It's All About The Music

This song is a kind of whole body/mind performance piece. The subject is music (our favorite, especially during Music In Our Schools Month), and the idea is that we music lovers are so into it, we are literally all about it. Not just from our body parts, like feet and toes, but pretty much in all of our senses, feelings, and experiences. Let's face it, we are the ones with a constant beat in our step, a song in our hearts, and dare we say, an ongoing soundtrack to our lives. Sound familiar?

Assuming you have students in your midst with whom this message resonates, you will find this song speaks to them as well. Part pop/rock, part Latin, it has an easy, comfortable style with a touch of humor in the lyrics. It also invites at least simple movement like shoulder bouncing or foot tapping. Just incorporating the hand claps will inspire immersion in the groove.

Boomwhackers® and Percussion, too! - If you wish to really make this a performance piece, consider adding the optional Boomwhackers® and percussion (cowbell and guiro). The BWs use C to C' and can be done on regular or bass diatonic BWs (or both, as we did). The line during the verse is sparse and repetitious, so it's a natural to play. During the chorus when it switches over to the more lively Latin pulse, the BWs have chords indicated as possible, given the limitations of the key and the instruments. If that seems too much, feel free to choose single notes from those chords instead.

The percussion is easier than BWs, especially for the guiro which has the same notation throughout till the very end. The cowbell part does change at the chorus (and the end), so attention will need to be paid there.

Prior to measure 1, you will hear four cowbell hits on the recording. That's because the BWs and percussion come in right away, so they will need the set-up. (Extracted parts for both of these groups can be found in this issue on pages 19 and 20.)