Sing A Song Sunday - Pumpkin Parade

The problem with randomly selecting a songbook early on Sunday morning is that I do not always choose a book that is easily found in other places or even published anymore. When I looked at Amazon to see if the book was still in print, I found that you can buy this book starting at $0.18 cents. I guess most people don't have it around. Well, I do!

I randomly grabbed a book from one of my music shelves, and this book is the one that stuck to my fingers. I opened it up to page 27 and there was "Pumpkin Parade," a fingerplay by Mabelle B. McGuire. While this is technically not a song, I think that poems share so much in common with music that you can turn any poem into a song pretty easily. All you have to do is add melody and harmony to the pre-existing meter, rhythm, tempo, and style, and voila! A song!!

Here are the words:
Five timid pumpkins are marching in a row.
They have left the cornfield where they used to grow.
And now they're on the highway, falling into line.
They must face the traffic and not cry or whine.
Suddenly a pumpkin stumbles in a rut.
Then another goes down; his toe is cut.
"This must be dangerous," says Jack as he falls.
"Two of us are left," cries another as he sprawls.
But the last little pumpkin continues, neat and clean,
And marches forward bravely to arrive for Halloween.
Mabelle B. McBride
 
So, it's not the best poetry in the world, but I know that some of my clients will really enjoy this come October. There are motions as well, but I'm not sure how much I am violating copyright protection right now by replicating the words, so I am a bit hesitant to replicate everything.

There is freedom in using the work of others during sessions, but there is a word of caution as well. I will never be able to publish a TME plan using this work since the work is not owned by me. I cannot make a recording of this poetry or any TME I develop. I will also make sure that any TME plan that I write has Ms. McBride credited as the author and inspiration for the music therapy experience.

With the power to use the work of others comes great responsibility. (There, now I've plagiarized Spiderman as well! Maybe it's time to end this entire post since I keep taking the work of others!)


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