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Need a HOT junior high pop piece!Date: August 16, 2010 by Joseph Cook
I'm looking for a piece that my junior high students will be really excited about at the start of a new school year! I'm looking especially for something for my mixed choir. The choir has 25 girls and 5 boys. I'm looking for something current and easy to put together, some song that's popular with most of the student body. Like I said, CURRENT as possible, or something that never loses popularity like Motown. My school is quite diverse with students from 35 countries. We have a large Hispanic population. It is a title I school. It would be cool to do whatever song I find in an assembly with some choreography (or whatever the students could come up with that works.) What ideas can you give me?
Replies (8): Threaded | Chronological
Susan Young on August 17, 2010 6:42am
La Bamba 3 pt/ mixed arr. Roger Emerson, We Will Rock You arr. Billingsley 2- pt. (can be used SATB), The Lion Sleeps Tonight 3 pt. mixed arr. Jeff Funk, Also, if you have the money (or want to invest in them) all three of these have great trax if you want to really get into it!
on August 17, 2010 7:31am
"Oye" by Jim Papoulis. Originally for SSA, piano, percussion,
now exists also for SATB., ed. Francisco Nuñez, published by Boosey
& Hawkes. It has simple Spanish text, very repetitive. Message
"Can you hear us?" a demand from young people worldwide to be
listened to. Not really a top-40's pop song, but has all the
elements that appeal to young people. Many performances currently
on YouTube, as well as rave reviews from young. singers. I've seen
Nuñez's chorus perform "Oye" with choreography, unforgettably
moving!
on August 17, 2010 4:36pm
Please take a look and listen to the following suggestions for Middle School choir:
Sound Music Publications:
Down At Smoky Joes: SAB, lots of fun and a great way to get your students cooking!
Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat: SAB, very popular and the students will love it.
Saturday Night: Latin feel, SAB or SA C B (cambiatta) really fun chart.
Straighten Up And Fly Right: arranged by Jacque Rizzo and unique in everyway.
Cheers,
Frank
on August 18, 2010 5:25am
Check out "Popular Voiceworks" published by OUP. Here's a link to a description of the book with book and audio samples. 28 photocopiable songs in all ranging from unison to SATB and everything in-between, most with backing tracks.
Here are some links to where you can buy it in the US.
http://www.edition-peters.com/php/stock_info.php?section=music&;;pno=9780193435568
Let us know what you think.
Steve Milloy & Charles Beale
on August 24, 2010 7:40pm
Hal Leonard Publishing has many of the tunes from Glee arranged for choral music at varying levels. It's current, and good stuff. I have recently gotten the two-part arrangement of "Lean on Me", and it was well received by my middle schoolers. It is also available in SATB and maybe SAB. Good luck!
on August 31, 2010 2:08pm
Fireflies by Owl City is published by Hal Leonard but my freshmen choir loved singing it at our Spring concert! The rhythm's are a little difficult to read, but the kids will sing what they've heard. The best thing is that the video is very clean and G rated to watch -- lots of really cool 80's toys are featured! I used the differences in rhythm as a lesson on how difficult it is to notate what pop singers sing.
on August 31, 2010 3:14pm
Check out Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: www.smpjazz.com Sound Music Publications
This is a fun chart by Jennifer Barnes
Check out Get On Board; www.smpjazz.com Sound Music Publications
Dan Davison is one of the best writers for middle/junior high school in the business.
Frank
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