Over the last couple of years I have collected songs about birds. This is because my daughter Adelaide loves them very much, and she loves singing and music, too. And so our search and discovery for songs about birds began.
But we hadn't listened to the bird song playlist in a while, and so the other day when Addie was at my computer moaning about something it took me a some time to finally decipher that she wanted to hear the bird songs again. I had forgotten all about them, but when I saw how she had remembered and loved them, I decided to select from them to make a mini song collection that I could share with some a couple of my mama friends and their new babies.
It was important to me that this little collection not be condescending, and so it is full of all sorts of songs: old and new, slow and fast, quiet and loud, folk and rock songs, adult songs and children's songs. I feel, however, a little nervous about sending music Addie and I love out into the world. So it is my hope that this mixture of sweet bird songs may find some appreciative ears.
Please note that if you would like to make a mixed cd of music for your friends, you really should pay for each copy of each song you share. You can find and purchase these wonderful songs on itunes.
Here now is the playlist:
free little bird - lisa loeb + elizabeth mitchell
spring has sprung - frances england
the littlest birds - be good tanyas
theres a bluebird on your windowsill - doris day
rockin robin - bobby day
mockingbird - inez + charlie foxx
three little birds - elizabeth mitchell
robin in the rain - raffi
blackbird - the beatles
winters come and gone - gillian welch
beautiful bluebird - neil young
little wing - elizabeth mitchell
bluebird - devendra banhart
wake up, little sparrow - ella jenkins
To make the cd and cover, I figured and drew out a simple envelope template in Adobe Illustrator. (it is a basic pocket pattern really, that will fit on a standard letter sized sheet when printed out.) I google image searched birds to get an idea of their basic shapes, and drew out a few sketches. Then, using my sharpest sewing scissors, I cut out some bird shapes (Adelaide helped me pick out the fabric bits from our scraps). I used a 1/8" hole punch and some black paper for the eyes, and when I was happy with my birds I lightly glue sticked them together and scanned them into Adobe Photoshop.
To make the branches, I google image searched for "twigs". When I found a few images I liked I placed them into Illustrator, and used them as a loose map to draw some branches. I then added my own berry shapes with the circle making tool. When I had several of my branches and berries, I copied and pasted them into a new Photoshop file.
I then copied and pasted my Illustrator cd layout into Photoshop, and tweaked around with all my birds, branches, and test until I was happy with the layout. I then saved just the image (no text) as a .tiff file and imported it back into Illustrator. (I do this because I do not like working with type in Photoshop, it's icky to me) The typefaces I used are from the Neutra family.
Once back in Illustrator, I added in the final typography and made and few tweaks here and there. I then printed the cd cover out on my Canon desktop printer onto Watercolour paper. Using a new xacto blade and an awl, I cut it out and scored the fold lines, and then glued everything into place. I always use a printmaking brayer to roll out and make sure everything is glued well and won't come loose.
I then made up a quick cd label using the same images, printed them onto a cd label, and burnt out the cds. It is my hope that these bird songs are loved as much as Adelaide and I love them.
This giveaway has now ended. Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments!
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