats,
Witches and goblins and big black cats
Spooky spooks come out to play
On the thirty-first, Halloween Day.

Let’s pick a costume we can wear
And all the neighbors, we will scare
When at their door we trick or treat
And they will give us something sweet.

Jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and bats,
Witches and goblins and big black cats
Spooky spooks come out to play
On the thirty-first, Halloween Day.

Today is a super busy day at school, but in between trick-or-treating throughout the building, visiting the "haunted hallway" complete with a "graveyard", and celebrating at a huge party in the gym this afternoon, we'll find some time to squeeze in music therapy.

Though my feelings toward Halloween are lukewarm at best, I am trying my best to get into the spirit for the sake of those who enjoy this spooktacular day. Tonight, Zach (my husband) and I are going to attend a Halloween party dressed as a certain singing duo...any guesses?? (Hint: if only I had an autoharp, my costume would be perfect.)

I hope you enjoyed today's installment of Listen & Learn Music. Have a great day, and I'll see you this weekend as we kick off November in style. Byebye!

Ugga Bugga Boo!

Halloween is on Friday, so I have just a few days to share a couple last minute songs with you. Today's song can actually be used year-round, but it's great at Halloween because of it's title and lyrics - Ugga Bugga Boo! The phrase is silly and fun, and so is the song itself. It addresses simple movement and following directions such as clapping hands, tapping feets, and clicking the tongue (a sound that kids love to make once they learn how).



Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga Boo boo boo!
Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga me and you!
Get into the beat and clap your hands, out loud, out loud.
Get into the beat and clap your hands out loud!

Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga Boo boo boo!
Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga me and you!
Get into the beat and tap your feet, out loud, out loud.
Get into the beat and tap your feet out loud!

Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga Boo boo boo!
Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga me and you!
Get into the beat and click your tongue, out loud, out loud.
Get into the beat and click your tongue out loud!

Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga Boo boo boo!
Ugga. Ugga Bugga. Ugga Bugga me and you!
Ugga Bugga Bugga Bugga Bugga Bugga boo boo boo –
And we’re through!

Musical Scarf Activity

I'm back again today to share a song that I wrote to use with my youngest children in music therapy. I like to stick with a general theme each month, so October focuses mainly on fall and Halloween-related topics. This particular song accompanies a scarf activity, in which the child is asked to listen for the color of his/her scarf and then wave it in the air. The scarves I use are from West Music and can be found here.

There are twelve different colors, and the kids absolutely adore them and are always coming up with new ways to use them. So I wasn't completely surprised when a couple of kids draped their scarves over their heads and began floating around even before I started playing this song:



Not all ghosts are scary,
And not all ghosts are white.
Listen for the color I choose
And let your ghost take flight!

If your friendly ghost is red,
Wave him in the air.
Wave him right and wave him left,
Wave him everywhere!

Not all ghosts are scary,
And not all ghosts are white.
Listen for the color I choose
And let your ghost take flight!

I change the color of the ghost each time I sing the verse so that every child has a turn. Not only is this a super-fun activity, but my kids are working on color discrimination, listening skills, and turn-taking at the same time. It's a beautiful thing!

Counting Pumpkins

It's time for the first official installment of "Counting Time" - which you can read more about here. This month we're counting pumpkins, which I'm sure will not come as a big surprise to you all :)

Each month, the "Counting Time" tune stays the same but the items we count will change. You can listen for yourself:



Counting time, it’s counting time,
So let’s all sing this simple rhyme.
Ten little pumpkins in a row,
Now let’s count them nice and slow!

One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Again!
One, two, three, four, five,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

How many pumpkins?
Ten little pumpkins!
All lined up in a row.

What's Big and Orange?

A hint: you've probably seen them cropping up in your neighborhood, as they are in high demand at this time of year. Pumpkins, of course! There are pictures of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns lining the halls of my school, and I just might have to go pick one out this weekend. Here's a song my students and I have been singing lately all about these fall fruits:



What's big and orange,
And grows on the ground,
And has a shape that's nice and round?
Every fall we pick one out,
Have you guessed what I'm talking about?

Pumpkin, Pumpkin on the vine.
This one's yours, and this one's mine.
Let's take it home and soon it will be
A jack-o-lantern for all to see!

Pumpkins are also good to eat,
Pumpkin pie is such a treat.
We'll roast the seeds and we'll have a snack.
I need another pumpkin, so let's go back.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin on the vine.
This one's yours, and this one's mine.
Let's take it home and soon it will be
A jack-o-lantern for all to see!

And there you have it! You just might find yourself humming this cheerful little tune as you pick out your own pumpkin in the next couple of weeks.

Today it is October

Wow! Fall is in full swing, and today we begin the 10th month of the year. 2008 has flown by so quickly...is it just me, or does time speed up with each passing year?

October is almost synonymous with pumpkins, scarecrows, harvest, cool weather, and of course, Halloween. Though it is not my favorite "holiday" (much to the dismay of my dad, who is quite the Halloween enthusiast), I always put my lukewarm feelings aside and join in the fun - especially when it comes to my students! They love singing about bats, witches, ghosts, and goblins, so this month I have several new songs on tap.



Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather's near.

Today it is October,
The leaves are turning brown.
The air is getting chilly,
And soon the leaves fall down.

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather's near.

Today it is October,
It's time to celebrate
Fall festivals and Columbus Day
Oh, I can hardly wait!

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather's near.

Today it is October,
It's time for Halloween.
Candy, spooks, and costumes,
And all those scary things.

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather's near.

Fall Into Fall (Part 2)

This is a song I wrote last year, and I was happy to take it back out this fall. This song can be used to reinforce location of body parts, while at the same time teaching that not all scarecrows are scary. It was inspired by the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz -- one of my favorite movies of all time -- and I picture him every time I sing it. I bet you will, too!



Out in the field in a row of corn,
Stands a scarecrow so forlorn.
Crows on his head and crows on his feet,
He's the saddest scarecrow you'll ever meet.

Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Crows on his head and crows on his feet,
He's the saddest scarecrow you'll ever meet.

Out in the field in a row of corn,
Stands a scarecrow so forlorn.
Crows on his elbows and crows on his knees,
The scarecrow's even scared of a little breeze.

Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Crows on his elbows and crows on his knees,
The scarecrow's even scared of a little breeze.

Out in the field in a row of corn,
Stands a scarecrow so forlorn.
Crows on his nose and crows on his ears,
The scarecrow's crying scarecrow tears.

Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Can't scare the crows, oh no no!
Crows on his nose and crows on his ears,
The scarecrow's crying scarecrow tears.

Fall Into Fall (Part 1)

Say goodbye to summer...it's day two of fall and that gives us lots to sing about! I had no trouble coming up with this song, since there are so many great things about fall. Today I asked my students to share their favorite aspects of fall, and these were the most popular answers: jumping in piles of leaves, cool weather, and of course, Halloween. While my fall song doesn't mention this spooky day (there are plenty of others dedicated to it), it does cover most other bases. So take a listen!



Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.

September, October, November, fall is here.
At the end of December, we know that winter's near.

Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.

Football, and pumpkins, and hayrack rides abound.
Most of the leaves that were once on trees, are now upon the ground.

Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.

The air is getting colder, the wind is getting strong.
The days are getting shorter, but we keep on singing this song.

Fall into fall,
the most colorful season of all.
Orange and gold, red, yellow, and brown,
Leaves are swirling all around.

Coming Soon

Over the last few weeks, I've been dusting off my autumn-related songs and adding some new ones to the pile.  I've already shared "September" with you, but there are many more, including "Fall Into Fall," "Pumpkin, Pumpkin," and "Scarecrow Song."  I'll be featuring these over the next month just as soon as I kick this cough and sore throat that has kept me home from school today! 

But enough about that.  I'm trying to keep my mind off my stuffy nose and pounding head by thinking about all the great things fall has to offer.  Tomorrow is a kick-off of sorts: Fall Fest at the Hope Institute (where I work as the music therapist).  I'll be selling CDs as a fundraiser for the music therapy program, and hopefully we'll make enough to purchase several new instruments for the students.  It should be a fun day!

Stay tuned for sounds of the fall...

September

It's so hard to believe that September is here, and that the school year is in full swing. Over the past twelve months, I have written a song for each one of them which wraps up all the highlights of those thirty-something days into a neat little package. The first I'll share with you is September:



September, September, today it is September.
Month number nine for thirty days,
Fall weather cools the sun's hot rays.
We'll see the leaves turn from green to brown,
And pretty soon they'll all fall down.

September, September, today it is September.
The air is turning nice and cool,
And we spend all our days in school,
It's a wonderful time of the year!

September, September, today it is September.
Month number nine for thirty days,
Fall weather cools the sun's hot rays.
We'll see the leaves turn from green to brown,
And pretty soon they'll all fall down.

September, September, today it is September.
We'll celebrate on Labor Day,
Home from school is where we'll stay,
It's a wonderful time of the year!

September, September, today it is September.
Month number nine for thirty days,
Fall weather cools the sun's hot rays.
We'll see the leaves turn from green to brown,
And pretty soon they'll all fall down.

September, September, today it is September.
We'll go outside, roll up our sleeves,
Make a bed of crunchy leaves,
It's a wonderful time of the year!

September, September, today it is September.
Month number nine for thirty days,
Fall weather cools the sun's hot rays.
We'll see the leaves turn from green to brown,
And pretty soon they'll all fall down.

Be sure to check back in on the first of each month (and of course, all the days in between!) for a new song. See you again soon!