Friday, July 07, 2006
Friday Coffeehouse: Good Music, "Not For Kids Only"!It is Friday "Coffeehouse"... why not talk music? I don't have time to put down all of my favorite albums which children seem to love, but here are a few pearls worth mentioning.
Do you ever wish that you could find music for kids that is not too "cutesy" or "dumb"...i.e, not degrading to your child's dignity? Something that is fun and geared towards their age group without compromising GOOD musicianship and overall sound? When I was first pregnant with Aidan I immediately invested in 3 wonderful albums which fit exactly into the category I speak of above:
Not For Kids Only, -Jerry Garcia and David Grisman;
Little Hands, -Jonathan Edwards;
Peter, Paul and Mommy, -Peter, Paul and Mary
Everybody's Gotta Have a Place, -Dirk Shumaker
These albums have been so much fun not only for Aidan but for myself. I think that if we as adults find "kiddie" music to be unbearable and obnoxious, that it probably isn't fit to play for our children! The music on these albums is full of good musicianship, with real acoustic instruments such as banjos, guitars, whistles and fiddles... They also are full of funny songs, traditional ballads and jokes.
Others I've noticed that kids love include: Will The Circle be Unbroken, -The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band, and any good Irish music such as the bands Altan, Solas and many many more. Bluegrass and Irish music is excellent for exposure to truly beautiful traditional tunes and for instilling in the child's ear a sense of excellent rhythm. Try out some of these albums... perhaps you will take as much joy in listening to them as your child.
~Sia writes from Vancouver, WA
Labels: Books Music Culture
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