The White House

Isn't it sort of hard to believe that the White House has been standing in the heart of our nation's capital for over 220 years? In all, 43 presidents and their families have lived there (all but George Washington). And it has been added onto, rebuilt, renovated, and modified to the point that not much of the original structure still exists. Even so, it has stood as one of our country's proud symbols of democracy for over two centuries. Many initially called this impressive home a palace. But that just didn't seem to fit the beliefs and ideals of our young nation. It has had many nicknames over the years (the President's Palace, the President's House, the Executive Mansion), but it was President Teddy Roosevelt who officially started to call it simply, the White House.

In honor of this impressive structure, we bring you the song "The White House." It is a simple march with a very easy-to-learn melody. The lyrics tell a little bit of the famous home's history, along with letting your students know that "If you become the president then you can live there, too!" Our recorded accompaniment features a real marching band complete with snare drums, crash cymbals, and a piccolo.

There are many cross curricular opportunities here, of course. The history of the house itself, Washington D.C., the presidents, and much more. As with any topic that you can bring across the curriculum through the use of music, we recommend you communicate with other teachers to let them know of this useful musical tool.

Many thanks to artist Donald Riggio for the wonderful painting of the South Portico of the White House which is featured on the front cover of this issue.