Help: Childrens Folk Music

Subject: Childrens Folk Music
From:
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 04:54 PM

I teach 5th grade and would love to bring music into the Westward Movement part of Social Studies. Anyone have an idea of a good tape? It would be great if the lyrics were included also. Please e-mail me if you have a suggestion [e-mail]

Thank you, Sally Barber

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:34 PM

Mel Bay Publishing's Jerry Silverman materials are great. Tape and songbook.

Another good series readily available in toy stores, and some bookstores, is Wee Sing. Some titles are folk, and don't be fooled by the baby packaging. Also includes chords, easy to play on guitar or (teachers' fave?) autoharp, plus tape.

Beyond that, it depends on the sub-genre you might be interested in.

Of course our own Digital Tradition database will have lyrics to zillions of things. Printable and reproducible. If you get some good recordings from your library, you should be able to find many of the songs here in the DT.

Let us know how it goes!!!!

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:37 PM

Duh, I re-read your post. Here, in the DT, in the blue box up top of the forum poage, you can search by keyword. Such as WEST.... you'll see a whole meu of keywords...

And many of the songs in there have a MIDI file where you can click and hear the melody. If the classroom has a computer with speakers...... you should be good to go!

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:39 PM

Sorry, Praise, but NOT Wee Sing for 5th graders! They think they're much too cool.Sally, there's a lot of good stuff out there. Art Thieme has some wonderful material on his recordings, available at Folk Legacy Records- click above at either Links or Help Support the Mudcat and find him there.
There's another thread floating around about the Oregon Trail. I'll think some more on this tonight and get back to you tomorrow- I'm an elementary music teacher in summer mode, so my brain isn't working at the 5th grade level!

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:41 PM

The other thread is:

Oregon Trail/pioneer songs (click me)

You two should buddy up.

And Animaterra, I KNOW, but actually it can work! I know! (Hey, enjoy your summer!)

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:50 PM

I worked with fifth graders this last year. You can use Wee Sing with them, as long as you don't show them the wimpy, cutesy little books (sorry, Praise....).

I really like the history CD's recorded by Keith and Rusty McNeil (click) It's very interesting stuff. Fun, but quality educational material.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Jul 00 - 06:57 PM

(I bet fifth grade GIRLS would LOVE them!)

~S~

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: GUEST,salwie
Date: 27 Jul 00 - 01:00 AM

Wow, I am so greatful on the responce I have gotten in just a few short hours. One would never think that an Internet search would have been so easy. So many people know this much about 5th graders!! I will looking into the suggestions. Thanks again, Sally

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 27 Jul 00 - 10:12 AM

Joe, I tried your blue clicky only to find that the URL had expired. I'd love to check them out!

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: GUEST,Annie T.
Date: 27 Jul 00 - 11:35 AM

My husband and I do a lot of kids folk-music shows, and we play a lot of old-timey/Appalachian songs, but are also into western history. My favorite (GEN-YOU-WINE) cowboy artist is Skip Gorman. It's not kids stuff, necessarily, but a lot of traditional Cowboy/pioneer story songs and silly songs of the late 1800s. Check out "A Greener Prairie" and "Lonesome Prairie Love". Fifth graders are definitely old enough to appreciate these! Also check out Wayne Erbsen's music (click) -- LOTS of historically-based songs (Cowboy, Civil war, etc.).

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Jul 00 - 01:52 PM

Hmmm. The link for Keith and Rusty McNeil worked just fine yesterday, but I can't get it to work today. Maybe their site is down. Give 'em a day or two, or contact their WEM Records at [phone], e-mail [e-mail]. Otherwise, you can click here to see their recordings at Amazon.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Childrens Folk Music
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 27 Jul 00 - 03:23 PM

this thread has been a great help to me, too. I play "Angelina Baker" at every dance, and never thought of it. d-uh.