Rules For Living

While we were working on our character focus this year, lots of ideas crossed our minds. Sure, we gave you a bunch of material with the entire musical revue, From The Inside Out. But what if you didn't have time for a whole revue? Was there any one song we could do for you that would boil character down to simple terms your kids could identify with?

That's how "Rules For Living" was born. And since we were doing the big band focus in this issue, we thought it might be fun to implement a jazz style for the song as well. This jazz has a more recent "vintage" sound than the first tune in this issue. We think of it as maybe two or three decades later, stylistically. As you might imagine, we really think you will get the best out of this song if you use the recording with it. Paul Jennings has outdone himself once again with the arrangement. It's phenomenal!

The lyrics of the song are all important. In fact, they're so important, that you might want to go over them with your students outside of the context of the song. As always with a cross curricular topic, invite the regular classroom teacher to get involved. Talk about the words. Put them up on the board and discuss each line. What does it mean? What extensions could it have? How does it connect to character? Why is it important? As usual, you will be demonstrating to the rest of the school that music can and does touch children's lives in valuable ways.

As a teaching extension, you can also have your students write their own alternate lyrics. Or perhaps they can plug them in during the third and fourth times at measure 9 instead of (or in addition to) doing movement. Or don't use them as lyrics at all; just think them up and list them. What other "rules for living" can they come up with? (Note: If you wish, you may substitute the words, "And say your prayers a lot" for one or more of the times the song says "And hug your mom a lot." We don't suggest doing it every time though, since hugging moms is also important and should be mentioned at least some.)

Musically, the tune is easy enough for most students to sing. You may need to help them sing the eighth notes in a swing style (based on triplets), not as straight eighths. The ensemble on the recording "feels" this style so incredibly well, though, that you may not have to say a thing. Your singers might just join in naturally. If you don't want to make it a big deal, don't. On the other hand, if you are studying jazz, swing, or triplets, this could be a wonderful reinforcement to your lesson.

As mentioned, the third and fourth times at measure 9 allow for movement. We have suggested ideas printed on the piano/vocal. Use them, or make up your own. Let students improvise their own individual interpretations for each suggestion, or devise a uniform movement for everyone to use. Whatever seems to work for you is okay.

By the way, even if you do use From The Inside Out as a full blown musical revue this year (or whenever), you might just want to add this song to it. It definitely works with the topic.