New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees employs a distinctive way of rallying his team before game time. He has invented a chant as a means of building team unity as kick off approaches and it seems to be working given the Saints winning start to the 2009 season. So what exactly are the words that have so inspired his team-mates to a perfect start to the NFL season?

Read any Saints forum and you will see there is some dispute as to the exact wording. One post claims it is:

One two win, for you,

Three, four, win, some more,

Five, six, win again,

7, 8, win again,

9, 10, win again, win again, win again…

Another poster believes:

1, 2, Win, For You

3, 4, Win, Some More

5, 6, Win, Again

7, 8, Win, Great

9, 10, Win, Again, Again, Again, Again, Again!

Whichever option is correct the truth is the New Orleans Saints Quarterback is the central figure in the team bonding session, a place where many NFL QB’s would fear to tread. Consider the example of former Colts and Falcons Quarterback Jeff George. He was regularly described as standoffish and selfish throughout his career by his fellow teammates. Or take the case of Michael Vick who, obvious scandal aside, will have listened to many a coach tell him there is no ‘I in Team’ during his NFL career.

What sets Drew Brees apart from many of his NFL Quarterback peers is that he wants to be at the heart of the team, encouraging every member, no matter what the skill level, in order to ensure the Saints are working together as a unit heading in to each game. As can be seen by his chant Brees has a clear understanding of what helps to unite so many disparate individuals to a common goal and then leads his team by example on the field of play.

Halfway through the 2009 season Brees had thrown for the most touchdowns in the NFL and had the best Quarterback rating as the Saints led the league with the most points scored with 330. So whether it is down to the chant or the presence of their Quarterback at the middle of the action something is clearly working. Come January and Super Bowl time it will be interesting to see whether the Drew Brees rallying call has led his team all the way to the big game in Miami.

Music is a powerful tool for language learning. It motivates language learners and develops language skills. As an experienced Mandarin teacher and an amateur Chinese singer, I often record my own mp3 songs in my spare time and share them with my friends. I translated the lyrics of my favorite Chinese songs and teach them to my students. They are very interested in singing these songs since it is not only helpful to their language learning but also helps them learn about Chinese culture and customs, the history and the people. Here are some sound reasons to hum a little Chinese tune when you are learning it:

Listening to Song Lyrics Improves Comprehension Skills
If you have ever tried to figure out the lyrics to a Chinese song whenever you hear it, you know that careful listening is required.

Singing Songs Develops Good Pronunciation
Music lends a natural rhythm to words and phrases, helping language learners use good pronunciation. Melodies and rhymes guide learners to speak in a native cadence. Any Chinese learner can follow a Chinese song to model correct pronunciation.

Singing Songs Increases Vocabulary and Speech Patterns
Songs automatically put language into a context. Chinese learners will begin to pick up vocabulary and complex expressions they might not otherwise come across. Some Chinese songs can be used to teach specific vocabulary.

Music Aids Memory
Some Chinese songs can help learners memorize grammar and vocabulary.

Music Brings Culture Alive
Traditional songs and rhymes offer a wealth of cultural heritage. Just think about the history of a Chinese song that goes back generations and generations. There are songs associated with holidays, places, and times gone by.

Music is Fun
Sing a beautiful Chinese song livens up learning. When you are having fun, you are more motivated to learn. Sing, sing, sing! Motivate yourself to study Chinese as a foreign language with music!

The extremely talented group Montgomery Gentry have released their most recent CD on the Columbia recording label, entitled My Town.

This CD literally grabs your attention right from the start with My Town and won’t let go until the very last note of the very last song Good Clean Fun, which by the way is another great track.

My Town has a pleasantly varied, mix of 13 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly gifted musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own personal experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.

Listen to and I think you’ll agree that the song choices are excellent, the production is outstanding and Montgomery Gentry is clearly a group that is in top form.

While this entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 – Break My Heart Again, track 9 – Why Do I Feel Like Running, and track 11 – Lie Before You Leave

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 13 – Good Clean Fun. This is a great track!

My Town Release Notes:

Montgomery Gentry originally released My Town on August 27, 2002 on the Columbia label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. My Town – (Piano Intro)

2. My Town

3. Break My Heart Again

4. Scarecrow

5. Bad For Good

6. Speed

7. Hell Yeah

8. Lonesome

9. Why Do I Feel Like Running

10. Free Fall

11. Lie Before You Leave

12. For The Money

13. Good Clean Fun

Montgomery Gentry: Eddie Montgomery, Troy Gentry (vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Johnny Neel (harmonica, Hammond B-3 organ); Chuck Leavell (keyboards); Jeffrey Steele, Curtis Wright (background vocals).

Recorded at Westwood Sound, The Compound, Loud Studios, Nashville, Tennessee; Madison Garage, Madison, Tennessee.