Spring Forward

by John Riggio

Daylight savings is a concept most of us should be familiar with, though there are some places that don't practice it. Where it is practiced in the U.S., Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April and ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October. This varies in other countries, however, so if you're attempting to perform this song in the U.K. for instance, you'll need to find out what the standard is in your country and adjust the words accordingly.

"Spring Forward" is a simple tune to help us remember to set our clocks an hour ahead at the appropriate time. It is a straightforward rock tune. We've utilized stopwatch effects and a pitched spring sound on the tracks to emphasize the concept. The lyrics should be easy enough, though some of the rhythms may be tricky at first. Singing along with the CD will help.

Please note that the downbeat of the tune comes after two bars of ticking on the tracks. Please also note the pronunciation of the word "hour" in measures 11 and 12: It's said in two syllables.

A big analog clock (or several clocks) could be used as a prop for this song, moving the minute hand ahead in hour increments as they sing. Another idea is to have kids jump whenever they hear the pitched spring sound on the tracks or when they sing the words "spring forward."

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.