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...

Many people won't sing along if they become frustrated while learning a song. Imagine that a song leader sings a long song in a foreign language, and then asks the children to repeat it back. They won't be able to do it. Their confidence will diminish and they won't want to sing. For this reason,...

No one enjoys doing anything poorly. Mediocrity has no emotional reward. It breeds more mediocrity, and that breeds discipline and other problems. Make the singers sound great. Make them know they are great. Here are some simple tips: 1. Create a Positive Environment. In Chapter 1 I wrote about...

(From The Nick Page Sing with Us Songbook, based on Sing and Shine On! An Innovative Guide to Leading Multicultural Song) I have been leading songs to all ages for many years. I encounter non-singers, inexperienced singers, singers who haven't learned how to sing in tune (everyone can learn), and...

People often think that the purpose of a children's choir is to perform during worship from time to time. Performance (or celebration) is the goal, the frosting on the cake, but the real heart of a children's choir is in the week-to-week community-building and skill development that occurs....

You may have noticed by now that the possibilities for engaging children with music are endless. They invite creativity from each child and from you, the teacher. We are all creative. Making a shopping list is a creative act. Conversation is a creative act. But when creativity is connected to...

The phenomenon of drumming and drumming circles is still in its infancy. I predict that fifty years from now, world drumming will be standard curriculum in schools and will be a standard form of worship. Why? Because drumming requires raised attentiveness, a level of focus that actually makes...

Allowing children to make up their own movements to recorded music is a great way for them to let off steam and let their creativity flow. Choose a variety of CDs that have fast and slow songs in different musical styles (classical, pop, world, and the like), or program your iPod....

There is actually a new form of yoga that has evolved in India: laughter. Simply initiate laughter among the children and have them keep it going. Laughter changes the chemistry of their brains. It connects them. As with all forms of creative activities, laughter must be practiced in a supportive...

Find any excuse to get children up and moving, particularly with songs. Then bring in the emotions. Have them sing a song like "Simple Gifts" or "Morning Has Broken" while walking around the room showing sadness in their bodies as they sing. The songs will sound sad simply because their...

Adding hand gestures to songs can be a participatory event. For the song "Wade in the Water," for example, simply ask the children what motions would work for the phrase, "Wade in the water." The children will suggest some ideas for movement, and they will all be good. The motions might involve...

With partner songs and rounds, you can do a mix-it-up. A partner song is made up of two or more songs that are sung at the same time. UU song leader Dr. Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey in the Rock, for example, combines the chorus of "Wade in the Water" with "I Wanna Die Easy When I Die" and some...

The simplest form of group dance is the line dance, in which the dancers follow the leader either in a circle or in free patterns around the room. They can hold hands, place their hands on each other's shoulders, or place them around each other's waist....