In Memory of Michael Jackson

There's not much left to be said about Michael Jackson that hasn't been said already in the wake of his death. When I heard the news, I - like most people - found it hard to digest. MJ is an American icon, but he was human, too...something we tend to forget when it comes to ultra celebrities like him. No matter how he lived his personal life, nothing can change the fact that he was a phenomenal entertainer whose fame and influence spanned multiple generations.

I've been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson's music over the past two weeks, and it's been fun revisiting the songs that I loved so much as a child. I caught the last hour or so of his memorial service today, and I just have to share with you what I thought was the most emotionally moving musical performance of all:



I'll never forget performing "Heal the World" as a third grader in my elementary school musical, We're Gonna Have an Earth Day. The show itself was cheesy, but the feeling that I had when we sang that as a choir came rushing back as I watched today's rendition during the memorial. There's no questioning Michael Jackson's profound effect on the world, and the fact that he will be missed.

Happy Father's Day!

This is my dad. We spent Father's Day watching the Cardinals game (not a whole lot has changed over the years, besides my hairstyle!) and then eating one of my dad's specialties for dinner. Don't worry, we offered to take him out, but he wanted my brother to have one last home-cooked meal before he and his fiancee move to South Carolina tomorrow. My dad likes to complain, but the truth is he enjoys cooking for us...even on a day devoted to him :)

I'm lucky to have amazing parents an all-around wonderful family. I got to spend lots of time with them this weekend with all the birthday, engagement, and Father's Day festivities. It was quite the whirlwind, though, and I'm exhausted! I realized today that I forgot to post my "Summer" song on the first official day of the season, so make sure to come back for that tomorrow. Goodnight!

44 Presidents: A Rap

I came across this earlier today, and thought you might enjoy it. I know some of my older students will!



Memorizing presidents is gonna take some effort
We’ll start with George Washington, Adams, and Thomas Jefferson
Then James Madison and James Monroe
Then John Quincy Adams like his father before

Next up we’ve got some interesting folks
Named Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, and Polk
The next four presidents that we’ll examine
Are Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan

Chorus:
44 Presidents, White House residents
From the Revolution to the age of the Internet
(×4)

Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves
Then we got Johnson, Grant, and Rutherford Hayes
James Garfield, Chester Arthur
Cleveland and Harrison; let’s keep going farther

Next up, we got Cleveland again
Then McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson
The next four, yeah you know who they are, it’s
Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and FDR

CHORUS

No presidents are from Wisconsin
Not Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, or Johnson
We’re getting near the end, but it’s not getting harder
It’s Nixon, Ford, then Jimmy Carter

Last few, we’re almost done
We’ve just got Regan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush the Son
Obama’s in the White House now
So hail to the chief and stand up proud!

See it for yourself here, along with plenty of other educational raps!

A New Day in America

If you're like me, you've been waiting for this day for a long time now. Later this morning, Barack Obama will be sworn into office and can officially be called the President of the United States. Your classroom may be one of millions tuning in around the country, and if so, there's no doubt that you will be witnessing history. This morning as I got ready for work, I watched coverage of the masses flooding onto the National Mall - they are expecting 2 to 3 million people. Unbelievable! My father-in-law is there as a chaperone with his school's student government association, and I'm sure he'll have stories to tell when he gets home.

If you didn't get a change to watch HBO's free "We are One" concert on Sunday night, here is a link where you can watch it online. The lineup is pretty amazing, with performances by U2, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Beyonce, and many more. It's definitely a star-studded and moving program.

It will be interesting to watch the country slowly change under President Obama, hopefully for the (much, much) better. I'll leave you with a YouTube video you've probably already seen or at least heard about: "Yes We Can".

You Can Vote However You Like

Just because your students aren't old enough to vote, that does not mean they don't understand or care about the election. In fact, the very opposite is true. In one of my classes this morning, the first question my students asked was, "who did you vote for, Miss Rachel?"

As I mentioned earlier today, my school held a mock-election and students were given the opportunity to cast their ballots for either Obama or McCain. Towards the end of the aforementioned music therapy session, the class wanted to sing about who they voted for. I agreed, and each student proudly shared their vote with their peers and me.

As the students in the following video will tell you, it's not about who you vote for - it's about letting your voice be heard and setting an example for the children who look to you as a role model. It's obvious that they are paying close attention!

Up Close and Personal

I tried my best not to seem distracted this week, but the truth is, I was busy preparing for my first non-theatre/non-classical/non-children's music (that's a lot of non's!) performance ever. My audience was a little different than what I'm used to on a daily basis...in fact, since I performed in a bar, my students wouldn't have even been allowed to attend :)

Because music is such a huge part of my job, it's easy to forget that it is also a personal hobby and something that I've done for fun almost all my life. I've been spending a lot of time writing and playing for myself lately, so having the opportunity to perform in front of an audience was a big thrill. Here is one of my original songs, "Second Chance Dance," which I wrote for my husband last Valentine's Day (and is based on the story of us):



(you can download this or any other Listen & Learn album by clicking it!)

If you'd like to hear more of my non-children's songs, and read more about my foray into the world of singer-songwriters at www.rachelrambach.com.

Coming Soon

Over the last few weeks, I've been dusting off my autumn-related songs and adding some new ones to the pile.  I've already shared "September" with you, but there are many more, including "Fall Into Fall," "Pumpkin, Pumpkin," and "Scarecrow Song."  I'll be featuring these over the next month just as soon as I kick this cough and sore throat that has kept me home from school today! 

But enough about that.  I'm trying to keep my mind off my stuffy nose and pounding head by thinking about all the great things fall has to offer.  Tomorrow is a kick-off of sorts: Fall Fest at the Hope Institute (where I work as the music therapist).  I'll be selling CDs as a fundraiser for the music therapy program, and hopefully we'll make enough to purchase several new instruments for the students.  It should be a fun day!

Stay tuned for sounds of the fall...