Misappropriation refers to the misuse of music in which culture is the defining element. Culture defines all music. The differences between a Hindu raga and a Bach chorale are as much cultural as they are musical, and understanding and honoring these differences is vital.

First, a review list of the song-teaching strategies you can try: The echo song The rote method Call-and-response Hand signs/movement/dance The zipper song Rounds The non-strategy Storytelling with songs Choose your song and decide on the best strategy for teaching it....

Storytellers have been combining songs and stories for millions of years, and to this day many cultures tell stories in song. Homer sang The Iliad. Praise singers in western Africa chant stories to local leaders, telling of the leaders' many achievements and ridiculing the achievements of their...

I have discussed many strategies for teaching songs, and so far I have left out one of the most common strategies: the one I call "the non-strategy." I don't know what else to call it; it literally means teaching a song without any strategy. How does one do this? Simple....

A partner song is made up of two songs that are sung at the same time. Dr. Ysaye Barnwell uses "Wade in the Water" and three other spirituals at the same time on her Singing in the African American Tradition CD collection (see Resources). Also see Joanne Hammil's Rounds & Partner Songs, Vols....

Rounds and canons are a joy to sing. Participants are required to listen very carefully while singing, and anything that makes us listen is beneficial. There is no single strategy for teaching rounds, but there are some simple guidelines. Teach each round using the strategy that best fits the song.

In a zipper song, most of the verse remains the same each time you sing it, but you substitute one or more words each time. "This Old Man" is a classic zipper song....

Adding body movements and hand signs to songs is an amazingly effective way to teach songs to both children and adults. It is especially effective when you are teaching songs that have a lot of words....

The call-and-response song is one in which the leader sings a phrase and the group sings a different phrase in response. You can sing "This Little Light of Mine," for example, by singing, "This little light of mine" and having the children respond each time with "I'm gonna let it shine." You all...

Learning songs by ear, as opposed to learning songs by reading music, is the basic strategy for teaching most but not all songs. The rote process involves no written music and most often no printed lyrics. Songs that are taught by rote are usually simple....

An echo song is a song in which the leader calls out a phrase and the group repeats it. You can find this form of song in a variety of styles all around the world....

Whatever song-teaching technique you use, it is vital to teach with energy. One of the biggest problems I repeatedly observe when I teach classes and workshops in song leading is people who teach with insufficient energy....

It is illegal and unethical to make multiple printed copies of copyrighted music. For information about purchasing or obtaining permission to print copies of music published by the UUA, go to http://www…;. The UUA is developing a new system for simplifying the permissions process, but until this...

The Web. There are websites dedicated to song lyrics, some with chord symbols, some with music you can download as PDF files. I suggest you search Google or ask.com for "song lyrics." You won't find everything, but finding lyrics online is quicker than transcribing them from a recording....

Songs tell stories or are a part of great stories that need to be told. When we tell the story behind a song or behind the world of that song, we create empathy, an understanding in the heart....

In order to create confidence, children must learn the songs well. Constantly ask yourself, "If I were learning this song, what would I need?" It may mean using word sheets or overhead transparencies. It may mean using hand signs, like a reaching gesture for the word reach, and other simple...