Biography During the colonial period, there was a lot of work to do everywhere, and people worked very long hours every day, though most tried to rest on Sunday. Even on the day of rest, there was still the work of feeding both people and animals. Justin Morgan’s life was no different. He was born … Continue reading Justin Morgan
George Gershwin
Biography George Gershwin, 1898-1937, was one of the most well-known pianists in history. He turned out an enormous amount of music before his life was cut short by a brain tumor. Lucky for us, he was one of the first musicians for whom we have recorded video of him playing. While you can probably find … Continue reading George Gershwin
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is a poet of the Harlem Renaissance who portrayed the lives of ordinary, working-class African Americans. He was the first African American poet to earn his entire living from his writing and speaking. He has all sorts of poems depicting life in his time. You can read more about Langston Hughes here: … Continue reading Langston Hughes
Winslow Homer
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) painted landscapes and made prints. Often he used his working vacations to produce new art in either oil paint or in watercolors. Eventually, he was employed as a commercial illustrator for popular magazines. Homer studied art on his own, and he developed new skills and techniques. You … Continue reading Winslow Homer
Adding Beauty: Music Appreciation
I’ve had people tell me that “Classical music is boring and pretentious.” I strongly disagree. Actually, when I’ve been told this, I’ve asked, “What classical music have you listened to?” Typically, the person declaring that classical music is boring has rarely listened to it. So, how do we grow a love for this source of … Continue reading Adding Beauty: Music Appreciation
Adding Beauty: Picture Study
If you haven’t ever tried Picture Study in your home, now is a great time to try it out. Here’s how it works: Ideally, each student would have a print of the piece of artwork, but in my house, I project the image to our living room TV. You might open it on a computer … Continue reading Adding Beauty: Picture Study