Songs for July 4

What better way to introduce kids to American history than through spirited patriotic music? Brass bands and lively lyrics let kids know what all the fireworks are all about. Putting historically accurate text to music also aids memorization, so all those dates don’t seem so dry.

For young children, Gary Chalk’s Yankee Doodle: A Revolutionary Tail is a fun way to begin an American history lesson. The book begins with 16 traditional verses for the classic song. The fun begins with original lyrics and a cast of 18th Century animals, who proceed to take the reader through the entire revolution- from the Boston Tea Party to the British surrender at Yorktown. Not only are the lyrics packed with historical information, but each page contains notes with further explanations.

Older kids will love America Rock, part of the Schoolhouse Rock series, on CD or video. These catchy tunes helped a generation memorize the Constitution’s Preamble. The first song, “No More Kings,” provides an easily graspable understanding of the motivations behind the revolutionary war. Other songs on the album cover issues like westward expansion, immigration, and women’s suffrage. A favorite is the rousing “Shot Heard Round the World,” which exhorts “get your powder, get your gun, report to General Washington.”

One of the very best archives of historical songs is The Contemplator. The index of popular songs in American history covers the 17th- early 20th Centuries with selections like Barbara Allen, The Golden Vanity, The Girl I Left Behind Me (from the French and Indian war, revived during the revolution), Johnny’s Gone for a Soldier, the British favorite The World Turned Upside-down, and War of 1812’s Star Spangled Banner. The site includes lyrics, sound files, historical notes and links for further research.

For July 4th brass bands and flag waving, here are a few selections from the web:

The USAF Heritage of America Band has a nice selection of patriotic music from Yankee Doodle to America the Beautiful, available in RM, Zip and MP3 formats. http://www2.acc.af.mil/music/patriotic/

Jack’s Midi Music is a compendium of patriotic tunes including both military and popular music. http://www.discoverynet.com/~ajsnead/pat...

To find out how other countries celebrate in song, see the collection of national anthems at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/297...

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