Songmaker Son Helps Students Compose Some Cool Songs

Brad

For the past two years our singer-songwriter son Brad Yoder has been asked to spend a week as  a musician-in-residence at one of Pittsburgh's public elementary schools. This year he led extensive brainstorming sessions with each of six classes at Kerr Elementary and came up with the following entertaining results. 

Here are the lyrics:

KINDERGARTEN:  "Treats"

CH:  We love treats, they’re so yummy,
Awesome sweetness in my tummy!
VS 1:  Ice cream is delicious, you can lick it on a cone,
or eat it in a bowl with a spoon,
chocolate or vanilla, cherry or banana, (or mango!)
different flavors taste super-good! (like sherbet!)
VS 2: Candy is spectacular, lollipops and gummi bears
licorice and marshmallows,
chocolate bars and chewing gum, jelly beans, “can I have some?”
Cotton candy's soft like pillows!
VS 3: cookies are for everyone, gingerbread and M&M,
oatmeal, chocolate chip and Oreos,
some are round and some are square, everybody likes to share,
we even like to eat cookie dough!

1st GRADE:  "Summer Vacation"

CH:  It’s summer vacation, I’m so excited that school’s out,
the sun is bright and we get to play all day,
it’s summer vacation, we drink lemonade in the hot sun,
we swim and ride bikes and have fun, we say “hurray!”..
VS1: would like to climb a tree? we can see the bright green leaves,
would you like to find a snail and put it in a pail? (567176)  ½CH:
VS2: We can jump into the pool, and the water’s very cool,
ride our bikes to the zoo and see the kangaroos…  ½CH:
VS3:  We can go to Kennywood, the games and rides and food are good, we can visit family and friends in New Jersey!  ½CH:
VS4:  Read a book in bed all day, sleep in late or celebrate,
paint a heart or draw a bird, or bake a chocolate cake!  CH:

2nd GRADE:  "Playing in the Snow"

VS1: wake up, look out the window, let’s go play in the snow,
school is closed, it’s Winter Break, everybody knows,
it’s time to put on snow clothes, coats and gloves and boots,
scarves, earmuffs, mittens and hats, warm socks and snow suits..
CH: let’s go hop outside, let’s jump in a pile of snow, (brr)
it’s cold and wet, but really fun, catching snowflakes on our tongues,
then we’ll go inside, take off our boots, and have some hot cocoa..
VS2:  Let’s go and build a snowman, let’s find a carrot nose,
a scarf, 2 sticks, and rocks as eyes, he can wear old clothes,
a snowball fight’s exciting, we’ll build a big snow fort,
We’ll stay outside, we’ll play all day, and then we’ll play some more,
CH:
BRIDGE:  Sledding, tubing, ice skating, what shall we do first,
I think we should make snow angels (before the weather turns),
the next day I slept in, and then we played again!
VS1:
CH:

3rd GRADE:  "Gym Class"

VS 1: up and down the climbing wall, kick a home run in kickball,
running, jumping, it’s so fun, we can play with everyone
CH: in gym class, in gym class, when the thinking work is done,
in gym class, in gym class, we have tons of fun..
VS 2:  it is not a big surprise we get lots of exercise,
Mr. S. and Mrs. A., please let us play Ricochet, in gym class (CH2)
VS 3:  we ride scooters all around, the scooters make a squeaky sound,
we like playing castle ball, when the balls make castles fall, (CH3)
BR:  We’ll have a blast, c’mon let’s play, while it lasts, we yell “hurray!”
VS4:  bowling, hockey, soccer, tag, we can play “capture the flag”
Hula hoops and basketball, we try not to trip and fall.. (CH4)

4th GRADE:  "Sleep"

VS 1: After a long day, I go upstairs and hit the hay,
brush my teeth and jump in bed, counting sheep over my head,
I start to close my eyes, stars twinkle in the night,
floating on a cozy cloud, Mama please don’t wake me now,
CH:  tired people all around are sleeping in a sleepy town,
tired people go to sleep while children’s dreams are at their peak!
VS 2:  My Dad’s tucking me in, and I say goodnight to him,
dreaming of a different land, and cake with sprinkles in my hand,
Warm under my sheets, stuffed animals are guarding me
from monsters underneath my bed, I grab for my stuffed bear instead
CH:  tired people all around are sleeping in a sleepy town,
tired people go to sleep while children’s dreams are at their peak!
BR:  What time is it?  How much more sleep can I get?
VS 1 TAG: After a long day, I go upstairs and hit the hay,
brush my teeth and jump in bed, counting sheep over my head…

5th GRADE:  "Road Trip Song"
CH:  a long way to go, and a long time to get there,
why won’t the road move faster,
vacation is here, our destination is clear,
adventure is what we’re after!
VS1:  everywhere you go there’s a sunset,
and everywhere you go there’s a moon,
every day we ask, “are we there yet?”
and every time mom says, “pretty soon”  (CH)
VS2: Speeding down the road while I’m gazing,
trying to write the words for this song,
driving through the plains, cows are grazing,
I think I’ll see those cows all day long! (CH)
BR:  Gift shops, fast food, rest stops, toll booths,
traffic, turnpikes, crossing state lines!..
CH:

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