57: One Year Anniversary of Music in Our Homeschool and St. Patrick's Day Songs to Listen To!

Celebrate the first anniversary of the Music in Our Homeschool podcast with host Gena Mayo in this special episode! Join her as she reflects on a full year of sharing invaluable resources and stories tailored for homeschoolers eager to integrate quality music education into their curriculum. Whether you’re new to the podcast or a regular listener, you’ll enjoy revisiting some standout moments and popular episodes that have marked this journey.

Gena guides you through various categories of past episodes, from Music Appreciation and Composer Spotlights to Music Education and Curriculum Support, offering a treasure trove of valuable insights. Discover episodes on classical music introduction, the story of Stephen Foster, film composer Hans Zimmer, and the genius of Mozart. Additionally, uncover hidden gems like how to incorporate music education in a Charlotte Mason homeschool, and practical tips like Bucket Drumming for beginners.

Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, Gena introduces three enthralling Irish songs to add to your celebrations: the emotional “O Danny Boy,” the reflective “The Parting Glass,” and the hauntingly beautiful “Siúil A Rún.” Each song offers rich storytelling opportunities and a taste of Irish cultural heritage that’s perfect for music discussions with your kids.

Stay tuned for a sneak peek into season two, promising more exciting episodes designed to keep music education lively and effective in your homeschool. Don't forget to check out the accompanying blog post for links to listen to these delightful songs. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and a year of music-filled homeschooling with this engaging and informative episode!

Find all links to resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/songs-of-ireland-for-st-patricks-day/

Please follow/subscribe to the podcast and leave a 5-star review and comment if you liked this episode! Find all courses at https://Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com ,free music lessons here: https://MusicinOurHomeschool.com/FreeMusicLessons , and lots more links here: https://linktr.ee/genamayo !

Transcript

One Year Anniversary of Music in Our Homeschool and St. Patrick's Day Songs to Listen To!

[00:00:00] Hi friends, welcome to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. This is Gena Mayo and I'm thrilled that today we are celebrating our one year anniversary of the podcast. Now Music in Our Homeschool is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, but I only started the podcast last year and we have made it through an entire year.

So I thought we'd do two things today. First of all, I wanted to just remember some of the great times that we've had in the past year, some of the different episodes that we've done. Maybe you missed a few of them and you'd like to go back and hear those, and it's St. Patrick's Day So let's talk about some great Irish music to listen to. 

What I've decided to do was categorize the different types of podcast episodes that we had last year and talk about a few of my top highlights for each of those. So first of all are the Music Appreciation and Composer [00:01:00] Spotlights. Here are some of my favorite episodes from this category. We did How to Start Listening to Classical Music in Your Homeschool and Why You Should. We talked about the Father of American Music, that is Stephen Foster. We talked about Hans Zimmer, the wonderful movie composer who has revolutionized film music. He was another one of our composer spotlights. We also talked about Mozart, and he was another composer spotlight. How did he write 600 pieces in 30 years? 

Another one of our categories was Music Education and Curriculum Support. I know that a lot of the listeners to the Music in Our Homeschool podcast are simple homeschool moms, just like me, trying to do the very best you can for your kids and you just want a little extra support in the music education or fine arts realm. So a lot of my [00:02:00] episodes were in this category and here are a few of my favorites. Enrichment Studies Fine Art Pages are the Stress-Free Way to Simple Art Appreciation in Your Homeschool. In case you didn't know, I purchased Enrichment Studies last year. This is a wonderful homeschooling company that's been around for about 13 years. So now it's a part of Music in Our Homeschool. And along with that, we got all of the Fine Art Pages, the Daily Art courses, and the Sound Bites courses. And so I did a few episodes on each of those. But I have to say that the Fine Art Pages are my favorites. 

Another great episode is KinderBach is the Missing Piece in Your Homeschool for Early Childhood Music Education. KinderBach is another wonderful company, a lady that I've worked with, Karri Gregor, and you will definitely want to listen to that episode if you have little ones at home.

If you are a Charlotte Mason mama, then you will love [00:03:00] How to Successfully Include Music Education in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool. There are so many different ways that Charlotte Mason talked about including music and we talk about those in that episode. And then of course there's The Exciting Origin Story of Music in Our Homeschool. This is actually one of my most popular episodes, and it's fun to learn the backstory behind our company. Another great episode that you'll want to take a listen to is How to Choose the Best Homeschool Music Curriculum for your Kids and for You, the Homeschooling Parent.

Then we had some practical hands on activities that we talked about in some podcast episodes, such as Bucket Drumming for Beginners, All About My New Music Composer Escape Rooms for Homeschoolers, 10 Reasons Why Bass Guitar Should Be the Next Instrument Your Homeschooled Student Learns, and Transform Your Homeschool, Why the [00:04:00] Revolutionary Music Lesson Calendar of the Month is Your S ecret to an Unmatched Quality Homeschool Music E ducation.

The next category is Homeschool Planning and Encouragement. A great episode was number 46, Simple, Creative, and Achievable Homeschool Music Education Goals for Your New Year. And that can be started anytime, not just in January. Also Getting Started with Homeschooling a Preschooler, the Best Ways to Include Music Education in Your Homeschool Preschool, and 10 ways to Use the Music in Our Homeschool Plus Membership to Add Value to Your Homeschool.

And then finally, I had some great guests on with me last year. I did an interview with Andrew Puduwa of IEW, the Institute for Excellence in Writing, and he talked about How Singing Made Easy is Accessible for All Homeschoolers. I interviewed Amy Sloan [00:05:00] of Humility and Doxology and she talked about Singing the Psalms in Your Homeschool.

I interviewed Kathryn Brunner of Musik at Home, and she talked about her innovative approach from Early Childhood Audiation to Jazz Piano Education. And then I also talked with Kerry Beck about her Leadership Conference. 

So I hope you will take some time to head back over to the archive of the Music in Our Homeschool podcast podcast and listen to some of those great episodes from the previous year. And today we start Season Two!

So since it's St. Patrick's Day Let me tell you about three songs that you'll want to listen to today. 

First of all, there's the beautiful traditional Irish ballad "Oh Danny Boy." This heartfelt ballad is one of Ireland's most famous songs. It's tender and emotional and perfect for teaching your kids about the expressive power of [00:06:00] music. You can talk about the lyrics and what they mean. This is a great opportunity to discuss the themes of love, loss, and connection.

So let me tell you some of the lyrics from that song.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling. From Glen to Glen and down the mountainside. The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying. Tis you, tis you, must go, and I must bide. But come ye back when summer's in the meadow. Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow, . Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow. O Danny boy, O Danny boy, I love you so. And if you come when all the flowers are dying, And I am dead, as dead I well may be, You'll come and find the place where I am lying, And kneel and say an Ave there for me, And I shall hear though soft you tread above me, And all my dreams will warm and [00:07:00] sweeter be. If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me, I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me. 

So that's Oh Danny Boy, and I am linking to the accompanying blog post because all of my podcast episodes have an accompanying blog post where you will be able to find the video to listen to this music 

The second song is The Parting Glass, and this is a traditional Irish farewell song. It's beautiful and reflective, and it's traditionally sung at the end of gatherings or farewells. It's full of gratitude and sentiment, making it a lovely introduction to the communal spirit of Irish music. The melody is gentle and soothing, perfect for quiet reflection with your kids. So let me tell you some of the words from this song, The Parting Glass.

Oh, of all the money that e'er I spent, I spent it in good company. And of all the [00:08:00] harm that e'er I've done, Alas, it was to none but me, For all I've done for want of wit, To memory now I can't recall. So fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all. Oh, if I had money enough to spend, and leisure time to sit a while, There is a fair maid in this town, and she surely has my heart beguiled, Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips, I own she has my heart enthralled, So fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be with you all. Oh, all the comrades that e'er I've found, They are sorry for my going away, And of all the sweethearts that e'er I've had, They would wish me, one more day to stay, but since it falls into my lot that I should rise and you should not, I'll gently rise and softly call good night and joy be with you all.

And then our final song to listen to for St. [00:09:00] Patrick's Day is siúil A Rún. It's a traditional Irish folk song. This hauntingly beautiful Irish lament blends English and Irish Gaelic lyrics. It's a perfect way to introduce your children to the Irish language and its melodic lyrical beauty. The song tells a story of love and longing, offering a rich opportunity to discuss storytelling through music. So here are the words to this song. And remember with folk songs, they're always changing. We don't have an original composer to a folk song. So it's changed throughout the years depending on who told it down to their kids. And so you might find different lyrics in different places. 

So come my love. Come, come, come, oh love, quickly come to me, softly move. Come to the door and away we'll flee. And safe [00:10:00] for I, may my darling be. I wish I was on yonder hill. Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill and every tear would turn a mill. I'd sell my rod, I'd sell my reel, I'd sell my only spinning wheel to buy my love a sword of steel. I'll dye my petticoats, I'll dye them red. I'll round the world, I'll beg my bread. Until my parents shall wish me dead. Come, come, come, oh love. Quickly come to me, softly move. Come to the door and away we'll flee. And safe for I may my darling be. 

I hope you have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and thank you so much for joining me on the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I do have some exciting episodes planned for this next season, so stick around and keep the joy of music alive in your [00:11:00] homeschool.

Find all links to resources mentioned in this episode here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/songs-of-ireland-for-st-patricks-day/