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MUSIC IN ASLAN
Music has been a huge part of my life — first as a school music teacher, but also through many years of involvement in worship music since the mid-1970s as a singer, guitarist, and keyboard player.
I consider music to be a very important part of any Christian gathering, and you will notice that every lesson plan includes at least one song, chosen wherever possible to link closely with the theme of the session.
In our Aslan group, responses to music have varied over the years. At times, most of the children have loved singing and joining in; at other times, music has simply been tolerated! Because of this, and as a practical compromise, we usually include no more than two YouTube songs in each lesson plan.
YouTube videos can be especially helpful when there is no musician available to lead worship. They are also useful for children who are unwilling or unable to sing, as the visuals provide another way to engage. For example, some videos include groups of young people performing actions, such as We Thank You; others use animation or cartoon characters, such as Hosanna; and some feature Lego superheroes, as in one of our favourites, Jesus You're my Superhero.
Of course, you can be flexible with this approach. When we have a group that responds well to live music, I often use my guitar and provide instruments so that we can enjoy singing together. We currently also have a leader who uses Makaton signing, which has been a valuable and inclusive addition to our music times.
Playlist Resources
All lesson plans include links to songs on YouTube. This playlist contains more than 40 of those songs and provides a helpful collection of music that works well within the group setting.
This playlist includes more than 25 Christmas carols, ranging from traditional songs such as Silent Night to more recent songs like Oh What a Glorious Night, giving plenty of variety to choose from.