Lyrics
Leader: I am the music maestro (counter) I come from a faraway land. (All repeat) Leader: Ish man doo lah (All repeat) Leader: On my [instrument] (All repeat) (Group of instrument sings their verse, any previous groups repeat their verse in order from latest to first) Instrument verses: Viola: Viola Viola Viola La Viola La Viola La Viola Viola Viola La Viola Viola La HEY! Piano: Piano Piano Piano La Piano La Piano La Piano Piano Piano La Piano Piano La HEY! Tuba: Umpah Umpah Umpah La Umpah La Umpah La Umpah Umpah Umpah La Umpah Umpah La HEY! Triangle: Ding A Ling A Ling A Ling Ding A Ling Ding A Ling Ding A Ling A Ling A Ling Ding A Ling A Ling HEY! Bagpipe: (In a bagpipe-like sound) Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh HEY! Orchestra: (All groups sing their instrument in unison)
Actions
As each group sings they do an action related to their instrument. Viola: Motion like bowing a viola Piano: Motion like pounding on a piano Tuba: Umpah style dance Triangle: Motion like ringing a triangle Bagpipe: Pulling on the skin over the Adam’s apple
Comments
This is a fun song. Essentially, you divide a large group into sub-groups. (You can use up to five sub-groups with these lyrics, but you may use less.) The idea is for each group to try and out do the others. Each group is given an instrument and instructed what their action will be. As the song is sung, the leader goes through the different instruments (Traditionally in the order of this song.) As each instrument is picked they sing their part, then any previously picked instruments sing their parts starting fro the latest to the first. (Ex: If a leader has already picked the viola and piano and then picks the tuba: The “tuba” sings their part The “piano” sings their part And the “viola” sings their part) At the end of the song, the leader picks the orchestra and all groups sing together.