Chante Timoun

On Saturday, Mesac and I had our first Children's Choir class at Hope on a String.  I really should say Maestro Mesac because he is so musically accomplished.  He and I were scheduled to teach Chante (singing) Timoun (children) together for this session.  I brought down copies of several American children's songs that we could teach the kids in both English and Kreyol.  I tried my best to translate some of the songs, but Mesac was able to help a ton!  I brought, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, You are my Sunshine, He's Got the Whole World, Hokey Pokey, Eensy Weensy Spider, If You're Happy and you Know It, and Row, Row, Row Your Boat.  It was my hope that by choosing songs that lend themselves to movement, the kids would be able to better remember the words and their meanings.  Before our first class, I gave copies of the songs to Mesac so he could look at them and familiarize himself with them, as best as he was able.  

About 25 children, ranging in ages (approximately) from three to twelve, arrived around two for singing!  I was so excited and a bit nervous - I really wasn't sure how excited they would be for singing in English, how well I would be able to communicate with them, and how well they would respond to my teaching style.  The group was comprised of girls mostly, with a sprinkling of very young boys.  I started the class by taking attendance and asking them if they knew who I was.  I received a boisterous response, “AH-MAHN-DAH!”  I began the class with the song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”  Previously, I translated this song, but to engage the kids, I asked them how to say the different body parts in Kreyol: tèt, zepol, jenou, zotèy.  I asked them all to stand, and in a Simon Says fashion, I quickly said “jenou”, had them touch their knees, and then “zotèy”, and had them touch their toes.  We did it very quickly and had many hearty laughs, especially when I tripped them up.  Then, we went over the English words and we practiced saying them aloud repeatedly.


Many of the girls came with pencils, pens, and notebooks – ready to write down anything and everything that I wrote down on the chalkboard.  In fact, at one point when I wanted them to sing, they were busy writing down the meaning of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes!”  I was very impressed by their desire to absorb everything.  The word “shoulders” was particularly tricky for many of them to pronounce.  Once I felt they could say and remember head, shoulders, knees, and toes we put it to the rhythm and the music, which Mesac played on a keyboard.  Some of the kids preferred to just do the movements, others tried their best to say the words, and even others began belting out the words to the rhythm but not quite to the melody.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves though!  Then, we all stood in a circle and continued to sing and practice the first part of the song in English.  I was running around the circle, singing, doing the movements, trying to engage every little kid who might be nervous, shy, or not quite following the movements or rhythm.  I worked up quite a sweat!  Once I tired the kids out thoroughly enough, we sat back down to learn the next part – Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.”  Again, we taught the Kreyol first and then the English.  This part was definitely harder!  Not only was the rhythm faster, but also the kids did not readily say the “ands” when they were singing, so it ended up sounding like, “Eyes—Ears—Mouth—Nose,” which worked as well.  Once they mastered this section, we stood back up and did the entire song!  It went very well and I am sure that with all the movement and singing, and heat, I thoroughly exhausted them!

Timoun writing down the lyrics to Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes without my telling them to!

Maestro Mesac (sitting) accompanied by Sadrac, a good friend of mine, Bennett, and Hope on a String!

We slowed it down a bit by introducing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, which none of them had ever heard!  I tried to explain to the children that in the United States many moms and dads sing this song to their children before they go to sleep.  Mesac helped me translate it into Kreyol and we taught it to them that way first.  It went like this: File File ti zetwal, M’ap mande kisa ou yè, Ou plase anlè byen wo, Tankou youn diamon nan syèl, File file ti zetwal, M’ap mande kisa ou yè.  I was hearing many, “Mwen grangou,” and “Mwen fatige,” which means, “I’m hungry,” and “I’m tired.”  So, we did not master Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in English, but we did get it in Kreyol.  We ended with one more Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes and then stopped for the day.  It was pretty tiring, but I didn’t realize I was fatigued until I sat down at home! 

I had a quick late lunch before Lara and my 6 pm adult dance class! 

Next week – the Hokey Pokey?!