Multicultural & Non-English Songbook

Create your own Multi-lingual Musical Collage!

• Find out how to say “Welcome” or “Hello” in a new language
• Practice saying the word or phrase many times, until you really feel the rhythm. Try saying it once, then resting while you hear it again in your imagination, making a fun rhythmic phrase that has sound and silence, and can be repeated.
• Add a melody to your rhythmic phrase. Listen to the way you are saying the words, and you will start to hear a melody. Sing it until it feels really comfortable and fun.
• Now find a “Welcome” or “Hello” in another language, and find its rhythm. When your rhythm feels really good, its time to add a new melody to this phrase.
• Let these 2 phrases become a call and response. The first part/group sings, then listens while the other phrase sings back.
• Now it’s time to add a 3rd language. Take your time and listen for its rhythm and melody, like you did for the first two languages.
• See if you can fit this third phrase on top of the other two, that is, you’ll be singing your phrase at the same time the others are singing. Now you are creating a Polyrhythm (more than one rhythm at a time). Let one phrase fill in where another leaves a space, and vice versa.
• You can keep adding more languages, but make sure you don’t get so complicated that you stop hearing the beautiful harmonies and polyrhythms you are creating!
• Once you sing these phrases all together, someone can have some fun and improvise* a Song of Welcome on top of the multi-lingual musical collage!
• Improvise – make it up as you go along!!