Gracias

by Teresa Jennings

A little Spanish. A little singing. A little character reinforcement. An opportunity to play Boomwhackers®. A song you could use at Thanksgiving if you wanted to. That's a lot to pack into this short and simple, yet lively Latin flavored piece. It's all unison and repetitious, except for the bridge, and the Spanish part is literally one word: Gracias. Be sure they sing it with two syllables, not three. A slight roll of the "r" would also be appropriate. The immediate stating of "thank you" after "gracias" should be enough of a clue as to the meaning of "gracias," but it couldn't hurt to mention it when you teach it.

Though they are optional, the Boomwhackers add a bit of fun. We've created a part for them, which you will find on page 37. At the end of the song, you will hear our classic Boomwhacker applause, which you can use or not, as you prefer. We have found it to be a good way for highly focused Boomwhacker players to release a bit of tension after a successful performance.

Since the song is Latin, it would be a good candidate to add some percussion as well, Shakers, rhythm sticks, whatever you have on hand could work. Let students come up with a pattern for each instrument themselves. Have them notate it, too, and the song is also a rhythm lesson. Yup. A lot for one little song!

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.