Primary program coming up!

I'm looking back at 5 years of being a Primary chorister and how much I have learned and what I believe I have contributed to our ward's Primary, and I have to say my biggest regret is not recording better. I won't say I "should have" posted every week, because I have a life, and I like the way I've lived it, and dwelling on the fact that I didn't write blog posts is kind of silly. But still, it would be nice to have a more complete record of alllllll the things that I tried and either failed miserably at, or gloriously succeeded at. :)

I have other minor regrets, like putting my foot in my mouth on occasion during singing time. But that's par for the course of my life. :)

I feel good about this. My testimony has changed--it has become simpler in some ways and more complex in others. It has become stronger and also more vulnerable. I feel so connected with these precious kids. I feel so strongly about the importance of becoming like a child, and of valuing the children in my life. Lines from Primary songs drift in and out of my head daily. I am thankful for this immense blessing in my life--of spending so much time teaching the kids, bearing testimony to them and also listening to them sing their little hearts out.

Our program is in 5 weeks. This will be my 6th program. I think we've always been well prepared, but for the first time at this point in the year (mid-August), I think I can say that if the kids had to get up this Sunday with no rehearsals and sing their songs, they'd do great. I'm so happy about that. The only things we really need to do are fine-tune some trouble spots in a few lyrics, and I need to assign a soloist or two.

Songs they'll be singing:

Prelude- Families Can Be Together Forever: we'll invite the congregation to sing this as the kids take their seats on the stand at the beginning of the program. We did this last year with "I Am a Child of God" and it was so great! So we're doing it again.

1- He Sent His Son - with ASL signs. The signs I taught the song with last January, and that they'll be doing in the program:

Tell
World
Love
Tenderness
Son
Peace
Show
World
Pathway
Son
Walk
Earth
Know
Tell
World
Sacrifice
Death
Son
Die
Rise
Breath
Ask
Scriptures
Faith
Son
Help
Way
Ask
Son

As I've mentioned before, signingsavvy.com is a fabulous ASL resource. I use it frequently.

2-  I Will Follow God's Plan - nothing fancy here. Love this song though

3- I Stand All Amazed - just one verse and the chorus. Maybe the congregation can join in on an additional verse, or on the chorus? Or maybe I could have a soloist do the second verse and the congregation join in on the third verse, if we're dying to fill up time, which I doubt...

4- The Family Is of God - just one verse and the chorus. The last time we had this in the program (my first program, 2009) I had an elaborate setup with 4 married couples singing the other verses and the kids joining in on the last verse, and I'm just not in the mood for that this year. Simplify!

5- Build An Ark - both verses. The kids love this song, and so do I! A beautiful message about listening to the prophet and most of all about preparing for hard times ahead by building a strong testimony.

6- I Love to See the Temple - both verses. Simple, and a favorite with all the kids.

7- Baptism - I think I will have the kids sing the first two verses with a soloist on the third verse--or maybe two soloists, one for 2 and one for 3--or maybe the kids sing first and third verses with a soloist on the second verse. Anyway, I'll figure it out. The kids love this one.

8- Seek the Lord Early - I'm happy to say the kids have learned this one really well. There's a mildly troublesome spot in the middle, but I only spent about 2 Sundays on it and they have it like 99.5% down. We also had this song in the program in 2009, but I had a class--maybe the Valiant 9s or the CTR 8s?--sing it because I had trouble teaching it to everyone. Granted, I got put in that year 3 months before the program. So I had to roll with what I had.

Program time! I'm totally looking forward to it! I need to find out from my Primary presidency what the rehearsal plan is.

Plainness

I just ran across this verse this morning and thought it applied so well to Primary. We teach the kids plain and precious truths. They respond plainly and honestly. It's so refreshing and it's the reason I love to go to Primary, I look forward to it, and every single week it rejuvenates my spirit  and blesses my life.

During the Week / On Sunday

I was looking through my old Primary files on the computer and found a handout from the first workshop I taught as the stake Primary chorister. I think there is more stuff on it than necessary. But for posterity I am going to post it anyway.

During the Week - How To…

1. Prepare with Your Kids in Mind

Senior Primary

            Games: If it’s not a challenge for you, it probably won’t be for them!

            Memorization

Context

Junior Primary

            The basics: Pictures, actions, stop/go, loud/soft, “styles”

            More ideas: involving the kids

Crossing over: what works for both groups

Nursery

                        Props for kids to hold

2. Learn from Others

           

Ideas and links: sugardoodle.info/joomla (click on Primary, then Primary Music Leader)

Children’s music not found in the Songbook: http://www.lds.org/cm/display/0,17631,7206-1,00.html

                                (includes sharing time outlines for this year and years past)              

            Having “visitors” in Primary is ALWAYS a hit.

  

3. Work Together

Presidency

Pianist

Nursery leader

Primary teachers and parents

           

The kids

On Sunday - How To…

4. Know Your Kids

           

Primary roster

“I saw my music teacher at Home Depot!”

           

            Choosing volunteers

                        - Popsicle sticks, reverence badges, have teachers choose a reverent class member

            A rotation of “old standbys” – songs and games alike

Memorizing: the music and the lyrics

            - Repetition

5. Deal with Distractions

Know your presidency’s rules for disciplining

For recurring issues, talk with your presidency, the teacher, the parents if needed.   

            To ignore or to address? Use positive reinforcement

           

            Decide in advance: What am I OK with? (pick your battles)

6. Bring (Back) the Spirit

           

Get the wiggles OUT!

Warmups, stretching, deep breathing

Key word or phrase to get back on track

           

“If you can hear me, touch your nose”

           

            Bear your testimony often, use the scriptures, point out when the Spirit is present; love the kids.

           

           

7. Have Fun!

           

No one cares how you sound or how you look J (although you do need energy and a smile)

            Primary music: the best job in the Church

My favorite thing is the last 2 bullet points: Bring the Spirit and Have Fun, my 2 mottos as a chorister. My second favorite thing is the line (under Deal with Distractions) "Decide in advance: What am I OK with? (pick your battles)." On the next post I'll write about our recent ward Primary training meeting presented by our Primary presidency: Teaching and Expecting Appropriate Behavior. Pins and needles, right??

Getting organized.

I continued with "Every Star Is Different" last Sunday and it didn't go as well, despite how well it went the first week. So I am shelving that for a while. It was kind of a weird day--in junior Primary I had 25 minutes as opposed to the "official" 20 minutes (and usual 15 minutes) and then in senior Primary I had more like 10 minutes. And the kids were all just wild for some reason. So I just sort of felt "off." Plus I had done a singing time for a ward conference earlier that morning so I was really pretty tired. The ward conference singing time went well though, so at least there was that! Maybe later today or next week I'll post about what I'm doing in ward conferences. So far, so good.

It is taking me a while but with the new year I am trying to get organized in every aspect of life, namely: 1) my house/home and family, 2) my outside-the-home job as a librarian, and 3) my calling in Primary. Getting organized for those is all connected so I guess that's why it's taking me a while. Every month I put together a calendar of what songs we are going to sing in Primary and send it out to the pianist and the presidency and secretary. It helps keep me focused for the month and lets them all know what to expect. I've been doing it the same way for 2 1/2 years and decided I want to simplify things. Today I'm going to Target to get a 1/2 inch binder and try to get my week-to-week Primary stuff a little more organized a la ideas from Camille's "Primary" blog (on my sidebar). We'll see if I can get it together in time for tomorrow.

I also want to organize all my old stuff--handouts, visuals, etc. I don't have much of that since as a general rule I don't bring anything to church that can't fit into my purse.

Maybe by the end of February I'll feel more organized at home, work and church. In the meantime, February's song is "Choose the Right." I have no idea how I'm going to teach it tomorrow. I think with junior Primary I am going to start with just the chorus:

Choose the right, choose the right
Let wisdom mark the way before
In its light, choose the right
And God will bless you evermore.

I'm sure the older kids can learn the whole thing in one session, but I think with the younger kids I will do some sort of game with just the chorus. Honestly what keeps popping into my head is the song we sang at girls' camp when I was a kid: "Choose a Sprite, when a Coke is placed before you." Knowing how many Coke (as in the soda, of course) addicts we have in our ward--my husband included--I think I will sidestep that dicey topic. But it keeps popping in my head just the same.

Anyway, I've got 24 hours. I'm sure I'll think of something. I'll update when I do.

I'll Walk with You & Chair Hopping

One of my favorite Primary songs has always been "I'll Walk with You" (p. 140). There wasn't space for it in our program, but I decided to teach it to our kids anyway. Not surprisingly, they love it too. My toddler and preschooler also love it and often request it. It's easy to learn and easy to remember, and it teaches a vital lesson about loving one another.

If you don't walk as most people do,

Some people walk away from you.

But I won't! I won't!

If you don't talk as most people do,

Some people talk and laugh at you.

But I won't! I won't!

I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you;

That's how I'll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none;

He gave His love to everyone.

So I will! I will!

Jesus blessed all He could see,

Then turned and said, "Come, follow me,"

And I will! I will!

I will! I will!

I'll walk with you; I'll talk with you;

That's how I'll show my love for you.

In that vein, I love this post at Divine Secrets of a Primary Chorister about children with special needs. As adults, we have long since learned that we should accept and love all people, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, their personalities or seeming lack thereof. But it is still hard sometimes, especially if we don't always know how best to communicate with them or, if we're asked to, how to teach them. What Primary leader hasn't been in a Primary room with "that one kid" who just can't sit still? Sometimes it's a discipline problem, and sometimes the child physically cannot stay calm or keep from being a distraction to others, unless he or she has some help from loving and caring adults.

Back to the song. When I first taught it to the kids, we talked about being kind to everyone, regardless of whether they are able-bodied or not, clever or slower to learn, funny or annoying. It's easy to put labels on people, but once we get to know them we can learn to love them. We don't have to be best friends with everyone--but there's never any reason to be unkind to anyone.

My favorite way to sing this song is Chair Hopping, an idea which I think I found at Sugar Doodle. Chair Hopping works great for any song that repeats the same word or words several times--the first time we tried it was with "The Church of Jesus Christ," which repeats "I" and "I'll" several times. It also works with "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus," which repeats "I" and "I'm."

"I'll Walk with You" uses the words "I" and "you" over and over. So every time we sang the words "I" or "you," the kids would move chairs. To do this, make sure you have an extra chair at the end of each row. You can do either everyone goes left to right, then right to left; or everyone goes toward the aisle, then away from the aisle. The key is of course that everyone in a row should be moving in the same direction at the same time, or you will quickly have a dogpile! Senior Primary kids are great at this because they are disciplined enough and having enough fun with it to make it work perfectly.

As you sing, the first time a key word appears (in this case "If YOU don't walk...") the kids all move in the same direction so they're on an entirely different chair. The next time a key word appears ("some people walk away from YOU") they move back to the chair they started in. So it goes left, right, left, right, etc.

If YOU don't walk as most people do, some people walk away from YOU, but I won't! I won't! If YOU don't talk as most people do...etc. etc.

This game is really fun and everyone gets into it, even the teachers. It gets our blood moving and it makes us pay attention to the words...not to mention helps us remember the words in the future because we have been using our bodies along with our brains.

(Something to think about, of course, is that if you do have a child or children with special needs that impact mobility, this might not be the best activity for your Primary, unless you can think of ways to modify it that everyone is comfortable with.)

Chair Hopping is a bit much for the Junior Primary, so instead, I have them sing the song standing, and every time a key word appears they step from side to side while holding hands; or they can alternate standing up and sitting down when a key word appears.

Side note--we realized quickly that we should only move chairs on "I" and "you," NOT on "I'll," because moving on "I'll" is practically impossible since it's right next to "you." ("I won't! I won't! I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you...") Talk about dogpiles.

Lesson learned for me: I try to remind myself in difficult moments, if it seems like no one is absorbing anything: Love your kids (even if it takes some work...) and they will love you! (even if it takes some time.)

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

It took me 16 years to discover this song. Where was I all that time? It was in the 2008 Primary program (clearly a memorable one for me since I can't recall hearing this song before 2009...) and it was actually first published in the Friend magazine when I was a "Merrie Miss" (when they used to have Merrie Misses). Yet somehow I missed it. Here is a version by a Young Women choir performing at a general Young Women meeting a few years ago.

I prefer to have my own Primary kids sing this song at a much faster tempo so that it is not quite so "dirge-y." But I still love this video. I love looking at all those girls' faces--I remember so clearly being that age and all the struggles that come with being a teenager. You alternate feeling self-conscious and confident, awkward and flirty; depressed one day, sure of your own worth the next. Definitely a roller-coaster.

Primary kids are so innocent--for the most part, they haven't yet been exposed to the barrage of the world that teenagers contend with every day, and they haven't yet made the same mistakes or learned the same lessons. But I still see innocence in the faces of these beautiful young women. They constantly struggle to stand apart from the crowd (whether they want to or not); they make mistakes and sorrow over them. There can still be innocence there, no matter what they have seen or said or done, because even if they have made wrong choices, they know how to repent; and if they do repent, that sorrow is mercifully washed away. I knew those feelings as a teenager too. I'm sure if I had heard this song back then, I would have wept just as I did the first time I heard this song as an adult. He is always near us, and He does watch over us.

Go here to learn more about the song--written by the prolific Sally DeFord--and find a variety of arrangements, as well as additional verses not previously published.

The score of this particular version (the one used in the video) is a bit fancy for the Primary crowd, but it has the key change in the third verse and again in the fourth verse, which makes a fabulous impact. I wonder if I could figure out how to simplify that for my Primary pianist so that we could utilize the final key change. Sounds complicated. But I love it.

First post.

I've been a Primary chorister for a little over a year now and realized I have almost zero record of the activities I've done for music time. That's 50+ activities, the details of which are lodged in some dusty corner of my hippocampus. So this blog is an attempt to record what I can remember having done in the past and what I'll do in the future--hopefully it will be helpful to me if I am lucky enough to keep this calling for a few more years or to get this calling again;and maybe even helpful to other struggling choristers someday.

I gritted my teeth and winced a little when I was asked to serve as the Primary (kids aged 3-11) music director early last summer. I had not taught music to a large room full of children before. I had a large and complex performance to prepare the kids for and many songs to teach them. Everyone I talked to who had done the job assured me that it was the best possible job, that it was a complete blessing and that I would love it. I rolled my eyes (when they weren't looking, of course) about a hundred times.

So, big surprise, it turns out that I absolutely do love teaching music to Primary kids and thinking about Primary songs all week long, coming up with games and ways to teach the kids music and concepts and to show them my love for them and Heavenly Father's love for them. I needed this job and the perspective it would give me. Blessings have been poured out on me and on my family because of it. Spending so much time with kids who are older than my kids (who are both nursery age) has triggered ideas, thoughts, emotions, and inspiration about how to mother my own children, what to teach them and when. I guess I have to thank the parents of the Primary kids for that. These kids are smart and faithful, fun-loving and well-behaved. They soak up knowledge like loud, gangly little sponges. I am amazed at how fast they learn and how much they love to learn.

I guess I should keep this experience in mind the next time I am asked to do something I am completely sure I have no capacity to do.