Choir Songs for Christmas

Choir Songs for Christmas

This past week, my choir performed their holiday concert, and it got me thinking about my favorite songs for this time of year, as well as songs I'd like to perform next year. Today, I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott at Music a la Abbott to blog about our favorite Christmas choir songs as well as ones we'd like to do for next year!

A couple notes:

My choir consists of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Many of these pieces could also work for middle school.

Many of the titles are linked to the octavos on JW Pepper or other sites; simply click to view!

#1: Christmas is coming

This is one of my favorites for this time of year. It's an English folk song that works well as a round. I've heard a few different versions of it, but this is the one I use:

You could also have one part of the choir sing "God bless you" on mi-re-do as an ostinato.

#2: "Minka" arr. by Jill Ann Jones

This is one of my all-time favorites for Christmas! It's a 2-part song that is pretty accessible, as you teach the first part, then you teach the second part, and then you have one half of the choir sing one part as the other half of the choir sings the second part! The piano part is also really fun to play. It's a wonderful addition to any holiday concert.

#3: "Christmas Time is Here" by Mendelson and Guaraldi, arr. by Pugh

I just LOVE this song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"! I used this arrangement on last year's concert, but simplified it so it was in unison. Here is a video of my students singing it:

This was definitely a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn't love Charlie Brown?

#4: "Al Shlosha D'Varim" by Naplan

Although this is not specifically a Christmas or Hanukkah song, I think the text is perfect for this time of year. It translates to: "The world is sustained by three things: by truth, by justice, and by peace." The melody is gorgeous, and just like Minka, students can learn two different parts, then sing the parts together.

#5: "Christmas Canon" by O'Neill, Kinkel, and Pachelbel

You've likely heard this song by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Here is a video:

The piano part is Pachelbel's Canon, and then three parts are layered on top of each other. Again, it is accessible, and so many people are familiar with it, it's another crowd pleaser!

I realized after my choir concert, as I was listening to Christmas music on the way home, that I should plan NOW for what I want my next year's choir to perform, since I have holiday music on the brain!

Here are a few I'd like to program for next year:

"Pat a Pan" by Gilpin

I just realized that I ordered a full set of this octavo this summer...but then didn't use it on this year's concert! I absolutely LOVE this song, and am so excited to use it next year. Such a beautiful arrangement, and I love how suited it is for children's voices.

"Winter Fantasy" by Gallina

This is a fun octavo that has a partner song with "Jingle Bells." I'm excited to do this next year, as I'll have my choir perform it on their concert, but then I will also have it performed on my singalong. The audience will sing Jingle Bells, and then my choir will sing the partner song, and then we'll sing them together! (For more information about putting together a singalong, see this blog post.)

"Man with the Bag" by Emerson

I love this song! I'm hoping to be able to explore the genre of vocal jazz through teaching it, and I know students will love it as much as I do!

"Sleigh Ride" by Cristi Cary Miller

I just found out about this octavo through Amy Abbott's Facebook page. I listened and love the song, so plan on programming it for next year! She'll be including the video of her choir singing the song in her post, so make sure to check it out!

Even though it's December 19 as I write this, and you've likely already had all of your concerts, I hope you're able to bookmark this list as well as Amy's list so you can plan for next year. Feel free to comment below with your favorites for this time of year, as well as any other arrangements of the songs above that you love.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

Are you looking for gift ideas for a loved one who is a music teacher? Or are you a music teacher trying to find gift ideas to give your family? I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott, to blog about great gift ideas for any music teacher!

Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

Echo Dot

I was super excited when my husband bought me the Echo for my birthday in late November. I hadn't asked for it and didn't even know what it was, but now, I'm hooked!
The idea of the Echo is that you can play music wirelessly just by asking. It will play genres of music ("Alexa, play classical music," or "Alexa, play holiday classics") and it will play specific songs. For some songs, you do need a monthly membership to Amazon music, which is $3.99, but there are lots of songs that it will play without that membership. You can also ask Alexa to add things to your to do list, ask her for the weather, ask for the items on your calendar for that day, and more!
It hadn't even occurred to me to use one in my classroom until I saw this post in the Feierabend Fundamentals Facebook group. And then I realized...you could simply say, "Alexa, play 'Chimes of Dunkirk'" and it will play! How awesome is that? You can also connect it to your computer or iPad though Bluetooth. I just ordered one for my classroom; as I write this, it's on sale for $39.99, so I couldn't resist!

PBuzz

This was also a really fun birthday gift from my husband, but could totally work as a gift for your favorite music teacher (or for yourself!) The PBuzz is like a plastic trombone. The slide positions/ letters are marked, and you can slide to whichever you want. It has a small range--only a fifth--but is really fun (and my four year old can make a good sound on it!)

Here is a fun video for "Uptown Funk" played on pBuzz, pBones, and Bass Trombone.

 Click the link below to see the pBuzz on Amazon.

Singing Games and Rhymes for ages 9 to 99

Amy from Music a la Abbott sent me this awesome book as a birthday gift. There are SO many songs in here I had never seen, so it was such a fun gift! I just delved into it deeper today and found many great songs AND games! And even better? It comes with a DVD showing the singing games! (Click on the picture to see how to purchase it.)

Tuning fork on lanyard

I lose things ALL THE TIME, so I love having my tuning fork on a lanyard! The idea of using a tuning fork as a music teacher is that you can quickly check your pitch without having to run over to the piano...and when it's on a lanyard, around your neck, it's even easier! You can buy the one below on West Music; click the picture to see the listing.

Presentation remote

I first bought a presentation remote when I started presenting workshops, but once I realized it can work for Powerpoints, PDF's, SMART Notebook files, AND Prezi, I realized how useful it could be in the music classroom! Whether you are running a singalong or doing an assessment in SMART Notebook, this remote is super helpful, so that you can click without standing at your computer keyboard!

Kindergarten Centers {Bundled Set}

Here's one from my store that music teachers will find helpful! I put this together for teachers hoping to try centers with their Kindergarteners. It includes sets for fast/slow, loud/quiet, beat, high/low, and rhythm, including six centers for each concept!

Christmas morning bundle

This fun set by Amy Abbott is full of games and activities, and will be ready to download on Christmas morning! What's even better? The games can be used any time of the year! Amy's interactive games are always so fun, so I'm looking forward to downloading these games!

Make sure to hop on over to Amy's blog to read her holiday gift guide. Which gifts are on your wish list? Feel free to comment below. Happy shopping, and Happy Holidays!

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

We've all heard the adage, "It's easier to come to school sick than to write sub plans." Many of you, like me, have spent hours upon hours working just on one day of sub plans, so it IS often easier to come to school sick than worry about it.

A few years ago, though, I finally got my sub tub in order (read more about my sub tub here), and figuring out sub plans began taking 10 minutes instead of 2 hours! Since then, I've become passionate about figuring out ideas that would have students making music, have subs feel comfortable teaching, and allow me to not spend tons of time preparing!

Here are some ideas for quick and easy sub plans to leave for your sub. Make sure to scroll to the end of the post, to sign up for my email list and receive editable Word documents to edit and adapt the sub plans for your own music lessons (as well as a bonus file)!

#1: The rhythm trainer

This website is a wonderful way to practice dictation and audiation skills! On the first page, you'll see this:

You could have your sub choose A if students will dictate rhythm patterns (onto the SMART board, or on a computer projected onto a LCD projector) or B if students will choose from multiple choice patterns. Then, students or the sub can choose a tempo. Lastly, you can leave notes for your sub with which rhythms to choose from, which can be adapted depending on the grade level! So if your first graders only know ta and ti-ti, or quarter and eighth notes, then you can have the sub only choose the first two rhythms, like shown above.



Then, students can either listen to the one pattern (if choosing option A) or listen to four patterns (if choosing option B), and students come up to the computer or SMART board to dictate or choose the correct pattern. Several students can come up and choose...and even better, your sub doesn't have to be musical in order to have students play this game!

#2: Rhythm reading video

I created this video as a quick and easy way to practice quarter rest, and it's perfect for a sub plan! Students get non-pitched instruments (such as wood blocks, hand drums, rhythm sticks, etc.) The first time through the pattern, they simply say the pattern, using whichever rhythm syllables they know (i.e. ta and ti-ti, ta and ta-di, etc.) The second time through the pattern, they play the pattern on their instruments. You could even have them watch the video more than once, and switch instruments each time (or have them play the patterns all on the same note on recorder, or have them improvise a melody in C pentatonic on Orff instruments!)
Here is the video:

If you want more helpful videos for music teachers, make sure to check out my channel here.

#3: Roll and listen

This is one of my favorite freebies on TeachersPayTeachers, by Cori Bloom from Rhythm and Bloom. The idea is simple but brilliant: students roll a die, listen to a snippet of a piece of music, then  discuss either with the whole class or in small groups the answer to the prompt. This is a great way to discuss tempo, dynamics, instruments, and more, and can be used with ANY piece of music, which is great!
I use foam dice from Amazon, but you could also use big dice from a store like Five Below (like in this post), or a die on the SMART board, if you have SMART notebook.
Click the picture below to download the file on TpT:

#4: Students' choice

Having students choose what they'd like to do is a great time filler, especially if you're not sure the sub plan you're leaving will be long enough. For example, if you were doing "Rhythm trainer" listed above, and expect that it will only take 20 minutes, and you have 30 minute classes, you could leave a note to the sub that students can tell him/her their favorite singing games, he/she can make a list on the board, and then the class can vote on their favorite to play. There are several singing games my students know really well because we play them so often, so they can play it without really any help from the sub (who may or may not be musical!)

#5: Keep a beat

In Kindergarten, first, and second grade, once students know steady beat, you could leave a book for a sub that inherently has a steady beat, and have students keep a steady beat on their laps as the sub reads. If you're nervous that a sub may not be able to read to a steady beat, you could record a short snippet of you reading as you keep a steady beat on a drum, so the sub can hear what you mean. Here are some of my favorite picture books for steady beat (click each to be taken to that listing on Amazon; these are affiliate links, but you may be able to find them in your school library!):

                

Looking to save time by having these lessons in sub plan form? Sign up for my email list below and you'll get these plans for free! I've written the plans to include materials, standards, and process. (If you are already signed up for my email list, no worries, you can sign up again and I won't send you duplicate emails!)


Wondering how to put together a sub tub that saves time? I plan on doing a Facebook Live about my sub tub next Wednesday, December 14, at 9:15 p.m.! Make sure to follow my Facebook page to get the notification!

Looking for more sub plans? Here are two sets I've created:

            

Also make sure to check out ideas on this Pinterest board:

What are your favorite sub plans for the music classroom? Feel free to comment below, and happy teaching and planning!

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