Suddenly I Was Singing

I didn’t always sing during my classroom visits. One day about a year ago, I arrived at a school and the air conditioning had malfunctioned and it was incredibly hot in the classroom which was filled with three classes of kids and teachers. I started my usual presentation, but soon realized it was going to take something special to keep the kids listening in the sweltering heat. I have a performance background going back to my high school days when I was onstage in many school musicals so suddenly, out of nowhere, instead of talking to the kids I suddenly found myself singing. The look on their faces was priceless. They looked at each other as if to say, “Is she um… actually…SINGING?” I immediately got their attention and soon they were singing with me. I love surprising the kids because sometimes, actually often, I surprise myself.

The I Believe Bunny on the Big Screen

Last month, I visited a local elementary school and read my books The I Believe Bunny and Sharing with You to the students and had a lovely time. I mentioned to them that I have an I Believe Bunny web site (www.ibelievebunny.com) and they immediately wanted to see it. In an eye blink, their teacher got on her laptop and put the I Believe Bunny web site up on the white board, an interactive board that I hadn't even noticed when I walked in the room. Before I knew it, she clicked "Songs and Videos" and my son Johnny was there in a picture six feet high singing The I Believe Bunny song. The kids were captivated and I admit, so was I. I had told them about how I sang the song with Johnny and my daughter Melody, but it was amazing for them to be able to watch the video almost life-size before their eyes. Yes, I admit, I come from the world of the blackboards and chalk, but white boards are really something!

Writing Songs All Year Long.

I love writing children’s songs and working with different composers to make the words "sing." When I write for Disney or Sesame Street, as I often do, it's important to remember I am writing for characters kids love and every one is different. Elmo for instance loves animals and refers to himself in the third person: "Elmo is happy," so I need to write for him in that style. Winnie the Pooh has lots of friends in the Hundred Acre Wood and The I Believe Bunny lives in the beautiful, flower-filled glen. For all of these characters, the creative challenge is to write songs that reflect their worlds and capture the joy and fun which is what kids love about them. Throw in some educational content, a catchy beat and a sing-along melody, and you have a hit!