COFFEE/Coffee Row

Happy New Year! (Is it too late in January to say that?)

Let's have some coffee!

COFFEE is one of my favorite 3/4 meter songs. It is a fun song to sing, students love it, and it has several uses in the music classroom.

This song pairs very nicely with Music Alone Shall Live.

Students sing COFFEE, then Music Alone Shall Live, and finally both songs simultaneously. (Ah, coffee and music, these are a few of my favorite things...)

About a million years ago at an Orff workshop in New Mexico I learned a chant that was written to accompany COFFEE. I apologize for not listing the source for Coffee Row, I still have the chant but I can not find the notes from that workshop. (If anyone out there can help shed light on where this might have come from, please let me know!)

This chant is from Jo Ella Hug from from Missoula, Montana. (Thank you, Signe!)

This chant partners very well COFFEE in an ABA form and/or as a partner song. This above image is from my SMART Board lesson; students drag red bar lines to show the correct measures for 3/4 meter. (Cue Ms. LeJeune: "What exactly are we measuring, students?" Students: "the BEAT!")

There are many ways you can arrange these songs and chants to create a enjoyable performance piece. In the past I've added barred instruments and dramatization.

*The SMART Board lesson featuring COFFEE and Coffee Row are exclusively available for purchase, (along with many other great digital lessons including a fun stick to staff matching game for COFFEE,) at the ROCKE Make and Take on Saturday, Jan. 26th, 2013 during CMEA at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. (Colorado's NAFME conference.)

Going to CMEA?

I am very excited to present a session: Electronic Engagement on Friday sponsored by ROCKE (Regional Organization of Colorado Kodály Educators.) 

My good friend, the lovely and talented Amy Abbott will also be presenting Manipulative Mania, also sponsored by ROCKE. (Do you follow Amy's extremely useful, very prolific blog? Of course you do.) 

I will also share a session on Friday at 3:00pm titled SMART Board Assessments in the Music Class Room. I hope to see many Colorado music teachers there!