Song Writing
Character Day
with Brian!
Have a focus group (such as a class or a grade level) create an original Character Education song for your class/school. They will perform this song with Brian in a school wide assembly that same day. You can also include a studio quality recorded copy of this song for your school's future use.
The possibilities are endless!
Write a school song and include your school's Character Education school wide theme. Write a song based on your favorite characters from books. Tie in your school's modo. Personalize the song to your school.
Multiple Day
Songwriting Programs
The beauty of a songwriting residency is that we can make it fit many goals at the same time. Besides having a strong ELA component, we can have the the subject matter of the song cover any topic your imagination can come up with from Social Studies to Science to Character Education to storytelling or even a special song about your school. More often than not we combine more than one idea. These programs can run from two to twelve days in length and you have the option to create a CD with your students singing their original songs. See examples of songs below.
Kids can also create their own art for the CD covers!
Song Examples:
"Once A pond A Time"
All the creatures of the pond had a job to do... Each creature is unique, but their diversity is what makes the habitat work. Interdependency. A Character Education message and Science curriculum in one song. The song goes on to talk about the creatures of the habitat and what their roles are.
"100 Days of School"
Brian tapped into a school wide Thematic Unit on the first 100 days of school. The Kindergarten and First grade class brainstormed on all the wonderful things they have learned this year.
"Sammy The Circuit"… "Went and blew his fuse…"
Brian and a 2nd grade class personified a circuit named Sammy. What happens at Sammy's house when the circuit becomes overloaded? The circuit is broken. Students incorporated concepts such as closed and open circuits, fuses, and the flow of electrons!
"El Lagarto"… "Was a boat, known as the Leapin' Lizard…"
Brian and a 4th grade class explored Folklore and The History of the Adirondacks, and they chose to write a song about George Rice's Wooden Race Boat, the El Lagarto. Rice was a famous racer on Lake George, and his boat is now displayed at The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake.
"The Widow Bixby"
Brian and a 5th grade class wrote a song based on Mrs. Bixby's tremendous losses during the Civil War. The Song was based on a letter from Abraham Lincoln expressing his condolences on the loss of her Five sons. A law was eventually passed based on this event that prevented this from happening again.
"Quebert George"
A Monarch Butterfly was tagged "Q-5" at Up Yonda Farm, and, on a field trip, Bolton's 3rd grade class named him Quebert George. Brian and the class developed language from this field trip experience, and wrote a song about Quebert's migration south. This song's music sounds like butterfly wings, and the words reflect the class's knowledge of the following terms: Monarch, migration, south, perseverence and communities of long ago vs. communities of today.
"Eddie the Electron"
"I'm Eddie the Electron, I've got a riddle for you…" This riddle song gave clues about Electrons and how electricity works, and the class provided the answer at their in school assembly. Of course, since this song is about electricity, the class voted for Brian to play the Electric Guitar.
"Playing Kickball on the Moon" and "Rockin' with Newton"
Songs written by Jackson Height's 5th grade classes. "Playing kickball on the moon…you'd need a lot of room…" This song addressed the Laws of Inertia and the Laws of Motion. The class brainstormed on what would happen if they played kickball in a place with little gravity! "We had a game of ball…with this guy, Newton was his name…you know the Laws of Motion…are his claim to fame" This song was a rocker… even scientists can be cool! The music was up beat in a true rock and roll feel. And of course, Electric guitar was played!
"Dudley the Drip"
Brian and Jackson Height's 4th grade class personified a drip of water as he travels through the Water Cycle. "Here I go again, it starts with the Sun, cooling off again, condensation, I'm heating up again, evaporation…..Oh I'm falling Precipitation!"
"The Battle of Fort Necessity"
Brian and Corinth's 7th grade Social Studies class take a close look at the events leading up to and surrounding the French and Indian War. This song was written from George Washington's viewpoint as he was fighting for the King before America was an Independent nation.
"The Letter"
This was a song written with a 7th grade class based on an actual letter from George Washington to his mother. The music has a "walking feel" as it represents the soldiers walking to the Battle of Fort Duquesne.
