Virtual school? In-person? Hybrid? Homeschool? Pod? School has definitely not been the same since March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. I guess I am not the only one who thought that things would get back to “normal” (what is normal, anyway?) at the in 2021, or at least, at the beginning of this new school year.
It's been messy... it's been tough. For more than a year now, some many of us can relate to continue to (imperfectly) trying to put dinner on the table, keep our own work going, help kids with school, provide age-appropriate answers to 4,000+ questions.... all while managing our own worries. Add to that the continuously changing environment, administrative demands, lack of support (emotional, financial, etc.), and increased social-emotional needs of the children we work with in our schools, among other things…it’s fair to say that being a music educator and music therapist has been HARD.
No two ways about it... school continues to be a little different this year.
Some solace? MUSIC. Anyone else? Thank goodness for music. It can be expressive, silly, sentimental, cathartic, connecting, and anything else we need it to be.
So. In this time, let's share music.
As a music therapist who has worked in schools, hospitals, sensory integration clinics, etc. ... I have seen first hand that MUSIC can be a vital (essential!!) tool to help people be successful academically, socially, and in their physical and mental health. Knowing this and aiming to help kids transition successfully into a new, different school year in 2020, I wrote the song “School’s A Little Different This Year” and shared with other music therapists and music educators in my Community group and through my newsletter.
The music video for “School’s A Little Different This Year” on our YouTube channel, which you can watch below:
You can also find “School’s A Little Different This Year” on Spotify or your favorite music streaming service.
“School’s A Little Different” In Action
I love that I get to connect and interact with music therapy and music education colleagues through my Community membership, Instagram or Facebook. Not only does it allow me to keep in touch with them, provide and receive support, but it also gives me the amazing opportunity to see the children’s songs and resources I create in action. I’ve had the opportunity to learn how the lyrics of “School’s A Little Different This Year” has been changed or adapted in the classroom, how it has helped kids engage in emotional expression in music therapy sessions, and how it has been utilized to create a variety of resources for kids such as this ASL video created by music therapist Shelley Anderson of Notes 2 Live By.
Recently, “School’s A Little Different This Year” was featured on the NPR article “For kids grappling with the pandemic's traumas, art classes can be an oasis”, which emphasized the importance of the arts and how educators and therapists (like you and I!) are using them to help kids cope with the social and emotional effects of the pandemic. You can read the full NPR article HERE.
Normalizing the changes
Some of my music therapist and teacher friends told me they’ve used this song to create the *BEST* back to school videos (I mean truly... THE BEST!). They've been recruiting teachers, administrators, school mascots, etc. to dance, sing, and welcome the kids virtually. Here are just some of them:
Validating children’s feelings
“I will be washing my hands....”
“I might feel a little confused.”
“School’s A Little Different This Year” was written to normalize the social distancing guidelines, safety precautions and all other changes that have been put in place in schools to slow and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It’s also meant to validate all the different ways kids might be feeling all of these big changes at school (and life!). The simple and repetitive lyrics throughout the song allow for flexibility in changing words, scenarios, emotions, and could serve to evoke discussions and communicate about any other feelings they might be experiencing and as a way of processing them. You can have iterations of the lyrics by asking kids what other changes they might be experiencing or about how they’re feeling:
“I might feel a little __________.” [angry, sad, ok, bad, weird, upset, annoyed, etc.]
Free Download
If you are an educator, therapist, or you are someone who works, cares, or loves children, you can download “School’s A Little Different This Year” below. By entering your email, you will also be added to our Song-Of-The-Month Newsletter and you will receive a free, original, professionally recorded children’s song (mp3, lyrics, chords) every month.
I hope this song (and ALL of the possible variations!) can help support kids cope and express themselves about all different changes in school and life happening lately.
