Category: Inspiration

Fun Images from Germany Trip

5/30/2023

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There were definitely many beautiful sights to see in Germany!

Heidelberg Castle ruins at night

Famous Christmas shop in Heidelberg

Graceful swan swimming on calm river

Restaurant where they used antlers in all of their decorating!

View from our hotel window over the Rhine to hilltop fortress in Koblenz

They probably didn't have many building codes in the 16th century. They mostly just used the timbers in whatever shape they were as trees.

Frankfurt was leveled by bombing in WWII. It was rebuilt as a modern city with so many skyscrapers. But it looks like they only did a partial build on this one.

So enjoyed hearing the street musicians. It made visiting the towns so fun!

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While listening to a podcast a few weeks back, I heard a statistic that was new to me, but not altogether surprising. The hosts were talking about the greatest song of the 20th Century. The teaser was that this song was voted the most influential song on many lists by people of all walks of life and across a broad swath of the population. They went on talking but did not reveal the song until they had given a lot of backstory.

That definitely got me thinking. From the clues, I guessed that the song must have been used in a movie. It must have been a ballad. It must have been appealing on many levels, but not a love song. Hmm...

From more of the backstory details I learned that it was written just prior to WWII and the songwriters were influenced by the terrible happenings to the Jews in Europe. That little tidbit was all I needed. I guessed that the song was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.

I actually learned this song not from watching the movie "The Wizard of Oz" or hearing Judy Garland's performance. I learned it by hearing my mother sing it. Carolyn Thompson Lee had a clear, lyrical high soprano voice. When she sang the octave jump in the modulation, she sang way above the staff to a high B flat. Since then, I counted that song as my mother's legacy and I wanted more than ever to be able to sing it the way she did!

The arrangement my mother sang was created for her by famed composer Crawford Gates. I doubt if he ever wrote it down. He just played it on the piano with the many flourishes that an accomplished pianist can do. When my mother was in college, she and a baritone often went on little tours singing Professor Gates' songs to help advertise his new musical "Promised Valley." At the end of the shows as a bonus he had her sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Her rendition always brought thunderous applause.

When I was a little girl I heard my mother singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" while accompanying herself or by having her sister play it for her. I never, ever saw them use actual sheet music either. Years later, my aunt Janie Thompson made a piano recording of the accompaniment for me to use whenever I got a chance to sing it. This was the perfect choice to sing on almost any program because people are always longing for a better world or better situation.

But when once I had the opportunity to sing it, but I couldn't use the recording but I did have an accompanist, I decided to write the music down for her to play (without the fancy flourishes). Yeah, I had to commit the arrangement to manuscript or it could be lost forever.

“It might not seem obvious that a song performed by a young girl at the beginning of a fantasy movie would take on a life of its own,” said Walter Frisch, a professor of music whose new book, Arlen and Harburg’s Over the Rainbow, traces the work’s history. One factor of the song’s appeal that Frisch cites is the universality of a childhood desire to get away or escape. “The song’s mix of hope and anxiety has allowed people to read into it their own concerns,” he said, noting that the lyrics are general enough that one would not know the singer was standing in a farmyard with her dog.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is No. 1 on my list of all-time greatest songs of the 20th Century, too.

PS I just located this amazing clip of my mother singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." In about 1970, our family did a big show celebrating my Thompson Grandparents' 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary. My Aunt Janie gave the introduction and also accompanied my mother singing. This is such a treasure!

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Teaching to the “Why”

5/23/2022

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When we understand the “why” we are doing something it helps us understand the “how” to go about doing it.

In Primary Singing Time, the Song Leaders are given the charge to teach the Gospel through music, more especially through singing songs specifically written for children.

Teaching the Gospel through Music is the “why,” but how does that translate into the “how” of doing?

Because any learning happens due to a lot of REPETITION, teaching methods become ways to keep things interesting while doing a lot of reviews. Therefore, teaching songs may be accomplished in many ways and combinations of these ways.

1. Probably the most common method I have observed is displaying the WORDS on a poster or flip chart. Where displaying words are great for older children and adults, they are practically worthless for 5-7 year olds.

2. The next most common device for teaching songs is displaying PICTURES to represent the meaning of the lyrics.

But because Sacred Art pictures can rarely denote specific words (with the exception of a person’s name such as Jesus, Moses, Adam, Eve, etc.), some picture clues have been reduced to ICONS.

The trouble with using ICONS on posters to represent words (such as the numeral 2 in place of the word “to” or a picture of a bumblebee for the word “be”) can be very confusing for young children. The actual word meaning can be missed because of the distraction of visual clues that mean something very different than what they sound like. Often young children are very LITERAL. They may receive unintentional but very muddled messages.

3. Combinations of AURAL and VISUAL teaching methods may include:
“ROTE” - the teacher demonstrates singing a line or verse of the song and expects the students to sing it back just from LISTENING. The teacher may also demonstrate MELODIC INTERVALS by moving her hand up and down an invisible “ladder.”
”Lead / Echo” - similar to ROTE TEACHING, but deliberately uses only short phrases.

”MELODY MAPS” - the teacher writes a representation of the notes of the melody onto the chalkboard or poster. She then sings the melodic line with words and points to the notes as she goes along. She may ask the children to listen for certain KEYWORDS such as which word was on the highest note or which word was held out the longest or which words climbed up the melodic shape.

These are just a few of hundreds of teaching methods. Others include relating lyrics to scriptural stories, using object lessons, using attention grabbers, building puzzles, clapping or marching rhythm patterns, finding rhyme patterns, incorporating musical dynamics, singing exercises, playing games, and so forth.

But how do you match the TEACHING METHOD to the song you need to teach?

PRAY FOR INSPIRATION for which method would best suit the MESSAGE of the song (Gospel doctrine, stories of Jesus, stories of friends or family, seasons, missionary, wiggle song, etc.), fit the STYLE of the Music (contemplative, robust, lyrical, whimsical, etc.), or supports the LEARNING STYLES of the students (visual/spatial, aural/musical, physical/kinesthetic, solitary/intrapersonal, verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, and social/interpersonal).

For best results, these three areas need to match! It can be done!

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Climb Every Mountain

2/17/2022

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At the end of each concert on tour (at least the ones I was part of), the Tabernacle Choir's audiences were given a choice of encore numbers. They were asked to vote by text. Almost uniformly, "Climb Every Mountain" was chosen for the encore number. I could only guess that our audiences loved the universal message of that song. We would all go out of the performance filled with HOPE.

In the early 1960's, I remember seeing a short movie about the Von Trapp Family Singers. It was more like a Newsreel production shown before the main movie in the theater, and yet, even as a child, I felt quite a connection to their story. They were a singing family, and so was mine. My mother had us singing all over the place, any time.

I knew about the Broadway Musical "The Sound of Music" popular from 1960. My mother made sure we sang some of the songs. But then in 1965, a friend of my Aunt Dot's was directing a stage production of "The Sound of Music" while we were visiting Provo for the summer. My mother marched me over to audition. I got the part of Marta, the 7 year old. I was actually 9 that summer, but that didn't seem to matter. My mother and my aunt were cast as nuns.

Also that summer, the movie "The Sound of Music" opened in theaters all across the country. We went to see the movie during the time were were in rehearsals. What a difference that made to our show. We only wished we could do the scene with the puppets! We also wished we could sing "Do Re Mi" with the background of places in Salzburg, Austria. What a thrill it was to sing all of that glorious music and have a great experience. I still remember the final scene where we climbed up the fake mountain singing "Climb Every Mountain." That song always gave me the feeling of HOPE.

In 2019, my sisters took me on a European trip. We visited Salzburg and took the "Sound of Music" tour. We sang all the way. Such fun! Oh how everyone needs HOPE in this world. I am glad for my religious convictions, but also grateful for inspiring stories and songs that help us face each day with courage and HOPE. May we have courage to face life's challenges and climb every mountain until we find our dream.

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Writing Prompts for Songwriting

1/6/2022

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Sometimes songwriters get writer's block like any other writer. All the songwriter thinks he needs is a little INSPIRATION. Or maybe a SONG TITLE? Or a little help with a MELODY? Maybe some WRITING PROMPTS could help get him started.

I actually googled the idea of writing prompts for songwriters and got some funny ideas. They may be helpful to that solo singer/songwriter who expects to perform his own songs, but not very useful to me. One of the ideas was to write about a bad break-up. A sad love song always seems to sell well. (A lot of people can relate.) Or write about a relationship you look forward to. (A lot of people can relate to that, too.) Or take any noun and try to write a song about it. (Really?) Or do a Public Service Announcement about some important subject and write a song about that. (Interesting) Of the 100+ ideas, I really did not find any that were prompting me to write a song.

Then there is the melodic side of songwriting. What can you do to get a melodic prompt? Which comes first anyway --- the words or the tune? For some songs, the beat, groove, or rhythm obviously needs to come first.

I sometimes like to play the "scribble game" with my granddaughters. We draw a silly scribble onto a blank piece of paper and challenge the other person to draw something incorporating that scribble. I sometimes wish melodic nuggets would just be given to me as prompts to write songs --- just like the scribble game.

Then I remember, that inspiration can come in so many different ways, providing you are open to them.

Knowing the type of song you want to write helps.

Beethoven taking a walk

If you wish to write a SACRED SONG, studying the scriptures or talks on gospel topics is definitely the place to start. I find "borrowing" snippets of melodic ideas from great composers is another good starting point. And taking walks while thinking of just a tiny starting idea helps me isolate and develop that idea and prompts more ideas. Sometimes the basics of the song are filled out by the time I get home.

If you are writing for CHILDREN, definitely don't succumb to waxing eloquent. Remember that simple is best for kids. Think about a child's singing range and the intervals such as a descending minor third that little children sing naturally early on. They like songs that explore the things they encounter in their world. Definitely NO romantic LOVE songs.

When writing for Children's Theater, the story comes first. It also helps to follow other tried and true conventions such as writing an Opening Production Number, or writing a Message Song that also becomes the Finale, a few Solo Songs for the lead characters enlightening the audience about their motivations, a couple of Small Ensemble Songs that move the plot along, and the occasional Comic or Dance Songs just for fun. I find that researching historic musical styles is very insightful. Obviously, finding or developing a great subject is key when writing Children's theater or any theatrical piece for that matter.

Though writing prompts can be useful, they might not be what is really lacking. Desire. Drive. Determination. Those are the real tools you need. You definitely need to have a DESIRE to get started, then you must summon the DRIVE to keep going and the DETERMINATION to finish.

Challenge issued.

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Elementary School Chorus Songs

8/28/2021

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Apparently some people are fascinated with the backstories of how songs come into being. I keep being asked to share how I get the inspiration to write songs, especially songs for shows. Some of these songs from my Children's Theater Productions have also been requested as stand alone songs for Elementary School Chorus. Enjoy

Cover illustration for "Stone Soup"

"Over Yonder" is a song about the opening up of the West in America during the 1800's. It comes from my version of the Children's Musical "Stone Soup." I thought that folk tale could work well in an early American setting. This was one of my first attempts at writing Children's Theater. I tried to write a Musical simple enough for a very young cast, but it still had five songs (plus reprises and dances).

"Over Yonder" wasn't even in the first version of the show. During the second production, my music director suggested on the first day of rehearsal that we needed a rousing Opener. She was so right. Where I had thought the 5-8 year-olds didn't need yet another song to learn in our short rehearsal schedule, the show really NEEDED a rousing Opening production number. So I went home that night and wrote "Over Yonder." As it turned out, this song became the favorite of all the songs in the show.

It pays to listen to your helpers!

Coloring page handout

"Why Is Grass Always Greener on the Other Side?" is a song about questions. Kids ask a lot of questions. These are just a few. This song is the Opener to my mini classroom musical "The Tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff." When I was little, my very talented mother helped me and my brothers find creative solutions to times when we were bored and couldn't figure out what to do with ourselves. My mother was the inspiration for my retelling of this folk-tale. She made us little puppets to act out this story. So, this mini-musical is told using paper puppets. I had also studied Edvard Grieg and his music in college, and had even visited Norway. (Yeah, I admit that I borrowed freely from Grieg's music for the songs in this 15 minute mini-musical.)

Finale of "Let Kindness Begin with Me" with audience sing-along

In 2016 I was tasked with writing a new Musical for a local school. I determined to use the Old English story about "The Adventures of Dick Whittington." All of the entertaining aspects of Pantomime circa 1600 were already there in the story, but I needed a message song to pull the piece together. Finally, I realized that every time the main character Dick got into trouble, someone reached out to him in kindness. He eventually decided to pledge his life to giving back. "Let Kindness Begin with Me" is just that Finale song. Kindness is a message that is just as valuable today as it was back in 1600.

These and other songs are available on the Tab: Fun Songs for Kids

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Kindness Begins with Me

5/9/2021

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Around my neighborhood, I have noticed signs popping up about kindness. Some say "Kindness Starts Here" and some say "Remember to Be Kind" or "Mourn with Those Who Mourn." These are pertinent admonishments for our troubled times. I just wonder why so many of us have forgotten what it is to be kind.

I listened to a Music and the Spoken Word message today on this topic. Lloyd Newell mentioned how so many of us have basically given up on humanity and have resorted to quarantining ourselves away from any social interactions. (I get the feeling that many of us won't know what to do when we finally get the green light to go out into society and actually have to talk to people face to face.)

He also said that people are basically good. Children are born into this world with the Light of Christ helping them naturally to do good. They are usually the first to share a treat or give aid when a friend gets hurt. Unfortunately, as they grow up, they may fall under the influence of bad examples.

A few years ago, I was researching ideas for a new Children's Theater Musical. I found a good story but still needed an summation statement to pull the plot together. Then it hit me. The main character, despite running into many snares and pitfalls, finds people who lend him a helping hand. He responds to their gestures of kindness and pledges himself to do likewise.

The finale song became "Let Kindness Begin with Me." Because this show is modeled after Old English Pantomime, the finale song needed to be catchy enough that the audience could join in a Sing-Along. At the premiere performance at the school, the experiment worked --- the audience indeed sang along!

As I was clearing away parts of the scenery the next day, some 6th grade boys saw me struggling. They said, "Can we help?" They were great helpers. They even sang parts of the songs they remembered from the show and told me how much they enjoyed seeing it.

That really renewed my faith in Humanity!

Kindness --- Pass it on!

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Respecting Beethoven

2/5/2021

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Singing the glorious last movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as part of the Tabernacle Choir will remain one of the highlights of my life. In my college years, I studied the works of Beethoven as part of the Music history modules, but always came away not really able to understand or give his music the respect it deserves. For me, his music was very difficult to perform and took great exertion to master. I admit, my skills were probably lacking and that is the bigger reason why I only embraced certain of Beethoven's works.

After listening to a very moving podcast about Beethoven's life and works, I came away better able to understand the man and the greatness of his music. In Music History courses, students are exposed mainly to just the few musicians who played pivotal roles in pushing the parameters of music. Three Germanic composers, Bach (1685-1750), and Haydn (1732-1809), and Mozart (1756-1791), are recognized as TRANSITIONAL FIGURES because of their originality, genius and sheer output. Bach basically defined the Baroque period in Music, however many of his compositions pushed the accepted boundaries of that era. Haydn's music defined the new, clean, well-ordered style of the Classical Period. Mozart lived during the Classical age, but defied the rules and pushed towards more freedom of expression and emotional content. He helped transition music into the age of Romanticism, a style period that Beethoven matured in and further defined through his genius and originality.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) grew up studying the works of the masters, and even met both Mozart and Haydn in Vienna. He actually studied for a time with Papa Haydn. Beethoven had the desire to master and even go beyond the performance capabilities and compositions of these masters. He witnessed the demise of the "Court Composer" Patron system (like Haydn) to the new commercial model of the "freelance musician" (like Mozart). Beethoven had equal hard luck with both systems.

After learning about all of Beethoven's hard luck throughout his life from family problems, to romantic heart-aches, from sickness to total deafness, it is hard to imagine how this tortured man could create such sublime music. Through all of his difficulties, though, he still managed to continue his faith in God. In fact, Beethoven covenanted with Him to continue to create music for as long as he was able to use his God-given gift. How truly inspirational!

I think I respect Beethoven and his music better now.

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Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

12/12/2020

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I am often asked where I get my inspiration to write songs. The question of how I get inspiration or from what source is a better question. But I will attempt to answer just the first question --- WHERE do you get your inspiration?

I can tell you directly that I almost NEVER get inspiration while I am sitting at the piano ready to write. Usually the inspiration comes at the most inconvenient times and in the most inopportune places. Just to name a few, how about in the middle of the night when all of my seven children decided to be sick with stomach flu at the same time, or waiting at the longest stoplight in the history of red lights, or standing in line at the airport waiting for the TSA to check my luggage?

Those particular times and places were when I was not in any way needing to write a song. I was under no contract or deadline, the song just needed to be born, I guess. Who am I to argue with direct spiritual inspiration?

However, I can say that most of my inspiration seems to come when I am out taking walks. I find being in nature to be very conducive to the Spirit. Another place where (and when) I seem to get inspired to write music is during the night when I should be sleeping. My mind seems to come alive at night and regularly keeps me from sleep. I also have a luxurious jetted tub that is a great place to allow inspiration to flood over me (pun intended). The challenge always is trying to remember the ideas given to me long enough to get them written down!

Enjoy these two YouTube VIDEOS as my 2020 Christmas gifts to you!

King of Kings was inspired by the beautiful starlit night at Christmastime with the moon shining over fresh snow my backyard forest in Maryland. It also happened to come in the middle of a stressful night when I was passing the bucket from one kid to the next while they were all sick. I wrote it originally for SSATB chorus and piano with flute and violin. This VIDEO is a cover done as a duet by a talented pair of singers in Nigeria.

King of Kings performed by Ogu Genevieve and Ochei Johnpaul

On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night was begun while I was trying to entertain myself while waiting at an exceedingly long red light one dreary winter day. By the time I got home, ideas were flowing freely. (Supper preparation would just have to wait, I had to write it all down.) Two hours later, the song was sketched out and even had lyrics. A few days later it was sung in Church for our Christmas program.

On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night video of the Bailey/Lee Family Singers

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My Promised Land

11/22/2020

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On this Thanksgiving Day of 2020, I give thanks to God for my homeland the United States of America. As the prophet Lehi states in the Book of Mormon, "...we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands..." (2 Nephi 1:5)

Those whom the Lord leads to the land of promise will prosper if they keep His commandments. If they do not keep the commandments, they will be cut off from His presence and swept off the land when their iniquity is full (see 2 Nephi 1:3–12, 20; 5:8–27; see also Ether 2:7–12).

May we ever be mindful of how we can keep this wonderful land and all of its blessings promised to us.

My Promised Land

I've seen the snowcapped mountains and fields of golden grain.
I've walked cathedral forests, and cities drenched with rain.
I've heard the rushing rivers and waves upon its shores.
I love this land, America, the land I call my home.

I've tasted of its bounties, rich blessings from above.
I've listened to its music -- of heartache, joy, and love.
I've felt the warmth of friendship from neighbors good and true.
I love this land, America, a home for me and you.

This is the land I call my own.
Its wealth and goodness I have known.
Blessed by the grace of God's own hand,
This is my home, my promised land.

Kept in reserve for a righteous plan,
Fought for and won by courageous men.
Equality and freedoms for great and small,
A land of liberty and justice for all.

I now enjoy the blessing of a choice and favored land.
A nation forged with purpose, preserved by God's own hand.
A place of rights and freedoms, of peace and equity,
I love this land, America, the ensign of the free.

This is the land I call my own.
Its wealth and goodness I have known.
Blessed by the grace of God's own hand,
This is my home, my promised land.

Through dark times fraught with struggle, His hand is stretched out still.
Though men be slow to hearken, contrary to His will,
If we would seek His promise to prosper in this land,
We must defend America, by living God's commands.

This is the land I call my own.
Its wealth and goodness I have known.
Blessed by the grace of God's own hand,
This is my home, my promised land.
My promised land.

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<<Previous

Fun Images from Germany Trip

Song of Ultimate Longing

Teaching to the “Why”

Climb Every Mountain

Writing Prompts for Songwriting

Elementary School Chorus Songs

Kindness Begins with Me

Respecting Beethoven

Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

My Promised Land

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