coffeefreak Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Does anyone have a CD they would recommend with American Folk tunes/ Composers? I thought it would be fun to learn some good old fashioned songs with each part of American History that we study. I know we can do "Yankee Doodle," and "The Star Spangled Banner" for the revolution, but I was trying to think of some my kids might not know. I also want to get some for the other key events in history. We'll only get through the Civil War this year, but I'd like recommendations for the westward expansion time period as well. If you don't have a CD, but have song ideas, lay them on me and I'll hunt them down. Thanks! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 We like the Celebrate America CD. I believe the company that makes it is called Twin Sisters. (It's included in the basic package of Adventures in My Father's World.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I haven't ordered any yet, but I have my eye on several of the Smithsonian Folkways collections for our American History. They have collections from pretty much any period or genre you can think of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 American History Through Folksongs is a fantastic series of CDs that include narration and songs from American history. It really is a fascinating approach, and while the voices aren't my favorites, it's such a unique and wonderful supplement to American history! We have Colonial and Revolutionary songs, Moving West, and Civil War... And the kids and I have loved picking out some of the music in other contexts as well. Like hearing "Hail, Columbia" at the inauguration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Oof! I've been working on a list for a couple of days now. The rotten thing is I can't find a single CD that has everything I want on it! To be perfectly honest I'm not going to "share" with you. ;) This is more due to time than me being stingy. . . honest. I own, "Celebrate America" (mentioned above), "Wee Sing America", and a new one. . . .(I'm having to look up the name) that I'm excited about as it reminded me to look at songs not specifically "historical" but more "period". . . ."Songs About America". Now, of the 1st two, I actually like Wee Sing better, BUT it has the nasty tendency to cut songs short. Can't recall if Celebrate does that as well (?) That should give you a starting point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Sonlight and Biblioplan both have the Wee Sing America CD. We have it for this coming year, but I haven't listened to it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Island Academy Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 We have enjoyed the book/CD combo of I Hear America Singing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Oof! I've been working on a list for a couple of days now. The rotten thing is I can't find a single CD that has everything I want on it! To be perfectly honest I'm not going to "share" with you. ;) This is more due to time than me being stingy. . . honest. I own, "Celebrate America" (mentioned above), "Wee Sing America", and a new one. . . .(I'm having to look up the name) that I'm excited about as it reminded me to look at songs not specifically "historical" but more "period". . . ."Songs About America". Now, of the 1st two, I actually like Wee Sing better, BUT it has the nasty tendency to cut songs short. Can't recall if Celebrate does that as well (?) That should give you a starting point. Um, OK. . . Thanks :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 We have enjoyed the book/CD combo of I Hear America Singing This looks cool! There are actually a lot more books out there than I thought. I'll start here and work my way through. Thanks to everyone else too. I don't care for Wee Sing, but I'm going to look into the others. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 American History Through Folksongs is a fantastic series of CDs that include narration and songs from American history. It really is a fascinating approach, and while the voices aren't my favorites, it's such a unique and wonderful supplement to American history! These are good. I have the Colonial and Revolution one. It's a wonderful resource but I so wish it was by my favorite artist...you know..."Various!" :D At the risk of outing myself as a completely psychotic wackadoo, here's the ridiculous amount of thought I've put into music for American history...so far. You know, this is not stuff to be studied, just soaked up and enjoyed. We love music around here so it doesn't bother me to buy tons of it. So, here are some possibilities. You could get these songbooks that correlate with the audio cds AbbeyJ mentioned. They provide historic details, music and lyrics for each song. Then you can throw them onto your schedule where they tie into your history study, visit iTunes and type the song in your search engine and have your pick of your favorite version of the song for .99. Not bad, I think. It's a small price to pay to avoid monotony. But, again, we're a family of music nuts. I was just experimenting with this idea the other day and found the coolest version of The Southern Wagon by the Wolfe Tones. Fun stuff! You could do patriotic music that way with this great book too. I also have this. Eh. It's OK. I would have picked different songs but it's quick and put together if you're looking to just pick one thing and be done with it. Clearly, I'm not... :lol: For general music to play during different eras in American history... Columbus Underground Railroad Civil War - love this one! Colonial Times - so fun! Hear samples here. Lewis & Clark - kids LOVE! Listen here. Stephen Foster's mid 1800's parlor songs, anyone? Add in a general patriotic songs cd (or hit iTunes with book above) and you're in good shape. People are right about not finding all the great stuff in one place though. AbbeyJ's recommendation comes closest from everything I've found. It's a shame. Someone should make a "various artists" box set of traditional American music throughout history. By the way, at iTunes U, you can download some free songs about history. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute offers them, I think.) And thanks sooooo much because I stumbled upon this book and this guy has some pretty cool stuff. I did not need to see this! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rita Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Ballads of American History by Fred Cooper. Excellent book, with the lyrics of the songs in it. Blessings, Rita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Thanks Kristina! What a great list. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) Um, OK. . . Thanks :001_huh: Sorry, I did mention the lack of time. . . Looking at the soundtrack lists of these CDs should give you an excellent starting point. (That's what I was attempting to convey.) Here are a few examples, (but I'm still under a "lack of time" constraint): Yankee Doodle (French and Indian War) Blow Ye Winds (whaling song) Star Spangled Banner (war of 1812) so is Battle of New Orleans Erie Canal (early 1800s) I've Been Working on the Railroad or John Henry (railway "period") Clementine (CA gold rush) When Johnny Comes Marching Home (Civil War) same with Goober Peas Yankee Doodle Boy (or Yankee Doodle Dandy) (WWI) The Charleston (great for early 1900s) Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1908, but popular ever since) The military songs: The Army Goes Rolling Along (AKA The Army Song), Marine's Hymn, Anchor's Aweigh, The US Air Force, Semper Paratus (Always Ready) Composer not to be missed: John Philip Sousa (here's a larger list) A list you may really appreciate. Edited June 4, 2009 by Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Look into this: http://www.mcneilmusic.com/. Loads of CDs with narration between each song - excellent! Some libraries stock them, but I think they're worth owning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 We are enjoying the History Alive Through Music series by Diana Waring. My favorite is the America 1750-1890 set, with lots of familiar tunes from this time in history. Each song is sung on the cassette, sheet music is provided, and there's a page or two of info about the musical background. There are spirituals, Civil War songs, cowboy songs, and more. The Westward Ho selections covered a more narrow period & were not as familiar to me. I haven't gotten around to using the Laura Ingalls one yet. Unfortunately, I recently e-mailed the Warings & this is totally out of print, publisher went bankrupt & lost originals, etc. But you can find it used a lot of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 I found this on Amazon too! Colonial and Revolutionary Songbook There's a CD set to go with it sold separately. They also have sets for Westward Expansion, and the Civil War. Keep the suggestions coming. If I find anything else, I'll add it too :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Sorry, I did mention the lack of time. . . . No worries, I just thought your post sounded funny. :) I didn't mean to make you feel like you had to list all your resources. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 Look into this: http://www.mcneilmusic.com/. Loads of CDs with narration between each song - excellent! Some libraries stock them, but I think they're worth owning. LOL! This is what I just posted, but you have a better site :lol: That's why these forums are such a great resource. Thanks! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denainms Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 this may not be much help, but I found this when looking for American Composers... http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/composers_geo.asp?country=America Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 These are good. I have the Colonial and Revolution one. It's a wonderful resource but I so wish it was by my favorite artist...you know..."Various!" :D At the risk of outing myself as a completely psychotic wackadoo, here's the ridiculous amount of thought I've put into music for American history...so far. You know, this is not stuff to be studied, just soaked up and enjoyed. We love music around here so it doesn't bother me to buy tons of it. So, here are some possibilities. You could get these songbooks that correlate with the audio cds AbbeyJ mentioned. They provide historic details, music and lyrics for each song. Then you can throw them onto your schedule where they tie into your history study, visit iTunes and type the song in your search engine and have your pick of your favorite version of the song for .99. Not bad, I think. It's a small price to pay to avoid monotony. But, again, we're a family of music nuts. I was just experimenting with this idea the other day and found the coolest version of The Southern Wagon by the Wolfe Tones. Fun stuff! You could do patriotic music that way with this great book too. I also have this. Eh. It's OK. I would have picked different songs but it's quick and put together if you're looking to just pick one thing and be done with it. Clearly, I'm not... :lol: For general music to play during different eras in American history... Columbus Underground Railroad Civil War - love this one! Colonial Times - so fun! Hear samples here. Lewis & Clark - kids LOVE! Listen here. Stephen Foster's mid 1800's parlor songs, anyone? Add in a general patriotic songs cd (or hit iTunes with book above) and you're in good shape. People are right about not finding all the great stuff in one place though. AbbeyJ's recommendation comes closest from everything I've found. It's a shame. Someone should make a "various artists" box set of traditional American music throughout history. By the way, at iTunes U, you can download some free songs about history. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute offers them, I think.) And thanks sooooo much because I stumbled upon this book and this guy has some pretty cool stuff. I did not need to see this! :D This is a great list! Sorry I didn't say that yesterday. AND you also posted the same songbooks I found :lol: I guess those are the winners. I looked at the posts below and missed the link to the songbooks. Too much multi-tasking I guess:tongue_smilie:. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 American History Through Folksongs is a fantastic series of CDs that include narration and songs from American history. It really is a fascinating approach, and while the voices aren't my favorites, it's such a unique and wonderful supplement to American history! We have Colonial and Revolutionary songs, Moving West, and Civil War... And the kids and I have loved picking out some of the music in other contexts as well. Like hearing "Hail, Columbia" at the inauguration! :lol: I don't know what I was smoking last night. Now that 4 of us have said how great these look, I'm totally buying them! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 The Wee Sing folks actually have a couple of discs that fit the bill. Off the top of my head, there's "Wee Sing America" and "Wee Sing Folk Songs." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I feel compelled to add Bobby Horton's Civil War music cd's to the list of great historical music resources. I bought a whole set on cassette tape when Bluestocking Press sold them, oh, about 15 years ago and we have since upgraded to cd's. These songs really give you a feel for what life was like during that period of history. Here's the link: http://www.bobbyhorton.com/ ETA: He also has a Colonial Music cd, a Lewis and Clark cd, and he's the guy who does Lyrical Life Science, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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