The purpose of singing time is to “teach children the gospel of Jesus Christ through music” The Children’s Songbook p. 300. To do that, make sure you keep this quote by Elder Bednar in mind:
Never doubt your ability to contribute. A call to leadership is a call to display our weaknesses in public. We increase the faith of others as they see us change and grow.
That’s normal! You are now the only person who teaches EVERY Sunday to EVERY primary child! And not only that, there’s a year-end test (also known as the primary program).
And I completely understand! I started out in your shoes!
To walk you through your first month of being a new primary music leader, I have a 4-week email series available.
You receive 1 email every other day over the course of a month. Each email contains achievable tasks set to help you succeed in singing time!
Make sure you choose “Brand new primary music leader” in the dropdown!
At the top of the website are several “tabs” I’ve created (that apparently you have found if you are reading this!) that I feel will be the most beneficial to you. Here are a few more details about those tabs:
Blog: Here you’ll find all my posts! This is the “meat” of my website! Blog post topics range from weekly singing time lesson plans to planning singing time, to sharing singing time tips, supplies, etc. The free printables associated with each post, requires access my Resource Library. You can access it here or throughout my website:
About: Find out more about me and why I LOVE singing time!
New Music Leaders: Where you are now!
Index tab: This will help you navigate through my website. Use the drop-down!
Take a look around! If I can be of further assistance, contact me. Use the “Contact” link above (hover over the “About” tab to see it) or leave a comment anywhere, anytime.
There’s something here that can help with your awesome calling! And again, welcome to the singing time club!!
Be prepared in singing time for the entire month – every month! And all you have to do is print!
Do any of you remember learning the signs to Love One Another as a Primary child? I sure do! I love that the Children’s Songbook includes this! Teach this CLASSIC Primary song using any of the singing time ideas I have listed below!
If you are looking to celebrate Father’s day in singing time, make sure to check out these Father’s Day singing time ideas! There are ideas for specific Father’s Day Primary songs or singing any Primary songs using a Father’s Day theme!
Check out these singing time ideas for teaching the primary song, I. Am a Child of God in singing time! From using the plan of salvation, to bells to ASL! There’s bound to be something to accommodate your primary’s learning style and needs!
Hundreds of printables organized by song title and category that coincide with my singing time lesson plan posts!
Sign up to receive emails to get you started in singing time!
Singing time just got even easier! With my Singing Time To-Go, all you have to do is print! Be prepared for the entire month – every month!
19 thoughts on “New Music Leaders”
Thanks so much! I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed with this calling, but your blog has helped tremendously!
I love your blog! Thank you for doing it!
Your are so awesome for putting this together! THis is me–first time frantic chorister! Thx for your ideas!
I love you, Camille! Thank you for ALL your amazing work. We novice music people are so appreciative!!
Thank you so much for all of the great ideas!
Moved to the branch in August, was called in January and had no idea what songs the kids knew. I was out of town one Sunday, and the President (who had been called two weeks before) did the most amazing thing for me. She did a "Name That Tune" activity, which was something I hadn't even thought of before. Then she made a copy of the index of the Primary songbook and highlighted the ones they recognized. It made choosing songs soooo much easier! Then I came home and made a playlist on the LDS Music app so I could learn them, too, since I hadn't been around Primary kids since I was one in 1997. I also got the older kids to start singing more by telling them that hearing them sing would help me learn the songs. (I think the tears streaming down my face the first time I did Singing Time backed up my story and earned their pity!)
I also remember being grateful from the first week that the most important part of the calling is the easiest: loving the kids!
Hi there Camille! I am a mother of a 3yr old, a 1yr old, just found out I am pregnant and have a husband in medical school :):):) Ive really enjoyed your website it has been a huge help for me so far! I was called to be primary chorister about a month ago and we have our program on October 21st. I LOVE music but have know idea how to be anytime of chorister or music director. I never met the last chorister nor do I have much of an idea of what songs to practice most. Some kids know some songs and some know others… Ive been doing some of your review activities to get an idea of what they know. I printed out the treasure map because I really want to make reviewing fun for then but I don't really have any thing from past lessons to make teaching the song easy. I've made the chewing sticks, Ive been posting the lyrics to all the songs I was thinking I would do the treasure chest with the ring pops and ribbon, I printed out the pictures from the finch family for a child's prayer and I think the sign language for when I am baptized is easy enough that maybe I could teach them that but if I do that I don't know how it will go along with the treasure map… Im just starting to get very overwhelmed and was hoping you might have suggestions for me!
Thank-you so much for anything and everything! It is amazing that you put all of this out there and help so many people!
Lacee
any type* choosing sticks*
Lacee
Hi Lacee!
Thank you for your comment! Don't worry, we've all been in your shoes! The first 3 months at anything new are always the hardest. My first thought when reading your comment was you need to simplify. This is where I like to start when I feel overwhelmed about anything – I like to ask myself, "what can I cut out?" (and this pertains to life in addition to singing time for me!).
Since you are coming into the program late in the game, you'll need to let a lot slide this year! Just work on singing the songs each week and figuring out what they do know. Since you've got the Treasure Map theme going, I'd just stay with that and call it good. You can use it up until your program in October.
I personally would not add anything new at this point (including sign language). If you need to scrap songs or even just 2nd and 3rd verses, do it. If you feel ambitious, try farming out a few songs to Activity Day girls and boys, or have teachers sing one of the songs, child or adult solos, etc. Just get creative.
You can make up for it all next year when you get to start with a clean slate in January and you have 10 months to prep for the program instead of less than 2 months. And remember, family comes before your calling. You have a lot on your plate so if you continue to feel overwhelmed, talk to your bishop about finding a less demanding calling until things in your personal life settle down. I've done it before and it was the best thing for me at the time.
Anyway, just my 2 cents…hope it helps! Good luck!!
~Camille
Thankyou so so much Camille! I feel like i just needed to hear that it was ok not to do everything so extravagent from someone like you who is a chorister with so much experience. Thank you again soooo much for taking the time to write me back!
Lacee
I seem to remember there being a few more tabs on this page. Things like how you schedule you months, filing, and just some general getting started knowledge. Did that information get moved somewhere else?
Hi Valerie,
You are right! it’s missing! I need to figure out where it went. Thanks for the heads up!
~Camille
I’ve corrected it – thank you again for your help!
~Camille
Thank you! You’re amazing organization is what is giving me hope I can keep my head above water!
Hi Camille!
Our primary has never learned Gethsemane I heard the song and love it! Can I teach it if it is not in the primary book and have you ever done words for it and ideas?
Kristie
Hi Kristie!
Gethsemane has been published in the Friend and I believe songs put out by the church can be taught without a bishop’s approval but you may want to double check with him. I haven’t taught it in singing time and don’t have a lesson plan for it. But I do have it in my Posting Words format if that helps.
~Camille
I have just been called as a Primary Chorister and told they are going to combine senior and junior primary for singing time. I am a bit concerned about how to teach songs to such different ages, with readers and non readers together (about 50 kids). Any ideas?
Hi Debora!
Wow – 50 kids at a time! I’d definitely see if you can split it up in to Jr. and Sr. But I know that’s not always easy to do. I always say that if you have multiple ages, cater to the older kids. The younger kids will grasp what they can. There’s nothing worse than bored big kids and they should be your priority. You can also pair up big kids with little kids so they can assist the younger kids in your activity. I hope that helps – good luck!
~Camille
Hi Camille – I am a new Primary President and wanting to help our Music Leader (fairly new as well). Do you have Singing Time To-Go weekly bundles for 2022? Before we purchase I just want to make sure that it will actually go along with the songs for this year and help the kids learn songs that will be incorporated in the Primary Program at the end of the year. Thanks!
Hi Heather!
If you want to know what songs will be included in the 2022 Singing Time To-Go bundle, I have all the songs listed here that will be included in the program (they are bolded):
https://camillesprimaryideas.com/2021/09/music-for-singing-time-2022.html
I hope that helps!
~Camille