¡Canta Conmigo!

¡Canta Conmigo! is a practical guide for music educators looking to teach music from Central America. Suitable for use in families, schools, or community centers, this resource contains a playful collection of 90 songs, singing games, chants, and games author Rachel Gibson learned from teachers, children, and families while living in several communities in both countries. While the majority of the songs are in Spanish, the book also includes a few in a Mayan language, Kaqchikel. A comprehensive companion website offers field video, audio recordings, and select song histories to help readers witness the music in authentic contexts.
Ethnographic descriptions of locations where songs were learned and personal biographies written by the singers in Kaqchikel or Spanish and translated to English allow the reader to develop a connection to the land and the musicians. Culturally responsive and sustaining teaching pedagogies are discussed alongside strategies to responsibly include the music into school curriculums. A brief history of Central America and an overview of music genres in the region are included to frame this song collection within historic, cultural, and musical contexts. ¡Ven a cantar y jugar! Come sing and play!

Rachel Gibson is Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at Westfield State University. Prior to her current position she taught elementary music and choir for 15 years. She has trained in the Orff and Kodály approaches and is an instructor for Kodály summer institutes. During a ten-month sabbatical in Guatemala and Nicaragua, she lived in several communities and engaged in song collection, research, and Spanish language study. She received a Fulbright Global Scholar Award to teach and conduct research at the Universidad de Málaga in Spain. She is also a national and international clinician and presents workshops on global music, folkloric dance, and music pedagogies.

- Song Index
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- About the Companion Website
- Introduction
- Suggestions for Teachers
- Living Traditions: Children's Music in Guatemala and Nicaragua
- Overview: Central America, Guatemala, and Nicaragua
- Fieldwork Locations
- Biographies
- La Música (The Music)
- Rondas (Singing Games)
- Rimas y Juegos (Rhymes and Games)
- Canciones (Songs)
- Beyond the Songs
- Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogies
- Music in Central America
- Brief History of Central America
- Appendix
- Resources
- Literature
- Documentaries and Films
- Indexes
- Alphabetical
- Subject
- Game Type
- Formation
- Spanish Language
- Sites and Singers