Apple On A Stick
by John Riggio
A perfect tune for an autumn performance, this song hearkens back to one of the simple pleasures of yesteryear - caramel apples! This being a soft-shoe piece, it swings, which means that the eighth notes have a triplet feeling to them (which is indicated in the heading). Listening to our singers will help yours pick this up quickly.
Besides being totally delightful and happy to sing, this song also has an optional section at measure 24 where your singers get to whistle. Our studio singers had a good time with this, and we think yours will, too. (Just in case, the whistle melody is doubled on the accompaniment recording.)
It should be noted that while technically the word "caramel" has three syllables, the author grew up pronouncing it "carmel," and we suspect some of you did, too. That pronunciation has a more folksy, homegrown feeling, and since that's what we were shooting for, that's what we did.
Of course, a great prop (or reward) to use in a performance would be... caramel apples! Have your singers hold them in front of them, and move them left and right with the beat, alternating sides to taste. (So to speak.) Hand them out just before the performance, but don't let your kids eat them while singing. (Food + singing = bad idea.)
Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.