Calliope The Carousel

Here is another happy movement song - this time for your young ones. The tune itself is light and simple with lyrics that repeat for ease of memorizing. For additional reinforcement, the melody is constantly doubled in the instrumental background, usually in strings.

The boom-chick style of the piece makes it easy for students to "gallop" around in a circle, much like a carousel. While ordinarily a carousel would mostly have horses, we have seen some with a variety of animals. We have chosen to add lots of different kinds of animals to our recording. There are pauses in the melody throughout that should allow ample time for at least one animal sound. Select a different student for each animal and let them come up with their own interpretation. For example, some may prefer a simple common word, such as "bow wow," while others might prefer to make a barking sound. Any interpretation is fine and should be encouraged.

If you can, work out who will be doing what ahead of time so you don't have too much duplication. This also will help you see who has had a turn and who hasn't. At the end of the piece, select one final soloist and then let all of your animals join in freely. Teach them to end it on your cue.

If you do this tune in performance, add some colorful animal costumes, much as you would find at a carnival or other type of festival. Ask students to describe their experiences with carousels, or as they may know them better, merry-go-rounds.