I sing to my son all day long. Sometimes they're songs I know from my childhood, sometimes hymns, sometimes songs I make up. We listen to so much music. Classical plays in his bedroom. Anything on Daddy's iPod in the living room. Pandora everywhere else. I like to think that he's constantly in his own personal music education classroom.
That said, some of these songs I learned in my childhood have lyrics that I'm not sure I want my son to internalize.
One little, two little, three little...Indians? Um... I replace that with "children" or something similar, but it doesn't quite work at the end of the song. Sing it through. You'll know what I mean. "Ten little happy boys" might work as the last line.
Anyway, the song that stands out in my mind is a classic - "Jesus Loves the Little Children."All the children of the world. So far, so good. It's the third line that bugs me. "Red and yellow, black and white" just doesn't work anymore, if it ever did. People take offense to being labeled with a color. Besides, I'm not white. My skin is light peach. Or tan. With freckles. And blue veins and red-flushed cheeks.
So I changed the words. Here's the original if you want to reference it. The first verse here is not entirely mine - I'm pretty sure it shows up in the blue Covenant Hymnal, but Hymnary doesn't have that information. However, I did make up a second verse.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Every color, every race
They are covered by his grace
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Every country, everywhere
Jesus hears their every prayer
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
I'm working on coming up with a third verse, but it might be a while before I get it just right. I'll just keep singing to my baby. He doesn't mind.
What do you think? Any songs you know from childhood that should be revamped for today's kids?
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Thursday, November 10, 2011
feeling it
Today, I'm feeling it.
A little fatigued from last night's Zumba experience - wow, I am not a dancer - a little emotional from the amount of alone time I've had, and a little overwhelmed by the work I have to do in between now and tomorrow.
I've enjoyed waking up to the sun streaming in my windows, but this morning, I just woke up and felt...sad. Not ready for the day. Pull-the-covers-back-up and hide sort of morning. Listen to five more minutes of classical radio before I drag myself out of bed. Even my gummy bear vitamin wasn't quite as pleasant. I saw my blooming Christmas cactus and wanted to be joyful, but didn't feel that way.
The turn-around? Singing. Thanks to God for Handel and his setting of "for unto us a Child is born," and for God deciding to make me with a voice that can do that reasonably well. Thanks for the opportunity to be in a choir again, to be with people, to pursue excellence. To appreciate the Steinway, to enjoy the perfectly balanced and tuned chords, to sing with others.
And thanks for tea. And friends. And chocolate! And peace in my home and at my school.
I will be okay.
A little fatigued from last night's Zumba experience - wow, I am not a dancer - a little emotional from the amount of alone time I've had, and a little overwhelmed by the work I have to do in between now and tomorrow.
I've enjoyed waking up to the sun streaming in my windows, but this morning, I just woke up and felt...sad. Not ready for the day. Pull-the-covers-back-up and hide sort of morning. Listen to five more minutes of classical radio before I drag myself out of bed. Even my gummy bear vitamin wasn't quite as pleasant. I saw my blooming Christmas cactus and wanted to be joyful, but didn't feel that way.
The turn-around? Singing. Thanks to God for Handel and his setting of "for unto us a Child is born," and for God deciding to make me with a voice that can do that reasonably well. Thanks for the opportunity to be in a choir again, to be with people, to pursue excellence. To appreciate the Steinway, to enjoy the perfectly balanced and tuned chords, to sing with others.
And thanks for tea. And friends. And chocolate! And peace in my home and at my school.
I will be okay.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
trying
lately, i've had a lot more free time than usual. this could be a good thing, but the free time has been accompanied by mild depression, which, characteristically for me, follows times of too much stress. I have had zero motivation for anything - not even for things I enjoy doing. Today was the first day I felt like I actually accomplished anything I've been meaning to do...and my list only included making a return, buying apples, making a pie, doing laundry, calling for optometrist appointments, going to the gym, and filing papers.
Alas. But I have been taking pictures. It's a joyful thing for me - to capture something and to view it closer than I can in real life.
Another joyful thing for me is singing, but I can't seem to get myself to practice like I should! I have had enough time in every day to do this, but it just doesn't get done. Part of the deterrent is my digital piano - it doesn't have external speakers, so i have to practice with earbuds in my ears. It's hard to hear myself like that. Regardless, I should still be practicing. Right now.
But I'm not! And I'm frustrated about this, but still having a hard time getting myself to practice.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
tired. happy. and a little nervous.
it has been a beautiful sunny day in the land of Linnea. however, she woke up with very itchy eyes and hasn't been able to wear her contacts. blasted allergies.
worship rehearsal was this morning, and it's nice to not be the leader this time. this is a full month for me - two auditions, leading worship often, a musical at the end of the month, and Easter prep thrown in for good measure. so much to do.
i came home shortly after noon, and couldn't find anything i wanted for lunch in the fridge. call it the American overprivileged attitude, call it the stomach flu i had the past three days - nothing looked good. in fact, i threw out a bunch of stuff that i didn't eat this week because of being sick. is this a bad thing? well, the stuff i threw out was bad. so DH took me out to lunch - i haven't had an Arby's jr. roast beef in ages. it was yummy, of course.
good news - found my sunglasses. this made me smile! i had purchased these sunglasses before we were married so that i could use them on our beachy honeymoon, and they mean a lot to me just for that reason. so glad i found them. besides all that, they're really pretty.
i spent a lot of the afternoon cleaning (read: not moving much at all from the couch beginning tuesday afternoon through wednesday afternoon = messy house and neglected chores), since DH's composition student and her mom were coming over to do some recording this afternoon. i wore myself out. i just don't have the energy that i'm used to just yet.
regardless, my house looks much better than this morning. yay.
it didn't feel like a saturday. can i have another one, please?
i'm working on preparing for my grad school auditions (aforementioned), and i had a fabulous voice lesson yesterday to check up on the work i've been doing. the teacher was so encouraging and helpful! i would enjoy studying with her. i wonder if God will have us stay here, or if His plans will lead us somewhere else. i'm trying to listen and to be open to where He would have us be. it's not easy. But the voice lesson was great! i have some good pointers to help me to put the finishing touches on my audition music before this coming friday. thanks are due to a good friend who's in the grad program here and recommended that i study with this teacher.
as to the conducting portion of auditions, i have a beefy Bach piece to delve into some more. it's one of those beautiful German double-choir motets with long melismatic passages between the voice parts. so lovely. but so full of stuff to understand, interpret, and teach. this would not be so bad if i had been the director, choosing music back in june, studying it all summer, and presenting it to a choir in september. as it stands, i received the music just a month ago. i've done a herford analysis, which is helpful, but i still can't get the tune solidly ingrained in my skull. oh, to have choir every day! i miss that about my undergraduate work. and about teaching. to sing every day...to have (or make) real time for singing every day.
all this to say: i'm a little nervous. i'm not sure that i'll be showing my best self, considering the way that i've been stretched, overexterted, and pressed for time. it's wickedly difficult to hold five jobs (teaching piano, accompanying class voice, nannying, church music administration, accompanying the high school musical) and to still care for my husband and home. and kitty cat. how do working moms do this? hire out? i haven't been able to put much time in. this blog thing isn't helping, except to relax me before i dive back into Bach's blackness. (love that alliteration.)
sweet note - Green&Black's organic chocolate is amazing.
i love the sparkling snow and how it dusts the pine tree out my window. God is good.
i love when my husband's smile is so sincere that he gets little dimples in his cheeks - when he's looking at me.
and i really do have more than i need. so many blessings. and so much need for God's strength, courage, and direction in my life. don't we all?
worship rehearsal was this morning, and it's nice to not be the leader this time. this is a full month for me - two auditions, leading worship often, a musical at the end of the month, and Easter prep thrown in for good measure. so much to do.
i came home shortly after noon, and couldn't find anything i wanted for lunch in the fridge. call it the American overprivileged attitude, call it the stomach flu i had the past three days - nothing looked good. in fact, i threw out a bunch of stuff that i didn't eat this week because of being sick. is this a bad thing? well, the stuff i threw out was bad. so DH took me out to lunch - i haven't had an Arby's jr. roast beef in ages. it was yummy, of course.
good news - found my sunglasses. this made me smile! i had purchased these sunglasses before we were married so that i could use them on our beachy honeymoon, and they mean a lot to me just for that reason. so glad i found them. besides all that, they're really pretty.
i spent a lot of the afternoon cleaning (read: not moving much at all from the couch beginning tuesday afternoon through wednesday afternoon = messy house and neglected chores), since DH's composition student and her mom were coming over to do some recording this afternoon. i wore myself out. i just don't have the energy that i'm used to just yet.
regardless, my house looks much better than this morning. yay.
it didn't feel like a saturday. can i have another one, please?
i'm working on preparing for my grad school auditions (aforementioned), and i had a fabulous voice lesson yesterday to check up on the work i've been doing. the teacher was so encouraging and helpful! i would enjoy studying with her. i wonder if God will have us stay here, or if His plans will lead us somewhere else. i'm trying to listen and to be open to where He would have us be. it's not easy. But the voice lesson was great! i have some good pointers to help me to put the finishing touches on my audition music before this coming friday. thanks are due to a good friend who's in the grad program here and recommended that i study with this teacher.
as to the conducting portion of auditions, i have a beefy Bach piece to delve into some more. it's one of those beautiful German double-choir motets with long melismatic passages between the voice parts. so lovely. but so full of stuff to understand, interpret, and teach. this would not be so bad if i had been the director, choosing music back in june, studying it all summer, and presenting it to a choir in september. as it stands, i received the music just a month ago. i've done a herford analysis, which is helpful, but i still can't get the tune solidly ingrained in my skull. oh, to have choir every day! i miss that about my undergraduate work. and about teaching. to sing every day...to have (or make) real time for singing every day.
all this to say: i'm a little nervous. i'm not sure that i'll be showing my best self, considering the way that i've been stretched, overexterted, and pressed for time. it's wickedly difficult to hold five jobs (teaching piano, accompanying class voice, nannying, church music administration, accompanying the high school musical) and to still care for my husband and home. and kitty cat. how do working moms do this? hire out? i haven't been able to put much time in. this blog thing isn't helping, except to relax me before i dive back into Bach's blackness. (love that alliteration.)
sweet note - Green&Black's organic chocolate is amazing.
i love the sparkling snow and how it dusts the pine tree out my window. God is good.
i love when my husband's smile is so sincere that he gets little dimples in his cheeks - when he's looking at me.
and i really do have more than i need. so many blessings. and so much need for God's strength, courage, and direction in my life. don't we all?
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