Marvelous Music Makers for Music Ed: "The Hill Brothers"

As the first of my "Marvelous Music Makers", I'd like to introduce..."The Hill Brothers" (and Hill sister, Suzie)! At the beginning of each new school year, I use their "3R's: Respect, Responsibility, and Reading" CD for the first five weeks of school with my first graders. As one of our veteran paraprofessionals recently said to a new staff member, "You'll hear it until your ears bleed!"

The group is based out of upstate New York, but they have traveled down to our school in Western Pennsylvania twice in the past six years. The Hill Brothers give an excellent live show; they involve the audience, and leave behind infectious tunes remembered for months to come.


Not to torture my fellow staff members, but the reason the songs from the "Three Rs" album get so much play in the months of August/September is that they reinforce so many of the expectations that I have for my students! The song titles, and the weeks that I use them in are:

• Come On In (Week 1)
• You Respect Me, I’ll Respect You (Week 2)
• That’s Responsible (Week 3)
• Homework Excuses Song (Week 4)
• The Respect Twist (Week 5)

Incorporating specific hand movements, I use the songs for first grade, and also for my life skills students up to age 13. These songs would also be great in a Kindergarten classroom or Kindergarten music class.