Music of the Universe Songbook

I recorded these songs in 200-2008 when I taught K-5 music at Saint Patrick School in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can listen to all of the songs and download the PDF of the songbook. Enjoy!

PDF Music of the Universe Songbook

Carol Raedy · Music of the Universe Songbook

Traveling Chimes - Make New Friend But Keep the Old

I cut these chimes from discarded tent poles.  The supports are made of bamboo from the woods near our house.  They can be set up along a sidewalk or in a circle.  The chimes are spaced so that, if you walk at a steady pace, it will play a song.  They are traveling chimes because you play the song by traveling and because they can travel to you!

Happy New Year 2023!  I don't update this blog much anymore as I mostly post my new projects on Instagram and Youtube.  You can follow me there @carolraedy.  

Here's my newest traveling chimes song:

A New Year Song - Walking Chimes

I love to make things from discarded materials and bring them new life. These chimes were made from discarded metal tent poles. The supports are bamboo from the woods near my house. I cut the pipes to make a C pentatonic scale. The chimes are spaced so that when you walk you play a song. The gaps are the rests.  I used metal coat hangers to hang them.  They are tied in place with curling ribbon.  This is easy to remove so that I can change the song periodically.  Enjoy the song and the new year!

Musical Marble Falls

These photos are from August 6, 2020.  The video is from back in April when I made this little interactive exhibit in my yard during the stay at home orders due to Covid-19.  I had fun being home and working in the yard.  Most of the flower seeds I planted did not come up, but the volunteer grass has filled in.

Kaleidoscopes at Mint Museum

I'll be making kaleidoscope at the Mint Museum's Sunday Funday event this Sunday with folks from MakeSpace Charlotte.  Admission to the museum is free for kids and only $6.00 for adults.  Click here for more info and directions to the museum.  Click here for Kaleidoscope making instructions.

Music of the Universe Songbook

I have recently uploaded these songs that I recorded 20 years ago when I was a classroom music teacher and leading music workshops in Charlotte area schools.  You can listen and download the music from SoundCloud.  You can also download a PDF of the songbook below.  Contact me if you would like a hard copy of the songbook.

Music of the Universe Songbook PDF

Fall Music Classes

Join me for music classes on Monday mornings starting September 11 at Plantation Estates Retirement Community. The charge is $5.00/class. Pay as you go and no commitment to be there every week. Contact me if you are interested or with any questions.

World Music Drumming 10:00-10:45 (auditorium)
We will play large tubano floor drums which are a cross between conga drums and african djembes as well as smaller percussion instruments and marimbas as we explore drumming traditions from around the world. No previous experience is necessary.

Recorder Class 11-12 (craft room)
 Come and enjoy playing music with others as we play an eclectic mix of music with beautiful harmonies. We will do some review of the basics of playing and music reading, but mostly it will be playing songs in three and four parts. This could be an opportunity to learn the alto, tenor or bass if you already play soprano recorder. I have altos for loan or purchase. If you would like to join the class but have never played a recorder, contact me and I can get you started.

This is a video of the drumming and recorder classes playing along with Community Singers at our Spring Performance.

Music Party

Highlights from our Spring Sing Along featuring Charlotte Community Singers, Plantation Estates Recorder Class and Plantation Estates Drum Class.  All of the these groups are open to new members.  Please contact me if you are interested in joining us or visiting.

Old Time Jam Tunes in modal

This is our latest video of old time fiddle tunes.  These are all modal tunes.

Everybody Sing on September 10

Join me for a singing workshop on Saturday, September 10 at Central Cafe Glade.  See previous post for details.

Everybody Sing Workshop

Music touches a deep place in our hearts. It can lift our spirits. It can deepen our appreciation of different cultures.  It can bring us hope.  It can make us laugh.

Join me for a singing workshop that will leave you with a smile on your face, a song in your heart and a deeper sense of the common bonds that unite us all. You will sing songs from a variety of styles and cultures as you learn healthy singing practices and gain confidence in your voice. 

This workshop is for anyone who enjoys singing (even if it is just in the shower) and would like to join others for some singing fun and fellowship. No singing experience is required. As an African proverb says, “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.”

Saturday, July 9, 2016

10AM - Noon at Central Cafe Glade

139 Town Square, Glade Spring, VA 24340

$10.00 or pay what you can

Registration - 9:30-10:00 prior to the workshop or email me

Community Singers Concert - October 11

Join Charlotte Community Singers Saturday, October 11 for a free concert of joyful music for all ages.  You'll hear songs from many styles and cultures along with familiar folk songs for singing along.  You’ll leave with a smile on your face, a song in your heart and a deeper sense of the common bonds that unite us all.  The concert takes place at Sharon Presbyterian church in the chapel at 7 PM followed by refreshments at 8 PM.  

Community Singers at Matthews Farmers Market

World Music Drumming Class

I will be teaching a drumming class in July and August on Thursdays, 10:45-11:30. Kids are welcome if accompanied by an adult. No experience is necessary as the classes are designed to make West African and Caribbean drumming traditions accessible to beginners of all ages.  Suggested donation is $5.00/class to help with material costs. The location is Plantation Estates Retirement Community (map) in the auditorium.  Please let me know if you plan to come so that I will have enough drums and so that I can let you know of any schedule changes.  Here is a video from a workshop I went to last summer that gives you an idea of what we will be doing.

Old Time Fiddle for Beginners

I made this video so that my students could jam along at home.  It is designed for beginners who want simple versions of songs played up to tempo.  Songs include: Bile Them Cabbage Down (with harmonies), Liza Jane, Shortnin' Bread, Buffalo Gals, Shady Grove, Old Joe Clark, Sandy Boys, Gray Cat on an Old Tennessee Farm, Angeline the Baker, Oh Susanna

Square Dance

Join my fiddle students and and me for a square dance on Saturday, Feb. 8th from 1:30 to 2:30 at Plantation Estates Retirement community (733 Plantation Estates Drive, Matthews, NC 28105). My fiddle students will be playing the music. I will teach each dance and we will walk through it slowly before dancing with the fiddle music. If you plan to come just tell the person at the entrance gate that you are there for the fiddle jam and square dance in the auditorium. This event is for all ages. The fiddlers will gather at 1 to warm up and run through some of the songs for the dance.

Holiday Jam and Square Dance

Holiday Music Jam and Square Dance

Saturday, December 14th, 1-2:30 PM

Plantation Estates Retirement Community in the auditorium

733 Plantation Estates Drive, Matthews, NC 28105

Join my students and me for a holiday jam and square dance. We will play and sing holiday tunes together until about 1:45 and then I will teach some square dances with my fiddle students playing the dance tunes. All ages are invited to participate.  If you'd like to play along with us, click here for a link to the music.

International day of peace

This is my all time favorite peace song.  It speaks of the common bonds that can unite us all if we will open our heart.

Song of Peace (Finlandia) Sibelius/Stone
Click here to listen

This is my song, o God of all the nations

A song of peace for lands afar and mine

This is my home the country where my heart is

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine

But other hearts in other lands are beating

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean

And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine

Oh hear my song, thou god of all the nation

A song of peace for their land and for mine

Friday fun at camp

We shared our songs with family and friends.
Click here to hear us singing.

We made kaleidiscopes...

Can you see Anna?

 
...and geometric bubbles.

 Click here for more pictures.

More Music Fun