The Twinkle Story

So you think you know the lullaby “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”?

Chances are you know the first verse, but there are actually three more verses that didn’t make it onto the charts. The poem was written in 1806, by a young Englishwoman named Jane Taylor, and published with the title, “The Star.”

Here’s the whole poem:

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

Then the traveler in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

In the dark blue sky you keep,
While you thro' my window peep,
And you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

Of course then came other versions, like this one from Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll in 1865:

Twinkle, twinkle little bat
How I wonder what you’re at
Up above the world you fly
Like a teatray in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little bat
How I wonder what you’re at

And from Sesame Street:

Whistle whistle little bird
Isn’t eating crumbs absurd?
Try a ham and cheese on rye
And a piece of cherry pie
If those crumbs are all you want
Don’t come in my restaurant!

So try these silly versions out on your baby, or better yet, make up your own and share it with us! You could have a hit just waiting to be created.

And next time I’ll tell you the story of the equally famous melody. In the meantime here is a beautiful version of the song with a different melody, by the Hawaiian legend Israel Kamakawiwo’ole:

Listen to "Twinkle" by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole:

SoMommy blog reviews Midnight Lullaby

"Jane's vocals, along with the musicians, definitely creates a soothing atmosphere for going to sleep!" says Heather of the SoMommy blog. Read the full review...

Rockabye Baby (Baby) Bieber

I know that this may seem like an odd topic for a lullaby blog but I promise it will connect:

The lady behind the ticket booth gave me a puzzled look, and I knew she really wanted to say, “Are you serious??” It was a Wednesday afternoon and I had asked for a ticket to the Justin Bieber movie “Never Say Never”. I could understand her confusion: clearly I was not twelve. I too was confused when she charged me three dollars more for a pair of 3-D glasses--- 3-D for Avatar I could understand, but Justin Bieber?

Now it’s time to admit that until last month I didn’t know who he was. “You’re kidding,” said my friend (also not twelve) who had mentioned his name and was greeted by a blank expression, “He’s as popular as the Beatles. As a musician, you should see this movie.”

So I went. The ONLY person in a 500-seat theater, I laughed out loud, and soon realized that the movie was about much more than a young pop star’s big concert---it was actually the story of the importance of lullabies! OK, not only lullabies (Does his “Baby” qualify as a lullaby?) but the importance of music for all of us. It’s how we communicate, how we express love and longing and happiness and sadness.

And this movie addresses the vital need to encourage musical interest in young children. This boy obviously had huge talent from a very young age, and luckily his mother recognized that talent and his passion to make music, and helped him to achieve his goals. She found him instruments, lessons, and cheered him on. If he had been in a less supportive environment, now there might not be such a good outlet for the emotions of almost every 12 year old girl in the world.

Sharing music with your children at a very young age, beginning with singing and playing lullabies for babies, is a key to helping them develop a life-long appreciation for all learning.

“It was good,” I told the ticket taker as I turned in my 3-D glasses. She gave me a weak smile and turned to the growing line of teenage girls sneaking in after school.

ObviouslyMARvelous.com: Midnight Lullaby Review and Giveaway

Another great review from Marcie of ObviouslyMARvelous.com. Marcie says, "I was highly impressed by the songs on the album! I found Jane's voice very soothing, calming, and relaxing. To be honest, I could picture myself listening to this CD alone during a hot bath or with my kids, cuddling for a bit before bed." Oh, and Marcie is giving away a free copy of Midnight Lullaby... enter by March 31 to win. Thanks, Marcie!

Thrifty Nifty Mommy blog: Midnight Lullaby Review and giveaway!

Thanks to Janessa of the Thrifty Nifty Mommy blog for reviewing Midnight Lullaby. "We popped in Midnight Lullaby one night, and have been listening to it every since!" Thrifty Nifty Mommy is giving away a free copy of Midnight Lullaby. Enter by March 17th to win!

The Lullaby Instinct

Do you find yourself humming, singing, or speaking in a sing-song voice to your baby, even if you’ve never really sung before?

Singing to a baby is an ancient human instinct. The act of communicating with a baby through musical sounds is something that humans have done for almost two million years, even before speech was developed, says Dr. Ellen Dissanayake of the University of Washington.

“The Lullaby Instinct” is vital to the survival of the species!

This instinct is certainly found in parents as they protect and comfort a new life, but it seems that babies have the lullaby instinct too. Another researcher found that musical bonding is an important part of a baby’s development. Even newborn babies try to sing, and try to match the tones and pitches of the person singing a lullaby to them. This means that the baby wants to form a bond with the caregiver, and instinctively knows that music is a way to do that.

So please follow your instincts to hum, croon, sing to your baby, or just hold your baby and hum along to whatever gentle music (like “Midnight Lullaby”!) you can play. The bond that you create with your child will be priceless, and may have impact far beyond the nursery walls!

Sweet Dreams,
Jane

Listen to "May There Always":

My Springfield Mommy Midnight Lullaby Review

Many thanks to Margie of My Springfield Mommy for her review of Midnight Lullaby. “I found this album to be very calming, comforting and enjoyable. I love that it is more modern and I am a big believer that music exposure as an infant or young child leads to a better future for them,” Margie says.

Midnight Lullaby chosen as a babyshowergifts.net Featured Gift

BabyShowerGifts.net was created to make it easy to find great baby gifts. They really do their research on products and I am very pleased that they chose my CD!

Lady Lullaby’s Story

When I was very young I learned to love songs of all kinds. I heard my grandmother singing Russian folk songs, and my mother singing arias from operas. Even when I didn’t understand the words, I could tell what story the song was telling—that’s the power of songs. As a teenager I grew my hair to my waist, learned to play guitar, and started singing songs at coffeehouses, college concerts, on TV folk shows, and when necessary, pizza parlors. After my first teenage heartbreak, I wrote a song. It helped, so I kept on writing songs about all of life’s adventures.

Like many musicians today, I love to explore all genres of music. I’ve been fortunate to work with some of Detroit’s greatest jazz musicians on my CD “Peace of The River,” I studied classical composition and have had the thrill of hearing great performances of my choral works, and most recently I spent time in Nashville recording “Midnight Lullaby ” with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Mac Gayden and Nashville’s amazing players.

To get ready for the arrival of my granddaughter, Annalise, I started collecting lullabies. Since the beginning of human communication, singing lullabies has been a way to give comfort. The cultures, languages, and musical styles may vary, but the message is the same: “I love you very much, I’m here, and please go to sleep now because I’m really tired!” From the hundreds of wonderful lullabies that I found from all around the world, I created "Midnight Lullaby" by choosing a collection of beautiful new bedtime songs by contemporary songwriters. I hope you enjoy it.

Sweet dreams,
Jane

Listen to "Dreaming Sweet Dreams":