Hope, Harmony and Hospitality, Holmes-Style

Author eholmes

Step 5: Simple Part Songs – (B)

Recently I’ve heard from some of you who are trying many of these songs and ideas. It is great fun to hear your stories and envision your process! Let me encourage you again that there really is NO specific “right… Continue Reading →

Step 5: Simple Part Songs – (A)

Up to this point in the organic process of learning to harmonize with our family we leaned on traditional forms (rounds and partner-songs) to help develop vocal independence and aural confidence.  But when facility had begun to gel with these… Continue Reading →

Step 4: Partner Songs

Hopefully if you have been reading my blog posts, your family has tried some Echo Songs, Rounds and Canons. Maybe this activity has become something you look forward to doing together. Friends of mine are even trying this kind of… Continue Reading →

So much to Sing about!!

This has been a period of waiting…first, with the rest of the world during quarantine. Second, a long period of waiting for Brad to come back home. These have been among the hardest days either of us has lived. CV-19… Continue Reading →

Challenging Rounds and Canons

Just like the “Magic Eye” puzzle, in which a 2 dimensional object suddenly pops into a new 3 dimensional one full of surprises and delight, Canons and Rounds are an easy portal into full blown harmony. Our family (and many… Continue Reading →

Brad: On Family Singing

(Written in 2001 for the back of our family CD, We Lift Our Voices. Our kids were 14, 11 and 7) From the beginning we were singing together. Music made its way into the womb as Beth conducted her college… Continue Reading →

Step 3: Canons and Rounds, Simple/Medium Level

Rounds are so much fun to sing!  Our kids’ faces beamed as they began to sing their own melody within a musical piece.   Most of us learned simple rounds like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” during our childhood.  In this… Continue Reading →

Step 2: Echo Songs

From earliest times, echo and repetition has been used in the compositional style of all historical classical music.  It is also a very accessible “tool” with which to train the ear of singers (young AND old!)  It can be “antiphonal”… Continue Reading →

Step 1: Singing Unison Songs

Brad and I recommend starting to sing simple children’s songs in unison first with young children, and then adding echoes and partner songs as a natural result of increased musical interest.   These can be ANY songs that your kids like… Continue Reading →

6 Steps to Family Harmony

After years of family singing in private, we found ourselves performing for others in  various situations.  Our youngest, TJ, was 6. Mostly these opportunities were small:  singing a blessing as “thanks” to a family with whom we had spent the… Continue Reading →

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