Music In Our School

March is Music In Our Schools Month. Most of the music teachers we know like to celebrate this fact, either in their classroom or in a performance setting. The song "Music In Our School" is a perfect vehicle for either approach. It involves everyone! It has two vocal parts, two recorder parts, and multiple percussion parts. It even has optional clapping. And everything is indicated on the piano/vocal score.

Though the title is singular (School), if you want to change it to plural, like the name of the occasion (Schools), it will certainly work this way. Just add an "s" to every occurrence throughout the song. This would be particularly effective if you are using the song with multiple schools during a mass choir performance or other group function.

The piece is in cut-time and has a percussive mixture of Latin and World Beat textures. Counting the measures in two feels natural, and putting it in cut-time allows the use of normal-looking rhythms (quarter notes instead of eighth notes, etc.). Just be sure it's counted properly. The Performance/Accompaniment recording can help you do this.

The melody is quite simple throughout, allowing you to include students of every age to participate. Even during the call and response section at measure 29, it's so easy that you might consider inviting your audience to join in, too! Warn them ahead of time, then cue them. Have your students sing the calls, then turn around and conduct the responses. They'll get a kick out of it.

At measure 23, there is a rhythm/percussion interlude. We have suggested four instruments and rhythms here. These basically begin and then continue through the song to the end. You may alter the instruments and/or the rhythms any way you like, as long as it works with the song. We have also indicated a clapping rhythm, which can continue with the percussion as you wish. You can either have all singers do this clapping, or you can select a group of clappers as part of the percussion ensemble. Sometimes singing and clapping simultaneously might be too challenging for some kids, so the separate group could solve this problem. Singers could even join in here and there as they are able.

The recorders are also optional. You could use just one of the two parts. They could be solos or ensembles. Your call. Please note that sometimes they do not enter right away, such as at the beginning. These entrances are marked on the music. We have included a separate recorder part for your convenience. (Note: Consider using alto recorders for the lower notes if you have them. They would just read the part up an octave for it to sound where it is written.)

The recording on the CD is absolutely wonderful. It includes layers of guitars and drums of all types for that blended worldly texture. It also features fretless bass and strings (playing a fun sixteenth note pattern now and again). If you decide you'd like to do the piece live, you certainly could. We've cued most of the parts on the piano/vocal. (Some of the piano and synths you hear were ad libbed. Your players can do the same.) Just be sure to have a solid percussive base. Let your drummer(s) listen to our groove for inspiration. We used two passes of drums. Congas would also be good for the ongoing sound (as opposed to the featured percussion that enters at measure 23).