Ah, the High School Football season is coming to a close. We are now into the play-off's. Last year, my son's team won the State Championship. So far, they are still in the running for this year's championship. I wish them luck!
That reminds me of an arrangement I have enjoyed using as a warm-up song for the kids in my youngest Musical Theater classes. I took the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and made it into a rivalry song between Baseball and Football Fans. Years ago, my celebrated aunt Janie Thompson rewrote the lyrics to the chorus to fit Football and I added verses about Football fans as well as Baseball fans. The little boys in my classes liked it a lot. Girls, too, although they were not generally as rabid of fans. We had the kids choose which kind of fans they wanted to portray and divided the class as near to equally as possible. The groups did actions and adopted attitudes to play-up the rivalry, then shook hands at the end to show that both sports are great fun!
On a musical note, this arrangement of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" provides an opportunity to introduce changing meters to the class. The chorus is in triple meter or waltz time with three counts to the measure. The verses, on the other hand, are in duple meter or March time, actually four counts to the measure. So, in the Chorus, I had the kids SWAY from side to side feeling the strong accent on beat 1 of the triple meter. I had the kids MARCH in place or bounce up and down with hands on their knees to feel the 4/4 time. Although this may not be actual dancing, it is a good preparation for it. Kids need many opportunities to experience RHYTHM and burn it into their very souls. Then, later when they do need to learn choreography, it will already be second nature!
The great thing about this song is that it is appropriate for nearly any time of the year. It seems that the Baseball and Football seasons overlap or are only divided briefly by Christmas and a winter hiatus. What I have found is that Baseball Fans, as well as Football Fans, really are enthusiastic about their sport and have no need of a vacation from it! So, that gives this little song great longevity! It's a song for all seasons!
That reminds me of an arrangement I have enjoyed using as a warm-up song for the kids in my youngest Musical Theater classes. I took the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and made it into a rivalry song between Baseball and Football Fans. Years ago, my celebrated aunt Janie Thompson rewrote the lyrics to the chorus to fit Football and I added verses about Football fans as well as Baseball fans. The little boys in my classes liked it a lot. Girls, too, although they were not generally as rabid of fans. We had the kids choose which kind of fans they wanted to portray and divided the class as near to equally as possible. The groups did actions and adopted attitudes to play-up the rivalry, then shook hands at the end to show that both sports are great fun!
On a musical note, this arrangement of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" provides an opportunity to introduce changing meters to the class. The chorus is in triple meter or waltz time with three counts to the measure. The verses, on the other hand, are in duple meter or March time, actually four counts to the measure. So, in the Chorus, I had the kids SWAY from side to side feeling the strong accent on beat 1 of the triple meter. I had the kids MARCH in place or bounce up and down with hands on their knees to feel the 4/4 time. Although this may not be actual dancing, it is a good preparation for it. Kids need many opportunities to experience RHYTHM and burn it into their very souls. Then, later when they do need to learn choreography, it will already be second nature!
The great thing about this song is that it is appropriate for nearly any time of the year. It seems that the Baseball and Football seasons overlap or are only divided briefly by Christmas and a winter hiatus. What I have found is that Baseball Fans, as well as Football Fans, really are enthusiastic about their sport and have no need of a vacation from it! So, that gives this little song great longevity! It's a song for all seasons!
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