Don't Forget To Be Thankful

Gratitude doesn't have a season. It's always important. Even so, it's good to remind ourselves of this at least once a year at Thanksgiving time. Singing about it is an excellent way to reinforce it as well.

The title of this lively Latin tune says it all, "Don't Forget To Be Thankful." It's short and catchy, and easy enough for most of your students to learn readily. At the bridge, a gentle reminder to be nice and to be good are thrown in for good measure.

If you'd like to spice up a performance of this tune, add a little percussion. Use whatever you have on hand – cowbells, tambourines, shakers, etc., but keep it light enough not to overwhelm the singing. If you like, you could let students participate in the decision of what rhythms each type of instrument should play. For example, a small shaker might play all quarter or eighth notes, depending on the skill level of the player. Since the tune is in cut-time, it could also become a lesson in counting if you write the percussion parts out together. Or it could all be done by ear. The simplest thing to do would be to establish a pattern for each instrument and play it throughout. However, stopping or altering the pattern at the bridge would add interest and a little bit of a challenge for your players as well.