A Trillion Trees

It isn't every day that you get to sing an anthem to trees! But given the attention of late to the critical nature of the role of trees in producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, it seems entirely appropriate to do so. Besides helping the planet (and therefore all people on the planet), according to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees "offer cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water, and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities." No wonder we love them so much! Perhaps you have also heard of the initiative to plant a trillion trees in an effort to replace and replenish the trillions that have been lost for any number of reasons, man-made or natural. There's a lot of information about this online if you wish to dig into it, or perhaps your community, school, or classroom is already involved. In any event, it is a worthwhile and positive subject for kids to discuss, and of course, sing about!

The song "A Trillion Trees" is set in an uplifting Latin style, but with a halftime groove underneath it that practically demands toe tapping, shoulder bouncing, or all out dancing, if you're so inspired. It's in unison the first time through until just before the Coda when the optional second part enters (bar 59). From there, it becomes a delightful musical conversation between the parts, joyfully expressing the sentiments of the lyrics. At the Coda, an optional third part also enters ever so briefly. If you can add these extra parts, it will enhance the performance nicely. If you need help adding them, consider asking older students, parents, teachers, friends, etc., to step in. To help with learning the parts, we have isolated them and put them online for you to download for free. We have also created a unison version of the song in case you prefer to use it that way. This, too, can be found online at our web site.

(Note: This song includes a Diving Deeper Into The Music learning assessment PDF.)