If student demand is any indication of quality, this music “re-telling” of classic folk songs is already destined for success! Shortly after receiving a copy of “Old MacDonald Had the Blues” from its composer, Rebekah Maxner, a student asked me what it was. I played him a sampling of some of the pieces and he’s been begging to take it home and play them himself ever since. (Thus, he is thrilled that I’ve finally finished writing the review so that he can set to work on his favorite, Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar!)
Each piece in the collection is catchy and fun, and just right for an intermediate-level student! You can get an idea of the various styles just by looking at the clever titles:
- Old Macdonald had the Blues
- Three Cool Mice
- Mary had a Little Jam
- Jack and Jill went to the Beach
- Jazz! Goes the Weasel
- Hickory Dickory Rock
- Jingle Bell Swing
- R & B Baby
- Hot, Hot Buns
- Twinkle, Twinkle Superstar
- The Wheels on the Bus go Ragtime
- London Bridge is Getting’ Down
You can watch and listen to samples of all the pieces in this colorful book on Rebekah’s website. This would be a super fun collection even for a more advanced student to play as a set in a recital, perhaps with the audience guessing what familiar folk song is hidden within the rhythms and musical twists of popular styles like Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, Latin, and more.
I am pretty sure that this new book will find a welcome reception in any studio. And Rebekah is offering the opportunity for one special studio to receive a copy for free! Just leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing to win Old MacDonald Had the Blues for your studio! And to start off the New Year giveaways, if you post a link to this giveaway on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc. you will receive one extra entry per posting. Just leave a separate comment for each posting. The drawing will be held at noon (CST) on Thursday, January 20, 2011.
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