Halloween Rap

This is a totally fun piece of music for your students who celebrate Halloween. Part song, part rap, it is the kind of piece you will want to encourage your kids to sing out. The rap portion of the song is slightly irregular, lending itself well to current rap styles, so your students will feel more at home with the rhythms.

Be sure to make a big deal of the sound effects as they are called for. Each section specifies a different effect, or combination of effects. You can either let every student participate, or select individuals to represent the various effects. Pick one student to do the scream for the best results. At the end, however, all students should be allowed to create their own effects, preferably derived from earlier ones. If you intend to perform the piece, rehearse the diminuendo and/or cut off of each effects section. The toms on the P/A cassette are the cue to end each of the effects.

The best way to rehearse and perform this song is with the use of the P/A cassette. It is not necessarily intended to be used with piano alone. However, if you would like to try to perform it completely live, you would benefit from the use of a rhythm section: piano, organ, guitar, bass and drums. At the very least, a live drummer would be able to provide the hard rock feel necessary to the style of the song.

When your students are performing the rap sections, let them get somewhat melodramatic. You might even want to assign sections of the rap to individuals or groups of rappers. Have them speak in eerie, hushed voices for most of the rap.