Alexander Graham Bell

On March 7th, 1876, Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell was granted the patent for the telephone. Up until then, the only way for people to communicate over long distances was with the telegraph, or via letter through the post office. So this was a momentous event for sure!

This song is upbeat and fun to sing. There is a good bit of syncopation, but the synth guide and the piano part itself will help lead your singers. And it's replete with phone and bell audio references. From the opening sound of a rotary dial to the touch tone and analog as well as digital style rings, there's a world of sounds associated with the telephone. We wonder if your students will know what a rotary dial sounds like. Or a busy signal! (Do you?) Call waiting and voicemail weren't a thing in the 1870s! The song also paraphrases the first words to Bell's assistant Thomas Watson over the telephone, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you."

On a musical note, it's worth pointing out that at measure 43, while the chorus is sung the same as in measure 33, the song takes on a halftime feel with the drums accenting and filling and the chords beneath the melody change. That's called reharmonizing, and it's a fun way to keep a song sounding fresh. (Our studio singers liked that change.)

Do you have a hard line (landline) telephone in your home? It's still based on the principals of the telephone back in 1876. Of course, now we have wireless cell phones and smart phones that have features that Alexander Graham Bell could only dream of. But it all started with the telephone. If you need an excuse to perform this song, there are a few holidays you could use, including Alexander Graham Bell Day (March 7), National Landline Telephone Day (March 10), and National Telephone Day (April 25). And of course, Bell's own birthday (March 3) is a good reason as well. (That was 1847.) However you use it, be sure to note to parents, teachers, and administrators that it brings music across the curriculum.