Mommy Yak
Featuring traditional Asian instruments and singing on top of real yaks!
The Song Of This Week is "Mommy Yak!" Have you ever seen a yak before? I haven’t seen one in real life, but I’ve seen pictures of these huge, fuzzy, cow-like guys in articles about Tibet or climbing Mount Everest. They’re pretty cute. Look at that face.
Shweta is one of our wonderful Music Class teachers in India, whom I got to meet many years ago when we took a trip to see The Music Class center in Mumbai. Shweta sent me this incredible video of her boys meeting real yaks for the first time!! She said they were so excited and couldn’t stop singing “Mommy Yak” all day while they rode on the backs of real yaks!
No yaks were harmed in the making of this video
For the rest of us who are sadly unable to serenade a real yak in person, we are left to pretend at home. BE the yak you wish to meet. Open your windows, feel that fall breeze blowing in, and let your kids crawl all over you. You can instantly transport your family to the Himalayas; just make sure to crawl around on a carpet to protect your knees.
“Mommy Yak” is an unusual and educationally valuable song because it features traditional Asian instruments that many Americans may have never heard before. In the video below, Ms. Emily points out all the different instruments in the recording.
Try watching the video with your kids and identifying what each instrument sounds like. Then try playing the video again, this time with your eyes closed. See if you can name the instruments when you hear them! (This type of critical listening exercise is similar to games we play in TMC Big Kids class, and is definitely more appropriate for slightly older children. The little ones benefit from just hearing and seeing the instruments!) Then don’t forget to crawl around to the beat and sing along.
I have one more fun video for you, of Grammy-nominated Wu Man playing the pipa. She is recognized as the world's premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music. The pipa on our recording of Mommy Yak is very simple, so it's awesome to see an example of just how beautiful and expressive this instrument can be!
P.S. If you want to learn more about Tabla drums, CLICK HERE for my long diatribe about how amazing they are!