Submitted by Jennifer Schroeder, Fall River, Wisconsin

Idea posted August 26, 2003

My junior choir - grades 6, 7, and 8 - LOVED the songs we sang from Music K-8, even the unison ones.

I'm *not* a choir person, but I think I've done pretty well choosing good music that the students will enjoy singing. I avoid the goofy songs a lot of companies put out for the younger singers, because I believe they should be singing GOOD music. With all the great stuff out there, there is no reason they should be singing something like "The Answering Machine Song," if you know what I mean.

Let's see if I can remember which ones we've done lately from Music K-8...

  • "American Tears" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 1; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - They LOVE this one. They'd sing it all day every day if I let them. Mostly unison with a solo part near the end.
  • "An Old-Fashioned Holiday" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 2; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Very pretty for holiday time.
  • "Keep The Candles Going" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 2) - Another nice one!
  • "Winter Walk" (from Music K-8, Vol. 13, No. 2) - Another BIG favorite. The accompaniment track is wonderful!
  • "Shenandoah" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 1; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Actually did this with my senior choir, but it is definitely doable in one part.
  • "A Song Of Peace" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 2; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Did this with my younger students, but I know the older ones loved it at the time and wanted to do it in junior choir the next year.
  • "The Road To Freedom" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 3; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Again, did this with senior choir, but it is definitely doable with the younger singers.
  • "You Are Our Heroes" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 4; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Yet another BIG favorite!
  • "Jelly Bean Blues" (from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 4) - They loved this one, and we had a few instrumentalists play along while the boys got the "solo" and traded off lines.
  • "I Have A Dream" (from Music K-8, Vol. 1, No. 2; also in A Bundle Of Inspiration) - Another fave, of course. They were always very serious on this one and sang their hearts out.
  • "Just One Candle" (from Music K-8, Vol. 10, No. 2; also available as a Singles Reproducible Kit) - Did this with the older group, but again could definitely work with younger singers.