Counting Down the Last 5 Days!

Today’s Preview of the Sing With Our Kids Website: The Shrinking Great American Folk Song

One of the advantages of having sung with children for so many years (and yes, having been a child myself), is that I have a perspective on how our culture has changed. And as I'm sure you'll agree, the American folk song is shrinking! Those old songs that seemed to go on forever and ever (long enough for a bus ride to camp or a trip to Grandma's house) are just about down to a single chorus! A couple of years ago I was singing Jingle Bells with a large group of children and we were having a rollicking good time until  I got to "dashing through the snow...." Suddenly I was singing solo as the children looked on with perplexed little faces! What in the world was I singing about?

It was only a few years ago that children knew all three of the most common verses, and we all laughed at the funny sounding words...( just what the heck does  "up-sot" mean, anyway?). It was fun, and interesting and yes, silly! What does it matter you may wonder? Well, first let me first tell you that the chorus of Jingle Bells sung repeatedly by itself is kind of a chore. The real fun, it turns out, is in those crazy old words! And when we forget how these songs go, we won't be able to sing them together. And when we can't sing these songs together, they won't be replaced. They aren't being replaced. But the good news is, they are still here, and all we have to do to not lose them is use them! Sing With Our Kids will be there to make sure we do - in all their fully restored funny word-filled glory!