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“…. we sing, I FEEL GOOD by Fischy Music, which transcends all cultural barriers. Thanks Stephen Fischbacher once again for the music that we use so much here on the Thai Burma border. It’s a novelty for the children to sing a fun song in assembly and people stream out of secondary classes to watch from the other buildings. ”
You can read more about Sheila at her blog here:
You can see and hear Stephen (and helpers) at the Edinburgh 2010 Mission Conference .
We had a good laugh with the children at St James Church this week when we re-wrote the words from “Words” (from the “I Wonder Why” Album).
Here they are:
“Some Words”
Some words are spikey like pineapple, Some words are freezing like ice, Some words are sweaty like Australia, Some words are squeaky like mice
Words, words, words, What would we do without words; Words, words, words, What would we do without words
Some words are rainy like Edinburgh, Some words are boring like school, Some words are colourful like rainbows, Some words are watery like pool
Words, words, words…
Some words are chatty like teeth or mouth, Some words are long like sticks, Some words are tasty like strawberries, Some words are hard like bricks
Words, words, words…
Some words are bossy like teacher, Some words are random like fish, Some words are awesome like Elvis, Some words are ridiculously long like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Words, words, words…
Written by St James’ young peeps; Copyright Fischy Music
Hello to everyone at Tanshall Primary in Glenrothes who made Sandy and I feel so welcome on Wednesday ! You are a BRILLIANT bunch of singers and we especially enjoyed the ‘Over my head’ song you sung to us. I hope you’re all feeling fit and healthy after your health week and ‘May you find rest in the holidays’ !! (especially you hard working teachers).
Here are some new lyrics for ‘Weird and Wonderful’ (from I Wonder…WHY? album) from the Stirk family in Haxby. I think they might be even better than the original ones! Great fact-finding you guys 
Suzanne
A hungry octopus will eat its own arms - Wow, that’s amazing! Ostriches wee on their legs to cool them down - Wow, that’s amazing! A shrimp’s heart is in its head - Wow, that’s amazing! Bees don’t have ears but have five eyes - Wow, that’s amazing!
Underneath its fur, a zebra’s all black - Wow, that’s amazing! Leeches have thirty-two brains - Wow, that’s amazing! Fleas drink fifteen times their weight in blood - Wow, that’s amazing! Elephants cannot jump - Wow, that’s amazing!
All the world’s spiders weigh more than us people - Wow, that’s amazing! Giraffe’s hearts work harder than a petrol pump - Wow, that’s amazing! A grasshopper’s ears are on its knees - Wow, that’s amazing! Ten thousand humans are born each hour - Wow, that’s amazing!
Thanks to everyone at Banchory Primary who sang their hearts out last Friday and made me feel so welcome. There was a brilliant worm dance done in Creativity and the singing got top marks from Simon, Cheryl, Dannie and Louis
Parkhead Primary ROCKS ! Sandy and I were so impressed with your singing,dancing and teamwork at the concert today. It was pure magic to see all your happy faces and we think you really are stars * Thanks to all the children and staff for such a special day and we’ll see you again soon ! Raine ”
Here are some lovely photographs of some of the children’s art which they have done in relation to our Fischy visits.
Sandy and I spent a brilliant two days in the York area from 4-6 February. I meant to blog it straight away but here we go - only 2 weeks late! We visited Ralph Butterfield Primary, Forest of Galtres Primary, ran a training morning for almost 50 adults and then a sell-out concert in Haxby Methodist Church! We also got a rare opportunity to play our ‘non-Fischy’ songs that we write and record as duo Fair Witness (www.fairwitness.net). It was honestly one of the best trips we have done, and hats off to Cameron and Lucy Stirk who organised it all impeccably. We had so much lovely feedback which helps remind us, 12 years on, of the power that music has to cheer people up, make them think and bring them together as a family, school or church. I came away feeling totally blessed and so lucky to have the best job in the world….. thanks everyone.
Here are some fabulous photos of some of our Namibian fans singing Build Up and You Are A Star. The pictures are sent by Anne Dreyer who has been working in Imkerhof with this enthusiastic group of children!
My name is Pat Holden and I am the YMI Coordinator for East Lothian Council andI have worked with Fischy Music for several years on YMI projects. The latest creative music project ‘What does it mean to be Scottish’ has been a tremendous success and I highly recommend the Fischy team if you are looking for professionalism and a really motivated team of artists to inspire and motivate your children. I certainly will be developing our YMI creative song writing with them again in the near future.
” Thank you to everyone at Wallacestone Primary in Brightons for such a brilliant day. Suzanne and I very much enjoyed being with you as part of your health week - what amazing enthusiastic singing ! Keep up the good work : ) Raine
Practitioners in health and well-being continue to endorse our work. For example, last month we received a Special Commendation for Contributions to the Field of Arts and Mental Health Practice from the Royal Society for Public Health.
(evidence…)
Jed was recently on Radio Scotland talking about latest songwriting project with primary 6s’.
What fun we all had…!
Sandy
Jed and I had a great session on Friday evening with around 15 nurses, who had just that day completed a qualification in Compassionate Care. It was an unusual event, as there was no element of training or presenting material for them to use - we were simply booked to do some singing, and use the hour to reflect and celebrate on their achievements. This could have had a cringe factor of 8+ - Fischy with adults? However, the folks were raring to sing and threw themselves into the session with joy, humour and enthusiasm. We were quite moved by their willingness to reveal their ‘inner children’ and I can’t help feeling that this warmth and openness is a wonderful quality for any nurse. We even wrote a song together! Good luck to them all as they seek to promote humanity and compassion in NHS health care. Suzanne
Here is some feedback from someone using our Nativity Resource - The Angry Hotelman. Thank you Jen!
http://colour-remembered.blogspot.com/2009/12/down-to-earth.html
Well done to p6 pupils at North Berwick, Gullane, Aberlady and Direlton Primaries who have written some AMAZING songs about living in Scotland. I think these could be future chants in Murrayfield Stadium !!
Raine
A teacher from Riverside Primary kindly sent us instructions of how to make your own trumpet for use with ‘May you find peace’. CLICK HERE do view/download. Give it a go!
A recent dance to ‘May you find peace’ by a Lithuanian children’s dance group. Good stuff!
“I have created a dance for them by this song and they are dancing it, using signing in the movements, and it is one of the favourite dances for them:)
Coach Aida
Over the last 2 years or so we have been involved in a number of song writing projects that have been both exciting and scary. We now offer a service where we write songs not just for children but where we write songs with children.
This has been a really big thing for us in Fischy Music where we have had to develop another approach to song writing in that when we use this approach we act more as facilitators rather than as songwriters and we are coming alongside children to try and tease out their thoughts and creativity rather than actually write the songs ourselves. It is a bit like starting all over again and learning a completely different skill which is exciting but also very demanding in that you are starting off with a blank piece of paper each time and the onus is on the children to come up with the ideas for lyrics and music. It is our job to try to stimulate their imaginations and draw together the ideas and thoughts of children often in groups up to 30 at a time.
Someone once said that if we listen generously, people will often hear the truth for the first time and I believe that this principle applies well to song writing with children. Just like any adult songwriter who is wading through oceans of musical ideas and words to try and arrive at a song, we need to listen to what children are actually saying and possibly pick up on a comment or what initially seems like a daft idea that might be the kernel of something really profound.
The old adage does apply to this process as well that creativity involves about 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration as sometimes you don’t have a clue where you are going and wonder if you are ever going to end up with anything but if you listen generously and hold on to your nerve, children will always come up with something and often very inventive and thoughtful.
We have written a number of school songs as well as projects with children who have been through traumas of various kinds and we are currently working with the Youth Music Initiative and East Lothian Council with classes of 10 year old children on the theme of what it means to be Scottish.
Now where is that that blank piece of paper?!
Stephen
We have a glittering awards ceremony engagement coming up on Friday night: not MTV or Grammy, but the Kindness Scotland Awards 2009! Schools nominate puils to KS throughout the year for acts of kindness, and we have been asked to open the prize-giving evening in Edinburgh City Chambers with some Fischy music. I reckon You are a Star will be on the playlist for sure. I can’t think of anything nicer than helping celebrate children’s ability to be kind, caring and community-minded. Go to http://www.kindnesscotland.co.uk/ for some heart-warming stories…
Jed and I had a brilliant day at Law primary yesterday for the first of the song-writing workshops. It was so strange to be back at my old school, would you believe that headteacher Mr Barnes recognised me after 25 years !! We had great fun singing snippets of everyone’s favourite songs - from ‘Living on a prayer’ to ‘Beat Again’ - what a musical bunch p6 is ! Can’t wait for next week…… Raine
Here are some quotes from the children after a recent visit.
“By the way, when we were singing and dancing every single person had a great big smile on their faces including me!”
“Seeing everyone dancing in the hall was great. I thought that all the songs about emotions were showing us how to love and care and that without emotions you’re just nothing. My favourite songs were the ones about ‘Creativity’ and the ‘Music Maker’ song.”
“The children thoroughly enjoyed their time and had a very positivve, thought - provoking experience.” Mrs Ross
Stephen and Suzanne had an amazing time on Iona last weekend with the International Childrens Assembly and now Stephen has gone off to Ethiopia. Its supposed to be a holiday but rumour has it there will be a concert involved as well ! Nearer to home we’ve had teams in Aberdeen for a series of concerts and school visits and this week and next will be in Hamilton visiting 10 different schools and ending up with a concert in Hamilton College on Friday 30th.
Anne, Fischy Office
Fischy team and directors away day
Us backstage before final GB concert! Good times. S
Fischy Central Command is humming with activity now that term has started. There are 55 day’s worth of events booked over September, October and November - and still more are coming in! It s a good thing we have our wonderful team of sessional performers to help deliver all this. Places we are going include Aberdeen, Dumfries, the Isle of Wight, Hamilton, Iona, Northern Ireland and Perth. Perhaps we should have a sweepstake competition to guess the number of miles we will cover! As well as all the gigs, we are currently focused on marketing (i.e. making more people across the UK aware of our brilliant music resources), fundraising, and writing songs with children in East Lothian. I’m looking forward to our ‘day away’ in October where all the staff and Directors get a chance to spend some quality time together and muse on where we are at as an organisation. Meanwhile, keep the coffee and biscuits coming….
Just back from Greenbelt 2009 after our 9th in a row appearance at the Festival. As always it was great to meet old pals and make new ones as well. As we drove up the M6 on Monday night (a little wearily!) we were more ready to do another year’s Fischy Music after basking in the atmosphere and positive feedback from the Festival.
I met a woman who had a 4 year old girl who had fairly serious heart problems and “Dreaming of a day when broken hearts are mended” was a song that had helped her family cope better with 4 big heart operations! It’s that kind of conversation that keeps you going in the cold winter months when you are in a school on a monday morning faced with 11 year old boys who don’t want to sing!
The new album Down to Earth sold like hot cakes and our sales were the best we have ever experienced at Greenbelt. Thanks to everyone who attended the concerts or who stopped by for a chat.
If we don’t see you during the coming year we hope to see you at next year’s Festival!
Thanks to everyone who came along and helped to make our recent concerts such a success. The team had a lot of fun at their Edinburgh Festival and Fringe by the Sea gigs. Special mention and thanks must go to the Mum and Dad who played air guitar with Stephen and Suzanne on Monday night. If you werent there- you should have been !
Now we are frantically getting everything ready for Greenbelt in Cheltenham, packing up our camping gear, musical instruments and cds and trying to fit them all into the van.
We are back in the Northern Lights tent this year with our friends from Iona where there will be a packed program of events including two or three Fischy events each day. All we need now is some good weather…..
Anne
It’s Festival month for us all here at Fischy.
Suzanne, Jed and Sandy are appearing at the Fringe by the sea concert in North Berwick on Friday 14th (11am and 2pm) It’s always fun to perform in North Berwick, we have a lot of great friends there and they have a fine fish and chip shop as well! Fringe by the sea
At the end of the month we are off to Greenbelt Arts Festival in Cheltenham for our yearly jaunt, we all look forward to this, (apart from the driving!) Greenbelt
We are appearing at Charlotte Chapel (venue 251)on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th at 6p.m. Suzanne and Stephen will be performing at these concerts. more info
Plenty to keep us busy! Stephen
Although this link is from from last year, it gives a great insight to what the children we work with think. It is from Riverside Primary School and you can listen here….
What an amazing treat this morning to find that while I’ve been relaxing on holiday a team of our wonderful volunteers have redecorated the Fischy Central Office. Its looking great, I’ll enjoy coming in to work even more now ! Thanks everyone !
Anne
From Suzanne - Fischy’s Event Manager
There is never a dull moment here at Fischy Central - even though the event diary is a bit quieter over the summer, the four of us permanent staff are busy as can be! I just wanted to say a huge thanks to Helen, who has laboured mightily to create our new-look site and drag us all into the 21st century with blogging etc. With the help of Dan at Inigo Media we have a site which gives an accurate impression of who we are and what kind of music we make. I can’t wait to start reading all your comments so that the web site, just like our concerts, is as much about the audience as it is about the performers….
Here are some alternative words for one of our songs (We Like, We Like), sent by one of the schools that we recently visited:
Lyrics by Primary 7, Chirnside Primary School
We like being pupils at Chirnside Primary School We’re one big happy family It really is quite cool Getting an award, makes us feel proud We like singing songs liKe this and singing them out loud
CHORUS We like, we like this school (Oi Oi!) But best of all they all like me (Oi Oi!) We like, we like this school (Oi Oi!) But best of all they all like me…hey!
When we’re in the playground we like to skip and run Playing all together Having lots of fun We like doing P.E. and being with our friends We don’t want to have to leave, we hope this never ends
CHORUS
We like doing drama and acting out a play We like Health and doing sums And making things from clay We like helping others and finding jobs to do RME AND ICT AND shouting out YAHOO!
We have recently overhauled the Fischy site and hope you like the new format.
You can now listen to a lot more music before you buy or let your friends hear clips of the songs rather than just reading a description about them.
Also, this blog allows you to interact with Fischy like never before. It gives you – our friends and partners - the chance to give us feedback directly and allows us to develop our work much collaboratively. Watch this space for regular updates and requests for your contributions.
As you may have noticed, we are starting to change the format of our music in that we are now offering CDRoms which includes all the music, backing tracks, DVD clips and teaching ideas together in the one package. Build Up and the new album Down to Earth are now in this form. We hope you will find this more user friendly.
As many of you will know, Fischy Music celebrated its 10 year anniversary last year with a series of big events in Edinburgh and we had a wonderful time with friends from all around the UK. This felt like a real milestone to reach and it was great to celebrate but we are equally excited about the next 10 years and making the music much more accessible to a wider audience and to helping others to use the songs for themselves in promoting emotional and spiritual well-being in children.
Our main focus over the last 10 years has been writing songs for children but look out for a lot more songs written by children over the next 10 years. We see this as a one of the next steps in Fischy Music and we have already been writing a number of songs with children from various parts of Scotland. We feel that this is a way of giving children a bit more power and voice and already we have learned so much from them about good song writing!
In Fischy Music, we are totally committed to producing top quality music for/with children and adults that has a message of hope, inspires people as well as is challenging. It is always great to get feedback on when the songs really hit the spot but also when we could do it better so please feel free to drop us an E-mail with your comments if you get a minute or two.
The Fischy Events Calendar
We are taking part in a series of training events and free concerts, hosted by The Church of Scotland at various locations:
For more information please contact Wendy Kerr - Church of Scotland, 0141 352 6946.
Fischy Music on the Thai/Burmese Border
29 July 2010 | 1 Comment »
28 June 2010 | No Comments »
7 June 2010 | No Comments »
Build Up Resource Pack - Double DC pack with extended audio CD plus CD ROM
Emotions like anger & sadness, explored in 10 original songs for primary-age children.
Wonderful. The children were so involved and are still singing the songs
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