The Joy Of Music
by John Riggio
"Music is a powerful esthetic force. It brings spirit and joy into the life of every individual."
- New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller (from the first Music In Our Schools Month, March 14, 1973)
"The Joy Of Music" was written with Music In Our Schools Month in mind, but it could apply to any occasion where you wish to extol the virtues of music. As the song says, music is "a language we all understand." And if we may be so bold, it is our belief that music improves the quality of life. But we're pretty sure we're preaching to the choir here.
John tells us that he first got the idea for the intro/bridge chord progression to this song over 30 years ago. He was waiting for the right tune to use it, and this is it! There are some tricky rhythms (and progressions) in this piece, but we have a few instruments that cover the melody at different times, including piano, electric piano, and electric guitar. These should help your singers stay on track. Singing along with the Performance/Accompaniment recording is another way to learn the song, tricky bits and all.
A couple of notes: In bar 37 we are treating the word power as one syllable, so more like "pow'r." Also, at bar 57 singers get to join in on that neat progression with some "ah's". (This wasn't originally on the score, but Teresa suggested it, and we think it sounds amazing. It's also fun to sing!)
Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.