Category Archives: Music And Community

May Peace Prevail On Earth – A Peace Song For Kids

May Peace Prevail - Cover

Who doesn’t crave more peace in the world?

This is my latest song inspired by the Peace Pole movement. As I’ve visited various countries around the world to play music, I’ve often seen “peace poles” planted in the ground. Most often, they share a special message in four or six languages spoken in the surrounding area.  That message is “May Peace Prevail On Earth”.

As I learned more, I discovered that there are Peace Poles on every continent – even Antarctica.  The total number is now known, but estimated to be in the tens of thousands!  In many places, I’ve been moved and delighted to see the indigenous language being included on these peace poles, so peace truly becomes a message for all peoples.

Where To Stream This Song

Want to hear the song?  It’s easy to stream on Apple Music:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/may-peace-prevail-on-earth-single/1448998310

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/722ZHL5xYMAQ4yUB6iQa8l

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/album/83860382

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/album/102076845

What Do The Lyrics Say?

Raise Your Banners To The Sky
May Peace Prevail on Earth
Let These Glorious Words Arise…
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Let it rain down upon us
Let it herald each new birth
Let it open the doors
We’ve been waiting for ….
May Peace Prevail on Earth

Place The Peace Poles In The Ground
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)
In Every City and Every Town
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)

Bring Peace to All You Say and Do
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)
And the Blessings Will Rain Down On You
(May Peace Prevail on Earth)

Raise Your Banners To The Sky
May Peace Prevail on Earth
Let These Glorious Words Arise…
May Peace Prevail on Earth

c 2010 Words and Music Daria A. Marmaluk-Hajioannou

many peace polesLinks And Resources

Free Lyric Sheet For “May Peace Prevail On Earth”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/May-Peace-Prevail-On-Earth-Free-Lyric-Sheet-For-The-Song-4279243

Karaoke Version for Schools And Choirs (Coming Soon)

The Peace Pole Project https://peacepoleproject.org

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Four Fun Activities For Chinese New Year!

I’m part of the Multicultural Kids Blog Hop for Chinese or Lunar New Year! I hope you enjoy these activities and also get a chance to check out all the other great posts below! There’s lots to do, read, create and explore at this exciting time of year.

Here are four fun and easy ways to introduce or celebrate Chinese New Year with your child.

Explore The Chinese Zodiac

Chinese Astrology screensnapEvery year at the Lunar New Year we enter a different sign of the Chinese Zodiac. In February of this year, we leave the year of the dog and enter the Year of the Pig. People born this year known as “Pigs” or belonging to the pig and have certain special traits, lucky numbers, unlucky number and lucky colors. In fact, if you were born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947 or 1935 – you’re a pig, too. The next year of the pig will occur in 2031.

But wait – there’s more. We’re not just going into the year of the pig, we’ve left the year of the brown Earth Dog and are heading into the year of the Earth Pig. Each year’s zodiac sign is not only one of the 12 animals, but also possesses the trait of one of  the five elements – Wood, Water, Fire, Earth and Gold (Metal). Because there are 12 signs and 5 elements, each specific year’s animal such as a water dragon or a Fire Rooster will only come along once every 60 years.

In case you were wondering, the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

If you’re exploring the Chinese Zodiac, here are some fun activities:

Discover this years animal symbol from the Chinese Zodiac.

Discover your birth year’s symbolic animal from the Chinese Zodiac.

Discover which element is attached to your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look at the special traits associated with your birth year’s symbolic animal. Do they describe you?

Look up the lucky colors from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look up the lucky numbers from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Look up the unlucky numbers from your birth year’s symbolic animal.

Try any of the steps above with a friend or family member.

Make a chart or drawing of your family’s symbolic animals. Is mom a dragon? Is your baby brother a snake?

Color The Earth Pig!

year of the pigUp for some coloring? Below under “resources” is a link to this freebie coloring page of a pig created in the style of Chinese paper cutting. This is a fun design or decoration you can use in your Lunar New Year celebration.

Make Your Own Gong!

You can use your colorful pig artwork to make your own gong from a pie plate or disposable pan. It isn’t hard to Daria's homemade gongfind materials to recycle in any home that can be used for the gong, the striker and a support for a homemade gong. Make is as simple or elaborate as you like. We went all-out and managed to hang ours between two chairs. It sounded amazing!

Fireworks In The House Or The Classroom!

Last year I visited a preschool in Philadelphia’s Chinatown section and loved an idea that one of the teachers used. She distributed bubble wrap to each of her students and then played a video of fireworks with the sound turned   off. As the students saw the fireworks, they were able to create their own fireworks or firecracker sound effects and they giggled, laughed and cheered as if they were at a real fireworks display during Chinese New Year. It was a creative and safe way to experience the fun, noise and activity of this holiday in the safety of a classroom environment.

Visit These Other Great Posts!

新年快乐

Chinese New Year | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Welcome to our fifth annual Chinese New Year blog hop! Lunar New Year, more commonly known as Chinese New Year, starts on February 5. It is the beginning of the Year of the Pig, and we have lots of great ideas for celebrating it with kids! Don’t miss our series from last year, 2017, 2016 and 2015, and you can find even more on our Chinese New Year Pinterest board:

 

Participating Blogs

Miss Panda Chinese on Multicultural Kid Blogs

Bicultural Mama

Creative World of Varya

All Done Monkey

Tiny Tapping Toes

Links And Resources

Free Birth Year Chart from TPT https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-Astrology-Birth-Year-Chart-4306472

Free Year of The Pig Coloring Page  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-New-Year-Year-Of-The-Pig-Coloring-Page-4303192

Free MYO Gong Activity from TPT https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Chinese-Gong-From-Recycled-Materials-486935

Here’s How To Stream The “I HAVE A DREAM” Kids Song For MLK Day

3 panel MLK Image

Start the new year off with some music that will inspire your whole family to remember and honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Here are the direct links to add the “I Have A Dream” song to any of your favorite playlists plus a list of MLK Day freebies for you.

Haven’t heard the song yet? You can click on the Youtube video below!

Listening Links

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7GYI8toFRxTZmRl2dgIuoD

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-have-a-dream/49532398

Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/daria-childrens/i-have-a-dream/i-have-a-dream/TRfl2t9kqjJf4dZ

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/7609092

MLK Day Freebies

“MLK Rainbow” Coloring Page for Younger Children
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Rainbow-Coloring-Page-for-Younger-Children-475121

MLK “Rainbow And Popular Quotes” Coloring Page for Older Children
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Rainbow-And-Popular-Quotes-Coloring-Page-for-Older-Children-475123

MLK Day Mini-Poster – “Everyone Can Be Great Because Everyone Can Serve”
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Day-Mini-Poster-Everyone-Can-Be-Great-Because-Everyone-Can-Serve-1616862

MLK Day Song – “I Have A Dream” Free Lyric Sheet  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MLK-Day-Song-I-Have-A-Dream-Free-Lyric-Sheet-2292068

Follow daria on TeachersPayTeachers here for more like these at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Sellers-Im-Following/Add/World-Music-With-Daria

Tips For Learning Christmas Songs in Other Languages

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 7.36.20 PMThe winter holidays are a fun time to explore celebrations and traditions from around the world. When you do, why not learn a favorite Christmas carol in another language? You might want to choose a language from your family’s heritage or maybe one from the community around you. Maybe you’re living as an expat in another country and want to embrace one of their favorite songs, or just reach out and expand your linguistic abilities.

Check out these helpful tips on learning a song in another language with your kids or dive right into our version of Jingle Bells in Russian below! Beneath that, we’ve included links to past posts on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer in Japanese and Jingle Bells in Mandarin, plus a fun cheat sheet that shares holiday greetings in 18 different world languages

LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS

Pick a song that’s fun to sing and has a catchy tune!

Pick a language from your family heritage or one you’d like to learn.

Pick a language where someone you know can help you with the lyrics or pronunciation. Will Grandma help with that song in Italian or Papou help with a carol in Greece?

If learning the whole song is too daunting (language is difficult or your kids are very young), just learn the chorus – that’s usually very easy to master.

Write out the lyrics phonetically. Break them down into easy-to-pronounce syllables.

Praise you kids (or yourself) for exploring a new language. Learning a new language is not easy but encouragement and praise help a new speaker gain both confidence and capacity!

A video of a new song or a live “singing Christmas card” makes a great gift for a grandparent or loved one abroad.

Enjoy the process as you make happy holiday memories.

Now, here’s a version of Jingle bells for anyone wishing to learn a bit of Russian this year!

Links And Resources

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer in Japanese http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/favorite-holiday-songs-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-in-japanese

Jingle Bells In Chinese – http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/favorite-holiday-songs-from-around-the-world-jingle-bells-in-chinese/

Happy Holidays in 18 Languages – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happy-Holidays-in-18-Languages-2230358

Turn Plastic Into Music For World Oceans Day!

WOD screensnap

What are you doing for WORLD OCEANS DAY?

Did you know if you make something creative out of plastic – you can win a free E-book or any music CD from DARIA? We want to encourage you to cut back on plastic by practicing the 5 R’s – Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and Remove!  And have a blast at the same time!

What Is World Oceans Day?

World Oceans Day is a special holiday celebrated all over the world on June 8th.  It’s a great opportunity to honor, understand and work to protect seas, oceans and all our valuable waterways!  It’s also a good time to think about things like plastic waste and how we can use less, refuse more and make something cool out of what we already have.  And if you live near a beach, please check the World Oceans Day site (link below) for special clean-up and family events where you can make a difference seaside!

Turn Plastic Into Music!

craft straw zamponasNo matter how well you reduce and recycle, you probably have some plastic in your recycling bin!  Don’t trash it – make it over! We just shared a post about a MYO ocean drum, a fun project that recreates the sound of the surf.  For World Oceans day, we’re filling it with items that should never end up in the ocean – straws, plastic and bottle caps. We used a shipping box we got in the mail, but you can reuse a pizza box or a product box that’s hanging around your house. If the box has writing all over it, no worries.  Just cover it with recycled paper or Inside Recycled Ocean Drumthe reverse side of a used manila folder and you have a great canvas to decorate right there!  To the right is what we’re putting inside.

Outside?  Below are three ocean drums that other groups have made.  Very… very creative and fun.

ocean drums makingAnd after you create your drum – you’ll be amazed at the sound it creates.  Just tip it from slowly from side to side to make the sounds of the sea.

TURN PLASTIC INTO MUSIC

Make ANYTHING from plastic you have in your recycling bin, send me a photo and you’ll get my TURN PLASTIC INTO MUSIC E-book free! Although I’d love to see creative musical instruments, I’ll accept anything you remake from your recycling bin.  Just e-mail me at dariamusic at yahoo dot com under the subject “UPCYCLED PLASTIC” and I’ll send you a copy of the E-book plus ask your permission to use the photo in this blog or my social media.  It’s totally OK to say no but I’d love to share what you make with DARIA Sings For Earth Day - CD Covermy readers!

And, you can also win my DARIA SINGS FOR EARTH DAY cd if you prefer!

So ready, set …  Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Remove and Rock on!

LINKS AND RESOURCES

WORLD OCEANS DAY Resources And Teaching Materials http://www.worldoceansday.org/resources

Free Respect The Earth 5 R’s poster https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Rs-RESPECT-THE-EARTH-Earth-Day-Poster-Freebie-3743747

Free Plastic Pollution Lesson Plan http://www.worldoceansday.org/plastic-pollution-lesson-plan

MYO Ocean Drum Post – http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/early-learning-with-music/make-a-drum-that-sounds-like-the-ocean/

Turn Plastic Into Music E-Book from DARIAMUSIC https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recycling-Projects-TURN-PLASTIC-INTO-MUSIC-5-Multicultural-Music-Activities-3747012

Splash and Bubbles Resources For World Oceans Day http://www.worldoceansday.org/splash-bubbles-resources

Make A Drum That Sounds Like The Ocean!

traditional ocean drumHave you ever heard an ocean drum?  It’s an amazing instrument that sounds almost exactly like the soothing sounds of the surf?  And – guess what?  It’s  a quiet instrument!  It’s great for music and meditation as well as a quiet time activity.  And it’s also perfect project to make and play for for any child or adult on the autistic spectrum.

And, you can make it from all recycled materials!

What Is An Ocean Drum?

It looks like a frame drum from the Middle East, but it is filled with small round objects that, when tilted back and forth, sound remarkably like the waves at the seashore.  It’s sound is soothing and when ocean drums are filled with colorful or interesting objects, they are as beautiful to watch as they are to hear.

apple pie ocean drum suppliesHere are the supplies you need to make one ocean drum:

  • A sturdy box: Flat shipping boxes, or any sturdy small box
  • Clear plastic: You can recycle old report covers, salad bar containers, clear tablecloth covers or purchase a small amount of clear vinyl at a fabric or hardware store. Hint: Don’t use plastic wrap as it simply won’t hold up to the task.
  • Strong tape: Packing tape, masking tape, or electrical tape are good choices.
  • Contents for the drum: Choose any small fillings such as seed beads, pastina pasta, acini de pepe pasta, orzo, pony beads, mung beans, lentils, dried beans, marbles, or small pebbles.

How To Make It

Start with a sturdy box.  It’s a good idea to decorate your box before experimenting with what you want to put inside.  If you started with a plain box from a stationery supply store, you have a clean slate to create an ocean motif or ocean drums makingdecorate with paint, crayons, markers or glitter and glue. If you have an overly busy box, like a pizza box, you may wish to cover it with colored paper (leaving space for the window, of course) and decorate from there.

Next, create the window so you can watch the smaller items move around inside the drum. To do this, get some sturdy clear plastic and cut it into a large square or rectangle.  Draw a slightly smaller square or rectangle on the inside of the top of your ocean drum box and cut it out. Secure the window in place inside the box using a strong tape such as packing tape, electrical tape, or masking tape.

Now choose something to create the sound of the surf. Small, round objects make a sound that is closest to a real ocean drum.  However, you can get creative with what you’d like to try. You can choose tiny pasta like acini de pepe, pastina pasta, seed beads, bee bees, or mung beans. You can fill your drum with lentils, dried peas, marbles, pony beads, larger beans, or orzo pasta for a louder drum. You can mix and match to see what sounds best to your ear.

You may also want to make it interesting by adding colorful beads or other items like marbles, buttons, glitter or confetti that will add to the visual appeal of the drum.

Once you’ve chosen what you want to go inside, you are ready to seal the drum. Cover it with packing tape so that the contents will stay inside.  Seal up all the edges where the smaller objects might come out and then you’re ready to play your ocean drum.

ocean drum sall of usPlaying The Ocean Drum

This is a fun instrument to explore.  Here are a few techniques you can use when playing it:

Tilt it back and forth at gentle angles

Tilt it back and forth at more extreme angles

Tilt the drum for a gentle swooshing sound then turn it on its side to stop the sound

Tap the sides or top with your fingertips  

Shake your instrument as if it were a rattle. 

Many people find the sound and the changing patterns very calming and meditative. You can relax and play it without any other accompaniment or you can play this instrument along with soothing music or any of your favorite songs.  Try to match the beat by tilting the ocean drum along with the rhythms of the song.

If you enjoy this type of drum, you may want to make several as each one will have a distinct sound or might fit better with different musical styles that you enjoy.

Feel free to experiment and make this unusual instrument all your own!

Gong Xi Gong Xi – What Does The Chinese New Year Song Mean?

Screen shot 2018-02-06 at 3.41.48 PM

The phrase Gong Xi Gong Xi resounds everywhere during Chinese New Year. In fact, one translation of the New Years song explains:

(In) Every big street (and) little alley
The first sentence (we) say
When (we) see each other)

Must be” “Congratulations! Congratulations!”
Congratulations! Congratulations!
Congratulations to you!

Since it is so popular, some may think it’s a traditional song or folksong, but it was written by a popular Chinese composer, Chen Gexin, with the original title: Wishing You Prosperity and Happiness.  The literal meaning of “Gong Xi” is “congratulations”. Written by Chen Gexin on the occasion of China’s liberation after the Sino-Japanese war in 1945, the lyrics use the most popular New Year’s phrase and talk about the coming of Spring, so the song quickly became a favorite during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Here’s a version that shows the Chinese characters and gives tips on pronouncing the lyrics to the song:

Here’s a fun bilingual version of a different Chinese New Years Song with lyrics in Chinese and English. Even though it’s a different song, you can hear the same chorus of Gong Xi Gong Xi, that rings out everywhere during this beautiful and happy celebration.

Links and Resources

Gong Xi Gong Xi- About The Song Plus Lyrics https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Chinese-New-year-Song-Gong-Xi-Gong-Xi-3629545

Gong Xi Gong Xi – Free Lyric Sheet (Pinyin and English)
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gong-Xi-Gong-Xi-Free-Lyric-Sheet-3629553

Chinese New Year Astrology Chart – Find Your Birth Year Here! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-Astrology-Chart-What-Lunar-Year-Is-It-2377484b
Make Your Own Chinese Gong – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Make-Your-Own-Chinese-Gong-From-Recycled-Materials-486935
bolang-gu-craft-versionMake a Bolang Gu – Monkey Drum https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monkey-Drum-Chinese-New-Year-Drum-Craft-1748044

Color an Erhu – A Two-Stringed Chinese Violin https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Erhu-Chinese-Violin-Instruments-From-Around-The-World-1037355

Play Music On The Porch – This Saturday!

Porch day music iconWe’re excited to share news of a great new day and a great way to bring the family or community together – through music! Check out this guest post from the good folks at Play Music on the Porch Day.

What if for one day everything stopped…and we all just listened to the music?

Imagine, if you can, one day where the sounds of arguments and fighting are replaced with sounds of unity.

One day where those who normally build walls against each other, instead build bridges; note by note.  One day where common ground can be found regardless of your race, religion, culture or differences. For there is a sound that rises above it all.  One day where language is not a barrier. For, what is being communicated porchmusic pixtranscends our many different languages and each person feels in their heart what is understood by all.

A day where all can find shelter, unity and a greater understanding of each other. Where we can celebrate the diverse sounds our world holds.  Play Music on the Porch Day is offering a platform to do just that.  We believe everyone has their own unique sound, let the world hear it.

Join us and share your music and let yourself shine! Together we can light up the world with music!

Register to be added to the map:tinyurl.com/Register4PMOTPD and you can join this amazing group of people ready to make some great music on the 26th!

porch music map

Online “Storytime” With Mrs. Shauna

Mrs. ShaunaWhat goes great with making music for young children? Reading stories!

And what’s even more fun is a friend of ours who’s created a youtube channel where she reads her favorite stories, complete with props, fun and lots of encouragement for kids. Check out Mrs. Shauna’s channel if you are looking for an online “story time” for your child and take a moment to read more about it’s founder here.

¡Hola! Daria and Friends!

Thank you for having me as your guest!

My name is Shauna Hibbitts creator of eNannylink.com, an online comprehensive tool on “Everything Childcare.” I’m a bilingual (English/Spanish) Early Childhood educator that empowers families, and promotes literacy while having a fiesta the entire time!

I recently added a Youtube channel called “Storytime With Mrs. Shauna” series for children, or the young at heart!! Here you see me ready to read “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” by Laura Numeroff.  I share short, funny stories for the entire family to enjoy. Mixing in a few sprinkles of questions, and activities in hopes of creating a wholesome experience for all. There are a few bilingual books on the channel as well. I love to introduce culture and celebrate diversity!

Click over to my Blog, or Youtube Channel and say “Gracias……Have a great day!” You can find me at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLnt15Uo-dwF2omizTq80A/videos

Want a peek into her channel? Here she is reading the book, BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW WORLD as a poem, complete with her pal Ernest and her adorable pup, Mia!

A Song And Kid’s Music Video For Ramadan

Ramadan videoDo you celebrate Ramadan? If you don’t, you may wish to learn more about this beautiful holiday celebrated by Muslims in almost every country around the globe!

Here’s a lovely little song and music video about the month of Ramadan that is perfect for everyone to enjoy and share! We especially love this video because it shares images of a diverse group of girls and boys from various cultures (traditional and more Western), in different situations, all celebrating Ramadan.

We also love this video because it talks about the qualities expressed and cultivated during this special time of fasting and prayer. We see children in the video embracing patience, sacrifice, mercy, kindness, being humble, not losing Ramadan video 2their temper, helping others, reading, studying and doing good works. What a lovely message for children of all religions to hear and embrace.

Plus, we like this video because it may bring up many questions that will help people have accurate information about the religion of Islam and combat Islamaphobia in their schools, communities and in the world.

How much do you know about Ramadan and Islam? Check out our discussion questions below the video.

And, in the mean time, we wish you Ramadan Mubarak (Blessed Ramadan).

Explore More

After you watch the video, here are some great discussion questions to help you or your kids understand more about Ramadan.

When is Ramadan?

How long is Ramadan celebrated.

What occasion does Ramadan celebrate?

Is Ramadan a happy or sad holiday?

What does fasting mean?

How do people fast during Ramadan?

What is the Quran?

What things can children do to celebrate Ramadan… (for instance – acts of charity).

If you were celebrating Ramadan and wanted to perform an act of charity in your community – what might you do?