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I've been trying to compile some music for the baby and so much of the children's music is unbelievably annoying. No Barney or Raffi or Kidz Bop will every enter my house. Kidz Bop in particular gives me the willies. Are the Wiggles similar? I keep seeing them all over the place.
I already have a large collection of folk, country, and bluegrass (which is what I grew up listening to). I also have the entire Schoolhouse Rock series and a lot of classic Disney and Broadway musicals. I have a feeling one of my friends is giving me a copy of the Philadelphia Chickens. She's given a copy to every other pregnant friend for the past 4 years. Of course I have classical, which is what I'm playing for the baby now (I put my earbuds against my stomach).
I'm interested in music that won't make me wish I was deaf and has some educational and/or musical value.
Also, for the Hatrack Jewish moms - I'd like some non-annoying Jewish children's music that I can buy online (we don't have a Judaica store here in Richmond). Hebrew, Yiddish, and English are all fine.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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How can you beat titles like "C Is for Conifers" and "Fake Believe"? If you like TMBG, you'll love this CD and DVD (great animations, like the old Sesame Street days, but with a few more quirks). My own favorites are "The Alphabet Lost and Found" and "Can You Find It?" My daughter loves "Go for G" and "ZYX" (the alphabet sung backwards).
Posts: 781 | Registered: Oct 2000
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Mostly Music -- THE online source for a very impressive range of Jewish music. Their kids' stuff. (Although of course plenty of other stuff will be enjoyed by kids as well. My kids love the Journeys albums -- as do I, and many adults. )
Also, one thing I love about that site is that many albums are available for download. Usually about half the price, and no shipping fees.
(Oh, and I have no idea whether any of these will annoy you or not. Use the nifty sample clips they have for almost everything -- I do! )
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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The following suggestions are the result of a 3 day drive taken with a 9 month old; we listened to happy-kid music all the way there to calm the screaming. These ones kept her happy and didn't drive us insane, even on constant repeat.
Not For Kids Only, with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, is awesome. Folksy, fun, not what you expect, but kids love it.
Rabbits Dance: Songs of Malvina Reynolds, by Marcia Berman is entirely listenable music that's perfect for preschoolers and fun for babies and some older kids, too, and it won't drive you mad. Malvina Reynolds' gift for words will delight adults, while the happy music works wonders on our hyper child. It's just plain fun stuff. This album has some of the best "kids'" songs ever written: "Magic Penny", "Morningtown Ride", "The Artichoke Song"... Unfortunately, it was only released on LP. If you want a copy, e-mail me; I will send you a tape.
Small children, even in the pre-verbal stage, love the Beatles. Good for playtime.
The following suggestions are from my childhood; things I loved then that still hold up today.
Swing on a Star, Jim Kweskin (of Jugband fame), was a live album recorded at McCabe's in Santa Monica. My dad picked up the limited release LP in a used music shop, and has been making tapes for friends with kids ever since. Again, e-mail me.
I loved Burl Ives' kids albums-- especially The Lollipop Tree. I think there may be a kids' collection on CD that has some favorites, but you'll miss out on really great ones like the traditional "Leatherwing Bat".
The Kingston Trio was always a hit with my brother and me as children, especially "Tijuana Jail", "The MTA", "Worried Man", and other fast-paced, lively songs.
African music is awesome. 'Nuff said.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Rosenshontz. I will never forget my daughter belting out a round of "I drive my mommy crazy, because I'm two..." in JC Penney whe she was two. I will always remember the looks we ot from two older ladies.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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When I was growing up, I listened to Raffi. If I had the chance, I would probably still listen to Raffi. I LOVED that music.
Also, since They Might Be Giants was mentioned, you could give "No!" a try. It's a great album for kids.
Posts: 1225 | Registered: Feb 2002
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My general suggestion is this: never say never about anything before having children. Many a word has been eaten that way.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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No! is a great album for anyone. How could you not love "John Lee Supertaster"? Or "Four of Two"? Or "The House at the Top of the Tree"? Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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My dad, a semi-pro musician, listened to Raffi with us and much preferred it to some stuff we had. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Pachelbel's Canon in D Minor. It worked with me. Certified, for my father knows a lot about music.
Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
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"No" is awesome! I love "I am not your broom".
I've had enough I'm throwing off My chains of servitude.
... and the best part of all, the "shh shh sh shh sh shh sh shhhhhh"
Terri Gross asked John and John if the word "servitude" wasn't a bit much for a kids' song and they replied "every little brother understands the concept of servitude"
"I didn't apologize for when I was eight and I made my younger brother have to be my personal slave."
Actually most TMBG cds work great for kids as well as adults.
The best kids stuff is just good music in general, I think. Katie totally loved Beethoven's 9th when she was a baby. Bach's B Minor Mass is absolutely guaranteed to put them to sleep, I found. It's a fantastic work of musical genius, but it's undeniably soporific for kids and adults too. We called it "the big guns" when comparing lullabyes.
Singing "The Old Rugged Cross" acapella is another wonderful lullabye. Sing it with real feeling so that baby knows you understand the great trials and burdens there are in the life of a baby. The symbol of suffering and shame, indeed!
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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quote: Bach's B Minor Mass is absolutely guaranteed to put them to sleep
*Laughs hard*, The same with the St. Matthew's Passion - provided they do not understand German, or else they don't sleep ever again out of fear.
But if you're talking "Mass", I'd recommend William Byrd's Mass for Three Voices. It's 15th century, so it's got some lovely ensemble acoustics.
Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Elizabeth: We also loved all the Wee Sing tapes, especially Wee Sing Train.
I loved their Christmas songs my cousin bought me so much. Too much. He bought me a collection of religious songs and I liked that too.
It's never too early to get kids into good music. When I was a kid I liked opera, classical and some jazz. Play a lot of that for them... Especially ELLA! All kids should get into Ella before they get drowned in revolting pop music >.<.
Also, I'll never forgive the wiggles for being in that stupid show Yes, Dear. I hate that show.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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One of the things that were "never" going to happen in our home was Barney-watching. My daughter saw him once and was smitten. Eventually, we loved Barney, too. It is hard not to succomb to your child's joy.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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As a music teacher and certified musical snob, and a new dad, when my wife went looking for some music to play for our daughter while we are in the car, I was a little worried. However, we found this album:
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I love TMBG's kid albums. But I hate Raffi with the passion of a million burning suns. We own Let's Play, and I've got to admit that -- while the melodies are occasionally fun -- the guy can't actually sing to save his life, and his lyrics are absolutely insipid.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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The first children's recording we got for our kids (other than lullabies) was Xuxa. I don't think her songs are annoying, but they can certainly get old if you repeat them over and over again. However, in addition to being entertained, our kids actually learned some Portuguese.
For the past year or so, we've been checking CD's out from the library when we go to get books. We got the Wiggles, which can be kind of cute, and the kids love them, but they get stuck in your head and are impossible to remove. It gets annoying.
We got a couple of CD's by a guy named Jim Gill, and he is really amazing. He has a mellow, only slightly silly voice, and plays guitar, and has a fabulous backup band. My wife and I get major giggles from some of his songs, like Noisy in Boise, Idaho.
My personal favorite, though, is John Lithgow's relatively new CD, Singin' in the Bathtub. Now, Lithgow isn't a fantastic singer. In fact, when I first heard the first track, Everybody Eats When They Come to My House, I cringed. But as it went on, it grew on me. The reason is Lithgow's verve and personality. He CAN carry a tune, but he could never do an album of non-silly songs. I want to own this particular CD. None of the songs are originals, but it is a marvelous selection. My favorite is The Gnu Song, but other great ones are Ya Gotta Have Skin, Bigs Kids Scare the Heck Outta Me, From the Indies to the Andes in His Undies -- heck, they're all good.
Posts: 1652 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Yeah, get the Wiggles. Further the secret Australian takeover of the US entertainment industry....
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998
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Ha, I'm married to an audiophile, so this will be an interesting process when we have kids some day. I can't imagine a small child would have any more success than I've had in playing anything but his music in the house, so the kids will probably grow up listening to Nitin Sahwney, Ojos de Brujo, the Klezmatics, Afro Celts, Karsh Kale, Midival Punditz, and whatever other crazy world fusion he's interested in then.
But the car radio is MINE! Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:The Kingston Trio was always a hit with my brother and me as children, especially "Tijuana Jail", "The MTA", "Worried Man", and other fast-paced, lively songs.
*adds another point to KQ's coolness score *
My favorite was the one about the man who was feelin' kind of mean so he shot a deputy down.
"Son, I don't know whether to hang you or not, but this here shootin' of deputy sherrifs has just naturally got to stop."
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Perhaps, but we won't be staying here... I'm planning to relocate us to California once I graduate next year.
Though you should know that we've been going to see Traonach's Chapter House sessions pretty regularly the past few weeks, so we're enjoying our local music. And the radio station plays Donna the Buffalo and some other local stuff sometimes. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Thomas loves to dance to the Wiggles. They are educational enough while still fun for the kids. They do get stuck in your head but as long as you don't sing out loud to yourself it shouldn't be too bad. Here Come The ABCs is fun, too.
edit: Bob is definitely married to a Methodist minister.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I think the TMBG songs are great, but they're not really Sophie's thing yet. I think they're targeted at older kids. I really love Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin's Hush. I would also suggest some classical music -- we own the Baby Bach and it hasn't failed to put Sophie to sleep in the car, yet. Edit: but, duh, you said you had classical already Sophie likes bluegrass and country, too, much to Tom's horror.
at Tom for not liking Raffi
Does anyone have a lullabye collection they'd reccommend? I've looked at several ones I thought were neat -- multinational/lingual collections, but haven't bought any.
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Christy, what do you like in terms of lullabyes? Because I have different recommendations according to your tastes. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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You'll love it! There is a DVD, video, CD, yadda yadda ya.
From the 1974 TV special, starring Marlo Thomas. I was 9 years old when it came out, and it knocked my socks off. Little sibs (4 & 5 years old) ate it up, too.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Ooh, ooh! I loved "Free to Be"! We had the record growing up. I have the tape now.
We also had the book.
As well as Stories for Free Children, from back when Ms. was actually good. That book was totally awesome. And not nearly as PC as it could have been; I mean, they were "alternative" stories, but many were either true stories or traditional folktales, and the few that were written to be PC were good anyway. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Pachelbel's Canon in D Minor. It worked with me. Certified, for my father knows a lot about music.
Except for the part where that piece is in D Major.
Oh, and on topic, I think the Veggie Tales Silly Songs are tons of fun, for kids and adults with a good strong sense of the absurd. There's nothing like a dramatic ballad about a missing hairbrush, and who doesn't love the Pirate Who Don't Do Anything?
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Tom, that's about the only way you could actually make it even remotely interesting.
Bear in mind, though, that I'm speaking from the POV of the cellist who has to play the eight-note ground over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over...
I can't count how many times I've dozed off playing that freakin' piece.
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Yeah, that's about the only way I got through it when I was playing wedding gigs. Those days are over now, though, and while I miss a lot of things about playing, wedding gigs and Pachelbel aren't among them.
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Hey, Six Little Ducks is a great song! "He led the others with his quack quack quack" is just fun to sing! Why you gotta h8 on the Raffi?
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Didn't you and I have a mutual hate-fest over Pachelbel's cello part about a year ago, Megan? Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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You know, we may well have done just that. Still, it's a piece that deserves as much hate as it can possibly get (stupid, overplayed, grumble, grumble).
Posts: 4077 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Jazz is good. Ella is great. A good Irish jig is also wonderful for kids. Oh, oh! A really fun one Emma likes and we enjoy as well is Beautiful Dreamer: the Songs of Stephen Foster. When I was a kid, we loved American Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster by Thomas Hampson (classically trained singer) with David Alpher (pianist), Jay Ungar and Molly Mason (familiar names to folk fans.) Foster is great for kids. Fun, timeless melodies, and these recordings are well-done.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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