Do Unto Others

The Golden Rule speaks to the best in all of us - generosity, goodwill, peace, love, hope, and kindness - for it is these things we all wish for ourselves as well. It says simply: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's a thought-provoking and profound message and lesson to be learned all of our lives. Helping children adopt a mindset with this perspective begins by teaching them this rule.

The song "Do Unto Others" shares the words of the Golden Rule in its chorus. But more than that, it speaks of the world we live in and our role in it. It poses questions we all ponder from time to time. If you are able to in your circumstances, consider discussing the questions asked.

This might be especially effective during the Christmas season when peace and love in particular seem to be more globally thought about. It might also help kids to know they aren't the only ones wondering some of these things.

This song isn't particularly difficult, but it can be made more challenging for your older singers if you want. At the chorus, it breaks into a nice 3-part harmony, which is optional, of course. The third part is in bass clef so it works for your lower, changing, or changed voices. You can find rehearsal tracks for these, as well as a combination of all three parts together on our web site. (See below for details.) You will notice that to accommodate the breaks where there are not three parts, the web tracks are broken into pieces labeled A and B.

You'll also hear a completely different version of the tune on our web site. This one features a soloist doing the first verses herself, then joining with the whole group. Our soloist is the one-and-only Katy Gentry, who as always does not disappoint. Consider featuring your own soloist, if you have one. You can do what we did, or alter it by increasing or reducing the amount of solo work.

Online extras - The free, downloadable tracks mentioned can be found under the "Graphics and Extras" for Volume 19, No. 2 at MusicK8.com