231201: A German Christmas Tree

The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany. Since Christmas is a winter holiday, you need a tree that will be green in the winter. The different kinds of evergreen trees make good Christmas trees. The song O Christmas Tree comes from the German carol O Tannenbaum. Both songs are about the sturdy trees

231127: Holiday music fun

The winter holidays are full of music that we sing, hear, and enjoy in many places. In school, we celebrate with holiday music in our music classes and perform it in our winter concerts. All of our singing, playing, listening, and moving help to put us in a holiday spirit. Here is a selection of

231113: Baby Beluga

One of our favorite songs to sing in class is “Baby Beluga.” This song was written and performed by Raffi. Here is Raffi singing the song in concert. I got to see some belugas at the Mystic Aquarium. Here is a picture of one of the belugas. He looks like he’s singing to the little

231101: Music of Thanksgiving

Music is a part of many holiday celebrations. Our holiday traditions come from many cultural backgrounds, so the music we hear may sound very different from other people we know. Here are examples of music from Native Americans and from the Pilgrims. Native American music and dance: These are three dances performed in different styles.

231024: Big Pumpkin

Halloween can be a scary holiday. People like to scare themselves by telling stories about monsters and other strange creatures. But some of these stories may have monsters in them but still be just for fun. We can listen to these stories without getting scared and just enjoy the story. This is a silly story

231018: Holiday songs

Here are the lyrics for some holiday songs we will be singing this year. The school concerts will be in December, so it’s time to start practicing! S’vivon (pronunciation guide) Sah-vay-von sove sove soveHa-noo-kah hoo khag toveHa-noo-kah hoo khag toveSah-vay-von sove sove soveHa-noo-kah hoo la ahmNashe gah-dole hi-yah shamNashe gah-dole hi-yah shamHa-noo-kah hoo la ahm

231016: Halloween party music

At Halloween, many people like to have parties to celebrate. Parties can be a lot of fun with music that fits the theme of the celebration. Halloween music can be scary, silly, or just plain fun. I made a page of Halloween themed party music several years ago, and you might want to go listen

231015: Danse macabre

The French composer Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) wrote music for many groups of instruments. One of his most famous pieces is the Danse macabre for orchestra. Saint-Saens took a song he had written and arranged it for the orchestra. It uses music to tell the story of Death summoning the dead for a dance on Halloween

231009: Halloween woods

A walk through the woods can be relaxing. I shared a video of a fall forest a few weeks ago, and encouraged you to watch, listen, and relax. But a walk through the woods can also bring out other emotions. If it’s dark, or stormy, or snowy, you may feel reactions to the walk. This

231006: A cozy fall fireplace

As the fall weather turns cooler, we will want to stay warm. One way to stay warm is to gather around a fire. A fire in a fireplace can warm up a whole room. It gives light and warmth and makes us feel cozy when the temperature outside is getting colder. In the past, places