Mud

Ah, spring. A time for warmer weather, light spring rain, and sinking up to our ankles in mud puddles. Okay, so we can be a little weird sometimes. We prefer to think of it as "child-like." And what true child - inner or otherwise - doesn't just love, well... mud?

Perfect as a novelty piece for your spring performance (or just because you like it), this song benefits most from being sung quite seriously. On the CD, the layers of guitars (12 string and nylon) set the tone for what your listeners will think is a nice little pop tune. Little do they know. The trick will be getting your students to sing without cracking a smile or giving away their own amusement. (Indeed, you might hear a little bit of accidental glee here and there on our recording. Oops. We tried.)

The melody in part 1 is somewhat repetitious and not too difficult. Obviously, enunciation is pretty important so that your audience understands what's being sung. You might want to work a little on that.

Part 2 is optional, but oh so right for the song. Because we feel you really should use it, we have given you two sets of instrumental tracks (tracks 21 and 22). One includes our background vocals (which is called part 2 on the music), and the other leaves them out so that you can add your own. This is a great opportunity to pull in some older singers or teachers. Have them do a few synchronized movements (as background singers do), taking care not to upstage the melody too much.

To complete your performance, have some or all students actually dab bits of "mud" on themselves (washable, non-toxic brown paint is a better choice). Don't forget to have a student or two with mud on their hair and/or nose. As the corresponding lyrics are sung, the singers with these muddy decorations can be pointed to, looked at, or otherwise focused on.