Music Mondays with Birdsong

Happy Monday Greetings, dear Reader!

From last Monday’s Music Magic:

How I love Shell’s musical notes and their joyful pattern, and hearing about Amanda and Rachel doing chores accompanied by < loud! > music, Zanna’s windsong and Bela Fleck tunes, Zanna and Kate’s mention of bird song clocks, L.J.’s rain and other Nature music, and Nichole’s field trip songs featuring pumpkins and skeletons!! Plus the variety of other magic that surfaces and gets posted here each day—-all joyful notes that give meaning and value to us all.

And now, more about Birdsong, Part III, the final installment! Birds use both songs and calls. ” Song is a loud, complex and often musical utterance used mostly by male birds.” (I didn’t know that!) “Calls, in contrast, are simpler and usually softer sounds used by both sexes to communicate alarm, hunger, aggression, and a variety of other motivational states.”

The songs of birds have been categorized as countersinging, song-matching, song duetting, and song-dueling. Fascinating! I’m sure these techniques have been the origin and inspiration for rap, techno, opera, ballads, and definitely love songs!

Thanks to a guitar student, I’ve been learning all this from her little field book, Common Birds and their Songs, with accompanying 65-min. CD.

Have you noticed anything new about the birds in your neighborhood? Birds, birdsong, bird magic, or anything that sweetens your day—-please share it with us by posting in comments below. Then we’ll all experience a little more magic in our lives!

Music kisses,
Lisa

Fun Music CD Giveaway!

The awesome Boston Children's Music site is doing a very fun children's music CD giveaway. Check it out and enter to win. They have reviewed my children's music albums and done giveaways with them. And once I won a cool Leeny and Tamara CD! Very fun!

You'll like visiting Boston Children's Music...happy giveaway entering!

Animal Sounds---Nature's Music

I have a new guitar student, 10. She is keenly motivated to learn classical guitar. After the second lesson she was moved to show me a book about birds with an accompanying CD which she wanted me to borrow and enjoy til next week.

So last night at dinner, with Dh, ds, and his new love, we listened to the bird CD for the first time. It’s about an hour of bird songs, all kinds. Then we put it on again….then again, while we were still around the table. By now we could name a bunch of the birds. Some were “song birds”, some percussionists (woodpeckers), some impressionists (one sounds like our cat Charlie). Some are “alarmists” —the crows and jays. My favorite is the wild call of the Canada Geese. It stirs something deep in my heart.

This all led to a discussion of favorite Disney movies—via the seagull---remember that comical character?--- in “Little Mermaid”—and the songs we love from them. Disney <<<< songs <<<< animals <<< birds <<<<

Then, while sitting on the deck, came four Red Tail Hawks flying right over-head, with their unforgettable high-pitched sweet strain. Such wild, magnificent freedom!

Are there any animal sounds that particularly move you or kindle your appreciation of Nature's music all around us?

My Everyday Music

Happy 1st Monday in October---- it's "Walk and Roll to School" Month, and October 6th, Wednesday, is International Walk and Roll to School Day! "A record 40 countries officially participated in Intl. Walk and Roll to School events in 2009...and more are expected this year. These events raise awareness about the positive ways that walking, bicycling, and skating to school help children, communities, and the environment." Community Wheel

To help spread the word about street-crossing safety, here's the video I did with some local kindergartners and the community, "Stop, Look, and Listen"

And then there's this song by Frances England on her CD Mind of My Own with such a sweet message of kindness. I found it in a review from Boston Children's Music, 9/27

I’m a red balloon
I’m a full moon rising
I’m an apple tree
I’m a lemon drop
I’m a flower petal
I’m heavy metal
I’m two years old and I’m nonstop
I’m two years old and I’m nonstop

"In the song To Be we hear Frances really appreciating the simple things in life. As parents we all know how sobering it can be to suddenly see the world through our kids’ eyes and realize the beauty of a flower or triumph of climbing a tree.

Frances says: “As a mother of two, it… feels really good to use song writing as a way of reflecting on daily family life. It’s such a precious time but too often we all lose sight of how significant it is because of our crazy schedules. For me, writing and singing these songs serves as a reminder that this stage in our families’ lives is golden.”

That’s a good reminder for all of us.

A final glorious note: this song, an interpretation of which we heard performed by our son's new lady love: "Give Me One Reason" ....because it just sends me!

Opening your mind to new sounds

Greetings of love, joy and peace! And happy wishes for a meaningful and rewarding week!

On Saturday my husband and I attended a friend’s birthday bash for her milestone birthday. She’s a dancer, drummer, photographer, and river raft guide among other things! We were treated to a thrilling front-row show of African and Samba dancers and drummers in full regalia and awesome, top-notch precision. It was truly spectacular! We’re still on a rush from all that good energy!!

Then, when we got home—-this was the evening of 9/11—-we turned on our PBS station and discovered an incredible singing quartet called “4 Troops”. Have you heard of them? We listened spell-bound to their arrangements and heart-warming performances. Some songs we knew, others we were hearing for the first time. Here’s one of my favorites, “I’m Already There”, by Lonestar.

I’m happy to discover this music and these groups—-it’s not what you’d usually find me listening to….

Have you found some new music lately? Do you branch out once in awhile and open your mind to new sounds?

I invite you to share your thoughts and discoveries here today---and thank you for visiting!

Music kisses,

Lisa

Woody Guthrie

Found in an old Folkways vinyl lp, "Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child" composed and sung by Woody Guthrie. Here are excerpts from Woody's philosophy on sharing songs with kids:

"I want to see you join right in, do what your kids do. Let your kids teach you how to play and how to act these songs out. Get your whole family into the fun. Get papa. Get mama. Get brother. Get sister. Get aunty. Get uncle. Get grandma. Grampa. The friends. The neighbors. Everybody. But mostly get your own self into it.

You'll be healthier. You'll feel wealthier. You'll talk wiser. You'll go higher, do better and live longer here amongst us, if you'll just only jump in here and swim around in these songs and do like the kids do.

I don't want the kids to be grownup. I want to see the grown folks be kids." Woody Guthrie

My sentiments exactly!

Thank you for visiting and reading some views on children's music. I appreciate you! You're invited to add your comments here and join in the conversation!

Music kisses,
Lisa

Music Memories

Summer highlight: (so far!) Dh and I got invited to a “Tree House Resort” weekend in Southern Oregon! I came back with bruises and bumps from attempting some of the rope swings, zip rides, and steep ladders to sleep in cozy lofts—-and it was all worth it! One of the highlights: sitting around the campfire after dinner passing guitars around and hearing a wide spectrum of musical offerings from all ages. Two of the youngest, girls aged 8 and 9, wowed all of us with numbers from the musical “Annie”.

Music seems to always be a part of the best things in life, wouldn't you agree?