Look What We Can Do!

Each new school year, we present a new theme in our first issue, which we develop into a musical revue. We publish pieces of the revue in the first three issues of Music K-8, starting with the September/October issue, so that by the time you have received your January/February issue in December, you have all of the music, a script, and a teacher's guide to help you produce the revue.

This year, our theme is the same as the title song of the revue: Look What We Can Do! As you may have guessed, it is designed as a vehicle of focus for your students' various talents. The subsequent songs will further enhance and encourage this focus. It is our intention to offer suggestions - musical and otherwise - to not only show off your students' abilities, but also to entertain your audience. You could say that this theme is sort of a "putting on a show" theme.

The song, "Look What We Can Do!" is a rather punchy, medium tempo, light rock tune. It's designed to be the opening song of the musical revue, though you can certainly use it any way you wish.

The song breaks into two parts on the D.S., but as usual, the second part is completely optional, making it an easily performed unison song. Or, you might consider having a smaller, select group of students sing the second part.

One way to teach the song to your singers is to let them listen to the full performance version of it on side one of your Performance/Accompaniment cassette. After hearing it a couple of times, they will be singing along naturally. Be sure to point out the crescendo into measure 25 each time it occurs. Also make note of the pulsing eighth note movement, which emphasizes the build in the same place.

Since it is a rock tune, your students will very probably feel the urge to move during the song. By all means, let them! During the verses, you might want to keep any movement simple, such as rocking, swaying or bouncing. During the choruses, simple hand jives might be quite effective. For example, on the word "Look" each time, have them thrust their hands up over their heads, as the music also indicates on the last word of the song. On the word, "Hear," have them cup one of their ears in time to the music. As far as hand jives are concerned, let your students come up with their own. It will mean a lot more to them to be in on the creative process than just letting you design and teach the moves. The hand jives could culminate in the hand claps which begin the first time at measure 45 in the coda. Remember that part 2 in the coda at measure 45 doesn't begin the "la's" until the second time (which, incidentally is doubled in the horns).

Beginning at the coda (and earlier in the song), there is an alto saxophone solo played magnificently by our resident woodwind specialist, Jim Farrelly. Make sure your kids get to completely listen to his solo on the track side of the tape, too (side 2).

For your reference, and in case you wish to discuss it with your students, the other instruments used on the recording include piano, bass, drums, guitar, alto saxes, trumpets, horns, trombones, bass trombones, congas, cowbell, and tambourine.