Instructor--Dan Cutchen (972) 283-4446

Music Stuff For Ministry Stuff

I. Foreign language.

When you go to a foreign land today you don't try to learn the language before you go...you take some helps with you. When you go into a music time, there are musical helps you can also use to help your kids be musical.

A. Helps: Find songs that address your lesson. Listen for songs that have vivid characters and word-pictures.

B. Interpreter: Practice being an interpreter. Compensate for your tone deafness with your extraordinary dramatic technique. If you can’t sing, act!

II. Find ways to incorporate music:

A. Add a musical environment to affect mood. Play it as kids enter the room and during dead times.

B. Transition with music. Lead kids in singing a quiet 'Jesus Loves Me' with motions that end with kids folding their hands in their laps. Then whisper, 'Now Mr. Larry is going to tell us a story.' You have employed music as a setup to funnel kid's energy.

III. The Stuff:

A. Rewrite Old Songs: 60’s, 70’s (Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo, etc.) and take old church kids songs from your kidhood. Rewrite.  Common motion songs and songs in the first-person:

This Little Light of Mine:  This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it FLAME! EXPLODE (with praises!) BURN (all the sin in my life!) CREMATE! (particular sins)! This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it Sparkle/Glow/Shimmer. . . . . . Hide it under an Elephant/Pancake NO! I'm gonna let it Shimmer...'

I'm in the Lord's Army:  I may never eat yucky army food, Salute a general, play the euphonium.  I may never spit on my army boots but I’m in the Lord’s Army.

(How ‘bout, 'I’m in the Lord’s Navy' or 'I’m in the Lord’s Air Force' or 'Coast Guard? Marines?)

Happy All the Time:  I’m in right, out-right, up-right, down-right happy all the time (repeat)Since Jesus Christ came in and cleansed my heart from sin…

Song Source Ideas:   His Banner Over Me is Love, Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart, Heavenly Father, I Appreciate You, Kum-Ba-Ya, Jesus Loves Even Me, The B-I-B-L-E, Jesus Wants me For A Sunbeam, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, Give Me Oil in My Lamp

B. Ridiculous Styles: Example: 'What a Mighty God We Serve'

Munchkin, No Teeth, Ahnold, Top Teeth, Slo-Mo, Elvis Presley, Tongue Out, Wiggly All Over, Scooby Doo, Fish, Pirate, Brushing Your Teeth, Surfer, Monsters, Cat, Grandpa Style, Pigs, Your Dad, Your Mom, Fast food drive thru (hand over mouth-say, 'whaddya say? and at the end-'You want fries with that.')

C. Use Actions - Kids in your audience or group can be great resources for motions for a song. Tell them that you need motions for a particular song and then sing it. You will have a lot of good actions going on. Take your pick. Reward everyone for their ingenuity!

D. Use Goofy Words - Jolly, Hilarious, Giggly, Goofy, Humorous, Silly. . .'Superduper-loving-you-full,' 'Gracie-aishy-aishy-us,' 'Faithful-hopeful-helpfulness,' 'Sunnyjoyfulrageous.'

Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It

1. I’m a 'Hearty-fixer-upper,' yes, I am! (Repeat) I’m a 'Hearty-fixer-upper,' ‘cause my Savior fixed me upper, I’m a 'Hearty-fixer-upper,' yes, I am!

2. I am Sunnyjoyfulrageous, yes, I am! (Repeat) I am Sunnyjoyfulrageous. Let my praises be contagious! I am Sunnyjoyfulrageous, yes, I am!

IV. Some Fundamentals. Many people feel like they can't lead music because they can't sing or direct or understand rhythms. WRONG! The best song leader we had in college was the head of the Education Department. Dr. Rollings had no degrees in music. He did NOT know how to direct music. His voice was not beautiful. But he was fantastic at getting us to sing well. Six things I learned from watching him.

The fundamentals:  1. Enthusiasm   2. Know the song   3. Verbal and physical directions   4. Eye contact   5. Smile   6. Movement

BEST PART:  Pick any three and you will lead people.  If you get all 6 down, then great!  But, pick any three and work on it.  I suggest #'s 2, 3, 5 to start.

V. Song ideas

A. Make up a song using the math word, 'googol' or other math and scientific words.  Could be a hoot!  A googol is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.   Ideas for subjects: Forgiveness, God’s Greatness, Love of God, etc.

Tune--Yankee Doodle:  'I’m a’ memorizing Scripture, memorizing all I can, I take my handbook and the verses pour...out of my mouth into the air. This is one way to praise Jesus and I want to praise Him more. I'm a-praising memorizing fan of God, my Savior. I am a Scripture Memory boy.

Tune: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain

1. 'He’ll be coming down from heaven pretty soon…

2. Jesus Christ will be a-comin’ pretty soon. (repeat) Jesus Christ will be a-comin’, so you better be believin’, Jesus Christ will be a-comin’ pretty soon.

3. 'I will be nice to my friends and praise His name (JESUS!)

4. 'Jesus 'Totallyforgavey' all my sins…

Tune:  I’ve Been Working On the Railroad

A googol’s worth of God’s forgiveness makes my heart so clean.   That’s a gob of good forgiveness and I know it’s not a dream.   Jesus Christ came down from heaven to give His life for me.   Then He died for all the world’s sins so we could all be free.  A googol’s worth for you, a googol’s worth for me, He paid it all, you see.  A googol’s worth for you, a googol’s worth for me, Jesus has set me free.

Itsy Bitsy Spider,  London Bridge is Falling Down,  B-I-N-G-O,  The Bear Went Over the Mountain,  The Old Grey Mare,  This is the Way We..,  Polly-Wolly-Doodle,  Pop Goes the Weasel,  The Farmer in the Dell

C. Use foreign words: Spanish, French, Hebrew, Swahili.

Jesus te ama (Jesus loves you),   El Senor is mi pastor (The Lord is my shepherd),  Grande es el Senor (Great is the Lord),  Yo amo al Senor (I love the Lord), 

D. Sign Language: Check out 'sign language' book from library.

E. Theological Words: 'This is my Cristology.':  I’m reading about Jesus and learning all I can, I want to be just like Him, by faith, to take my stand and know Him and His mercy, receive His gift for free, Jesus, knowing Jesus, this is good Cristology.

Suggestions: Justification, Sanctification, Humiliation, Tribulation,

F. Onomatopoeic Words-Words that sound like the concepts they stand for. Such as: Zip, buzz, tinkle, boom, bang, hum.

G. Alliterative Words: words with the same initial sound such as, 'Little lions lay like lambs.'

H. Commercials

I. Cheers

J. Staccato words/Drawn out words/Volume levels: