Continuing with my Christmas gift idea theme this week with a list of what I consider the best music to have at home. My incorporation of beautiful music into my family-life is in part inspired by the sentiment given by Quinten L. Cook in the October 2010 General Conference when he said that "We need to introduce into our homes content that is 'virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy."
It's also because my children are extremely high-energy. I LOVE it! We have a lot of fun together. But it can also make for a very loud life at home, plus all of the hardwood in our house causes quite the echo! So, in order to calm their little hearts and to welcome the Spirit, I like to keep some soft, soothing music handy. We play the music while we paint, while we cook, or when we just need to take it down a notch. It's a great alternative to TV viewing.
Here are some of my favorite CDs that might make great Christmas gifts too:
Jewel Lullaby
I have been a Jewel fan for some time, but I recently discovered her Lullaby after hearing it at a friend's house. It is a wonderful collection. I love the Circle Song, because the message is so sweet and simple. I put the Youtube link above for you to enjoy. Go ahead click on it if you haven't already. The might be other tracks that you enjoy more, but I like the words to this one.
My grandma gave me this CD many years ago. It's a good one for "quiet time". Currently it's stuck in my car CD player, because one of my kids broke a CD and a piece of it fell on top of my Tea Time CD, and I have no idea how to get it out. Luckily, this was the CD that got stuck in there, and not something totally obnoxious!
Raymond Briggs' The Snowman
Ok, so this is actually a video, but it doesn't really count as "TV" in my mind, because it is so pleasant and beautiful to watch and listen to. There is no dialog. I don't know where the music came from or if it was written for this story, but it is amazing. It is the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon nap on the couch cuddling up with your kids. It's only 28 minutes long. I bought it last year at Walmart. Best $5 I've spent in a long time.
This is a collection of classic hymns that have been redone with an updated sound. My kids actually really like it. It's a nice collection of music for every day, because it sounds more current, but still has the same beautiful message. Very uplifting.
This is the soundtrack for Disney's Fantasia. We actually own this video on VHS. My mom passed it on to us last year. Apparently Disney experimented with interpreting classical music with animation and it was a huge flop when it was released, but it has been a huge hit with my children. Recently, we heard one of the songs on our Tea Time CD that is in Fantasia and my daughter went nuts telling me what the song was "about". It's neat to know that my kids are familiar with classical music at such a young age...of course they don't know the names, but they recognize the music, and that's a good sign to me.
Enya - And Winter Came
Enya is another artist that I have really appreciated in the past. I don't have this CD, but I want it! I've listened to a few of the music samples online, and as always, her music brings to mind some lovely, peaceful images, and really calms the troubled heart. This CD is sort of a holiday CD, so would be a nice early season gift to give...or get for your own home.
And here's one that you could win...
Sabbath Morning by The Jenny Phillips Choir
I don't have this one either, but my friend Tami who sings on this CD is giving one away to one lucky reader on Friday, so scoot on over there and enter!
And here's one that you could win...
Sabbath Morning by The Jenny Phillips Choir
I don't have this one either, but my friend Tami who sings on this CD is giving one away to one lucky reader on Friday, so scoot on over there and enter!
Ok, that's my list for today. (I'd love to hear what music you keep handy!)
I hope that you will take the time to slow down and listen for the beautiful music in your daily lives...your children laughing or asking for (another) glass of milk, the wind blowing, the leaves falling. See beauty in the small things...it's there!
An Update...from my Mom on my use of the "savage beast" reference. I knew that I wasn't getting it quite right, but didn't feel like looking it up. Didn't know however that it was originally to soothe the savage breast:
An Update...from my Mom on my use of the "savage beast" reference. I knew that I wasn't getting it quite right, but didn't feel like looking it up. Didn't know however that it was originally to soothe the savage breast:
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast
Meaning
Literal meaning. That literal meaning may be misinterpreted somewhat as this phrase is commonly misreported as 'music has (or occasionally 'hath') charms to soothe the savage beast'. In fact, at the time of writing (Nov 2006) there are twice as many hist for the incorrect version of the phrase as for the correct one.
Origin
The phrase was coined by William Congreve, in The mourning bride, 1697:
Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd,
And, as with living Souls, have been inform'd,
By Magick Numbers and persuasive Sound.
What then am I? Am I more senseless grown
Than Trees, or Flint? O force of constant Woe!
'Tis not in Harmony to calm my Griefs.
Anselmo sleeps, and is at Peace; last Night
The silent Tomb receiv'd the good Old King;
He and his Sorrows now are safely lodg'd
Within its cold, but hospitable Bosom.
Why am not I at Peace?
Whenever I want to invite the spirit in my home I like to put on The children's song book music. I play it for my oldest for nap and bedtime. He was very excited with our ward's primary program and when they sang songs that he knew.
ReplyDeleteI also love Josh Groban. I have few of his cds. I actually haven't listened to it in a while and I think I am going to put it on today.
great ideas as usual...I love to have music in my home on all the time. We have a cable tv channel that plays different kinds of music and no video so we route it through our stereo for continuous music all day. I like new age music-soothing and quite a variety. we have it in the living room, bedroom and our office.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely nothing better than Fantasia
ReplyDeleteMom, I knew you were going to say that! :)
ReplyDeleteJewel is one of my favorites, and I love Enya, too. For secular music, James Taylor has always been my go-to guy. For church music, I love Afterglow and of course, Motab. But Kalai has a few wonderful hymns, and I like John Canaan, too. Here's a spiritual CD I burned from my iTunes library:
ReplyDeleteCome Thou Fount, John Canaan; I Need Thee Every Hour, Kalai A Pauper's Hymnal; Be Still, My Soul, Eclipse; Where Can I Turn for Peace?, Marvin Goldstein; Hymn, Brooke Fraser; I Heard Him Come, Afterglow; Beautiful Savior, Danny Donnelly; Lead Me Home, Hilary Weeks; He Hears Me; Come, Come, Ye Saints, Gladys Knight & The Saints Unified Voices; I Stand All Amazed, Katherine Thompson; I Feel My Savior's Love, Michael Dowdle; Abide With Me, John Canaan & Marvin Goldstein; Gift from Him, John Canaan & Marvin Goldstein; My Heavenly Father Loves Me, Amy Gileadi; Onward Christian Soldiers, Kalai ; Let Him Heal Your Heart, John Canaan; I Know My Father Lives, Afterglow.
I love it, and sometimes my husband gives it to the kids in his singles ward after he interviews them. It really brings peace, I think.
=)
Wow! Thanks for the recommendations! I always like to add pretty music to my library! Thank you!
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Last year Santa brought my 5-year-old, Hannah, the Jewel 'Lullaby' album. It's so peaceful. I LOVE the track: Sweet Dreams! The way Jewel arranged 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' is heavenly. Thanks so much for your blog! You've been blessed with a gift to share good things with all of us!
ReplyDeleteHey girl, I wanted to know if you'd like to be a guest blogger on my blog about 'being your own kind of beautiful'. If you accept, let me know and I'll send more information. It might even sort of be a small campaign from the rate it's going now so I'd love to have you guest blog. Let me know, and thanks for always leaving lovely comments :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the suggestions! :D
ReplyDeleteCorine
My whole family loves music, and wherever we are, we're always singing or humming something. I sometimes find myself singing along to the music in stores and other places, and only relise it when I start to get strange looks from other people. When my kids were little, I taught them numbers and the alphabet while we marched up and down, or free-danced to the classics. My children had favourites such as Peter and the Wolf, but liked all the lighter classics. I, myself, developed a love of music from my parents. My mother had a beautiful voice and won many prizes as a child, and my father was a tenor. My sisters and I sang in choirs at school for as long as I can remember, and my two girls as well. But I feel that as long as we foster the idea of "making a joyful noise unto the Lord", and making sure that our families know what is appropriate, music will bring us what we need to lighten our lives here on earth. Greetings from South Africa.
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