Variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb

Variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb by Jerald M. Simon
$8.95 plus tax - ISBN: 978-0-9790716-1-4

(to purchase the book visit your local music store or order on-line at www.musicmotivation.com – if your local music store is not yet carrying Music Motivation® products they may contact my company to begin selling our products in their stores.)

"Variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb" is the first book in the Innovative Improvisation™ series. In the book are nine arrangements by Jerald M. Simon of the song Mary Had a Little Lamb. Each one teaches different music styles and how to apply them to other songs. The arrangements are: the original "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Mary Took Her Lamb to a Swingin' Jazz Club", "Mary's Lamb Had the Blues", "Mary Took Her Lamb to a 50's Rock Concert", "Mary and Her Lamb Live With Indians", "Mary's Lamb Starred in a Western", "Mary and Her Lamb Dance the Waltz", "Mary's Lamb Meets Mozart", and "Mary Took Her Lamb to a Funeral".

I wrote this book to help piano students (especially younger students) learn how to improvise or change the style and rhythm of a well known song. Each variation teaches students patterns to be played with the left hand which change the style of the music. Once these left hand patterns are learned, students can apply what they have learned to other songs. It is a fun way to help children get excited about playing the piano. Children know the familiar tune and enjoy changing it around and playing arrangements.

I have done several workshops and music camps for piano teachers and their students and every time I do students amaze me. I have had several students take the variations on Mary Had a Little Lamb to the next level and begin creating their own arrangements because of the left hand patterns they learn in the book. One student came to one of the music camps I did and said, “Listen to this…I can play Mary was abducted by Aliens”. He then played an arrangement he had done on his own that sounded like Mary had been abducted by aliens. It was wonderful because he used his creativity to play around at the piano (which motivated him to want to try new variations and other arrangements on his own). It is wonderful.

The entire book is designed to motivate children, teachers, and even adults to play around with songs and learn how to improvise at the piano. Visit the Music Motivation® website (www.musicmotivation.com) to view sample pages from the book and read more about it. You may also listen to each of the variations on the website as well.

Click below to listen to the song Mary's Lamb Had The Blues by Jerald M. Simon

Click below to listen to the song Mary Took Her Lamb to a 50's Rock Concert

Click below to listen to the song Mary and Her Lamb Live With Indians

Click below to listen to the song Mary's Lamb Starred in a Western

Click below to listen to the song Mary and Her Lamb Dance The Waltz

Click below to listen to the song Mary's Lamb Meets Mozart

Click below to listen to the song Mary Took Her Lamb to a Funeral

Click below to listen to the song Mary Took Her Lamb to a Swingin' Jazz Club

Written by Jerald M. Simon
Copyright © 2008 Music Motivation®
All Rights Reserved