Posts Tagged ‘E.Y. Harburg’
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Over the Rainbow
Words and Music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Illustrated by Eric Puybaret
Published by Imagine Publishing Inc.
ISBN 978-1-936140-00-8
Read the full article about this book, here:
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/over-the-rainbow-a-singable-book/
Sing-along with Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBKa-bCasY
A link to Eva Cassidy’s “Over the Rainbow,” here she sings live at Blues Alley in Washington, DC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce-5OWBNGNw
The original by Judy Garland (it still gives me goosebumps)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA
Lyrics with the rarely heard introduction which is also included in the book:
Over the Rainbow
Words by E. Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
From the Movie Musical “Wizard of Oz”
When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around,
Heaven opens a magic lane.
When all the clouds darken up the skyway,
There’s a rainbow highway to be found,
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun,
Just a step beyond the rain.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Way up high,
There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Some day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops,
that’s where you’ll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can’t I?
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I’m thrilled to write that “Over the Rainbow” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”
I make a strong committment to each song I perform and completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of that process,
Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too. The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others. If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start! After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry! I won’t bore you with that.
1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: E. Y. Harburg
2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Harold Arlen
3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 1938
4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: For both Mr. Arlen and Mr. Harburg (who was a little older) this song was written around the beginning of the middle of their careers.
5Q: What is the song from?
5A: Wizard of Oz
6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: Dorothy
7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise? Why does the character sing the song? What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: Dorothy is feeling pushed aside by her family, it is a song of intense longing of a young woman to break out of childhood and to make her dreams come true.
8Q: What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: Dorothy is deeply loved by her Aunt and Uncle who look after her and Dorothy clearly loves them as well, but she is an imaginative child with deep feelings, hopes and dreams beyond the farmstead where she has spent her childhood. She is just on the verge of becoming a woman.
9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer? Why?
9A: The song was written for the fabulous 15 year old Judy Garland to sing in the role of Judy for the 1938 film “Wizard of Oz.”
10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: NA
11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: The longing of someone who feels stuck in a situation to break free and make dreams come true.
12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song very elegantly uses the telling of a story, describing a place the singer wants to go to express feelings of hope and longing.
13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: ”Over the Rainbow” has been beautifully recorded by hundreds of wonderful performers including: Judy Garland, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Eva Cassidy, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jane Monheit, Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon…
The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!
Related Articles:
OVER THE RAINBOW, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/over-the-rainbow-a-singable-book/
I had the most wonderful experience on June 4, 2010.
A New Season, Songs for Susan
at Maggie’s Cabaret
Directed by Cindy Hutchins
Music Directed by Howard Breitbart
(A tribute to Susan Blue, retiring rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church)
Sharing the stage with the fantastic singers (and dear friends) Cindy Hutchins and Justin Ritchie, and the fabulous Howard Breitbart on piano, I performed at Maggie’s Cabaret in a cabaret tribute to St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church rector Susan Blue who will soon retire.
Susan Blue has been a supporter and advocate for “Maggie’s Cabaret,” a cabaret series created by Cindy Hutchins (Artistic Director) and Michael Armstrong (Producer), since the series began in 2003.
It was a great honor to participate in this event. The audience at Maggie’s is easily one of the warmest and most responsive in town. Since this was a night dedicated to their beloved rector Susan Blue, the room was especially lush with emotion.
I was also honored to share the news of “Sing Books with Emily,” describing the program and displaying Eric Puybaret’s illustration of the song “Over the Rainbow,” followed by a suggestion that Susan share Bill Staine’s song “All God’s Critters” (Kadir Nelson’s illustration) with her grandchildren, which lead me to sing the song complete with kazoo solo and chorus sing-along. Justin Ritchie played the tambourine. What fun!!
Over the Rainbow
Words by E.Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
Illustrated by Eric Puybaret
(The text of the book includes the rarely heard song introduction.)
All God’s Critters
Words and music by Bill Staines
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Here’s the complete song list:
- Accentuate the Positive (Trio): Words by Johnny Mercer, Music by Harold Arlen
- Travelin’ Through (Justin): Words and Music by Dolly Parton
- If I Had a Boat (Emily): Words and Music by Lyle Lovett
- A Cock-eyed Optimist (Cindy): Words by oscar Hammerstein, Music by Richard Rogers
- Finding Home (Justin): Words by Tina Landau, Music by Ricky Ian Gordon
- Peel Me a Grape (Cindy): Words and Music by Dave Frishberg
- All God’s Critters (Emily): Words and Music by Bill Staines
- There Will Be a Miracle (Emily): Words and Music by Michael John LaChiusa
- Pure Imagination (Justin): Words and Music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly
- Never Never Land (Cindy): Words by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Music by Julie Styne
- I Can See It (Trio): Words by Tom Jones, Music by Harvey Schmidt
- Remember Me (Justin): Words and Music by Mark Schultz
- Defying Gravity (Emily): Words and Music by Stephen Schwartz
- Sweetest of Nights and the Brightest of Days (Cindy): Words by Judith Viorst, Music by Shelly Markham
- Move On (Trio): Words and Music by Stephen Sondheim
The night was Music Directed and accompanied by Howard Breitbart. Howard is absolutely one of the best music directors anywhere. Singing with him is an indescribable pleasure. He allows the singer to fly.
It was a very special treat to sing Howard’s gorgeous arrangements of the three trio numbers, “Accentuate the Positive,” “I Can See It” and “Move On.”
More information about St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and “Maggie’s Cabaret,” here: http://www.stmargaretsdc.org/
I have been thinking a lot about “Over the Rainbow” lately.
Over the Rainbow
Words by E.Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
Illustrated by Eric Puybaret
Published by Imagine Publishing Inc.
ISBN 978-1-936140-00-8
This book comes with a CD of Judy Collins singing “Over the Rainbow.” The book opens with, and Judy Collins sings, the rarely heard song introduction.
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Over the Rainbow
Words by E. Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
From the Movie Musical “Wizard of Oz”
When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around,
Heaven opens a magic lane.
When all the clouds darken up the sky way,
There’s a rainbow highway to be found,
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun,
Just a step beyond the rain.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Way up high,
There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Some day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops,
that’s where you’ll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can’t I?
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Though the song’s introduction is not sung in the movie, I do so love the song’s set-up in the movie.
Auntie Em tells Dorothy to help the family prepare for the coming cyclone by getting out of the way and going somewhere she won’t get into any trouble. Dorothy says…
(Spoken) A place where there isn’t any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place Toto? There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It’s far far away…behind the moon, beyond the stars…(Sung) Somewhere over the rainbow…
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Though “Over the Rainbow” is a standard in popular culture, I never get sick of hearing it. Now, Eric Puybaret’s new illustration for “Over the Rainbow” has got me all excited about singing it again. The rich jewel toned rainbow colors Puybaret chooses inspire me. They show joie de vivre and a free-spirit in a song that is so often played with longing to the point of anguish. This book captures a sentiment that became one of my mother’s central messages to me, “You can achieve anything if you set your mind to it!”
I like to point out to the children that, to me, the last lines mean, “If the bluebirds, or anyone, can make their dreams come true, then I can make my dreams come true, too!” It doesn’t have to be a sad song of painful longing. It CAN be a sweet (just a dash wistful) song about an epiphany of self empowerment, always mixed beautifully with a purity of heart.
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I think it is interesting that two outstanding and sadly short-lived artists, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and Eva Cassidy, captured this empowerment and purity of heart in their brilliant and amazingly singular arrangements of “Over the Rainbow.”
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Sing-along with Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FBKa-bCasY
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A link to Eva Cassidy’s “Over the Rainbow,” here she sings live at Blues Alley in Washington, DC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce-5OWBNGNw
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The original by Judy Garland (it still gives me goosebumps)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA
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For a more conventional but lovely sing-along experience, Ginger Sands includes “Over the Rainbow” on her CD “The Gift of Make Believe.” Sands’ wonderful collection of children’s poetry (and this song) set to music includes vocal and instrumental tracks for each poem. The vocals for “Over the Rainbow” are on Track 10. The instrumental sing-along is found on Track 20.
Hear musical clips or buy the tracks at many online music sellers, including Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gift-of-Make-Believe/dp/B0019VU8QU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1267562676&sr=8-4
The longing and wonder in the song, and the beauty and simplicity of the melody, make “Over the Rainbow” universally appealing. But, it is that each of us strives for something specific to who we are and our unique purpose in the world that keeps this song forever fascinating.
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I’m thrilled to write that “Over the Rainbow” is one of the songs we selected to be part of
“Oh, What a Beautiful Day: Sing Books with Emily, the Cabaret.”
I make a strong committment to each song I perform and completing my Song Craft Worksheet is part of that process,
Because the first section of the Song Craft Worksheet involves background research on the song, I’ll share the answers with you so you can know about the song, too. The more about the song you know (both concrete facts and less tangible artistic choices), the more “authority,” and heart and soul you can put into the singing and sharing of the song with others. If you are interested in improving your artistic abilities for singing songs in any capacity, just simply filling out the Song Craft Worksheet is a great place to start! After the background research, the rest of the Song Craft Worksheet gets VERY personal…don’t worry! I won’t bore you with that.
1 Q: Who wrote the words?
1 A: E. Y. Harburg
2Q: Who wrote the music?
2A: Harold Arlen
3Q: When was the song written?
3A: 1938
4Q: At what point in the lyricists’ and composer’s career was the song written?
4A: For both Mr. Arlen and Mr. Harburg (who was a little older) this song was written around the beginning of the middle of their careers.
5Q: What is the song from?
5A: Wizard of Oz
6Q: If from a show, what character sang it?
6A: Dorothy
7Q: If from a show, from what situation does the song arise? Why does the character sing the song? What function does the song/character play in the story?
7A: Dorothy is feeling pushed aside by her family, it is a song of intense longing of a young woman to break out of childhood and to make her dreams come true.
8Q: What other contextual elements of the song are significant?
8A: Dorothy is deeply loved by her Aunt and Uncle who look after her and Dorothy clearly loves them as well, but she is an imaginative child with deep feelings, hopes and dreams beyond the farmstead where she has spent her childhood. She is just on the verge of becoming a woman.
9Q: Was the song written for a particular singer? Why?
9A: The song was written for the fabulous 15 year old Judy Garland to sing in the role of Judy for the 1938 film “Wizard of Oz.”
10Q: If not from a show, why did the songwriter write the song?
10A: NA
11Q: What do you feel the lyricist is trying to say?
11A: The longing of someone who feels stuck in a situation to break free and make dreams come true.
12Q: Does the song tell a story or just express feelings or ideas?
12A: This song very elegantly uses the telling of a story, describing a place the singer wants to go to express feelings of hope and longing.
13Q: Who else has recorded this song:
13A: ”Over the Rainbow” has been beautifully recorded by hundreds of wonderful performers including: Judy Garland, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, Eva Cassidy, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Jane Monheit, Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles, Harry Nilsson, Carly Simon…
The rest of the questions require VERY personal answers and I will spare you those!
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A Wikipedia article about “Over the Rainbow,”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow
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Phyllis Diller and the Wizard of Oz
Incidentally…as a curio of my past, I got to perform in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” with Phyllis Diller in the summer of 1992. I was in the “Adult Chorus” (playing everything from a Munchkin’s voice into a microphone off stage, to a Jitterbug, to one of those Wookie things in a huge fake fur costume) and Phyllis Diller played the Wicked Witch of the West. It was fabulous fun. Plus, they let her add in a few “gags” during the show. She was absolutely GREAT.
My daughter Eloise checkin’ out the gags.
Eloise with The Wig
Sweet Eloise took this picture of her mom with the gag file.
Smithsonian’s Exhibit webpage for Phyllis Diller’s Gag File:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/documentsgallery/exhibitions/diller/
Article about the aquisition of Phyllis Diller’s Gag File (card catalogue of jokes) in Smithsonian Magazine 2007:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/comedy_central.html
Link to Smithsonian’s page about Phyllis Diller’s Gag File:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/factsheet.cfm?key=30&newskey=1243
Link to blog post about the file:
http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2011/08/hah-phyllis-dillers-gag-file.html
Video on Smithsonian Channel about Phyllis Diller’s Gag File:
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/sn/video/player/laughter-in-the-vaults/74113624001/
(This really is a fabulous video!)
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Addendum 11/23/2012
One of the universally favorite songs/Singable Picture Books of the children is “Over the Rainbow,”
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Over the Rainbow
Words and Music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Illustrated by Eric Puybaret
Published by Imagine Publishing Inc.
ISBN 978-1-936140-00-8
For the most part, slower-ballad-y songs are an iffy proposition with the younger kids, but most all of them respond to this one. I never get sick of the song. It is so beautiful, but really reaches in to the longing in each of us to break free of the constraints of whatever it is in our lives that ties us down and fly free and live life in color.
The illustration by Eric Puybaret is part of the song’s success, capturing, with gorgeous color, the freedom and imagination, and whimsy we seek.
I was listening to one of my favorite radio programs, Studio 360, a month or so ago and was thrilled that they did one of their “American Icons” presentations on The Wizard of Oz (book by Frank L. Baum) which enlightened me evermore on the mysteries and wonders and delights of not just the song, but the story that inspired it.
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Hear the Studio 360 American Icon program on The Wizard of Oz, here:
http://www.studio360.org/2012/oct/19/
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Addendum 11/23/2012
Around the same time, PBS American Masters series offered a wonderful tribute to Judy Garland. A good portion of this documentary is devoted to the filming of the movie Wizard of Oz and some wonderful things said about Judy Garland’s masterful original rendition of the song, “Over the Rainbow”
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JUDY GARLAND, “By Myself” – AMERICAN MASTER – ON PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/judy-garland/about-judy-garland/600/
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Addendum 11/23/2012
I remember visiting the Library of Congress a number of years ago, stumbling upon an exhibit about Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz books.
A few interesting resources from the Library of Congress:
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Read THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ on the Library of Congress website:
http://read.gov/books/oz.html
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THE WIZARD OF OZ, AN AMERICAN FAIRY TALE AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/
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WIZARD OF OZ WISE-GUIDE AT LOC:
http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/oct02/wizard.html
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“To See the Wizard” at LOC:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/ozsect2.html
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Addendum 12/6/2012
I LOVE the DRAW ME A SONG posters by Parisian artist Nour Tohme. The “Over the Rainbow” poster is one of my favorites.
She put the poster on the “Draw Me a Song” Facebook page along with a wonderful quote from Judy Garland:
I’ve always taken ‘The Wizard of Oz’ very seriously, you know. I believe in the idea of the rainbow. And I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over it.
Judy Garland
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Over the Rainbow (DRAWMEASONG.COM)
Words and Music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Illustrated by Nour Tohme (DRAWMEASONG.COM)
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Nour Tohme’s Webpage:
http://nourtohme.com/typolettering/draw-me-a-songtm/
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Draw Me a Song Webpage
http://drawmeasong.com/
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Addendum 3/19/2013
Eloise interprets Over the Rainbow in a picture she made:
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Over the Rainbow
Art by Eloise Pauline Gleichenhaus (March 2013)
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Eloise’s Homage to Singable Picture Books We Love to Sing Together
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/eloises-homage-to-singable-picture-books-we-love-to-sing-together/
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SBWE GALLERY OF KID’S ART
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/praise-portraits-from-friends-of-sbwe/
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MARTHA GRAHAM QUOTE (MY FRIEND JILL AND ELOISE’S BUNNY ART)
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/something-martha-graham-said-and-my-friend-jill/
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Even More Related Posts
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GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Singable Picture Books of the Great American Songbook and Michael Feinstein’s Foundation for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/09/10/american-songbook-singable-picture-books-and-michael-feinsteins-foundation-for-the-preservation-of-the-great-american-songbook/
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Over the Rainbow…Additional Info
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/over-the-rainbow-a-singable-picture-book-additional-info/
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OVER THE RAINBOW, AN AMERICAN ICON ORIGINALLY SUNG BY AN AMERICAN MASTER
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/over-the-rainbow-an-american-icon-originally-sung-by-an-american-master/
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OVER THE RAINBOW, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/over-the-rainbow-a-singable-book/
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DRAW ME A SONG, SINGABLE POSTERS
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/draw-me-a-song-singable-posters/
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SINGABLE ART ON PINTEREST
this list on Pinterest displays images of Singable Art, works of art that are about songs, support a song, or the subject of a song:
http://pinterest.com/singbooksemily/
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SINGABLE ART (ON SING BOOKS WITH EMILY BLOG)
Gift of Make-Believe, A Singable Book and a CD with Sing Along Instrumentals
Posted on: March 4, 2010
The Gift of Make-Believe (Read and Sing Along Lyric Book)
Words by Various Artists
Tunes by Ginger Sands and Various Artists
Illustrations derived from published works of Various Artists
This is a fantastic set of poems, songs and illustrations put together by a wonderful performer Ginger Sands. Many of the poems are children’s classics and have no other musical settings. Sands’ original settings are all musical, fun to sing, and written in keys for comfortable singing. The CD comes with vocal and instrumental tracks. You can listen to Ginger sing the sings (her vocals are great) or you can sing the poems yourself.
In the “Read and Sing Along Lyric Book” the lyrics for the poems are printed along with terrific illustrations, some derived from vintage children’s publications like “Poems of Early Childhood, Volume 1″ of Childcraft and “The Tall Book of Make-Believe,” some more recent illustrations.
Many of the poems can be found in their own books or published in other poetry collections. I will list the songs on “The Gift of Make-Believe” below, and as I write posts about Singable Picture Book versions each of the poems, I will link the title below to that post. If a link has been made, the title will be blue. You can click on the blue title, which will link you to the post about that poem, the musical setting and Singable Picture Book.
Poems set to music in “The Gift of Make Believe,” with vocal and instrumental tracks are:
“Moon Song”
(Poem by Mildred Plew Meigs, Illustrated by Garth Williams from “The Tall Book of Make-Believe,“ Music by Ginger Sands)
“A Fairy Went A-Marketing”
(Poem by Rose Fyleman, Illustrated by Meg Wahlberg from “Poems of Early Childhood”, Vol 1 of Childcraft 1949, Music by Ginger Sands)
“The Duel”
(Poem by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Roger Dubbins from “Poems of Early Childhood, Vol 1″ of Childcraft 1949, Music by Ginger Sands)
“The Land of Counterpane“
(Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, Illustrated by Garth Williams from “The Tall Book of Make-Believe,” Music by Ginger Sands)
“The Unicorn“
(Poem and music by Shel Silverstein, Arrangement based on 1968 recording by The Irish Rovers, Illustrated by Goeff Brittingham)
“The Lollipop Tree“ (Words and Music by Joseph Darion and George Kleinsinger, Illustrated by Milo Winter)
“The Little Elf“
(Poem by John Kendrick Bangs, Illustrated by Garth Williams from “The Tall Book of Make-Believe,” Music by Ginger Sands)
“The Fairies“
(Poem by Rose Fyleman, Illustrated by Goeff Brittingham, Music by Ginger Sands)
“Wynken, Blynken and Nod”
(Poem by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Garth Williams from “The Tall Book of Make-Believe,” Music by Lucy Simon)
“Over the Rainbow”
(Words and Music by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, Illustrated by Sue Piozet)
The vocal and instrumental tracks are available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gift-of-Make-Believe/dp/B0019VU8QU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1267562676&sr=8-4)
Learn more about Ginger Sands at her website: http://www.gingersands.com/home.html
Toys for keepin’ the tune!
Posted on: January 29, 2010
It is fun to sing Singable Picture Books along with a playful tune.
There’s nothing like a kazoo for adding some whimsy to your Singable Picture Book experience. If your sing-along track has an instrumental break, or if a song refrain is repeated more than once, just pull out a kazoo and hum along. The kids will LOVE it!!
A good ol’ plastic kazoo works perfectly well. At WWW.Kazoos.com, you can find kazoos from the very basic to the fancy and outrageous.
Wind up music boxes make charming accompaniment. You can find these little gems playing many Singable Picture Book tunes including “Over the Rainbow,” ”Twinkle Little Star,” and “Row Your Boat”:
The picture is of a model made by the Schylling company. But there are many. Google a little and find a few.
Over the Rainbow
Words and Music by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg
Illustrated by Eric Puybaret
The Fisher Price TV-Radio plays “Farmer in the Dell.” Since the song repeats the same musical phrase, it is perfect for singing along with the book!
Farmer in the Dell
Traditional Words and Tune
Illustrated by Ilse Plume
You can always sing a capella! To make sure you start on a note that will keep you in a comfortable vocal range, you’re going to need a pitch pipe. Many people use the classic Kratt Master Key Pitch Pipe, but I bought one and a few of the notes were clogged up. So, I went and found an electronic one. It may not be quite as elegant, but just press the button and the pitch will always be there:
I absolutely LOVE my Farley’s Pocket Tones: Chromatic-C.
You can use the notes to experiment with a first pitch for any song you would like to sing a capella. If the song goes to high for your voice, start on a lower note. If the song goes too low, start on a higher note. Once you find a starting note that keeps the song in a comfortable vocal range, write it on a post-it and put it in the inside cover of the book to help you remember. Next time you sing that books with your favorite child, just pull out your pocket tones, press the button to hear the right note and sing your head off!
You can find this pitch pipe on amazon.com, by clicking here: http://www.amazon.com/Farleys-PT-15-Pocket-Tones-Chromatic-C/dp/B0009K5268/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1264691220&sr=1-8
Schylling also makes beautifully painted tuned hand bells. A bell makes for a delightful way to find that first note:
