‘Simply Folk’ Sing-Along Invites People To Join Virtual House Band

For our annual Singalong Show, we’re going virtual, and you can join in! Each year, we have a House Band of WPR and PBS Wisconsin staff members help lead the singing for a few songs during our Singalong Show. But this year, we’ll be having a Virtual House Band, and we’d love to have you add your singing voice.

On this page, you’ll find six song recordings of well-known tunes, along with a lyric sheet. Just follow the instructions below for recording your own voice singing along on one, two or all six songs… however many you’d like to do.

Email your voice recordings to simplyfolk@wpr.org. We’ll add it to the voices of other Simply Folk listeners and share the final versions during our annual Singalong Show on Jan. 3. The deadline for sending us your recordings is Friday, December 4. There’s also a contact person listed below to answer any questions you might have about the recording process.

This is a relaxed atmosphere, so no matter how you feel about the quality of your singing, we hope you’ll join in. Everyone is welcome to add their voice to our first ever Virtual House Band. It will sound better with YOU… and thanks!

Instructions

Click here to find the lyrics for the six songs.

Below are the downloadable files for each of the songs:

• Download: You Are My Sunshine (MP3 Format)
• Download: Will The Circle Be Unbroken (MP3 Format)
• Download: This Little Light Of Mine (MP3 Format)
• Download: This Land Is Your Land (MP3 Format)
• Download: Coming Around The Mountain (MP3 Format)
• Download: Make New Friends (MP3 Format)

1) Play the song on your audio player or recording software of choice (on your computer, phone, etc.), using it as a guide track for recording your own part.

2) Plug your earbuds into your player, but use just one side/earpiece to hear the song. That allows you to hear yourself sing or play, but also keeps the guide track from coming through on your recording. 

3) Record yourself to a second device — phone, computer, or dedicated hardware recorder of some kind. 

4) Save the recording of your part as an .mp3. (Make a separate file for each song, if you record more than one.) 

5) Send an email to simplyfolk@wpr.org with your file(s) attached. (If you do all six songs, you might need to send more than one email.) 

The deadline to submit your recording is FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4. 

A Few More Tips

Record one song or six… however many you’d like to do… just follow the lyric sheets.

If you join in on the round, “Make New Friends,” choose your own part of the round to start singing, and then sing it through five times.

Begin your recording when the guide track begins with the count-off.  

Relax and enjoy it! No worries about how you sound. 

For help contact: Tom Blain at tom.blain@wpr.org

Submit A Recording And You Might Win

If statewide fame on “Simply Folk” isn’t incentive enough, everyone who submits a recording will be entered into a random drawing to win a WPR Prize Pack (including a WPR totebag, tshirt, travel mug, books and more.) WPR, WPM and ECB employees are not eligible to win. One entry per person. Audio recordings must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., Friday, December 4, 2020 to be included in the prize drawing. The winner will be notified by email during the week of December 7 at the address used to submit the audio track.