My Friends In The Sea

We haven't done a lot of music about the sea or seafaring subjects yet, so we thought this might be a good time to do it. Lots of folks spend time in the water (or at least on the beach) in the summer, and since this is the closest thing to a summer issue we publish, we figured you might find a good use for a lively sea song.

Set in a "bubbly Latin/Caribbean" style (a.k.a., calypso), this unison song is light, easy and fun to sing. If you are using the P/A recording, a listen or two to the full performance version will have your students singing along in no time. Even if you don't use the recording, the melody is simple and repetitious enough to be quickly learned.

We hope that you do choose to use the recording for this song as we have added a number of creative and authentic elements which we feel add so much to the piece. For example, we get to show off our bass player, Randy, who does a remarkable job on his fretless bass (especially considering the key!). Our woodwind specialist, Jim, plays the improvisational flute solos, and our percussionist, Kevin, adds the rhythmic spice with congas, shekere, pitched cowbells and a cricket. You might also want to point out to your students that besides using steel drums and multiple layers of guitars, we also added a mandolin, which is distinctly higher in pitch than the guitars.

If you don't use the recording, you may find the bass line somewhat challenging. You could have more than one pianist play, letting one cover the bass line while the other concentrates on the right hand part and/or root movement. Or you could even have your own bass player join in.

This song is also a good candidate for movement and auxiliary percussion. Add either of these in varying spots throughout the song, and be sure to let your students help with the creativity!