Stories of My Life: 2-Part Choral Octavo
Words and music by David Waggoner
Item: 00-PO-0005526
$2.05
Minimum order quantity: 20 copies
Pickup currently not available
Description
An imaginative text woven from the titles of 20 favorite children's books, coupled with a lyrical piano accompaniment, celebrates the role of literature in our lives. How about a crosscurricular storybook-themed program this year? "Come with me, and turn the page." This title available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Stories of My Life: 2-Part Choral Octavo isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
Additional Details
Series:
Alfred Choral Designs
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
12
SKU:
00-PO-0005526
More about this title
About the Composer: David Waggoner
David Waggoner holds degrees from the University of Michigan School of Music and a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University. He brings his training directly into elementary music classrooms in Woodhaven, Michigan, while also serving as Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church in Wyandotte.
Waggoner's compositional work spans choirs, handbells, and instrumental ensembles. His pieces consistently reflect a deep understanding of how music can serve educational contexts, making literature and imagination central to his creative voice.
Why we love this
This piece taps into something genuinely fresh: a text built entirely from beloved children's book titles creates instant recognition and joy in young singers while delivering real musical substance. The lyrical piano accompaniment elevates what could have been a novelty into genuine concert-quality repertoire, making it equally effective at a school assembly or festival performance.
What to expect
Warm, invitational, and full of quiet delight. The piece unfolds like settling into a favorite story, with moments of gentle humor woven through the lyrics and a piano accompaniment that feels like an illustrated page beneath the singing. There's an underlying sweetness that never tips into sentimentality.
Who it's for
This octavo works beautifully for upper elementary and middle school choirs seeking repertoire that bridges music and literature. It's equally valuable for directors planning a thematic program or looking for concert material that engages young audiences without talking down to them.
How to get the most out of it
- Lean into the narrative arc created by the book titles. Even though singers may not consciously register each title, the cumulative effect of moving through these familiar stories should feel like turning pages. Shape phrases to emphasize each new reference.
- Balance transparency in the two-part writing so both lines remain audible. With a lyrical piano accompaniment doing expressive work, your singers need clean diction and even tone to keep the text forward.
- Use the "Come with me, and turn the page" hook as your anchor moment. Return to this refrain with increasing confidence as the piece unfolds, treating it as an invitation rather than a repetition.
How to use it
Anchor a literature-themed concert with this piece, pairing it with spoken word passages from the books themselves or visual projections of their cover art. It also works as a clever opening number that sets a playful, imaginative tone for the entire program, signaling to the audience that this won't be a typical concert experience.
Skills your students will build
- Maintaining independent melodic lines in two-part writing
- Clear diction while singing above piano accompaniment
- Shaping lyrical phrases with appropriate breath placement
- Connecting text meaning to musical expression
- Blend and balance between treble parts