Songbird Studio

You can view the song from this blog post and find the file available for download here !  I've notated the song in the key of C--transpose to whatever key best fits your needs.  I also notated V chords as straight Vs, but you are of course free to spice them up as V7s, or get more inventive with the chord progression as a whole--whatever best fits your population!

You can view the song from this blog post and find the file available for download here !  I've notated the song in the key of C--transpose to whatever key best fits your needs.  I also notated most V chords as straight Vs, but you are of course free to spice them up as V7s, or get more inventive with the chord progression as a whole--whatever best fits your population!

In my practice, I rely a lot on a variety of folk songs--yes, there are age appropriate folk songs for even adolescents and young adults! One reason I LOVE folk songs?  Most of the beloved 'classics' are SO classic that they are public domain.  There is also a rich oral tradition in folk songs, which makes variations plentiful, so there is always a new version out there to give you new ideas.  This series will explore a few of my current favorites. Today we look at one that I use with my adolescents and young adults with cognitive disabilities.  It is a perennial favorite! Shake Them 'Simmons Down CHORUS:   (E) Shake that tree, do, oh, do, oh Shake that tree, do, oh, do, oh Shake that tree, do, oh, do, oh, Shake them (B7) 'simmons  (E) down... VERSE: Circle to the right, do, oh, do, oh, Circle to the right, do, oh, do, oh, Circle to the right, do, oh, do, oh, Shake them 'simmons down... Other verse options: Circle to the left... Clap y...

Besides adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, I also work with K-12 students with severe cognitive disabilities. Possibly due to my Orff background, I rely a lot on a variety of folk songs--yes, there are age appropriate folk songs for even adolescents and young adults! One reason I LOVE folk songs?  Most of the beloved 'classics' are SO classic that they are public domain.  There is also a rich oral tradition in folk songs, which makes variations plentiful, so there is always a new version out there to give you new ideas.  This series will explore a few of my current favorites. Today, we are looking at one appropriate for younger (elementary aged) children. The range and repetition of pitches in our song today makes it appropriate for younger voices.  One particular genre of children's folk songs that I especially love are pile-up songs, where they have a list of some sort that grows and grows while the song continues.  These types of song...