Amoeba Drill

This is the perfect song to teach self-control and let your kids blow off steam at the same time. The piece starts off very properly with a fast moving piano motif, then adds some pizzicato strings. Have your kids stand in a straight line of some sort, or multiple lines depending on how many singers you have. We told our singers to enunciate lots as they sang the section at measure 9 (some decided to add a bit of British accent to taste). Then at the pickup to measure 19 there is a whistle blow, and that's when the "amoeba drill" begins. Have your kids run around like crazy, yelling "RUN RUN RUN RUN!" Tell them to be careful not to collide or injure one another! (This is supposed to be fun and nothing says "not fun" like a trip to the school nurse.) There is another whistle blow at the pickup to the repeat, and then your singers should quickly get back in line to sing at bar 9, once again very properly. (They have four bars to do this.) And the whole thing repeats. One possible tricky spot in the road map is the D.S. back to 19, where the kids continue running and yelling for another eight bars. Then at the coda, they all line up one last time and sing in their proper voice, "Amoeba drill."

A few movement suggestions: During the "proper" section have your singers stand up straight and clasp their hands in front of them with elbows extended on both sides. If you wanted more movement during this section you could have them alternate bending their knees, maybe touching their chins with an extended index finger, just to be silly. Have them crisply nod their heads on the last note of the song for effect (right after they sing "Amoeba drill").