Post-Session
Notes for
Wyoming
Music Educators Association
Friday,
January 20, 2012
Tulsa,
OK
CREATING
COMMUNITY WITH THE ALL-SCHOOL SING
What a
treat it was to have such a great singing group;
we very
much enjoyed our hour with you.
We
would like to give a special thanks to Mary Beth Singleton who
has
been working with us on the details of our visit for months, and
who
took great care of us while we were here.
Below
are notes about everything we did in the workshop.
The
post-workshop notes for our Teaching Traditional Dance workshop are at
http://www.amidonmusic.com/NotesOklahomaDanceJan2012.htm
and
for our Storytelling-Picture
Books workshop are at:
http://www.amidonmusic.com/NotesOKLitMusicJan2012.htm
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To
get on the Amidon mailing list (notices 2-3 times
a
month on upcoming music teacher workshops,
choral
singing workshops, new publications, and
new
choral arrangements (both treble voice and
SATB),
please send an email to
saying
you would like to be on the Amidon mailing list.
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MEET
OUR BOYS:
Stefan
(with his band ÒThe Sweetback SistersÓ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btpUPk6ldwE&list=PL106068EE434419C7&index=3
Sam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R19BBsMvwQk
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AMIDONS
SUMMER WEEK-LONG 3-CREDIT COURSE
RICH
TRADITIONS AND NEW CREATIONS: DANCE, SONG, STORYTELLING AND LITERATURE IN THE
MUSIC CLASSROOM
(or
ÒEverything we knowÓ)
We do
this every summer. Our next course
is
Monday
- Friday, July 2 - 6, 2012.
Hartt
Summerterm, West Hartford, CT
general
info:
http://harttweb2.hartford.edu/summer.php
The
foundation of this class is the wealth of songs, dances, singing games, and
folktales that spring from the Anglo American/African American oral traditions.
Each participant will write a song and tell a folktale.
Contact: Dee Hansen * 860-768-4128 * dehansen@hartford.edu
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AMIDONSÕ
SESSION NOTES FOR Oklahoma Music Educators Association
Creating
Community with the All-School Sing
All
of the songs below
except for ÒSylvieÓ and ÒForm the CornÓ
are
included on our album (and forthcoming companion book)
ÒSong
in My HeartÓ.
From
the Seed in the Ground (p. 5 in the handout)
Thank
you Connie Kaldor for this magnificent song!
Silver
Rain (p. 6
in the handout)
A great
way to engage your students at an
all-school
sing is to have them help you make
up
motions to a song.
All-School
Sing (pp.
2-3 in the handout)
There
are many intangible but powerful benefits to
having
your school, or a part of your school sing together
on a
regular basis. We recommend that
you involve
teachers,
students and parents in planning and running
the
all-school sing, and, if possible, make it an event
for the
greater school community.
Theme
- Civil Rights and Bullying
A theme
can help focus the all-school sing.
If you
repeat
specific themes and songs at specific times
of the
year it helps mark and differentiate the seasons
for
your students.
Martin
Luther King (p.
8 in the handout)
Composer
Merle Gartrell was in the army
band in
his young days, and he loved writing
songs. He was thrilled that so many people
are
singing his song. He died a few
months
ago; I
think he was in his 80Õs.
Vote
for Me (p.
11 in the handout)
Composer
Rose Sanders is the first African American
woman
judge in Alabama. She lives in
Selma, and
devotes
much of her time in educational projects with
Selma
area children, teaching them about their important
heritage
of the Civil Rights Movement, and writing
songs
with them (like this one) of empowerment
and
social change. I have really
enjoyed my
conversations
with her. She also wrote the
great
gospel-style song:
http://www.amidonmusic.com/ImGonnaLift.mp3
Brotherhood
and Sisterhood (p.
4 in the handout).
Lititz,
Pennsylvania music teacher Amy Martin organized having
her
school commission this song to go along with the school-wide
ÒCelebrate
the DifferencesÓ celebration, which included education
about
bullying. I read Martin Luther
KingÕs ÒI Have a DreamÓ
speech,
Barack ObamaÕs speech on race, and got advice from
Amy
about what they tell the children about bullying, as research
for
writing the song.
Form
the Corn
from
NEDMÕs forthcoming book/CD/DVD: ÒIÕm Growing Up -
Fingerplays,
Action Songs and Singing Games for Young ChildrenÓ
Here is
a Youtube of the dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlFdXSHH_c
From
the Seed in the Ground dance (p.6 in the handout)
inspired
by Flashmobs like this classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2B71467E8F336F0D
Sylvie
The
full score is available on our sheet music download page:
http://www.amidonmusic.com/store/downloads.html
Teach
the melody to your younger students, the harmony
part to
your older students, and turn your whole school into a
childrenÕs
chorus.
Here is
a performance of the song at a childrenÕs choir festival
in
Milwaukee.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9SgTl6ZPJ0
Silver
Rain (again -
with guitar and motions)
Mary
Alice and I often finish our school assembly programs
with
children singing and doing the motions to ÒThe Silver RainÓ
to my
guitar playing, and then doing the motions silently to my
guitar
playing.
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Keep on
singing!
Best,
Peter
and Mary Alice Amidon