Maker Songs for Maker Kids

I don't know if this generation of kids are any more DIY than previous generations, but those kids with maker tendencies (or parents who want to encourage those tendencies) have never had as many opportunities to indulge them (not to mention temptations to ignore them).

I was listening to The Board of Education's fine new album Binary when it occurred to me that the song "I'm Not Here Right Now," about a kid not so keen on sitting in a classroom but very keen on getting out and constructing and exploring, could be an anthem for today's maker kids.

So here's a playlist to be inspired by the next time you and your kids are turning a cardboard box into a race car, learning basic electronic circuitry, or building your own cardboard drum set.  I tried to stay pretty close to the maker concept (and avoiding music-making or cooking and the like), but strayed occasionally into maker-friendly songs that more generally celebrate imaginative use of found objects and creating one's own entertainment.  (Also, despite the number of tracks covering the Woody Guthrie classic, this is nowhere near the number of versions of "Bling Blang" that are available.)

Yes, I understand the slight irony of listening to others' creative works while creating your own, but nobody's perfect.  Go forth and create!

Maker Songs for Maker Kids [Spotify url]

Billy Kelly – The Ballad of Johnny Box
The Biscuit Brothers – I Did It Myself
The Board of Education – Vasimr (to Mars!)
The Board of Education – I'm Not Here Right Now
The Board of Education – Know Your Inventors, Pt. II
The Board of Education – Know Your Inventors, Part I
The Board of Education – Lunchtime (Tin Foil Robots)
Brady Rymer – Bling Blang
Caspar Babypants – Googly Eyes
Coal Train Railroad – With A Box
Dan Zanes & Friends – Thrift Shop
Dog On Fleas – Bling-blang
Elizabeth Mitchell – Bling Blang
Fox and Branch – Bling Blang
Frances England – Bling Blang
The Hipwaders – Art Car
The Hipwaders – My New Camera
Imagination Movers – Imagination Movers Theme
The Jellydots – Adventure Quest!
Johnny Bregar – Yes I Can
Johnny Keener – Bling Blang
Justin Roberts – Cardboard Box
Keith Munslow – Cardboard Box
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band – Lemonade Stand
Lunch Money – Come Over to My Dollhouse
Matt Clark – Cardboard Box
Metric – Everybody Has a Talent
Monty Harper – My Video Camera
The Pop Ups – Box of Crayons
Ralph's World – Sunny Day Rainy Day Anytime Band
Recess Monkey – Fort
Recess Monkey – Science Fair
Recess Monkey – Toolbox
Recess Monkey – I Got A Toy, But I Played With the Box
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Hot Lava
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Brainstorm
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Bored Is A Bad Word
Sugar Free Allstars – Cardboard Box
They Might Be Giants – Science Is Real
They Might Be Giants – Put It to the Test
They Might Be Giants – Computer Assisted Design
They Might Be Giants – Where Do They Make Balloons?
They Might Be Giants – The Edison Museum

Caroling Tips: Caroling with Kids

With Christmas rapidly approaching, I thought I would share some tips for caroling. I actually wrote much of this just after the new year, but thought that tips on getting the most out of the caroling experience with kids wouldn't be of much use in January. (Music can be an important part of celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and Valentine's Day, but caroling... not so much.) So read on for my tips on how you and your kids can get the most out of caroling without driving you (or your kid) crazy.

I actually went caroling twice in December 2010, which proved useful as there were a number of things I learned the first time (on a Sunday morning with a church group at a nursing home) that I used the second time (on a Monday night with friends from our -- and in our -- neighborhood). It wasn't the first time I'd gone caroling -- I'd also organized our prior neighborhood caroling event a couple years ago -- but I paid much closer attention to what seemed to work well.

1) It helps to have a single sheet. Books of carols are nice, but it takes too long to find the carol you actually want to sing. That's why my carol sheet (see below) is two pages, which can be copied back-to-back on a single sheet of paper. You obviously still need to find the carols, but it's much easier scanning a single page or two.

2) You need to have (at least some) songs preschoolers can sing. This is assuming, of course, that preschoolers are part of the mix (although it can be argued that simplicity is essential, and it's not that bad of an idea to stick to the simplest of carols). That fancy carol sheet is of little use (beyond that of pride) to the preschooler who can barely recognize their own name let alone the second verse of "O Little Town of Bethlehem." Songs I'd include in this category include "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," though I'd note that even more complex carols like "Deck the Halls" offer opportunities for the youngsters (kids pick up the "Fa la la la la..." part pretty quick).

3) Have a variety, but not too much so. You need to have a variety of songs so you're not singing the same three songs at every stop. Having said that, there is some value in everyone singing the songs 2 or 3 times during the caroling session so they actually master it, and if you have 30 songs (many of which will be unfamiliar to many of the carolers), you're not going to get that value. Also, you need to include a preschooler-friendly song (see above) at every stop.
4) Three songs. Like I said above, three songs. This translates to maybe three minutes of actual singing, which to me just feels right, and is long enough without having the kids (or, frankly, the carolee) get antsy.

5) Two verses. One verse plus a chorus just doesn't feel long enough. But singing the third verse ends up making you feel like you're the only one singing as the kids -- and the listener -- fade away as they hit ever-more-unfamiliar lyrical territory. It also usually puts the song at about a minute in length, helping you meet that three-minute time limit. Obviously, if you're singing with a bunch of experienced singers, then go ahead, add that third verse, your fellow choristers might appreciate it. Having said that, note #4 -- it's a little weird to be standing at someone's door for 10 minutes while you going into the finer points of what you and Fanny Bright did on that sleigh ride in "Jingle Bells."

6) One hour. Probably less, even, but definitely no more than an hour. After maybe 45 minutes, you could tell that the younger kids were getting antsy. In our evening caroling session around the neighborhood, we sang at I think 8 houses in about 55 minutes, which seemed just about right.

7) Someone needs to lead. There needs to be a song leader fielding song requests from the kids (or the carolees) and starting everyone off on the same note. If you have an instrument -- a ukulele or guitar -- that's helpful, but I've found I'm so focused on the lyrics (even ones I've sung dozens if not hundreds of times) that I don't end up strumming much.

7a) Don't forget the shakers and bells. I forgot this year, and it definitely lacked a little something compared to caroling of prior years...

8) No surprises. With one exception, we only caroled at houses who knew we were coming. That prevented us ringing doorbells and waiting in vain for someone to answer. It also prevented us from caroling at folks' houses who probably weren't in the mood or wouldn't appreciated ("You're Jewish?"). We had a slot open up and my wife decided to check to see if our neighbor would appreciate a last-minute caroling -- as it turns out, it had been a very long day at work for her and she politely declined.

9) Lots of cookies and hot chocolate. This is probably a good tip generally, but especially for caroling.

10) Bonus updated comment: This year we decided that instead of rushing from house to house for our neighborhood caroling we'd host a caroling party. We wanted to spend more time singing and less time walking. Now, this being the deserts of Arizona, we were able to host the caroling party outside at the very tiny park inside our neighborhood. (It was maybe 50 degrees at 6 PM, so very doable.) We had a few flyers delivered, and notified folks via the neighborhood's e-mail list and Facebook group. While it took a bit longer to set up the lights than we'd anticipated, we ended up singing the dozen or so songs on our song sheet and sang for probably 17-20 minutes. With a little more planning, we could easily add a few songs to the list and sing longer. We've already talked a little bit about making it more elaborate for next year.

But you don't have to host it outside or make it fancy -- though it probably makes it easier to attract passers-by. Inside can work just as well -- and has the added benefit of easier keyboard accompaniment and quicker access to the hot chocolate and cookies. ;-)

Additional Resources
-- Here's the caroling sheet we used this year.
-- Better Homes & Gardens has a Christmas carol page, including a songbook you can use as is or to select particular carols for your own one-sheet.
-- Lori Henriques wrote a nice post on caroling parties that complements (meaning, goes with, not praises) a lot of what I've said here.