About the author and the project

Dany Rosevear; I am a retired primary school teacher living in The West Country, England. I began teaching in the Midlands but then spent most of my professional career in Oxfordshire. Music making was one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job. I also sang regularly with my children when they were young. 

I set up the website ‘Singing games for children’ as a retirement project to share the fun that I and the children had in the classroom making music. I was also keen to research songs I would have liked to have discovered but as a busy teacher would have had difficulty finding. To publicize the web site I have now produced many videos and playlists on Youtube. As well as the traditional singing games, the scope of this project has now grown to include a treasury of songs: number songs, lullabies, nursery rhymes, poems, songs of the seasons, songs for a better world, hand plays and nostalgic favourites from my childhood among others. With grandchildren to entertain lullabies, lap songs and pirate songs came in useful! Sometimes they asked me to write songs for them and were keen to join in when I recorded them; sadly that is no longer possible with children’s well-being on the internet now an issue. 

Background; Like many British people today and those from other parts of the globe I have friends and family in other countries. My grandparents came from Russia, Poland, England and Ireland. My aunts had French and Italian husbands. My sister and her family live in Australia and one of my brothers lives in France. As a child I lived in Malaya for 2 ½ years and then in my youth traveled widely; sometimes to international work camps (Poland, Finland and Turkey) where youngsters from many countries came to work, socialize and sing together.

Schools in this country often have a wide ethnic mix. For a broader understanding of each other’s cultural identities we need to be familiar with aspects of these traditions and language. With this in mind and to support those children with a mixed background like myself, I am keen to collect and promote songs and games from around the world.

Find out more about my international background at:  http://www.trilingualchildren.com/2014/12/life-story-spans-two-centuries-multicultural-family.html

Music is in our soul!

Celebrating and thanking other songwriters and musicians

Since starting this project after retiring from teaching, over the years I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many encouraging, supportive, and incredibly talented practitioners who’ve generously shared their music with me. They’ve been inspiring role models and kindred spirits, bound by a belief that music can enrich children’s lives—sparking inspiration, fostering learning, and bringing both kids and their communities closer together.

Dynamic Alina Celeste sings and tells stories in English and Spanish at: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlinaCelesteMusic

Pam Donkin is an award-winning singer song-writer, recording artist and educator  based in the San Francisco Bay Area Pam Donkin
She also runs a great channel: PLANTING SEEDS OF LOVE | Facebook

Marty Lane Find her music in the Waldorf tradition on lovely CD at:  http://www.martylayne.com/music/

The Okee Dokee Brothers (Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing) are a Grammy-winning Americana folk duo from Minneapolis/Denver known for creating nature-focused, adventurous children’s music. The Okee Dokee Brothers

Sarah Pirtle is an award-winning author and musician who writes and sings for all ages. Sarah has kindly created a site where people can hear and download 75 songs for free:  Hope Sings

Kathy Reid-Naiman is a children’s singer-songwriter based in Trenton, Ontario. She has made many great recordings for children on her record label, Merriweather Records. She is widely acknowledged as one of Canada’s leading figures in early childhood music education and recording.
Kathy Reid-Naiman – Bio

Nancy Stewart is a children’s singer-songwriter based in Seattle, Washington who has produced a wonderful collection of children’s songs at: http://www.nancymusic.com/index.htm

Patty Zeitlin is a wonderfully accomplished songwriter with a much admired opus; find out more and access her CDs at: PattyZeitlin.com 

Finally…

A wonderful resource for anyone involved in children’s music:

Founded in 1987, The Children’s Music Network celebrates the positive power of music in children’s lives. It’s a welcoming community for anyone involved in children’s music, offering opportunities to improve professional skills, discover new songs, and connect with others who share a passion for using music to enrich the lives of children. Facebook