From ABC to Thomas Alva Thomas: mewsic that teaches
It’s another new month on the 4M dance floor and we have a new honorary co-host, Patrick from Adventures at Weseland. This week’s theme is ‘How 🎶Mewsic🎶 Educates Us‘. *scratch head* I’m not going to lie to you folks, this challenged my little brain. Maybe I need to go back to school. Okay, maybe not. I’ll figure this out as I go. 🙂
Mewsic increases the listener’s ability to focus. That’s probably why we remember song lyrics better than we do science and math lessons. Teachers lecturing is a snoozer but mewsic is euphoric to the ear but how do you bring the two together.
Lyrical mewsic is a distraction while doing studies but if classical or instrumental mewsic isn’t your thing, then it’s essential to outline in advance the subject you’re learning to establish the best song choice patterns ie George Washington. You might want to dig up interesting tidbits on Washington then build a playlist on your discoveries.
Growing up, my teachers told me that the English language is the most difficult language to learn. It is confusing even for this American girl.
In my search, I found 10 Cool Pop Songs That Make Learning English Incredibly Easy from which I pulled one of my favorite songs from my childhood, “ABC” by the Jackson 5. The author of the article mentions the fun catchy lyrics is a great way to get the English phrases stuck in one’s head helping someone to learn English better. “Albert Einstein Pi Day Birthday Song” is a bit dry mewsically but its chockful of facts about the man in which I learned that the man was more than a beautiful mind, he was a violinist, too. I learned that “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” gives a good lesson the English language past tenses and examples of idioms and figurative expressions. Even the name of the song is an idiom, you know gathering info through word of mouth as in gossip or rumors. Marvin’s song as well The Bangles “Manic Monday’ also came from the 10 Cool Pop Songs article. This ditty is a good example for teaching beginners basic daily routines words as the song clearly outlines but the structure is a bit more advanced offering past tense and past progressive forms of words ending in ‘ing’. I’m not an English major so don’t look at me. The author gave this example I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream. Does that clarify things? It does, great! Now, explain it to me. 🙂 lol English (the rules) always lost me in school. Finally, the last song, “Thomas Alva Edison“, the father of inventions is a sung in German. So, if you if you’re like me and don’t speak or understand the German language here are the song lyrics.
Please join Marie (4M Brain Child) and my fellow 4M Co-hosts Stacy, Alana, Colette, & Patrick (honorary co-host in #1 spot) below.
🎶 This is a mewsic linky party, all other posts are subjected for removal or labeled – NO MUSIC! 🎶
[tweetthis]Hit the #MondaysMusicMovesMe dance floor with me! @xmasdolly [/tweetthis]
How did you do with this theme? Where you left to wonder about things like Einstein might as figured out things methodically or where like Edison’s lightbulb instantly clicking on in your head?
Before I leave, let me remind you I need your vote in my last Friday’s BoTB. If you haven’t done it yet, then invite you to do so now, here. Alrighty, that’s a wrap for today. I can’t wait to see what tunes are playing on your turntable. I’m boogieing that way now! Thanks for visiting and have a sparkletastic day.
X💋X💋, Cathy
35 Comments
Stacy Uncorked
I always love to see what you come up with for the more unique themes, Cathy! As always, you didn’t disappoint! 🙂 Love your choices – hope you’re having a great weekend! 🙂
angelswhisper2011
OMC Cathy, I think I…no, Granny misunderstood the whole theme. We interpurreted it from a whole different view, but got us some great music to dance with you 😉 Great songs to move our paws together today, The Jacksons are so COOL! and that quote of Einstein is just purrfect! Thanks for the moves♪♪♫♫♪ Pawkisses for a wonderful day🐾😽💞
Kathe W.
darling little one on the piano!
Mary B
This theme has certainly been educational! First, I learned that my memory is failing me. LOL I had mulled over using different songs, but when it came time to actually put the words into a post – those songs didn’t make the cut. ha! Thankfully, others used the songs that I had thought of. I sure hope Michele heals quickly from her surgery. Are there contingency plans in place for May in the event she isn’t able to come back by then?
Now that I’ve committed two blogs to the A2Z, I need to get busy and schedule some posts. Having the list of themes in advance really helps in times such as this. Have a great week!
Mary B
ps… was going to mention that #20 on the list – Passport Camper Giveaway is not a music post. Just an FYI.
Cathy Kennedy
Mary,
Thanks. I was away yesterday afternoon for an appointment so that one slipped in while I was gone, so thanks for the heads up!
Cathy Kennedy
Mary,
I didn’t need this theme to tell me my memory isn’t good. lol Have you heard from Michele? I was thinking of her just yesterday. I will try to shoot her an email later. We do not have any plans set up in case she can’t do it in May. I’m glad you brought that up. I will mention this to Marie so we can devise something should this happen. You amaze me with doing the A2Z challenge on two blogs. I barely can do this one blog. I knew you were a better organizer of your time than I am. 🙂
messymimi's meanderings
The Einstein song is funny, and i was glad during the Edison song to realize i still understand just a little bit of German (i caught a few words here and there).
Hope you have a great week!
Cathy Kennedy
Mimi,
That’s cool that you know German! Did you take it in school or do you have German roots?
messymimi's meanderings
Sweetie speaks it pretty well, he took it in school, and i did, too. He’s a lot better than i am, i just picked out some of the words, he would probably have understood a lot more without reading the translation. When he was working at a museum once, some tourists from Germany came and he gave them the tour in German.
Debbie D.
Hi Cathy; This is a tough theme, but you really got into it. Well done! 😀 Einstein’s quote is so true. Everyone has expertise in something. It was fun to hear that German song! The English translation was pretty accurate.
Cathy Kennedy
Debbie,
Thanks! I was hoping someone might tell me how close the German song translated in English since I had no clue. Have a boogietastic day!
catscue
What a fun post today – thanks! I LOVE that Spark!
John Holton
Mary and I have a friend whose father taught at Princeton with Albert Einstein, and she remembers going out for ice cream with him and her dad. He was quite a character. Nice set!
Cathy Kennedy
John,
Seriously, Mary met Albert Einstein? That’s just way cool! Ask her if I can rub shoulders with her. I’m sure Einstein’s smartness rubbed off onto her, right? Oh, wait…you said her father also taught at Princeton. I guess she gets her intellect from her dad. My question still stands. 🙂 That’s major cool to know. Thanks for the share!
John Holton
No, our friend. Mary’s father never finished high school.
Cathy Kennedy
👌
Cathy Keisha
OMC! The theme was switched! I hae the theme as Body Parts on my desktop and that’s what I did. I guess I get a D.
Cathy Kennedy
Cathy,
I’m sorry for the switch. When the change came down the pike, I made an announcement and hoped that it would reach everyone but sometimes these things fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, our original honorary co-host had medical issues to contend with and wasn’t able to do it but she plans to be ready in May for the job. Don’t worry about the mess up. Feel free to use today’s theme for next week’s ‘your choice song picks’ if you want. 🙂
csuhpat1
You did wonderful. I stole the Einstein deal and put it on Facebook. Nice job.
Cathy Kennedy
Patrick,
Very cool indeed, feel free to share the Einstein song! I thought it was really cool!
My GBGV Life
That tiny kitten on the keys is so adorable!
Cathy Kennedy
I thought so, too! Thanks for joining me this morning! 😉
MNL
Love this blog post. It’s a smart idea about building a playlist around something you want to learn.
Cathy Kennedy
Mary,
Patrick came up with a great theme for his first week as co-host. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
songbird1329
Great choice, I love the Jackson 5
Cathy Kennedy
Who doesn’t like the Jackson 5? They were so hip in the day!
sandy
i enjoyed the post and the song lyrics in german – very very cool. I know I don’t join in but I enjoy it all and also the comments people leave.
DrillerAA
Somewhere along the line, I completely got the wrong theme for this week. Oh well, the damage is done and it’s too late to change now. I’ve “Your Choice” weeks. Have a blessed week. I’m going to go work on my future mewsic themes.
15andmeowing
Great choice of ABC 🙂 I will be posting mine tomorrow. Have a great day. Thanks for hosting. XO
-Eugenia
Great mewsic, Cathy! Love the Jackson Five song and Einstein has some great quotes! Have a great week ahead!!
Sandee
How fun. I loved the Jackson 5.
I already linked you to Awww Mondays. Thank you for joining in on the fun.
I love the Einstein quote. Spot on.
Have a purrfect Awww Monday, my friend. Love and hugs. ♥
Alana Mautone (@RamblinGarden)
I enjoyed the German song on Albert Einstein and it immediately made me (somehow) think of Falco and his “Rock Me Amadeus” which taught – well, maybe a little bit – about Mozart. Albert Einstein Pi Birthday song certainly is interesting. (Wouldn’t musicians who made their mark in other ways be a good blog topic? I think I may do that one day, especially after I found the You Tube video of Richard Nixon playing an original composition on the piano.) And then there was Schoolhouse Rock, which is not from my generation but some of their songs are good earworm material.
Brian Frum
Such great tunes, they don’t make them like they used to!
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
Happy 4M Monday on Sunday, dear friend!
As you recall, I recently posted on Shady Train a video of the Jackson 5 being introduced by Don Cornelius and performing “I Want You Back.” It was equally thrilling to see Dick Clark introduce the band of brothers on Bandstand and have them do their follow-up single and another big hit “ABC.” I often wonder if Cornelius and Clark realized that the little boy fronting the band would grow up to become The King of Pop – one of the greatest showmen in music history. I doubt many people sing the complex lyrics to “Albert Einstein Pi Day Birthday Song” in the shower. You would need to be an Einstein to remember them all. 🙂 The song is loaded with facts and I enjoyed it. The use of idioms in “Grapevine” and tenses in “Manic Monday” are difficult to grasp but they make for great listening. They are two of my favorite songs by two of my favorite artists.
I would like to add three more songs to the list of mewsic that “teaches. First, here are the lyrics to “Do-Re-Mi,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune from The Sound of Music.
“Do-Re-Mi” – Rodgers and Hammerstein
Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow Sew
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do (oh-oh-oh)
Another favorite that could be interpreted as a teaching song is “Lip Sync” by Len Barry, which teaches tongue-twisters.
“Lip Sync (To The Tongue Twisters)” – Len Barry
Peter Piper picked a
Peck of pickled peppers
She sells seashells
Down by the shoreshore
Betty Botter bought
A bit of bitter butter
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t
Very fuzzy, was he
Can a, can a, can a
Can a candy
Sister Susie sewing
Shirts for seven soldiers
Finally here is “The Name Game,” the Shirley Ellis song that teaches word play with names:
“The Name Game” – Shirley Ellis
Shirley, Shirley
Bo-ber-ley, bo-na-na fanna
Fo-fer-ley. fee fi mo-mer-ley, Shirley!
Lincoln! Lincoln, Lincoln. bo-bin-coln
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln
Fee fi mo-min-coln, Lincoln!
Arnold! Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee fi m-mar-mold. Arnold!
Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha
Fee fi mo-ar-sha, Marsha!
Little trick with Nick!
Nick, Nick, bo-bick, bo-na-na
Fanna fo fick, fee fi mo-mick. Nick!
I love that quote by Albert Einstein. We all have different kinds of gifts to share with the world. When you think of it that way, everybody is a genius.
Have a wonderful week, dear friend Cathy!