Highlights of our “Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic” Concerts.
I am fortunate to have many talented teachers on my staff. We discuss possibilities for our theme with more than enough options for them to use one of my concert plans or design one of their own. The results are many variations of a themed concert. No two concerts are the same. Here are highlights of the Farm theme choices. These are not songs from one concert, but my favorite moments from many concerts we have presented around a Farm theme. Music Box also has detailed concert plans for a Farm Theme program for several different age groups.
That’s the Life of a Farmer – One class has tone blocks dig (scratch) and hoe (scrape), the triangle class played on the “seeds” and our youngest played shaker eggs on “hippity hop” for the rabbits. Amazing how the preschoolers waited for their special verse, keeping their instrument quiet. Everyone plays on “OUT!” on the last verse. Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 51
A mouse lives in a little hole – Hiding behind the hand drums and peeking as indicated in the instrumental accompaniment, then playing the running music with “dancing fingers” on the drum head as our youngest act out the drama of the mouse, running in place, then crouching down as they were at the start of the song, covering their eyes to be back in the hole, then peeking! Precious and they love it.
Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 10
Lots of Worms – generally, just a ton of wiggles, giggles, bringing great joy to all!
Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 25
My Dog Rags – This is one of the kid’s favorites. The audience loves the whistle and all the motions of course, and the uncontrolled barking and howling at the end. We enjoyed using the instrumental accompaniment on the CD.
Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 12
Hunt the Cows – Hilarious snoring! We start by all the children pretending they are asleep. The teacher wakes up everyone by ringing the triangle. The wood instruments play the beat for “Wake up you sleepy heads and go and get the cattle….” The wonderful soft, adagio part is improvised on the metallophones and glockenspiels as everyone is back to sleep by the end of the B section. We did ABABA and ended with lots of “moo-ing” since we found the cattle. Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 8
En la Granja de mi Tio This was a huge hit! Even the preschoolers did a beautiful job with solos, echos and learning the Spanish names of animals, colors and numbers. The pictures and music for this are in a new category called Spanish Music Rhapsody in the store.
(this is from the new Spanish Music Rhapsody CD, track 4)
Who’s That Hatching – In our 3 -5 year old concerts, we had them design a “barn box” to hold their instruments. (We asked for a decorated shoe box but the parents got quite involved and we had elaborate barns made from boxes and cardboard.) After accompanying the song with their rhythm sticks, a group of children were the soloists and had a “hatching” finger puppet in their box. When the mic came to them, they sang “I’m a baby ____.” The children responded “Hello baby ____.”
In All Kinds of Weather, Kids Make Music page 44
I Plant a Little Seed – A group of children were the soloists and did the movement of the poem. After “down comes the cool rain,” they picked up their “play food” or real food item (carrot, apple, lemon, etc) and gradually rose on “Grow, grow, grow!” One at a time, they sang their solos in the microphone “I grew a ________.” Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 18
Turkey Feathers – Lynn pretends she is the turkey! (When I asked the children who wanted to play the part of the turkey who lost his feathers, they all said “You!”) 6 colors of scarves were passed out to soloists. The kids sing “Turkey, turkey, where’s your hair…” as the turkey looks surprised that the feathers are missing. We used a microphone for the soloists. You have to watch the video!
Farm Songs and the Sounds of Moo-sic, page 49.
Farm Puppets and the Farm Songs book can be found in the store at www.musicrhapsody.com