Thanksgiving Songs for Children

Mr. Turkey

(Sung to "Frere Jacque")

Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey

Run away, Run away

If you don't be careful

You will be a mouthful

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day

Song From DLTK

I am participating in FFM

Anchorage Symphony Halloween Concert Review

If you are looking for a way to introduce classical music to your kids, going to the Anchorage Symphony Halloween Concert is a great way to do it! This year’s concert had an entertaining cast and a funny story line about trying to find the right style of music to wake the sleeping dragon.
The symphony played many different styles of music including pieces by Aaron Copland and Benny Goodman. There was even a vocal quintet that sung the 12 days of Halloween and 5 little pumpkins which my little guy loved! The concert was about 1 ½ hours long and had 4 floors of trick-or-treating for the kids after the concert. I would highly recommend this concert for families of all ages.

(Anchorage Symphony)

Thanksgiving Songs for Children

Did You Ever See a Turkey?

(Video from Cullen's ABC's)

For this song make 4 feathers out of construction paper:

Feather 1: Red

Feather 2: Orange

Feather 3: Yellow

Feather 4: Brown

Lyrics:

Did you ever see a turkey,

A turkey, a turkey,

As he struts around the farm yard,

With feathers so bright.

With red ones,

And orange ones,

And yellow ones,

And brown ones,

Did you ever see a turkey,

With feathers so bright.

I am participating in FMM.

Halloween Songs for Children

Shivery Yells

(Sung to Silver Bells)

We're on the sidewalks, we're on the porches,

Dressed in costumes to scare.
Through the city we're ringing doorbells

Trick or treating, eating candy,
Gooey stuff in our hair,
But the most fun is shrieking out loud:

Shivery Yells, Shivery Yells
That's Halloween nitty-gritty
Moan and groan, leave us alone,
Halloween's just one night a year.

Deck the Patch

(Sung to Deck the Halls)

Deck the patch with orange and black,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

Take along your goody sack,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

Don we now our weird apparel,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

To the ancient pumpkin carol,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

See the great ones rise before us,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

As we sing the pumpkin chorus,

Fa la la la la, la la la la

Follow him as he ascends,

Fa la la la la la, la la la

Join with true great pumpkin friends,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

These songs are from http://www.dobhran.com/greetings/GRhalloween3.htm.

Visit their site to learn more great Halloween songs!

Teaching Your Child Solfege

Music Lesson: Solfege

(Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music)


What is solfege?
Solfege is an important part of learning to read music and is a technique used to teach sight-singing or sight reading. Each note in solfege is sung to a different syllable do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, and each note has a corresponding hand sign (as seen in photo below).

To teach your child solfege do the following:

1. Sing do (doh) to the first pitch of any major scale (i.e. if you choose the major C scale, C would be your first note).

2. Now, sing and sign do with your hand (as seen in photo below).

3. Have your child sing and sign do. If needed, help mold your child's hand into the do shape until he or she can sign do his or herself.

4. Continue to teach your child every solfege sign and syllable.

5. Note: Solfege is a great way to introduce music to your baby!

Solfege Pronunciation:

Do = Doh (For the C scale you will sing C pitch)

Re = Ray (For the C scale you will sing D pitch)

Me = Mee (For the C scale you will sing E pitch)

Fa = Fah (For the C scale your will sing F pitch)

Sol = Soh (For the C scale you will sing G pitch)

La = Lah (For the C scale you will sing A pitch)

Ti = Tee (For the C scale you will sing B pitch)

Wordless/ful Wednesday

What musical instrument am I?

Answer to last Wordless/ful Wednesday: Soprano Saxophone

The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840 and is the second largest instrument in the saxophone family. The soprano saxophone is a woodwind instrument and is played in jazz and classical music. Because the soprano has a small body, it is hard to keep in tune so experienced players will use alternate fingerings to keep the notes in tune. The soprano saxophone is also made with a curved bell like an alto saxophone.





Below is an example of what a soprano saxophone sounds like:

Brandford Marsalis on Soprano Saxophone

Music Craft: Guiro or Cabasa

Today's music craft can be played as a guiro (first photo) or a cabasa (second photo).











Materials Needed:



1. 1 clean and dried 10 oz or 14 oz tin can
2. 6 inches of a paper towel roll
3. 100-200 plastic or wood beads (make sure the holes in the beads are big enough to be strung on elastic.)
4. Glue and scissors
5. Elastic
6. Aclyric paint
7. Sand paper






Directions:



1. Lightly sand the rough side of the tin can.

2. Cut 4 evenly spaced slits in the paper towel roll (slits should 3/4 inches long).

3. Bend the edges down to form flaps (as seen in photo).


















4. Glue the flaps to the bottom of the tin can and let dry over night.

















5. Paint the tin can and paper towel roll (let dry).


6. Cut 4 to 8 - 10 inch elastic strips for the 10 oz can, or 4 to 8 - 15 inch elastic strips for the 14 oz can.


7. String 25 beads on each elastic strand.


8. String the strands around the tin can and tie the ends together.



9. Now you are ready to play!













To play as a guiro:
Hold the handle and brush a stick over the beads.




To play as a cabasa:

Hold the handle with one hand, and with the other hand move the beads back and forth (as seen in video below).

This great craft idea was from http://www.canadianliving.com/.

Halloween Songs for Children

GHOSTBUSTERS

If there's something strange
in your neighborhood

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

If there's something weird

and it don't look good

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

If you're seeing things

running through your head

Who can ya call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

An invisible man

sleeping in your bed

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

If ya all alone

pick up the phone

and call

GHOSTBUSTERS

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

I here it likes the ghost

I ain't afraid of no ghost

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

If you've had a dose of

afreaky ghost baby

Ya better call

GHOSTBUSTERS

Lemme tell ya something

Bustin' makes me feel good!

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

I ain't afraid of no ghosts

Don't get caught alone no no

GHOSTBUSTERS

When it comes through your door

Unless you just want some more

I think you better call

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

I think you better call

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

I can't hear you

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

Louder

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who can ya call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

Who ya gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS

Halloween Family Concert

Just A Reminder

The Anchorage Symphony's Halloween Family Concert is in one week, on Friday October, 31 2008 in the Atwood Concert Hall. Have your kids wear their Halloween costumes and get ready for 4 floors of trick-or-treating after the show!

Beethoven Lesson

Music Lesson: Ludwig Van Beethoven

Teach your child the following lesson:

Biography:



Beethoven was one of the most influential and respected composers of his time and played a key role in bridging classical and romantic music. Beethoven was a composer and played the piano in the 1700’s. He was born in December, 1770 and grew up in Bonn, Germany where he lived with his parents and 6 brothers and sisters (although 3 of his siblings died after infancy).

At age 8 Beethoven had his first known public performance on the piano, and at age 14 he started playing the organ for a choir. When Beethoven was 17 years old he went to Vienna, Austria to study with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. After Mozart died Beethoven started studying with Joseph Haydn.

When Beethoven was about 27 years old, he may have gotten tinnitus (ringing in his ears caused by infection or loud noises) which caused him to eventually go deaf. Although Beethoven was devastated from his hearing loss, he figured out that he could hear the music through vibrations from his piano (which is why he was still able to write music).

Beethoven’s Music:
Scholars have divided Beethoven’s musical works into three periods:

During the first music period, Beethoven was finding “his personal voice.” He wrote: string quartets, piano sonatas, piano concertos, and symphonies. Here is an example of music Beethoven wrote during his first music period: Beethoven's Symphony No. 1


During the second period, Beethoven wrote: an opera, symphonies, piano concertos, and quartet music. The second period is known as Beethoven’s independent period because he was known as one of the best pianists and composers of his time. Beethoven became friends with some of the richest and noble families in Vienna. He gained prominent devoted fans such as Prince Lichnowsky. Beethoven would often make the Prince wait in the waiting room on purpose so he could compose music! Here is an example of Beethoven's second period music: The Eroica Symphony


During the last period, Beethoven’s music became reflective. He started to use variations (new rhythms, new meter, new tempos, new embellishments, and new figurations) in his music. Although Beethoven had bad health and family struggles during this period, he still managed to write some of his best musical works during this time. Here is an example of Beethoven's third period music: Beethoven String Quartet Op. 131

References:

A History of Western Music, Grout and Palisca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven


Beethoven Coloring Activity:

Click here to print a coloring page of Beethoven.

Quiz on Beethoven:

Click here to give your child a quiz on Beethoven.