Sing Me Goodnight Giveaway
Lisa Redfern has a honeyed voice that will remind you of Joan Baez and other great folk artists. You can hear her heart in her voice and in the songs she writes. In Sing Me Goodnight, Lisa combines new lullabies with her unique renditions of old favorites like Sail Baby Sail, Hush Little Baby, Riddle Song, Down in the Valley and Beautiful Dreamer.
My favorite tracks are ones that Lisa wrote. Lay Down Lullaby is written for a child but is a wonderfully comforting lullaby for the end of a mother’s day. In this song she honors all the wonderful things that mother’s do and asks us to “lay down” the many cares and works of motherhood and “to rise in love instead of fall.”
Another favorite is Waiting for You, which is a beautiful lullaby written for adoptive families. “You are the child I’ll raise as mine. I loved you from the start. I’ve been waiting here for you and holding you in my heart.”
This album is sure to become a treasured addition to your lullaby library. Order from Amazon here
Learn more about Lisa and order a copy from her here. Thank you for supporting awesome independent artists!
Lisa has generously offered to give a signed copy of Sing Me Goodnight to a lucky reader! To win, check out Lisa’s site and post a comment below with something you learned about her or that you find interesting about her. She is awesome! Winner will be selected by random draw on March 31st! Good luck!
Hymns and lullabies
Some of my favorite lullabies to sing to my son were hymns. I grew up singing in our local Methodist Church and the songs we sang as a congregation and as a choir are songs that will comfort me for a lifetime.
In mid-February I spent a week at My Thrill Studio recording a new album of “Lullaby Hymns.” Recording is always an interesting experience. Songs I sing easily in the car on the way to the studio often vanish once I put the earphones on. I enjoy recording but I have to admit, I enjoy having recorded even more 
When Clayton was a baby, I sang “Steal Away” in the middle of nights when he could not sleep. I felt held and loved and it was a good reminder that he would grow up and that “I aint’ got long to stay here.” While recording it, I could feel the weight of him in my arms and I hope that some other parent will find it as comforting to listen to as it was to sing it.
The song that brought me most to tears while recording was “In the Garden.” This hymn was a favorite of both my grandfather Lawrence Robbins and of my step grandmother (and my choir director) Ma Mae. I could feel them around me as I prepared to record the song I had watched them perform so often in our little church in Searsmont. It is a song that links me to them through time and space and I am so grateful to have that link now that they have passed on.
I hope you will take a moment today to think about what songs link you to your past and what songs will link you to the future with your children. Hymns and lullabies are a wonderful place to start.
Activities for Free Playing Older Kids
If you are looking for fun ways to play and encourage creativity with your children who are pre-school age and older, my article on YourTango.com is for you! Enjoy!
Fly Free with Music!
This week I was invited to read Fly Free to my son’s school. What a joy on so many levels! First it was a joy to be back in the school where I went to second through fourth grade. My amazing second grade teacher was in the audience, and I was introduced by my wonderful fourth grade teacher. Secondly, Fly Free is an outstanding book. It is all about how good deeds are passed through the world by our loving actions. What a wonderful message.
The children loved the illustrations of pagodas which are so different from what they see here in Maine. Thirdly, I set the refrain in the book to a melody and it was thrilling to hear the children pick it up and sing it with me throughout the story. I know they will be singing “Fly free, Fly free in the sky so blue…When you do a good deed it will come back to you.” all day. How fantastic is that? Once again I am reminded of the power of music to carry messages to our hearts that stay there for a lifetime. Fly Free has been nominated for a Maine Chickadee Award. I hope it wins!
We were so inspired by the story that we recorded the melody to send to the author of the book. Writing such beauty and bringing it to the world is a very good deed. Perhaps when she hears grateful children across the country sing her words back to her she will feel that good deed come full circle.
If you are looking for a wonderful book to add to your child’s library I hope you will consider Fly Free.
To hear the children sing the melody click here Fly Free Maine Children.
To hear me sing it click here Fly Free Song ARW
Manufactured Music
Last month while being interviewed on Good Day Maine, anchor Diana Ichton asked me a question that stuck with me. She asked if the music manufacturers put in baby toys and baby equipment are “good” for our children and then she asked if they knew something that she did not since the music in those devices was not appealing to her. Often as parents we assume that manufacturers know best. When it comes to music, in my opinion, they do not.
Manufacturers are specialists in marketing not parenting and the music they choose is often tinny, and way too loud for little ears. If you don’t like the music, if it annoys you then it is certainly annoying your baby. If we want our children to grow to enjoy quality music then they must be surrounded by quality music. Turn off the music in the toys and baby equipment and sing, or put on a CD of lullabies with a human voice singing them. Your baby will thank you and you will have a healthier and happier sonic environment.
To watch my interview with Diana click here.
For music I hope you will check out my CD, Lullaby and Goodnight, and our Angelsong Baby Sleep App.
