Jiwarrmanji – The Wind is Blowing 
By: Shellie Morris (with the Borroloola Songwomen)

Lyrics:
Jiwarrmanji 
Kantharra wundunyaka thakarranthalu

Lhaba ngambalanmaya
Yukumantharra alunga



The wind is blowing
Bringing the nesting sea turtles
We wait in silence for them

Silence
A stirring of wind
Bringing the nesting sea turtles


Shellie Morris & the Borroloola songwomen
IN 2011 and 2012 The Song Peoples Sessions returned Shellie Morris to Borroloola in the Northern Territory, the country of her maternal grandmother, Hilda Muir, who was part of the Stolen Generations. 

As a child Shellie had  been adopted by a non-indigenous family and grew up in Sydney not knowing of her Yanyuwa, Gudanji, Marra and  Garrwa families and elders whom she would reconnect with on the Song Peoples Sessions where she recorded a collaborative album with over 11 of her elders,  the Borroloola Songwomen as custodians of her own ancient Indigenous song cycles. 

The Song Peoples Sessions collaboration culminated in two CDs that combined traditional and contemporary Indigenous music. 

Shellie had to learn the Yanyuwa language from the Borroloola Songwomen and compose and record an album of songs with her elders combining their traditional song cycles into the final production. 

Shellie enthusiastically encouraged her elders to be a part of The Song Peoples Sessions which took them all on a unique musical journey.        

During the process the elder custodians of the songs worked with interpreters, translators and anthropologists to share their  local histories, knowledge and culture contained in ancient song cycles. 

The elder Borroloola Songwomen recounted stories of travelling in canoes between  the Gulf Country Islands as children and attending the ceremonies of their elders where they first heard the traditional ceremonial singing. 


Yr 5&6 - Jiwarrmanji (The Wind Is Blowing) by Shellie Morris

This song was written for students in year 5/6 who are learning about the brain and how neurons work... 

Neuron Song
By Lena Mitchell

Verse 1
If you open up your brain, it looks like a grey mess
But everything has a purpose that you really wouldn’t guess

There are two sides, a right and a left
Also frontal and parietal lobes, cerebrum and brainstem
But

Chorus (x2)
At the heart of it all is a neuron sending messages
It’s so very small there are billions of them

Verse 2
The dendrite is the living part, with the nucleus inside
It sends the message down the axon and from there it takes flight

To another neuron or right down your spine
To move all those muscles controlled by neurons in your mind
‘Cause

Chorus (x2)
At the heart of it all is a neuron sending messages
It’s so very small there are billions of them

Bridge
I can build a neural pathway by SINGING
I can build a neural pathway by KNITTING
I can build a neural pathway by PLAYING
I can build a neural pathway

Chorus (x2)
But at the heart of it all is a neuron sending messages
It’s so very small there are billions of them


Neuron Song WITH VOCALS

Kokoleoko (Liberian Folk Song about noisy rooster who crows all day)  This song has a great clapping game that goes with it for older children.. you can see the clapping game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPL_Ag9OC30 
Lyrics:

 Kokoleoko mama koleoko
 Kokoleoko mama koleoko 
Kokoleoko mama koleoko 
Kokoleoko mama koleoko 
Aba mama aba 
Aba mama koleoko 
Aba mama aba Aba mama koleoko

Early Years to grade 6 - Kokoleoko

Slippery Fish

A slippery fish sliding through the water
A slippery fish a slippery fish
Gulp gulp gulp
Oh no!  The slippery fish  has been eaten by an 
Octopus squiggling through the water

An octopus an octopus, squiggling through the water
an octopus an octopus, gulp gulp gulp
Oh no! The octopus has been eaten by a
Tuna fish swimming in the water

A Tuna fish a tuna fish swimming through the water
A tuna fish a tuna fish, gulp gulp gulp
Oh no!  The tuna fish has been eaten by a
Great white shark, lurking through the water

A great white shark, a great white shark, lurking through the water
A great white shark, a great white shark, gulp gulp gulp
Oh no!  The great white shark has been eaten by a
humongous whale humongous whale spurting through the water

humongous whale humongous whale spurting through the water
humongous whale humongous whale, gulp gulp gulp

Early Years to around grade 3 - Slippery Fish

Simple children's song about building a viking boat.  
Lyrics:

Viking Song
We're building a boat, we hope it's going to float
We're building a boat for the water
We're building a boat, we hope it's going to float
To sail on the bright blue sea

Heave away, haul away, pull those sails up tight
Heave away, haul away, sailing through the night

We're building with wood, we hope it's strong and good
We're building a boat for the water
We're building with wood, we hope it's strong and good
To sail on the bright blue sea

Heave away, haul away, pull those sails up tight
Heave away, haul away, sailing through the night

Primary years - Viking Song

The Thread Follows The Needle

Bele Mama (traditional African song)

Nanuma (traditional African song)

Song from Ghana in West Africa about a hawk.  This song is great for circle singing whilst passing rocks around the circle.

Leenie Mitchell's Album

Sansa Kroma (traditional African song)

This song is the upper primary students at Taradale PS singing an indigenous Australian lullaby about a baby going to sleep in a bed made of bark (see baby pictured).  This song is for students to listen to and hear how they're going so far in learning this song and playing it on their ukuleles.

Mama Warrano - Classroom recording

This is the song created last year by myself and students from Taradale Primary School... just did a quick classroom recording last week before our end of year performance

Everyone Is Welcome Here - Taradale PS School Song - Classroom Recording

Classroom recording of We Are The Planets (originally by Storybots with some changes made to accommodate a slower tempo and students playing on ukulele)

We Are The Planets (Song originally by Storybots - with some melody adjustments)

Adapted from Bridget Farmer's gorgeous book...

Kookaburra Kookaburra - Classroom Recording

Adapted from the book, Too Many Cheeky Dogs

Too Many Cheeky Dogs - Classroom Recording

Sleeping Bunnies - Nursery Rhyme Action Song

Barramundi

Tiny Tim - Nursery Rhyme Action Song

Fred the moose

Bananas Unite

The Leaves are Falling Down

Autumn Leaves

Lena Mitchell is a singer/songwriter specialising in teaching and writing songs that link in with primary school curriculum and student learning outcomes. 

This site is a collection of songs (some original, but mostly gathered from around the world) and is not a promotion of Lena's songs, but rather a gathering place for songs used in the classroom so that students can listen to them at home to practice.

Lena is currently writing songs for schools for her work in schools in Central Victoria, as well as part of her Teaching Artist work in Australia through The Song Room.  Further information on The Song Room can be found via the website www.songroom.org.au 

Lena has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry at RMIT, an Advanced Diploma of Performance in Jazz Vocals at NMIT and has also studied Postgraduate Community Cultural Development at Melbourne University, and Primary Education at Canberra University.

With over 15 years of working with disadvantaged and new arrival students, and 5 years at The Victorian College of the Arts, Lena specialises in music education and linkages with wellbeing, community development, and social and emotional outcomes.  Lena works with themes around culture, pride, wellbeing and teaches singing, songwriting, African Drumming, and songs from around the globe.

Songs on this site are for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in singing fun songs with children, and teaching curriculum with music.  The songs are being updated regularly as new songs are being written and collected.

Song recordings range from phone recordings to professional recordings and each one marks a time and place so that it can be celebrated and/or shared with others.

Feel free to contact me by e-mailing leeniearts@gmail.com 

I hope you enjoy.
Lena.

Lena Mitchell

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