What will the children experience?
A swing concert in which the children play the leading role: they fight a rhythm duel with the band, scat like Ella Fitzgerald, dance cheek to cheek and fly through the hall as piggyback monkeys.
Between the songs we tell child-friendly stories about jazz: what syncopation is, how Ella Fitzgerald became the “First Lady of Jazz” despite her stage fright, and how Louis Armstrong got his first trumpet in a youth home. And one thing is clear from the start: in the end, the children always win.
What music will you hear?
From “You Make Me Feel So Young” to “It’s a Lovely Day Today”: swing classics, arranged especially for children:
- You Make Me Feel So Young
- I Got Rhythm
- Chew Chew Chew
- Old McDonald
- Old Mother Hubbard
- Bare Necessities
- Cheek to Cheek
- Five O’Clock Whistle
- Straighten Up and Fly Right
- It’s a Lovely Day Today
How to join in
Flower stickers
During “You Make Me Feel So Young” the children decorate themselves with flower stickers.
The syncopation duel
During “I Got Rhythm” the children clap the basic beat while the band tries to throw them off with syncopation. Then the children turn the tables. Who wins? The children, always.
Balloon bubble gum
During “Chew Chew Chew” the parents blow up balloons like bubble gum. The children throw them in the air and dance with them.
Animal sounds and scat
During “Old McDonald” the children make the animal sounds, and the band plays every verse faster – until the singer calls the children for help. During “Old Mother Hubbard” everyone scats a whole verse and invents their own syllables.
Guessing and the cheek dance
Which film is “Bare Necessities” from? The children guess along. During “Cheek to Cheek” they dance cheek to cheek.
Piggyback monkeys
To “Straighten Up and Fly Right” the children become monkeys on their parents’ backs and have to hold on tight. To the flying music, everyone ducks, jumps and flies.
What do parents take home?
You join in briefly for “Chew Chew Chew” and “Old McDonald”; the rest of the time you can sit back. And “Five O’Clock Whistle” tells of the long wait for Dad, who is stuck at work – but not today: today you’re all here together.
