TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR: A reimagining of a classic song. I had been listening to Loreena McKennitt’s wonderful An Ancient Muse album. For this version, I imagined seeing the star while walking through a desert at night.
LITTLE BIRD THROUGH MY WINDOW: The song has been around for quite a while. This version is based on an Alan Lomax recording from South Carolina in 1937. I changed the meter to give it a little more interest. The introduction is based on one of Canteloub’s Songs from the Auvergne. I used the song often when I taught lower school because of the wonderful game that goes with it.
THE WHEELS ON THE BUS: Lots of fun putting this classic song into a semi-New Orleans grove.
BOUGHT ME A CAT: BMAC is a cumulative song, that is, each verse adds an additional element. Children love the challenge of trying to remember all of the animals, while I get a kick out of making the animal sounds.
CROW DANCE: This is a really interesting song. Originally from West Africa, the song may include a jumping dance. While crows can be seen as sacred in Africa, the source of this version of the song comments that the crow here is actually a buzzard.
THE FARMER IN THE DELL: This song is probably from Europe and came to America with German immigrants. The accompanying game really is fun.
GREAT BIG HOUSE: This is one of many Play Parties, that is a folksong that has a specific set of movements for a group of singers/dancers. Children really like the lyrics that seem absurd these days, but must have had very specific meanings in the past. I tried to give it a sense of New Orleans. Fun fact: this song of mine has the largest number of views on Youtube! The song was collected by Pete Seeger.
HEAD AND SHOULDER: Bessie Jones was a brilliant singer/musician from Georgia. She shared many of her songs with the world in her 1971 book Step It Down, including the wonder full Head and Shoulder, a great interactive song and activity.
Sean Breen 