Leave Your Sleep by Natalie Merchant

Written by Dan Finkel

Hi Friends!  I am excited to report that a new addition has been added to the list of great music that is aimed at both adults and children.  Natalie Merchant just released an album called “Leave Your Sleep,” (April 2010) inspired in many ways by her experience of being a mother.  This album is a really interesting project – in her own words (from her website, www.nataliemerchant.com):

“The lyrics for Leave Your Sleep are another departure from the way I had written for the past 28 years. I decided to set poetry created by other writers to music. I chose works by both well-known and obscure poets, ranging from anonymous nursery rhymes and lullabies to poems by British Victorians, early and mid 20th Century Americans, and a few contemporary writers. Ogden Nash, E.E. Cummings, Robert Louis Stevenson, Christina Rossetti, Edward Lear, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Robert Graves are among the most well known of the group.” ~Natalie Merchant

The poems are interesting and emotionally evocative, but as always, I am most taken by the musical performances, both instrumental and vocal – they are beautifully arranged and performed incredibly well.  The styles explore the wide range of the American musical landscape from the last 100 years, including blues, bluegrass, jazz, and folk.  The album also includes guest performances by some outstanding musicians.

Though I have always respected Natalie Merchant as a musician (even though her music has not always spoken to me the way it has to so many), this album is a really ambitious way to combine words and music and it is a success!  I think it will make great listening for both kids and adults – my favorite type of music to recommend here on kidHaven!  The full album is a 2CD set with 27 tracks, but she also released a 1CD version with 16 tracks.

Happy Listening!

Dan is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology at UConn, studying human evolution and behavior as they relate to music, religion, and social cognition.  He has been an educator in a number of settings, including Outdoor Educator, Adult Educator, High School Science Instructor, and most recently Parent (which is probably more of a student role than a teacher role, to be honest).  Dan has several passions: his family, science, outdoor education, and music.  He is an amateur musician (bass) and a life-long fan of many types of music.