Any C.S. Lewis fans out there? Concept albums are always fun adventures … and this month I’m drawing my student’s attention to one of my recent favorites from The Gray Havens! Blue Flower is based off of C.S. Lewis’s autobiography, Surprised by Joy. Each song on the album depicts an idea that shaped Lewis. In the book, Lewis describes his life through the series of ways he searched for Joy, until he found the ultimate source. If you’re interested in more of how the album came to be, check out an interview with The Gray Haven’s Dave Radford here.

Each month I share 4 different resources to encourage my students to engage with music outside of their lesson and practice times 🙂 Family Music Challenges, Practice Tips, Monthly Listening, and Book Recommendations for all ages are sent out in weekly newsletters.

I have a diverse studio (age, race, personality), and I know that not everything will connect with each student. With a concept album like Blue Flower, I don’t expect everyone to be on board. But even if The Gray Haven’s music isn’t their style, they can be encouraged to do some research and find if their own favorite bands have released any concept albums! Understanding how an album fits together can lead to deeper listening and understanding. It becomes a much different experience than listening to one hand-picked song on the radio! Encouraging my students to be creative begins with introducing them to artists who have paved the way.

Back to C.S. Lewis … I found it interesting that this album came out and then earlier this week a movie was released based on the same book. It was a one night showing in theaters only, and by the time I went to buy tickets it was sold out. Turns out that the film sold out in theaters across the country, and grossed $1.2 million in one night! I’m linking the website here because they are adding more dates in theaters over the next few weeks 🙂

Looking for the resources I’ve shared with my students this year? Check them out by clicking the images below!