|
American Heroes #3
A fully produced lush rock, pop and folk blend of edutaining original songs about some of America's greatest heroes. Third in the series of American Heroes CDs, this album educates and inspires children with original songs about some of America's greatest citizens.
Award-winning singer/songwriter Jonathan Sprout's careful research, creativity and performance experience in nearly 6,000 concerts have led to this top-notch collection of pop-rock tunes.
Songs include:
CHOCOLATE KING Click to Hear Sample
Milton Hershey (1857-1945) was a philanthropist and visionary who found the courage to make his greatest dreams come true. He was committed to the highest standards of honesty, fairness and integrity. Those who worked with him were inspired by his imagination, drive, perseverance, and concern for others. His generosity was as sweet as the chocolate bar he created. In 1918, Hershey gave his entire fortune to a school for orphans he established with his wife, Catherine. A statue of him at the Hershey School includes these words: “His deeds are his monument. His life is our inspiration.”
“Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising.” -- Milton Hershey
COME BACK HOME Click to Hear Sample
John Muir (1838-1914), the most influential conservationist and naturalist America has ever known, is recognized as “the father of our national parks.” An ingenious inventor who was blinded by an injury, he vowed that, if his sight were restored, he would devote himself to the study of the inventions of nature. Gradually, his vision returned, and he courageously took a stand against the destruction of America’s great western forests. With his poetic writing, he taught us that wild places are precious and fragile spiritual resources that must be preserved. A compassionate dreamer, he forever changed the way we see our mountains and forests.
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” -- John Muir
DOCTOR
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910) overcame great opposition to become the first woman doctor in America. After receiving 28 rejections from medical schools, she was accepted by Geneva Medical College, but only because it was believed her application was a joke. In spite of the prejudice she experienced, she graduated first in her class. Later, Miss Blackwell fought an uphill battle to open the first hospital staffed by women physicians and the first medical college to train women doctors. It was her dedication to creating a medical community for women, children and the poor that ultimately distinguished her as a true medical pioneer.
“If society will not admit of woman's free development, then society must be remodeled.” -- Elizabeth Blackwell
HE WILL NOT GIVE UP Click to Hear Sample
Jonas Salk (1914-1995), “the man who saved the children,” developed a vaccine for polio, a terrifying disease that crippled and killed people. In the 1950s, when tens of thousands of children were infected each year, Dr. Salk worked in his laboratory sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, searching for a way to stop the epidemic. Volunteering to be among the first “human guinea pigs,” he injected himself with his experimental vaccine to prove it was safe and effective. Fueled by remarkable idealism, he refused to patent his vaccine so that it could be distributed freely around the world.
“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.” -- Jonas Salk
THE LEAST I COULD DO Click to Hear Sample
Jane Addams (1860-1935) established a settlement house for poor immigrants in Chicago when she was 29 years old. The success of this community center, known as Hull House, inspired the creation of hundreds of centers across America. Though sometimes harshly criticized by the newspapers, she worked tirelessly for more than forty years, teaching the less fortunate how to help themselves. A national women’s rights advocate and an international leader in the peace movement, she was eventually known as America’s greatest living woman. In 1931, this “First Lady of Peace” became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
“America's future will be determined by the home and the school. The child becomes largely what he is taught; hence we must watch what we teach, and how we live.” -- Jane Addams
PEANUT MAN
George Washington Carver (1864?-1943), known as the Peanut Man, helped countless poor Southerners survive as farmers. Born a slave, he overcame harsh racial prejudice to earn two college degrees, becoming one of the most famous scientists of his time. His research reportedly led to the development of 300 products made from peanuts. From the sweet potato, he found more than 100 uses. A soft-spoken, modest man, Professor Carver donated his savings near the end of his life so his research could continue. On his gravestone is written: “He found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.”
"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." -- George Washington Carver
CAN’T STOP RUNNING
Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994) overcame severe physical handicaps to become one of America’s greatest athletes. As a young girl living in poverty, she was often sick. At the age of six, she was fitted with a metal leg brace and told she might never walk again. Through determination, dedication and great courage, Wilma Rudolph turned her life around to become the “fastest woman in the world” as well as the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. In her soft-spoken, calm and gracious manner, she taught us that we must not allow our circumstances to hinder our success.
“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” -- Wilma Rudolph
WHAT HE WROTE Click to Hear Sample
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) wrote the most influential document in American history -- the Declaration of Independence. As president, he more than doubled the size of the United States and sent explorers Lewis and Clark to the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. He was a dreamer with a passion for books and knowledge, concerned above all with ideas. A farmer, scientist and philosopher, he found the words to express the highest of human aspirations, becoming the leading spokesman in the revolution of ideas that transformed America. Jefferson changed the world with what he wrote.
“We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniabe: that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson
POCAHONTAS
Pocahontas (1595?–1617) was a legendary Native American princess who, at the age of about eleven, may have saved the life of English explorer Captain John Smith. She was a brave, compassionate girl who later helped the colonists by bringing them food. Without her, Smith claimed, the English would not have survived. She inspired a rare peace between two nations with her vision of cooperation between the European settlers and her own people. A distinguished ambassador, peacemaker and trusted friend, her legacy lives on with the survival of a colony that led to the birth of a nation.
Si Se Puede! (Yes We Can!)
Cesar Chavez (1927-1993), one of America’s greatest labor leaders and civil rights activists, dedicated himself to improving the lives of America’s poorest workers. Through an organization he helped to establish that eventually became known as the United Farm Workers, he used nonviolent strikes and boycotts to get higher wages and better working conditions for Mexican American migrant workers. His ultimate weapon in his fight for justice against the rich and powerful California growers was truth. An intelligent man of soft-spoken humility and constant hope, he taught us that with cooperation and respect, we can accomplish the impossible.
“True wealth is not measured in money or status or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love and those we inspire.” -- Cesar Chavez
GOOD FOR ME
Such an amazing gift you gave to me,
Teaching me how to see what I can be.
Talk about self-esteem,
Now I have a dream to dream!
And before this moment slips away,
There’s something I really want to say.
Refrain:
It’s good for me that I found you
To be that special someone
I can look up to.
You’re with me now, and you’ll always be --
Yes, you’ll always be good for me.
You’d always smile and say the future’s bright.
Now as I live each day, I feel all right.
Wherever the road may lead,
I know that I’ll succeed,
‘Cause I’ll always have a part of you
To keep me safe and help me through.
Refrain
Bridge:
I honor every gift you give me.
Every day I live, you’re with me in my heart.
Because I feel so much respect for you,
I find myself reflecting you
In so many things I say and do.
|
