Let's Make Music Fun! Red Book: Book & CD

The accompanying CD transforms this from a book into a complete teaching toolkit. Teachers gain full demonstrations and backing tracks, eliminating the barrier of limited keyboard skills while ensuring every class hears polished models of how the songs should sound. The range of song types (action songs, rounds, part-songs) means you're not just filling class time; you're systematically building musicianship across multiple genres in one collection.

Bright, inclusive, and purposeful. These songs sparkle with character (a donkey, a snowman, a journey down the road) while maintaining clear, singable melodies that land confidently in young voices. The rhythm is often playful and physical, inviting movement rather than commanding it, so the music feels like celebration rather than drill.

Elementary music teachers working with students in grades 1-5 who need a ready-made collection of songs that develop foundational skills while keeping lessons joyful and active. This works equally well for classroom teachers who integrate music into their curriculum and for specialists building a diverse repertoire across the year.

• Use the backing tracks to establish tempo and support student singing while you focus on conducting, monitoring posture, or reinforcing rhythmic accuracy.
• Teach the rounds in stages: introduce the melody with the full group, then divide students into sections once they demonstrate security with the entire phrase.
• Encourage students to perform the action songs with exaggerated movement; the physical component deepens melodic memory and keeps younger singers engaged across multiple repetitions.
• Have students sing part-songs first in unison, then gradually introduce the harmony part once the melody feels automatic.

Build your elementary music curriculum around this collection across the school year, using action and seasonal songs for community gatherings and classroom concerts. The rounds and part-songs provide scaffolded harmony experiences that support your broader goal of introducing children to ensemble singing without requiring extensive rehearsal time.

• Singing in unison with secure pitch and diction
• Performing simple two-part harmony and rounds
• Coordinating movement with melodic phrases
• Following conducting gestures and tempo changes
• Building confidence in public performance
• Recognizing and responding to seasonal and thematic song contexts