Song Spotlights

Mood: Cheerful, Optimistic Themes: Colors, Weather, Moods Tempo: Upbeat Genre/Style: Progressive Pop The bright blue sky after days of gray and cloudy days can feel like a fresh, bright start to a new day and can set a cheerful and optimistic tone for the rest of the day and sometimes even the week. We can…

Mood: Contemplative, Joy Themes: Weather, Happiness Tempo: Slow Genre/Style: Country/Folk Sunshine is necessary for the survival and well being of all living things. We as humans depend on the sun to make vitamin D and being out in the sunshine (with proper sun protection) can promote good mental health. John Denver’s song “Sunshine On My…

Mood: Cute, Relaxed  Themes: Love, Letters of the Alphabet Tempo: Relaxed, Slow Genre/Style: 1940s Popular song There are many different kinds of love songs that have been written over the years. Some tell of heartbreak, while others tell of unending love. This particular song is a lighthearted ditty that is cute and communicates the light…

Mood: Empowerment Themes: Identity, Strength Tempo: Moderate Genre/Style: Dance-pop Cher is an American singer, actress, and a television personality, who has been in the arts industry for six decades. Cher has been referred to as the “Goddess of Pop,” and has journeyed through a variety of styles of music and has sold over 100 million…

Mood: Reflective, Happy Themes: Reminiscing, Through the Years Tempo: Moderate Genre/Style: Soft Rock  Engaging in positive reminiscence can give opportunities to share stories and create space to share legacies. Humorous memories and meaningful stories can also bring a smile to everyone’s face involved. Our song spotlight encapsulates the feelings that come from looking back at…

Mood: Optimistic Themes: Love, British Invasion Tempo: Medium Genre/Style: 1960s’ rock On February 9th, 1964, the Beatles made their in person US debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, effectively kicking off the great cultural phenomenon known as the British Invasion. They included the tune “She Loves You” in their debut line up. The Beatles had…

The country genre has gone through many changes since it was established as a genre in the 1920s. In this song spotlight, we will explore the origin of the 1970s tune, “She’s All I’ve Got.” Try out some of the ideas on ways to use and share this danceable tune with others. “She’s All I’ve…

Mood: Cheerful Themes: Love songs, Sugar and Sweets, and The Archies Tempo: Moderate Genre/Style: Bubblegum Pop The Archies were a fictional cartoon band formed from the characters featured in the animated show “The Archie Show” and in the comic strip Archie Comics. “Sugar, Sugar,” is a bubblegum pop song written for the animated band, and…

Mood: Calm building to excitement Themes: Indian Classical Music, World Famous Musicians Tempo: medium to fast Genre/Style: Indian classical music Although you may not always hear them, many diverse styles of music have lasted for generations and are a part of rich cultural traditions. Classical music and traditional music from all over the world play…