Story Songs for Older Adults

Image via Wikipedia

When my clients make me think, it gets me excited. This past week, a conversation started at an assisted living facility on stories told by songs. There are so many songs that tell stories, so the question became which to recommend. Once I was home from the session, I through the topic out to Twitterverse and received responses from Kat Fulton, Rachelle Norman, Carolyn D., and Carol Costantino. Thank you ladies!

This list of songs is from these ladies along with a few of my own. Songs will likely appeal older adults – 65+ in age. Where possible, I’ve linked to a recording on YouTube for easy of use by caregivers and seniors who wish to listen.

• Delta Dawn
• The Gambler
• You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille
• Walkin My Baby Back Home
• Irene Goodnight
• Strolling Through the Park One Day
• I Walk the Line
• If I Knew You Were Coming I’d have Baked a Cake
• The Devil Went Down to Georgia

All of these have the makings of discussion starters. If you use any of these story songs to facilitate a group, please share the response you have to them. Love this idea but work with young children? No problem, I’ll soon have a list for this group & inter-generational groups very soon.

Related articles

• School Day Memories (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Family in Song (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Singable Stories: Some Sunday Specials

From time to time I teach Sunday School at my church. These singable stories would be appropriate for Sunday Schools, religion classes, or just sharing with a child. Check them out!

I hope you enjoy these books. Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

More Singable song articles

• Singable Books: 2 Special Stories (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Fiddle-I-Fee (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Neighborhood Sing-along (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Camping Theme Resources

If you received my newsletter, be sure and check out Canoeing in Preschool. And check out this camping resource by 2 Teaching Mommies.

Those who receive my SPARKS newsletter received the following ideas and more!

Camp Songs:

Children

• Do Your Ears Hang Low
• Boa Constrictor
• The Littlest Worm
• Little Bunny Foo Foo

Older Adults

• Picking Flowers in the Rain
• Tenting Tonight
• Trail of the Lonesome Pine
• Dip, Dip & Swing

Intergenerational

• Oh, We’re from Camp (insert the facility name, family name, etc.)
• Camp Granada
• Marching to Victoria
• If You’re Happy & You Know It

Books:

Children’s Story Books

• Camp Granada: Sing-Along Camp Songs by FranÃ
• How to Catch a Fish by John Frank and Peter Sylvada
• I Took a Walk by Henry Cole
• On the Way to the Beach by Henry Cole
• Wish You Were Here by Martina Selway
• Camping in Green (Know Your Colors) by Christianne C. Jones and Todd Ouren

If you would like to receive the rest of the information, sign  up for my SPARKS newsletter. You will be able to access the rest of these camping ideas from June 2011 from the archives.

Singable Books: Nursery Rhyme Songbook

I have noticed that fewer children are able to repeat  many traditional nursery rhymes. Many are tied to music. But, I found a source that is helping keep them alive. The “Nursery Rhyme Songbook: A Delightful collection of Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Stories” is published by Amsco Publication. Containing 35 songs, 3 poems, and 5 stories, this book would make a great starter for a parents library to share with a child as well as being a great resource book for childcare providers.

Most of the stories and songs are familiar and traditional with simple, colorful illustrations. The songs are presented in a format playable on piano, guitar, or autoharp. The poems are short, anonymous rhymes sure to delight both child and adult.

Check out this singable book and enjoy some traditional fun.

Here are articles on other singable books:

• Singable Books: Fiddle-I-Fee (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Neighborhood Sing-along (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Patriotic (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Silly Dilly Songs (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

A 4th of July Sing-along

Image via Wikipedia

In addition to playing in the Hays City Band on the grounds of Fort Hays on the 4th, I will be leading a sing-along at Sterling House of Hays. We will be singing several familiar songs about places around the United States. Here’s some of my list for our singing celebration.

• America
• America the Beautiful
• Beautiful Ohio
• California, Here I Come
• Carolina Moon
• Deep in the Heart of Texas
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania Polka
• Tennessee Waltz
• Georgia
• I Left My Heart in San Francisco
• Charleston
• This Land Is Your Land
• Home Sweet Home
• The Star Spangled Banner
• You’re a Grand Old Flag
• God Bless America

Have a happy and safe 4th of July. If you are celebrating with song, please share your thoughts of what to add in the comments below.

Here are other sing-along ideas:

• Welcome Summer!
• Older Americans Month Songs 

Singable Books: Fiddle-I-Fee

Cover via Amazon

There are wonderful songs that have become books for children. Fiddle-I-Fee: A Farmyard song the Very Young adapted and illustrated by Melissa Sweet is one such book. Check here to learn more:

I will be using this song and recommending the book in an upcoming farm themed class. Here are some other posts with books that are singable you might enjoy:

Related articles

• Singable Books: Neighborhood Sing-along (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Patriotic (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Silly Dilly Songs (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Marriage in Song

There seem to be a number of weddings occurring around town. I noticed June 27th is “Decide to be married Day”.  So here are some songs about marriage older adults might enjoy:

• Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet
• Froggy Went a Courting
• Bicycle Built for Two
• Love & Marriage
• Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
• Red Roses for a Blue Lady
• For Me & My Gal
• Turn Around
• Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me
• In My Merry Oldsmobile

If you work with a different age group, I recommend checking The Green Book of Songs. The subject search of songs is a great tool well worth the few dollars.

Welcome Summer!

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

Summer officially begins on June 21, 2011. Why not celebrate the day with songs? Here are a few songs older adults may recognize.

• In the Good Old Summertime
• Summertime
• “Tis the last Rose of Summer
• June is Busting Out All Over (Be sure and check out the song spotlight  and song writing info at Soundscape Music Therapy)
• Summer Wind
• We’ll Sing in the Sunshine
• Beach Baby
• By the Sea
• Barefootin’

You can bring in more senses with old pictures of swim suits, picture of a fan blowing on a block of ice (old-time air conditioning), a beach ball, a pale with shovel, maybe a little sand to run through the fingers (or toes), coconut butter, baby oil (an old-time sun tanning lotion) just to name a few.

As for this traveling music therapist, I’m cranking up the AC and the tunes while I share a few memories of summers passed around the Hays, Kansas area.

For those who work with children, check out this article

• Easy Summertime Music Fun With Your Child (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Singable Books: Neighborhood Sing-along

Singing has been a great way for me to meet and to interact with people my whole life. I’m guessing it has also been that way for Nina Crews – the creator and artist for The Neighborhood Sing-along. This would be a wonderful book for:

• sharing standard sing-along songs with young children
• a book for reminiscing with grandparents
• developing a list of songs to use in an intergenerational group.

Here are some more insights on this fun book. 

Hope you enjoyed this installment of Singable books. Here are some past posts to keep you reading and singing with your child.

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy these:

• An Intergenerational Flower Sing-along (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Singable Books: Patriotic (musicsparks.wordpress.com)

Apologies to those with preschoolers

Image by nesson-marshall via Flickr

I was looking back at my posts of the last month and realized there were very few easy use ideas for those with preschoolers. Yes, there are some song lists, but not a “grab and go” type entry. So this week will be mostly for you. It is my hope that my shares will also work in some intergenerational settings, too. In the mean time, here are some links to past posts that may provide you something to do with your child on a hot summer’s day other than a trip to the pool.

Check out these articles

• She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Children’s Songs for Father’s Day  (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Easy Summertime Music Fun (musicsparks.wordpress.com)
• Flower Shop Song (musicsparks.wordpress.com)