Kazoo, Crusher Of Things

When you hear the beginning of this song, you might swear that you are at a monster truck show. That is, until the kazoos come in. Yes, kazoos. But, it just proves that kazoos can rock, too! There is a lot of power behind the accompaniment track for this song, but the melody is simple enough that kids of any age can jump in. The first verse is an easy call and response between the band and kazoos using simple quarter note rhythms. Band and kazoos play together in the chorus (bar 9) as the rhythm picks up the energy a bit, adding in some eighth notes. The second verse (bar 17) switches over completely to eighth notes to really add to the intensity of the rock track.

This driving song has plenty of opportunities to just blast away and have fun. (Hint: To get the best sound out of your kazoo players, have them sing the syllable "doo" or "doot" at the ends of phrases.) The song is also a great opportunity to practice how to listen and pay attention. You should always cue your students when it's time to come in during the verses. But you can also have them count out the rests, listen to what the rock band is playing, and learn how to make a strong and confident entrance. Before playing this, you could even warm up by playing a game to make the kids watch you more closely (much like John Riggio's "Freeze!" from Vol. 14, No. 2).