It's Summer!
by John Riggio
Ah, summer! That time of year enjoyed by students and teachers alike (unless you're in summer school, but we won't go there). In this high-energy electronic rock piece, John extols the virtues and general fun quotient of summer time. You know. Sleeping in. Vacation. Swimming. A time of refreshing. There's so much to like about this season! Quite a few ideas are named in the tune itself, but what else can your students think of?
The song is very straightforward - no syncopations, no difficult rhythms, and no multiple parts. But it does move at a brisk 150 bpm. (A slow song about summer just didn't work here.) Listening to the driving pulse on the recording should help your kids get revved up to musically enumerate the many joys of the season.
If you're using this song for a performance, shorts and T-shirts would be good attire, as would any warm-weather outdoor outfits. Add a few beach accoutrements like sunglasses, beach towels, surfboards, a volleyball or two, etc., and put a little zinc oxide on a few noses to prevent "sunburns." Or maybe use some simpler park-like items for props like bicycles, lounge chairs, baseball gloves, or any other summer-like things that come to mind.
Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.