Humblebee

by Teresa Jennings/arr. Paul Jennings

You may recall that in the first issue of this year we spoke of the joys and utility of humming. Well, with this song we have created a special feature for this way of expressing ourselves musically. Unique and fun to perform, this quieter tune is made for the world we live in currently, even though students in the future will also enjoy these witty textures.

Many of you may hear this as a simple homage to Count Basie's great tune "Cute," which features a drum solo on brushes in nicely spaced holes provided by a tightly arranged ensemble. Our "Humblebee" creates a similar novel texture with our hummers over a big band in bucket mutes. This sound is ideal for your hum choir, so if you amplify the tracks, you should amplify the kids also. None should be really loud.

Soft-shoe, anyone? - Our choreographer Melissa Schott shows that humming and dancing are perfect together! You will find her fun and adaptable suggestions on a video made specially for this tune at our web site.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.