Use these fun songs with your young choir or music class as energizers or warm-ups.
Oo a Lay Lay
This is a traditional echo song from Polynesia. The words have no specific meaning.
‘Oo a Lay Lay‘ is great for teaching:
Different phrase lengths
Form – Call and Response
Focus can also be drawn to pitch, tempo and dynamics by changing the way it is to be sung.
- Give the students a higher/lower starting note.
- Have them sing it faster/slower and louder/softer.
Have the student create a movement for each of the call phrases
LYRICS
Oo A Lay Lay (Call)
Oo A Lay Lay (Response) (2X)
Mala Tika Tumba (Call)
Mala Tika Tumba (Response)
Oo A Lay Maluwa Maluway (Call)
Oo A Lay Maluwa Maluway (Response)
I think it’s best sung unaccompanied but here is a link to a YouTube clip with an accompaniment
Ickle Ockle
This song is great for teaching:
- The concept of pulse
- Melody element ‘do’
- ‘sa’ rest rhythmic element and
LYRICS
Ickle ockle, blue bottle
Fishes in the sea
If you want a happy friend
Just choose me!
Here is a YouTube clip showing a couple of good ideas for teaching this song
Alert, Alive, Awake Enthusiastic
This fun song with movement is sung to the tune “If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands”
Use this song to:
- Energise and refocusing your class
- Work on diction and crisp consonants
- Tempo and pulse
Sing the song and touch the body part that matches the words. Sing it faster and faster.
Lyrics:
I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic,
I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic,
I’m alive, awake, alert,
I’m alert, awake, alive,
I’m alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic.
Add the following actions as the song is sung:
Alive: touch ankles
Awake: touch hips
Alert: touch shoulders
Enthusiastic: arms up in the air
If you have a song your young singers love to sing tell us about it in the comments below!
