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Topic: Music for children  (Read 1720 times)

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Music for children
« on: March 03, 2010, 04:57:35 PM »
So we finally got an iPod for the family to use. My kids have been watching too much TV and not hearing enough music (our car radio is even broken so no music there!).

I'm not a huge fan of music made especially for kids. Though there are some exceptions. What I do like are classics like Puff the Magic Dragon, Froggy Went a Courtin', Big Rock Candy Mountain, that sort of thing. So folk music, traditional music, etc. But I'm also thinking bands like The Monkees, Beatles (Yellow Submarine, Octopus's Garden), Elvis (Hound Dog), Bob Marley (Two Little Birds) etc.

So I'm just wondering what all your kids might like or songs/albums you might suggest.

Thanks!
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. ~ John Lennon


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2010, 06:06:19 PM »
Well, you know I'm not a parent, nor a kid, but I sure like music- and I would last about five seconds listening to kids music  :P

If you like bluegrass music-
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman did an album called Not For Kids Only, which has all the kids songs on them, but aren't sing-songy happy

There's a fun band called the Terrible Twos   that is pretty modern sounding 

Peter, Paul and Mary, Surf Music- Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, the Ventures etc, John Denver, the Mamas and the Papas, ABBA, Swing Music- like Sing, Sing, Sing, or In the Mood (things that are fun and upbeat), even cheesy wedding music- like Celebration or YMCA (if you can stand it), Motown, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Oldies, basically anything that's wholesome sounding and not full of swears would get my vote for kids-

You'll probably be amazed at what they like- My sisters kids love all kinds of everything- as long as it has a tune to it, they'll dance and clap  :)

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/02/childrens-music-that-isnt-so-childish/
http://www.momlogic.com/2009/10/kids_music_that_doesnt_suck.php
http://kidsmusicthatrocks.blogspot.com/
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Re: Music for children
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2010, 06:29:10 PM »
My nephews love love LOVE Bon Jovi! My sister has their greatest hits and it's always a car trip necessity!


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2010, 06:58:17 PM »
My sister listens to world music and swears by Putumayo's World Music for Kids:

http://www.putumayo.com/en/

It's pretty darn good, actually.  :)


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2010, 07:26:03 PM »
Justin Roberts
Ralph's World
Laurie Berkner
Caspar Babypants
Terrible Twos
Frances England
Ellis Paul
Dan Zanes
They Might Be Giants


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2010, 07:33:59 PM »
Songs to Grow on for Mother and Child - Woody Guthrie

and/or:

Daddy-O Daddy! - Various Artists (Woody Guthrie covers)

Love "Dry Bed" as sung by Billy Bragg!  ;D

Oh and this one:

« Last Edit: March 03, 2010, 07:40:04 PM by Mrs Robinson »
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in...

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Re: Music for children
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2010, 07:38:57 PM »
My son (8) loves:

Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
Silver Machine - Hawkwind
We are the Champions - Queen
Dies Irae - from Karl Jenkins' Requiem

All in all a very odd selection!  But I guess they all have a great beat.

He likes violins for some reason and some country & western, particularly Lonestar.


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2010, 09:51:10 PM »
My sister listens to world music and swears by Putumayo's World Music for Kids:

http://www.putumayo.com/en/

It's pretty darn good, actually.  :)

ooh I love this station- listen to it pretty often :)
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Re: Music for children
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2010, 08:15:41 AM »
There's a radio station?  ??? This is exciting!  :)

I was talking about the CDs.


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2010, 08:45:58 AM »
There's a radio station?  ??? This is exciting!  :)

I was talking about the CDs.

Ahh, oops  :-[ :) Yes, there's an internet radio statio, its fantastic  :)
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Re: Music for children
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2010, 03:14:44 PM »
This is a folk version of traditional nursery rhymes, which has just been rereleased. My children loved it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/feb/11/tim-hart-nursery-rhyme. My eldest also really liked Carmina Burana and would rush about the room 'dancing' to it.
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Re: Music for children
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2010, 03:56:03 PM »
I bought Snacktime by the Barenaked Ladies more for me than for Jean but it's got some fantastic silly songs on there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snacktime!
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Re: Music for children
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2010, 05:33:35 PM »
My kids were big Raffi fans and although I can probably sing all his songs he drove me nuts because he's not really a good singer in my opinion. The lyrics were good though, and even at 15 my oldest and I still sing random lyrics from time to time because it matches the situation, so I still get warm fuzzies.

My favorite was John McCutcheon: Family Garden CD. He's a folk writer and I think this one album happened to be specifically for children although that isn't his typical album.

The majority of the time I played what I liked musically and they enjoyed it too. Some of the songs from Hair were great for dancing to. :)


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Re: Music for children
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2010, 06:02:00 PM »
My kids were big Raffi fans

How Canadian of them! My claim to fame as a child is that I sat on his knee at the Vancouver Children's festival in the 1970s.

He also has an honorary Doctor of Music, from my school for my undergrad, the University of Victoria.


Re: Music for children
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2010, 02:08:12 AM »
In no particular order:

No!, Here Comes the ABC's, Here Comes the 1 2 3's, and Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants (best kids' stuff out there, seriously)

Pretty much anything by Dan Zanes (House Party and Catch That Train! especially)

Woody's 20 Grow Big Songs by Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie and the Guthrie Family

There is a series called For the Kids that has famous artists doing kid songs.  Not all are great, but there are some fun ones we love.

Snacktime by Barenaked Ladies is really good, but I think it's more for older kids.  My six year-old tends to lose interest after a few songs.  But there's a song about allergies that's totally worth it!

Woody's Roundup: A Rootin' Tootin' Collection of Woody's Favorite Songs, which is kind of the soundtrack to Toy Story 2, is one of our favorites.  It's all done by Riders in the Sky, and is a lot of fun!

Lisa Loeb did an album of camp songs (Camp Lisa) that has some fun ones, but they can turn into earworms pretty quickly.

Old school Disney is another fun way to go.  Soundtracks from The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Lady and the Tramp are all excellent, and nowhere near as annoying or "pop-y" as the newer movies.

Okay, I could go on forever, so I'll stop. :)


ETA: While most of the above is technically kids' music, I think they really transcend it.  If any of the music I've listed shows up on the iPod when I'm alone I'll still listen to it, which I'm guessing is sort of what you're looking for.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 02:11:44 AM by Abby Normal »


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