Shiver & Shake

We've deliberately made the singing part of this multi-purpose tune all unison and simple to learn. That way, you can give more attention to the focus of the song: the mysterious stuff that's making all those sounds that make us shiver and shake! While you will want your singers to swing (and don't worry – the recording is an excellent reinforcement for that), the percussion and body percussion don't have to. But they do need to pay attention to the form of the song, which is an excellent lesson in reading music. They have their own line they can follow along, which you ought to go over with them prior to performing. The music contains detailed instructions how to follow the parts (see bottom of page 36 and page 37). Notably, kids should learn to play at the right times and in the right way, that is, improvised versus reading notations. Having fun while doing so, of course. On our web site, we have included a version with just the singing and no percussion, in case you find that helpful, too. (See box on page 78 for details.)

Movement, too! - This song is also a great candidate for adding movement – with or without all the spooky sounds! Toward that end, we have asked choreographer Melissa Schott to come up with movement suggestions your students can learn for a performance or just for the fun of it. You will find information about her ideas on our web site for free. (See box on page 78 for details.)