All That I Can Be: SoundTrax CD

Albrecht and Althouse have crafted a songbook that works as both a character-building curriculum and a genuine musical experience. The breadth of musical styles keeps young singers engaged and gives you real programming flexibility, whether you perform individual songs throughout the year or build toward a cohesive 30-minute concert. Teachers appreciate that the accompanying handbook supplies reproducible materials and practical classroom extensions, so the songs become entry points for deeper discussions about integrity, teamwork, and respect.

Bright, earnest, and varied. The songs balance contemporary musical styles with accessible unison writing, creating moments of genuine warmth without condescension. You'll hear everything from folk and pop influences to jazz and world music idioms, each supporting lyrics about friendship, honesty, and self-worth with music that feels fresh to young singers.

General music teachers and classroom instructors working with grades 2 through 7 who want songs that address character development alongside solid musicianship. This collection also works well for school assemblies, parent events, and community performances where both content and music quality matter.

• Teach the songs in the order that best matches your classroom or ensemble's current character focus rather than the songbook's sequence; one song on friendship might resonate more powerfully when your group is navigating peer relationships.
• Use the varied musical styles to your advantage by letting each song's genre inform performance choices; a song in a jazz style will need different articulation and swing feel than one written in a folk idiom.
• Pair the recorded accompaniment with repeated listening so singers internalize melody and rhythm before rehearsal, leaving class time for discussions about lyrical meaning and character themes.
• Layer simple movement or gesture into performance where the text invites it, honoring Albrecht's signature approach to choral singing and giving younger students an additional memory anchor for lyrics.

Build a concert around character themes by selecting 4-6 songs and framing each set with a short introduction about that month's focus (teamwork in September, kindness in October, and so on). Alternatively, use individual songs as opening or closing pieces for assemblies, or weave them throughout the year as part of your broader social-emotional learning curriculum.

• Singing unison melodies with independence and clarity
• Responding to different musical styles and genres within a single collection
• Connecting lyrical content to personal character and values
• Sight-reading notation across varied rhythmic patterns and melodic contours
• Performing with expressive awareness of text meaning