Goin' On A Picnic

Ahhh, there's nothing like waking up on a sunny day and going on a picnic with your friends and/or family. Packing a basket, a blanket, and some games is like stopping time for the day while forgetting about life's worries. This cheerful tune has the happiest campy feel to it, and the whimsical instruments on the recording will get you and your students longing for your next picnic. Make sure the kids sing this with a "bounce" to the shuffle rhythms so that lighthearted feeling comes across in the performance.

The jump up to the B at the start of the chorus needs to be strong to really emphasize the fun feeling. It also goes from mezzo forte to forte there. Have students get a good breath and project, strong and in tune. Mention the use of their diaphragms to make this consistently on point.

There is an optional second vocal part starting in verse 2 that runs until the end of the song. It begins as a sort of "call and response" or echo part, filling in some gaps of part 1. Then it overlaps part 1 and becomes a delightful harmony. We have included a track for this part, isolated to make rehearsing it easier. You can find it with the downloadable extras online for this issue. This song is one that is likely to stick with you, as it has with us. A genuine (but pleasant!) earworm.