Today I am enjoying some really peaceful, beautiful music that I am pleased to be able to tell you about. Daniel Craig, homeschool graduate and former missionary kid, is an extremely talented vocalist. If you enjoy sacred music in a style similar to Josh Groban, you will appreciate this! I’m not particularly conservative in my musical tastes, and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to Daniel’s beautiful vocals and inspiring orchestration to these hymns. There are many that are traditional, and some that have fresh new arrangements. All are really lovely and I think that other Christian families will enjoy his CD! It will also make a really nice Christmas gift.
Enter to Win THE END of MYSELF by Daniel Craig
We’re pleased to offer a giveaway of 5 copies of Daniel Craig’s new CD, The End of Myself (see below). Everyone who enters will automatically win FOUR FREE SONGS. Read on for some words from Daniel about his background and the development of his music.
ABOUT THE END OF MYSELF
I can still remember my earliest solos. We were missionaries in Russia, and I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Our family attended a Russian church where we were frequently asked to share our music on Sunday mornings. I always enjoyed those opportunities, except when it meant singing the one song in which Dad had assigned me a solo—in Russian.
Unfortunately for me, that was Dad’s go-to song. I’m not entirely sure if he chose it so often in spite of or because of my anxiety, but knowing Dad, the latter is a likely possibility.
Despite whatever emotional consternation I experienced because of those early solos, I’m so grateful that God gave me two wonderful parents, Neil & Mary Craig, who loved God, loved music, and taught me to love God with music.
The End of Myself is a carefully chosen collection of both old and new—but always deeply meaningful—songs, presented in fresh and inspiring settings, designed to edify God’s people and evoke fitting praise for an awesome and holy God.
God gave me my voice. He gave me parents and teachers who taught me to use it. And most importantly, He gave me the only good Reason to sing. That reason is summarized in the final line of The End of Myself, “In You there’s life at the end of myself!”
“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
You may have had to play the recorder when you were a kid. Mary Had a Little Lamb and such, right? Well, this guy totally made me smile with his mad skills that combine beatboxing and the recorder. Check it out! Your kids will love this.
Isn’t it just really exciting to see good stuff happening in education everywhere, regardless of location? I think so! Somebody in Louisville is doing something right, because this percussion group rocks! I’m absolutely inspired by the engagement and skill that these kids have.
To learn more about the Louisville Leopard Percussionists and their awesome program, click here.
You may have seen this video about music inspired by birds going around facebook. I like this video even better because we get to learn more about the inspiration for this music, and see it performed by an orchestra!
I love it when we can learn about things that help us see the world around us in new ways. Don’t you?
Ready? Here it goes: Do you want your children to appreciate healthy food? Then enjoy eating healthy food yourself, and give that kind of food to them from the time they are little. Want your kids to enjoy being outside? Then be a family that spends time doing enjoyable things outside from the time they are little. Want your kids to appreciate art? Expose them to art of many types from the time they are little. Have art be a normal part of your home and your experience in life. Want your kids to appreciate good music? Have good music on from the time they are in the womb! (Yeah. Really little!) Basically: Be living the life and walking the walk. Because you are cultivating their interests and appreciations.
It’s easy! And maybe hard, too, if you didn’t get these sorts of things cultivated in your childhood. The good news is, you get a do-over, and now that you’re older and wiser, you’ll probably enjoy it more and appreciate it more deeply than you would have as a kid. Score!
*denotes affiliate links. Images are also affiliate-linked.
I found a treasure today! 🙂 Gena from I Choose Joy has been a wonderful supporter of what we do here at Enrichment Studies, and yesterday she opened up sales for something that is a wonderful addition to what we offer here!
21 Lessons in 20th Century American Music Appreciation does a great job of guiding you through the massive musical development and changes that took place in the 1900s. This study includes Sousa marches, Ragtime, Blues, and Jazz, Opera, Big Band, Musical Theater, the start of Rock and Roll, and more!
This program has each lesson simply laid out for you, with helpful links to youtube videos so you can easily share the music with your children. Notebooking pages are also included, as well as a helpful list of bibiographies. Gena shares her recommendations for utilizing this program in order to get a half credit for your high schoolers as well!
*Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Welcome to the Enrichment Lifestyle Blog! I'm so glad you're here. :) I'm Erica Johns, and I love to encourage homeschool moms and help them enjoy more of the beauty of the arts in everyday life.
About me: I started my homeschooling journey in 1997 and graduated the last of my six children in 2021. Amidst all the hard work, crazy days, uncertainty, and lost pencils, what I think we really gained was the gift of a lifetime: TIME TOGETHER. So awesome! Click my pic to learn more.
