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When my boy was just a little puppy, we would play Peter Paul and Mary and Pete Seeger. Both are nice for kids and grown-up friendly.
Klezmer music always was (and still is) popular. A little jazzed up for bedtime, but good for awake-time.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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The Klezmatics are a lot of fun to listen to as an adult, and several of their songs would be fun (and appropriate) for children... Man in a Hat, Makht Oyf, and their new Hannukah song off the top of my head. I really like "I ain't Afraid", but that would probably be... confusing for younger kids. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I have to admit, we have no "kid's music". I can't stand the stuff so I don't let it in the house. I have to listen to "ki'ds praise" songs at work and if there is a hell for bad Sunday School teachers, we'll be required to sing that stuff.
My kids listen to:
filk bagpipe music classical Wierd Al classic rock
One of our favorite CDs around here is Tchaikovsky's Ballet Highlights conducted by Andre Previn.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Maybe this is a Canadian thing, seeing as no one has mentioned it. Some of the "less annoying" kid's music that I have is "Sharon, Lois, and Bram"
I also passionately hated kid's music... then came road trips with three little kids. Never say never. Posts: 251 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I enjoy trying to find music that will entertain my young siblings. Currently, they're all enamored of Bollywood.
However; one cannot be to careful in making sure that nothing enters the house that could potentially annoy the parents. If it's there, you know it will be the kid's absolute favorite, just because that's the way things work out. You must choose things that will not become obnoxious upon 50 repetitions. This rules out things sung in a "moose voice" and things with a lot of shouting.
I say this with the full confidence of a former toy store employee. While some children's music is pleasant and lends itself to a jovial atmosphere, others, like "Baby Beluga," will make you bleed from the ears. Seriously. It never leaves your brain. They've done studies on toy store employee cadavers and found that, with a bit of electrical stimulation, they would still mouth the lyrics to "Baby Beluga." It's that bad.
In fact, merely mentioned it has now gotten it stuck in my head for the next three weeks.
..
Songs that my young siblings love beyond all ability to describe:
Cake's version of "Mahna Mahna" (from an album called For the Kids Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" "You're my Little Potato," by some obscure North Dakota band called Metamora Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E" and... just to brag... "Dragostea Din Tei." though they enjoy ATC's "Around the World" a little more. (gotta love what Europe has done for world culture!)
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Elizabeth: I hate Yes, Dear, too, Syn!
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.
Yes, Dear is just so STUPID! ARG! CANNOT STAND IT.
I used to watch Barney when I was in Junior high for some reason. It was sort of cute. When I was even younger I liked Sharon Lois and Brams.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Christopher loves Jimmy Buffett (especially "Cheeseburger in Paradise") and Bowling for Soup (go figure).
To my eternal shame, he also loves Kelly Clarkson and Usher. I blame Nickelodeon. *le sigh*
But I am turning him into a Skate Punk and playing No Doubt and Green Day and Warped Tour 2002. I'll get him converted eventually.
I just bought a CD, and I think it is called "Not For Kids Only" (?). It has Jason Mraz and Lisa Loeb and TMBGs and other artists on it. We've not listened to it all the way through yet, but already I love the Cuttlefish song. *smile* TMBG sings the Supertaster song on that album, very silly! Very fun!
I, too, am a fan of the Veggietales Silly Songs, but they are a Christian cartoon (just a warning if that is not your 'thing'). I love the Water Buffalo song!!
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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quote:Bagpipe music? Is that good for their tender, young developing neurological systems?
I think there's a gene or two for liking bagpipe music, and not everyone has it. Everyone in my family does, though, and my daughter would stop crying, smile, kick her feet, and coo when it came on at 2 months old. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I grew up on the Beatles and James Taylor. My mom used to sing Rocky Racoon as a lulluby. She also sand Sweet Baby James, though, so maybe they cancel out.
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Zeg, I think those words would spark an excellent discussion with a 5-year-old, Jewish or otherwise. But then, when I was 6 or so, my dad took us (me and my 3-year-old brother) to a protest at the Chinese Embassy after the massacre at Tiananmen Square. We sang "We Shall Overcome", "Blowin' In the Wind", and other protest songs (yes, of course we knew the words.) And when a newscrew spotted me standing on the fountain to see and my brother on my dad's shoulders, they came over to interview us-- and was stunned as I gave a succinct explaination of why we were there, and what had happened, and my brother added, "Yeah, and God and Jesus and Buddha taught that we should love one another and not kill."
So I may have different expectations of dialogue with kids than you do. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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"I have to admit, we have no "kid's music". I can't stand the stuff so I don't let it in the house."
As ketchupqueen pointed out once in a similar thread to this one, many "kid songs" are old folk tunes, lullabies, or hymns.
We loved kid songs, and our children have listened to all sorts of music since they were small. If we had filtered out kid songs, how would I have the memory of my daughter belting out Rosenshontz's "I Drive My Mommy Crazy Because I'm Two" in JC Penney one day when she, herself, was two? (I do not believe this sing was an old folk tune, lullaby or hymn, however)
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I was worried that the TMBG stuff wouldn't appeal to my kids--two girls, 2 and 3--and that it would turn out to be just more "Daddy" music.
Thankfully, I was wrong. They Might Be Giants are officially teaching my kids the alphabet.
Although I will admit, anytime we see a capital M or a W, we do have to turn it over to identify the "upside-down" letter as well.
They like Radio Disney, as well--too much for my taste. I miss the old Radio Ahs, which played the kind of fun, creative stuff that was actually written UP to kids instead of DOWN to them.
You know--the kind of stuff that acted like engaging a child's imagination was something you had to work for, with cleverness and wit, rather than something you did by holding back and writing wimpy versions of actual music.
Did you know Cheech Marin did a pretty funny kids album a few years back? Ever heard of Joe Scruggs or Bob Reid? You would have, if Disney hadn't pushed Radio Ahs right off the air . . .
I like the old folk stuff, too--Tom Paxton, Tom Glazer. I didn't realize until I saw this thread, though, that I don't actually have any of it, so I have no idea what my kids would think of it.
Out of fairness to Disney, they did do Here Come The ABC's. They also did the Muppet albums, which my kids and I both enjoy. My favorite is the Rowlf the Dog tape "Ol' Brown Ears Is Back," with songs by Billy Joel, A.A. Milne, and even Groucho Marx's "Lydia the Tattooed Lady." Fun stuff.
Posts: 1894 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Tom Lehrer wrote a slew of children's songs that are a lot of fun. Stuff about math, language and science. The currently available CD set with all his recorded works (alternate versions of many songs) has this stuff on the last segment of the last CD. It's fun. He wrote it for an early TV show.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:"I have to admit, we have no "kid's music". I can't stand the stuff so I don't let it in the house."
As ketchupqueen pointed out once in a similar thread to this one, many "kid songs" are old folk tunes, lullabies, or hymns
What I meant by that is, the albums produced for kids. Like Raffi, or albums of nameless kids, or sappy stuff. Songs about sandwiches or shoes or baby animals. I have to confess we aren't Tom Paxtonfans either. My neighbor's sons brought over his CDs and I tried to make the kids lsiten out of courtesy, but they ran out of the room screaming.
But we just got some Tom Lerher, I don't know what's on the CDs but I'll see if they like him.
Bagpipe music can't be bad for babies neurlogical development or the Scots would all be crazy.
Oh, and kq that was quite the impressive story. I've always wanted to be that kind of parent.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Oh, and kq that was quite the impressive story. I've always wanted to be that kind of parent.
Me, too. I hope I can reproduce the good things I had growing up for my children without the bad. But I'm sure I'll just end up making my own set of mistakes, like everyone does. *sigh*
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Wow, this is amazing. It's going to take me a while to go through everything.
It never ceases to amaze me how Hatrackers come through with excellent advice on such a wide array of subjects.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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