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2025 May
Earth Day 2025
April 22, 2025
Spring 2025
January 2025
In 1748, my great-great … great Grandfather left Scotland for northern New Brunswick. Family lore says it was because of sheep stealing, but that soon after the Jacobite rebellion, chances are they were running from the English for more than one reason. Having a bit of Scotland in the family tree gives a great excuse for celebration in the doldrums of January. Robbie Burns Day is January 25.
Robbie Burns wrote about the ordinary things in life —farming, a mouse in the field, love, being poor. He emphasized that a person needs to be measured by who s/he is, not by what s/he has, the family s/he was born into or who s/he is married to. Burns became the “peasant’s poet.” His works were quoted often by Russian peasants as well as the poor in many countries. He wrote the song now sung around the world to welcome the New Year “Auld Lang Syne”.
In “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”, its not clear if “Bonnie” is a woman or a man! Maybe Bonnie’s husband has emigrated to Canada, and she is still in Scotland. Or maybe Bonnie and her family have emigrated to Canada, and her boyfriend back in Scotland is missing her. Or maybe the Bonnie is
talking about a prince from Scotland named Charlie. Scotland and England were fighting and Charlie had to leave Scotland. He was called the “Bonnie Prince Charlie”.
Who ever you think Bonnie is, enjoy the song with its traditional actions of standing/sitting every time a “b” is sung. More background information about Robbie Burns, Scotland and bagpipes is found in the pdf for this song.
Can Do Music is a gift. No ads, no log-ins, no email list –just some things to help you make music in your classroom (if you’re a teacher), or to sing-a-long with (if you’re young in years or heart).
Pop around the website exploring. Download songs for a road trip. Browse the lessons for ideas about how to present music elements –and basic info like: What is the difference between beat and rhythm?
December 2024
I was in India for a month. After a few days to recover from jet lag, I definitely noticed that the sun kept rising and setting at 6:30! The year I lived in Yellowknife, I sometimes forgot to go to bed in July because the sun was up nearly all the time. Most of my life, though, I’ve spent at half-way. In the summer, evenings are long and bright. In the winter, the sun disappears in the afternoon. Living in the middle means changes in the amount of sun light marks the seasons.
In Canada, night noticeably creeps into day in October. By December it starts getting dark around 4:30pm and the sun slowly appears again sometime after 7am. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself really looking forward to the sparkle of holiday lights in December. They break into the growing darkness with a reminder that the year is turning as it ought to. Its no wonder that everywhere around the world people celebrate the solstice. In winter we sing and make noise to drive the darkness away. In summer we sing and dance to celebrate the light. So my holidays now are a mix of various places and people —all of us looking for light.
In a world where darkness seems to be growing, may each of us find light to keep us living with hope, –remembering, celebrating, praying and working to share our light where it is needed.
Light may be seen, but it is also felt and known. At Hanukah, candles are lighted to remember a miracle. Christmas treasures the birth of a person who brought light through teaching and actions. Diwali is filled with lamps and fireworks to celebrate light defeating darkness. Ramadan evokes the revelation, the light brought to the world through the Quran by good deeds and purposeful fasting. Aboriginal people around the world mark the changing of sunlight and moonlight in story, dance and feasting.
November Remembering
The “Remembering Day” falls on different days/months in different countries. In Canada we remember together on November 11th.
My grandfather fought at Vimy Ridge in World War I. My father was in the Canadian Air Force during World War II. When I was little, Remembrance Day was the day everything stopped at 11am for two minutes —everything; traffic, talking, old and young in grocery stores. When I was little, two minutes was a very long time. It made an impact, even if I didn’t understand what was going on.
With the world community seeming to shrink, and internet making far away seem very close; with refugees from war-torn countries coming to live in our neighbourhoods, and people from our neighbourhoods going to fight for peace far away … finding a balance in the remembering, especially when working or living with young children can be difficult. Peace be with you as you prepare to remember this November.
Shalom, Lesley
P.S. In 2015, with my Grandfather’s diary in hand, I visited places in France and Belgium where he fought during World War I. Remembrance Day I spent in Mons, staying with friends who were living/working at the Nato base there. The art work in “Poppies Are for November” were done by students at the Canadian school on the base.
I’ve Got Peace Like A River I’ve Got Peace Like a River
This Little Light of Mine This Little Light of Mine
October “a pause”
Best month of the year –not too hot, not too cold, bugs gone and two delightful holidays!
Move or Dance in Celebration: Turkey in the Straw; Shoo Turkey; Five Fat Turkeys; Thanksgiving Dinner (pocket chart composing); Thank-Yous(warm-up); We Give Thanks
Explore Voices for Drama or Dressing-Up: One Person, Many Voices; Hooting; I’m Gonna Be a Pirate; Skin and Bones(coming soon); Old Mrs. Witch; Role Playing Music
Autumn Themes: Red, Orange, Yellow, Brown(improvisation); Red, Red, Leaves(zipper song); One Apple, Two Apples(reading, instrument playing); I Like to Eat; Ev’rybody Sing;
Hallowe’en: Five Little Pumpkins; Old Mrs. Witch; Skin and Bones; In a Dark, Dark Wood; and recreated nursery rhymes —Humpkin Pumpkin; Peter Peter; Twinkle Little Bat; 3 Snowy Owls; This Black Cat; This Is the Way the Witches …
Beginning Again
Doesn’t matter what the calendar say, somewhere deep inside I know the year begins when school starts. Everything is new again –at least for some of us. New teacher? New teaching assignment? New students? New classroom? And, of course, there’s the much anticipated, perhaps dreaded, reshuffling of students and teachers that will make new, new again!
But not everything needs to be new –especially in music. Songs are not meant to be sung only once. There’s nothing that says a “new year” can’t begin with maybe one new song, and the comfort of old familiar ones. Its easier to review music basics like rhythm patterns and conducting cues when singing songs that are already known. Check with last year’s teachers, or ask the students for their favourite “last year” songs. And there are always the classics: The Alphabet Song, Twinkle Twinkle, Old MacDonald(or Old MacDonald’s Zoo or Meg MacDonald’s Farm) etcetera.
Head ‘n Shoulders The More We Get Together
“A lifelong enjoyment of music” is the underlying and sometimes stated hope of every music curriculum. Begin a new year enjoying new and old songs, building community through shared singing and setting simple parameters for music time.
Week One: Meg MacDonald’s Farm Mama Don’t Allow No Singing When I First Came to Canada
2024 June
Summer is on it’s way … time to think about the school year that’s past, enjoy the songs are were enjoyable, and maybe get ready for Canada Day (July 1)! “Ideas to get Started below”
Songs from Canada Land of the Silver Birch My Paddle’s Keen and Bright Donkey Riding Klondike Maple Syrup Saga I’se the B’y Lukey’s Boat
Campfire Songs Old Hiram’s Goat Do Your Ears Hang Low A Sailor Went To Sea Sweetly Sings the Donkey Mama Don’t Allow No Singing Miss Lucy Had a Baby When I Was One All Together – Let’s Make Peace In The Summer The Bear Went Over the Mountain The Grand Old Duke of York My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean Bought Me A Cat