[Oabs] On a fun note...

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi OABSters,

Enough with the heavy... I'm writing now about a more fun topic of
conversation, which I hope will get you all as excited as I am.

I'm working on the music which will be played in spare moments
throughout the convention, which is a lot of fun.  The old federation
songs are really funny, and I'm picking them up quite easily since
most of them are to tunes I already have learned on accompaniment
instruments for a music therapy course I took last fall.  I'm also
learning and adapting some Beatles songs to suit our affiliate.

However, I want to have a little backup.  I had this horrible
nightmare that I started singing the songs, and Barbara Pierce and Dr.
Maurer were the only ones I could hear singing out.  Since this is the
convention at which we will push for 75 and 75, and because Dr. Maurer
and Art Schreiber will be there, I'd like to have as much audience
participation as possible.  I've got a few ideas about how to do this,
and want to see what you think of them.

The most obvious way to get back up is to have a rhythm section.  I
have small instruments that I can bring, including a Lollypop drum,
some egg shakers, a rain stick, some castinetts, a melodica, and a few
other odds and ends.  I may also be able to borrow a few small things
from the music therapy program provided that no one will be using them
in practicum sessions on Friday afternoon.  I'd love to get a cabassa,
and we have these little hammer things that squeak when you bang them
on things that would be great to have in The Technology Song along
with a slide whistle or kazoo if anyone has one.  (I may have a kazoo,
but a slide whistle would be awesome.  My melodica will work if
nothing else).

There are also verbal shout outs, which would be cool if I could have
some help with them.  To show you what I mean, here are my adapted
lyrics to Yellow Submarine.

In the town where I was born
 Lived a man who sailed to sea
 And he told us of his life
 In the land of submarines

 So we sailed up to the sun
 Till we found the sea of green
 And we lived beneath the waves
 In our yellow submarine

 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

 And our friends are all on board
 Many more of them live next door
 And the band begins to play
(cue rhythm section with kazoo/slide whistle/nose flute solo here).
Play for 2 measures till the end of the verse.
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

[Full speed ahead, Riccobono, full speed ahead!
 Full speed over here, sir!
 Legislation!  Legislation!
 Aye, aye, sir, fire!
 Federation!  Federation!
 As we live a life of ease (A life of ease)
 Everyone of us (Everyone of us) has all we need (Has all we need)
 Sky of blue (Sky of blue) and sea of green (Sea of green)
 In our yellow (In our yellow) submarine (Submarine, ha, ha)

 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
 We all live in a yellow submarine
 Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

  I've also totally reworked the song "All Together Now" for the NFB,
and that has some shouting out in it too.  My methods course, which
has an emphasis on song writing, has proven to be very handy.  Here's
what I have of "March Together Now," yes, taken from the old tag line.

1, 2, 3, 4
Do I have the convention floor
5, 6, 7 8 9 10, I love it.

A, B, C, D
Our BELL kids read wonderfully,
E, F, G H I J I love it.

Bum bum bum bum, bum bum,
The teach act
Bum, bum bum
Equality
Bum, bum bum
Fair wage jobs,
Bum, bum bum
It's the NFB.

March together now,
March together now,
March together now,
March together now.

Up, down, left, and right,
Cane travel is out of sight.
To work, school, back again-Yeah, I love it.

Bridge, chorus again, then accelerate till the end just like the
original song does.

What do you all think of these ideas?  I think they'll make things fun
and will encourage people to participate, but I could be thinking too
much like a music therapist.  Thoughts?


-- 
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton 2016.
Music Therapy, Psychology, Philosophy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma