Sarah Martinez earned a Bachelor of Music summa cum laude from Texas State University, where she also completed a Master of Education degree and Kodály Certification. While pursuing her graduate and doctoral studies, she taught elementary music and choir in Texas public schools. After 13 years in the classroom, she transitioned into fine arts administration. She currently serves as the Director of Fine Arts for Pflugerville ISD, where she has worked for the past 8 years.

As an active clinician and conductor, Dr. Martinez has led numerous honor choirs and region choirs and throughout Texas. She has often presented at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention and at the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference. She is member of the Texas Music Administrators Association (TMAA) and has served as a judge for UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluations. As a composer, she has many self-published choral works, as well as others published by Alfred Music and Heritage Music Press. For more info, see her CV.

American Folk Song, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, SAB, Three-Part, or Two-Part / a cappella

Duet / a cappella

Teaching Slides

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

"Alabama Gal," also known as "Come Through in a Hurry," is a traditional folk dance in the southern United States. This Virgina Reel style dance originated in Scotland, but It was popular in the US in the mid-1800s and was called a play party or social dance.

Folk Dance Setup: longways set

Verse 1: The lead partners link hands and sashay down the center of the lines and then back up to their original spots.

Verse 2: Partners do a right elbow turn, then a left elbow turn and back to their original spots.

Verse 3: The lead partners cast off and lead their lines to the bottom of the set. The lead partners make an arch for the rest of the partners to go under.

Verse 4: The first set of partners to go under the arch lead the lines back to the top of the set and they get ready to become the new lead partners for the next round. 

by Irving Berlin, arr. Sarah Martinez

Two-Part / accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Performance Example

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

"Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)" was originally a duet composed for the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun. This 2-part choral arrangement was made to be accessible by beginning choirs. It is shorter and simpler than the original, and some lyrics have been changed. There is a Singers' Songsheet available at no extra cost here.

Latin American Folk Song, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB / accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Easy

This song tells a story about Alfonso XII, the King of Spain from December 1874 until his death in November 1885. It is a song tale known in many Latin American countries. As is typical of folk songs, there are many popular variations and additional verses. The melody of this variant comes from El Patio de Mi Casa: 42 Traditional Rhymes, Chants, and Folk Songs from Mexico by Gabriela Montoya-Stier. It could be sung any time of the year, but may be particularly appropriate for a Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) performance.

English translation: "Where are you going, Alfonso Doce? Where are you going so sadly? I am looking for Mercedes because I lost her yesterday. Mercedes is already dead, and it's true because I saw her. Four dukes carried her through the streets of Madrid. The lanterns of the castle no longer want to light, Because Mercedes has died, and they are in mourning. Poor little Mercedes, she died like a flower."

Spanish Folk Song, arr. Sarah Martinez

SA, SATB / accompanied

Duet / accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

"Arrorró mi niño" is a traditional lullaby that can be found in many Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America. Its history has been traced back to 8th-century North Africa, where it then traveled to Spain and eventually Latin America. As is typical of folk songs, there are many popular variations and additional verses.

English Translation: "Hushabye my child, hushabye my sun, Hushabye little piece of my heart. Go to sleep my child, go to sleep my sun, Go to sleep little piece of my heart. This lovely child wishes to fall asleep, But mischievous slumber refuses to come."

Traditional French Song, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, Three-Part Mixed, SSA, or SA / a cappella 

Duet / a cappella

Teaching Slides

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

This song is thought to have been composed in the 18th Century, but the composer is unknown. The lyrics were first published in the 1843 compilation "Chants et chansons populaires de la France." Similar to folk songs, there are many popular variations and additional verses.

English translation: "By the light of the moon, my friend Pierrot, Lend me your quill to write a word. My candle is dead, I have no light left. Open your door for me for the love of God."

by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance, arr. Sarah Martinez

Two-Part / accompanied by piano or Orff ensemble

Piano Accompaniment Recording

Orff Ensemble Accompaniment Recording

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

"Catch a Falling Star" was written by Lee Pockriss and Paul Vance. It was made famous by singer Perry Como in 1957. This arrangement was made for a two-part choir accompanied by piano or Orff instruments. The Orff ensemble download includes a condensed conductor score and all instrumental parts. 

by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, SAB, SSA, SA, TBB, or TB / accompanied, optional trumpet

Duet / accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Accompaniment Recording with Trumpet

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Intermediate

"Cielito lindo" was composed in 1882 by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés. It has become a popular traditional song of Mexico, with many popular variations and additional verses.

English translation: "Ay, ay, ay, ay, Sing and don't cry. From the Sierra Morena mountains, Pretty darling, they come down, A pair of little black eyes, Pretty darling, they're forbidden. Ay, ay, ay, ay, Sing and don't cry, For singing bring happiness, Pretty darling, to the hearts. That birthmark you have, Pretty darling, next to your mouth, Don't share with anyone, Pretty darling, it's for me. Ay, ay, ay, ay, Sing and don't cry, For singing bring happiness, Pretty darling, to the hearts."

by Robert Wadsworth Lowry, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, SAB, SA, or TB / a cappella

Duet / a cappella

Teaching Slides

Difficulty: Easy Intermediate

This 1868 American hymn has been arranged to keep some of the original chord structure while incorporating some additional modern harmonies. It is a 1-verse a cappella setting, limited intentionally to be musically accessible, easy to memorize, and able to be performed as a concert closer or tradition song.

Three-Part Canon / a cappella

PDF of canon may be downloaded, reproduced, and performed free of charge

Two- or Three-Part Score / a cappella

Performance Example

Difficulty: Intermediate

"Only When It's Dark Enough" quotes a line from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee: "Only when it's dark enough can you see the stars." (This was his final speech before his assassination.) This is a popular metaphor that can be traced back to 1843 in the book Past and Present by Thomas Carlyle, who phrased it as: "The eternal stars shine out again, so soon as it is dark enough." 

The additional lyrics in this canon are original: "After the light fades, When hope feels so small, You are not alone. Ignite a spark and watch it grow. Illuminate the sky. Keep your faith, For only when it's dark enough can you see the stars, see the stars."

Traditional Ukrainian Lullaby, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, SAB, or SSA / a cappella or accompanied

Two-Part or Unison / accompanied

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Intermediate

This song is characterized by a somber minor key and heartfelt rubato. A beautifully sparse treatment invites ensembles to personalize their performance by including the optional piano accompaniment or featuring solo voices. An optional narrator may read the English text translation during delicate interludes. Both phonetic and IPA guides appear in the publication or view the pronunciation video to hear a demonstration by a native speaker.

Two-part and unison accompanied arrangements can be found in the book "Folk Songs Around the World" (downloadable song sheets for both are included).

Dutch Folk Song, arr. Sarah Martinez

Two-Part / a cappella or accompanied

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Easy

This is a folk song from The Netherlands. It was often sung while spinning yarn from fibers. The words sound like the spinning wheel itself. This 2-part arrangement is set to a piano accompaniment, but the vocal parts could also be performed a cappella. Directions for optional body percussion and rhythm sticks are included.

Three-Part Canon / a cappella

PDF may be downloaded, reproduced, and performed free of charge

Performance Example

Teaching Slides

Performance Example

Difficulty: Easy

This is an original canon celebrating the joy of singing with others, which can be performed in 2- or 3-part canon. Even when all 3 parts are sung together, the song's message: "Sing with me," can still be heard at the end of each line.

Word by Francis Scott Key, music by John Stafford Smith, arr. Sarah Martinez

SATB, SAB, SSA, or SA / a cappella

Piano audio recording of the SATB arrangement (for reference only)

Difficulty: Intermediate

Francis Scott Key wrote the words to The Star-Spangled Banner as a poem that was inspired by the events of September 13-14, 1814, when U.S. soldiers at Baltimore's Fort McHenry raised a huge American flag during the War of 1812. It was later set to the music of “To Anacreon in Heaven,” which was a popular song written by British composer John Stafford Smith. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress as the national anthem on March 3, 1931.

This arrangement was made with the intention of being easy-to-learn with lots of flexible voicing options. All versions have optional divisi, and the SAB is written so that it can be accessible for choirs that include changed or unchanged voices. Any of the arrangements can also work together. For example, if a high school choir learned the SATB version and a middle school choir learned the SAB version they could be performed together seamlessly, allowing for the freedom of each group performing the song independently or combined at any given time.

Folk Songs, arr. Sarah Martinez

Unison / a cappella or accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Difficulty: Very Easy

This is a very easy arrangement for unison voices that combines the popular lullabies: "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear" + "Goodnight, Sleep Tight" + "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." It is intended for very young singers and set to a piano accompaniment.

Original text and music by Sarah Martinez

SATB / accompanied

Accompaniment Recording

Difficulty: Advanced Intermediate

Sometimes life seems overwhelming, and the things that once made us happy can't overpower the feelings of hurt and heaviness. This is an original song celebrating the healing power of music.

Georgia Sea Island Spiritual, arr. Sarah Martinez

Three-Part or SAB / a cappella, optional unpitched percussion

Teaching Slides

Difficulty: Easy

This is a traditional spiritual from the east coast of the United States. Optional body percussion is provided, and unpitched percussion may be included in the performance.