On October 12-14, some children’s musicians enjoyed a great weekend in Huron, Ohio, at The Children’s Music Network’s annual conference. The conference always happens in the fall, which means we get a fine selection of everyone’s Halloween songs. Today, I present a perennial favorite of my own, “Rockin’ Pumpkin,” sung … Continue reading
This is an October song that I enjoy every fall with young children. The tune is at this link. October, October, leaves orange, green, red, yellow, brown. October, the wind blows. Leaves falling down, down to the ground, leaves fall down to the ground. With its ¾ meter, this is … Continue reading
Happy October! I’m dedicating some blog space to offering my favorite October songs this month. It’s fun to sing about fall, but really, Halloween songs just can’t be beat for all-around spooky fun. I recommend my Halloween Rhymes song for rhyming-word learning and howling all month long. You can download … Continue reading
Following up on my previous post about singing with kids, I’m excited to share a list of my favorite “classic” songs to share with today’s children. Singing the classics gives children a sense of history and tradition; we ought to pass along the best of folk traditions to the next … Continue reading
As another school year begins, let’s pause to consider one experience that’s almost certain to make school a better place: making music. Singing as a group is an awesome way to build school community and empower children to do good in the world. While I love it when classes sing … Continue reading
Be a kindness rock star! The poster on the left by Karen Salmansohn provides my motto for behavior management for music specialists or teaching artists or any adult who visits classrooms. (Substitute teachers, there is a special place in Heaven for you.) One of the biggest challenges for any teacher … Continue reading
I just made a new video of one of my favorite literacy songs, “Dr. Knickerbocker.” Find it now on my youtube channel, LizBuchananMusic, by clicking here. “Dr. Knickerbocker” is somewhat ubiquitous in kids’ music circles, having been featured on at least two children’s TV shows and in numerous books. It’s … Continue reading
Memo to musicians under 40, of all musical styles and persuasions: Could you share your music with kids? Please? I’m reaching out especially to those of you who don’t look or sound like me, a white female of a certain age, who strums my acoustic guitar and sings folk-y type … Continue reading
Here’s a series of fall arts activities that include movement, music, art and poetry. These activities are perfect for arts integration into curriculum, offering children a chance to reflect on fall colors and the change of seasons, as well as botany and earth science related to seasonal change. These lessons … Continue reading
I recently watched a video about arts integration at the Two Rivers Charter School in Washington, D.C. Second graders created giant Jackson Pollock-style paintings while learning about the physics of flight; fourth graders learned about their local rivers by enacting the history of a river through poetry, movement and drama. … Continue reading
