Contents Get the most out of Sing Up Day If you haven’t already, make sure you get all the resources for this year’s anthem, (We are) Sing Up Day – celebrating the power of song 2 Unstoppable – written specially for us by Emily Barden. As well as this pack, head online for: 3 Get the most out of Sing Up Day (We are) Unstoppable audio tracks, scores, lyric sheet, and teaching notes Song videos including signed performances in British Sign Language (BSL) and Songwriter spotlight – Emily Barden 4 Sign Supported English (SSE), and a lyric video 6 You are unstoppable! – Sing Up Day Assembly plan Downloadable pupil worksheets Sing Up Day playlists (We are) Unstoppable – song lyrics 8 Learn the song Song activities: Once you’ve saved the song resources, schedule some practice time to familiarise everyone with 9 People need people (Ages 4-13) 11 We aren’t scared to fix what’s broken (Ages 7-13) the song, including staff and parents if possible. See the teaching notes for warm-up ideas and advice about how to teach the song. Finding a range of opportunities to practise (e.g. in class, We know what we value (Ages 4-11) Being an ally and breaking the chain (Ages 7-13) 9 12 assembly, staff meetings, online lessons, and choir rehearsals) will help you achieve a polished 10 We know what we value (Ages 7-13) 13 How our world should be (Ages 7-13) performance. Start by getting everyone familiar with the song by playing it during transitions, as pupils enter/exit assembly, get changed for PE, have indoor play, etc. and ask pupils to listen to 14 Useful links and resources the song or watch the videos at home. Teach the song from the lyric video for a more visual aid. 15 More details and contact Sing Up Get everyone involved Celebrate Sing Up Day as a community by getting as many people involved as possible – including parents, grandparents, guardians, governors, local care homes, other schools, music hubs… think beyond your school walls. Can local community groups learn the song? What Sing Up Day – celebrating the power of song about a staff rendition for pupils? Try teaching or recommending it to a choir you’re a member of – the song works equally well with mixed and upper voices. Add your singing events to our Sing Up day map at bit.ly/SUD-map. very year since 2010, Sing Up has set joining us for this year’s celebration. aside a special day to celebrate the Please share your celebrations with us via Learning aids for younger singers or for SEND pupils Epower of song. From the UK to the UAE, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest Using the unison version of the song makes it simpler to learn. You may want to begin singing and the US to China, schools and singers using #SingUpDay, and don’t forget to add along to the performance track and working towards pupils performing with the backing track. join us on Sing Up Day to spread a little your event to our Sing Up Day map – bit.ly/ Devising some actions will help pupils learn and remember the lyrics. Sharing out sections of singing around the globe. SUD-map. the song (where some pupils sing the verses and others the chorus, for example) will also mean each individual singer has a little less to remember. Don’t forget to make use of the signed Each year, we commission a brand-new We’d love to hear your group, see your performance videos in BSL and SSE. anthem and, along with accompanying videos, and include you in our 2021 digichoir resources and activity ideas, we make the video (more details on how to get involved Use the pupil resources song materials available for free because we are found at singup.org/sing-up-day/ We’ve created some downloadable worksheets for pupils that accompany some of the activities want everyone to join in and feel the power digichoir). Help us to share the power of set out in this pack (see pages 9-13). All the activities take the lyrics and theme of (We are) of music on Sing Up Day. song and singing, and spread community Unstoppable as inspiration and are designed to be adaptable to suit different ages and abilities. spirit across the globe. Most importantly, we Head to singup.org/sing-up-day/resources to download these. You can make as many copies Singing together is powerful and inclusive – hope you have fun celebrating and singing of the pack and worksheets as you need. Feel free to add the PDFs to your school VLE or share everyone can take part: all you have to do together. with students and families by email. is sing as much as possible on Wednesday Be part of our 2021 digichoir 30 June 2021. We’re delighted that you’ll be All the best, If you have permission to film or record your pupils, then we’d love for you to be included in our The Sing Up Team annual digichoir. You will find more details about how to get involved and how to send us your recordings at singup.org/sing-up-day/digichoir. 2 3 triggers a bigger idea. My dad often says think doing something physical helps – many a Songwriter spotlight – Emily Barden things that become accidental song titles – my song problem has been sorted by going for a mum writes little things he says in a notebook run or a swim! and tells me about them. One summer day we were walking, in came the clouds, and What advice could you give to budding We caught up with the writer of our 2021 dad said “Finally, we’ve got the rain” … before songwriters – do you have any top tips? Sing Up Day song, who talked to us about you know it, that became a song! People Just DO IT! As with all things, practice makes her influences and songwriting process. and the everyday instances of life are hugely perfect. I’d encourage people to let their ideas inspiring. Songs can come from anywhere. I’ve come out, even if they don’t become songs recently got into co-writing, which has been – if you keep blocking creative ideas thinking an interesting and productive way to write, as they’re not good enough, you create a backlog you get a different starting point/perspective, of ‘bad’ ideas and the good ones will never What inspired you to write (We are) What’s your favourite thing about being a and end up going places that you wouldn’t come through. Quite often, something that Unstoppable? songwriter, and what’s your favourite song necessarily have gone. initially seems not that good can be worked I read about the Fridays For Future that you’ve written? on and transformed into something you really movement inspired by Greta Thunberg, The best thing about being a songwriter is How do you make up your lyrics? like. Don’t throw it away – see what it could where children joined the campaign for a when a melody or idea pops into my head at Lyrics need to tell a story, take you on a become with a bit of re-working! better environmental strategy and to raise an unexpected time (maybe when digging journey, and create an atmosphere that suits awareness around climate change. I found the garden, or on a run, or driving) and then the song. I pick words for sound as well as Who are your songwriting inspirations? a series of chants they used, including the the time I get to a piano/guitar, the whole meaning – some words don’t sound very nice I really like people who are good with words phrase “We are unstoppable” and thought song comes out, fully formed. It’s hugely when sung. I write what I want the story to be like Guy Garvey (from Elbow), Joni Mitchell, it was a very powerful statement from the satisfying when that happens. My favourite before getting caught up in a rhyme scheme, and Bob Dylan. Others influences include voices of young people. I wanted to create a song depends on my mood. Sometimes I as you can always go back and replace words Carol King, Chris Martin, Lianne La Havas, KT first-person song to be sung by young people might want something upbeat and positive, in or jiggle sentences around to get a rhyme, Tunstall, James Taylor, John Mayer, Suzanne voicing their power and determination to which case Smile is always good; sometimes but a rhyme that compromises meaning is no Vega, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits, Paul put right wrongs they witness in the world, I want something reflective and personal, like good for me. McCartney. These are some I immediately not just around climate change but around Spend the day. I’ve got a song called Last train thought of; there are billions more! other inequalities and the Black Lives Matter home that I do at the end of gigs, and get Do you ever get nervous about sharing campaign, for example. In terms of the style, the audience singing the chorus in harmony. something you’ve written? If you weren’t a songwriter what do you it was always going to be something positive That’s a great sound coming back at you. I also All the time! I can feel my heart rate quicken as think you would be instead? and anthemic and, most importantly, great fun really enjoy hearing the songs I’ve written for I’m playing somebody something for the first I do lots of things as well as songwriting, to sing! Sing Up being sung by young voices.