by Diana Waring
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If you have an auditory learner or a musical child in your home, you will love this set of 3 tapes with accompanying resource books. Diana Waring uses a child's natural love of music to capture their attention with this series of musical history tapes. Each accompanying resource books includes pictures, history references, sheet music and words for all of the songs on each cassette. The first in the series, America, 1750--1860, includes songs from the American Revolution through the Civil War. Songs such as "Yankee Doodle Dandee," "My Mule Sal," "Old Dan Tucker," and "When Johnny Comes Marching" will take on new meaning as you look through the history-filled book that accompanies the cassette. Our family has learned about the Erie Canal, mining, and two of our country's wars by listening to these songs and studying the words.
The second in the series, Westward Ho!, picks up with the Westward expansion toward California. "Take your kids on a musical trip through America's pioneer days! Combining melodies and memories, this unique multimedia combination brings you the songs of the settlers through stories, photos, sheet music, and lively professional recordings. Songs include 'Chisholm Trail,' 'Strawberry Roan,' 'Home on the Range,' and more." (from the ChristianBook.com review)
My daughter's favorite in the series, Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder brings to life many of the songs sung by Pa in the evenings on the Kansas prairie. After my pathetic attempt to sing some of these historical songs during our family reading of the Little House series, I was thrilled to listen to the Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder and learn the correct tune and the historical background of the songs with which Laura Ingalls grew up.. Some of the featured songs are "Wait for the Wagon," "Sweet By and By," "Buffalo Gals," and "A Railroad Man for Me." Learn more about Laura's world with the third in the History Comes Alive Through Music series. Don't miss this opportunity to expose your children to some of America's musical history through this professionally produced musical set from Diana Waring.