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 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, who 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” the whole day while they rode on the backs of their actual yaks! HOW AMAZING IS THAT!?!
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. Open your windows, feel that cool breeze blowing in, and let your kids crawl all over you. BE the yak you wish to meet. You can instantly transport your family to the Himalayas, just make sure to find a carpeted room to protect your knees.
“Mommy Yak” is an unusual and educationally valuable song because it features traditional Asian instruments that many of us Americans might have never heard before. In the song video below, Ms. Emily points out all of the different instruments on 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!
P.S. If you want to learn more about Tabla drums, CLICK HERE for my long rant about how amazing they are!
If you want to watch a Grammy-nominated Pipa master play a beautiful song from the 1800s, CLICK HERE!