January 2025 – Music Moments

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS! As a teacher of over 22 years, I tend to think New Year = a new school year! But, like most of us, I do also enjoy the hope and optimism that a new calendar year can bring. It’s beautiful to reflect on the joys of the past year and give the rough stuff a serious kick in the pants, hoping that this year – 2025 – brings nothing but joy and goodness! To kick off the year, we have so many fun January music activities!

January Music Activities

In Little Kiddos Music classes, January is an opportunity to sing about time and the calendar – lots of songs with the days of the week (Days of the Week – Addams Family and Days of the Week – Alouette), the months (Months of the Year and Months of the Year – Alouette), and clocks (like Rhythm Stick Clocks and Cuckoo Clock Song – that we do with drums and rhythms sticks), etc.

And, since many of us use January as a time to reset and focus on our own personal health (new year, new you?!), we also sing a lot of movement and body part songs this month. Try this one with the little kiddos in your life: New Year Movement Song – it couldn’t possibly be set to a more perfect melody than Auld Lang Syne! Some other favorites are Arms Swaying, I Can Movement Song, My Thumbs Are Starting to Wiggle, and, of course Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes which we do in different tempos gradually speeding up by saying the magic music word Accelerando! Just one of the many ways that I Teach the Language of Music to even the youngest learners.

While our classes focus primarily on movement and learning the calendar, my January music activities for listening are centered around the two main holidays: New Year’s and Martin Luther King Jr.

FOR EARS OF ALL AGES:

New Year’s
I’ll admit I wasn’t familiar with this tune and only discovered while trying to find some good, joy-filled options for the holiday. The name alone of the Champagne Polka sounds like a super appropriate listen for cheersing-in the new year! One you hear this little dancey bop by Strauss, I think you, too, will want to dance around your kitchen.

The 1812 Overture by Tchaikovksy is dramatic and over-the-top. I love it! The frantic descending strings, chimes of churchbells, crashing cymbals and canon blasts are epic. If you’re feeling like an adrenaline rush watch this musical roller coaster ride synced to the piece! 1812 Overture Roller Coaster.

New Year’s Eve may have come and gone, but What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald is always worth a listen. It drips of nostalgia. I can never get enough of her voice – wraps around you like the coziest of blankets.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The other big holiday in January is, of course, Martin Luther King Junior Day – January 20th. Keep on Pushing by The Impressionists was released in 1964 and similar to We Shall Overcome, became a song to buoy the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a great example of of soul mixed with early funk.

MLK is a beautiful musical tribute by U2. The first time I heard it, I immediately wanted to hear a choir perform it. It didn’t take long for me to find and love this haunting, cradlesong rendition by MSU Chorale. I’ve listened to it countless times – chills every time. The harmonies are stunning and immediately transported me back to high school and listening to Jewel’s Angel Standing By on repeat. MLK has more depth and meaning but the feeling of the somber yet hopeful lullaby are similar.

For kids, I’ve loved teaching Sing About Martin – a sweet song that I’ve added simple sign language to when teaching it to lower elementary students. They love it!

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

While some people are cutting back on sweets and treats with the start of a new year, kids don’t tend to have to worry about that! This project from Friends Art Lab, combines food and art in the form of Edible Paint. This does have the potential to be a slippery slope as you don’t want to encourage paint-eating to little ones, so this certainly is an activity for kiddos old enough to understand the difference!

It’s still Winter – in fact, it’s really just begun! Little Bins for Little Hands has a huge list of winter-themed science activities for kiddos.

Tried and True Creative has a beautiful suggestion for window art honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Simbolizing the peace that MLK strove for, Fun Family Crafts suggests a handprint dove for a sweet project as well.