Children's music that doesn't suck.

Cafe Society
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Cinnamon Little loves music. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to subject myself to Barney and the Wiggles. Plus, I don’t think kids should be pandered to with mindless drivel. They ought to be exposed to decent music (and a variety of it) as early as possible, so as not to warp their musical sensibilities beyond repair. So I’ve been on the lookout for great children’s music. So far I’ve found this:

The Playground, Tony Bennett
I’ve had this one for about a year or so and I love it! My Mom is poignant and Tony’s delivery throughout is charming. The kids singing is not especially terrible in the usual sense, but the jazz makes up for it. Yes, Elmo can be exceedingly annoying, but he’s not on every song, so it’s tolerable in small doses. And, if it takes Elmo to warm up a five-year-old to Tony Bennett, then so be it.

Gather Round: Songs for kids and other folks (a Starbucks Coffee Co. compilation)
I got this CD the day it came in and I can’t stop listening to it. Cinnamon Little won’t let me stop listening to it! I think it goes a long way to share the music of your youth with your children. Now, my daughter loves Car Car as much as I did when Donovan covered us this Woody Guthrie gem. Tom Paxton is here (yay!) as is Jerry Garcia/David Grisman. I wish I had a picture of the curious look on CL’s face when she heard Dylan’s typical mushmouth in Froggie Went A-Courtin’ (“uh huh”). “Sweetie, that’s Bob Dylan. He takes some getting used to.” Okaaay… You really gotta share your past musical loves with your kids. It’s good bonding. That said, Carole King’s Really Rosie is definitely going to be added to our collection this year.

The Planet Sleeps is a collection of lullabies from around the world and was putting me to sleep while I was pregnant. It’s been putting my daughter to sleep ever since. I think it’s easier to fall asleep to soft music with lyrics you can’t understand. And these are really beautiful (and unusual) lullabies. My daughter wants to know what they’re saying and since their is no translation provided :frowning: I just make up lyrics sticking to a “goodnight, all is well, love & peace” theme. Good enough for her. Though the languages found on this CD are varied, the message is not lost. yawn in a good way.

I love opera and classical music. Hopefully, Cinnamon Little will grow to share this affinity, so these two are on our Amazon wishlist:
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”. The Russian composers have been a favorite of mine for a long time (I’m listening to Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto at the moment). My dad, a veteran classical music lover, introduced me to Prokofiev via Peter and the Wolf when I was a kid. But that version didn’t have Ziggy Stardust narrating. I feel kind of cheated now. By the way, they changed the ending on this CD to a more kid-friendly outcome. I’m not sure how I feel about that. But it’s still got a killer voice attached to it.

On the opera side:
The Classical Child at the Opera
I hope it’s as good as it sounds. English translations should make it more accessible to both of us.

I don’t have this one yet, but it’s as good as in the bag: Singin’ in the Bathtub, John Lithgow
Yeah, it is the transvestite ex-football player from Garp. The very same guy who totally freaked me out in Twilight Zone, The Movie. ("That’s, thats…I love Creedence!) He’s totally amazing! It’s big band, folks! I hate his voice, but his delivery is so over-the-top it’s entertaining. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to listen to this, but I’m going to give it a try because it’s so out there, it’s got to be good.

So, what do your kids listen to?

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My almost-five-year-old girl won’t go to sleep without her Veggie Tales CD on (Veggie Tales is Christian music, but most of it isn’t in-your-face Christian, just teaching moral values); I don’t mind listening to it, either. It’s witty, very sing-alongable (okay, I know that’s not really a word), and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. She also likes Laurie Berkner, who did a series of kids music videos for the digital cable channel Noggin.

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You may struggle to find them but Aussie artist Franciscus Henry released kid’s songs that were pleasant enough and well enough arranged to bear repeat listening.

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My kids are big now.
When they were babes in arms, it was Puff the Magic Dragon and the Beatles’ (white album) Goodnight. Gartan Mother’s Lullaby from the album For the Children.
There are some nice selections on that album.
For the Children

In the toddler days it was Raffi, and he still works: I teach preschool and the kids love him. Also cajun and reggae and Celtic. Songs with positive energy.

I raised my kids on all kinds of music, from Nanci Griffith singing with the Chieftains to Warren Zevon to Neil Young (Cinnamon Girl!) to James Brown to Tower of Power to Beastie Boys to Beethoven to Vivaldi to Pogues to Bare Naked Ladies etc etc etc

They Might Be Giants has some nice stuff for kids. I love those guys.

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Billy Jonas is a songwriter and percussionist who does a lot of family-oriented music. His music is catchy enough that kids like it, but well-written and well-played enough that it doesn’t drive adults crazy. His CDs/DVDs geared towards kids are “Everybody’s in the Band,” “What Kind of Cat Are You?!” and “Bangin’ and Sangin’ .”

He also gives great concerts, if you ever get the chance to see him live.

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That’s a great suggestion. Funny songs, but the boys are very articulate with complex (and usualy funny/silly)lyrics. In the same vein, but slightly less frenetic, Christine Lavine might be worth a shot. Story telling (and funny) folk music.

If you want to try classical music, the two classics are Peter and the Wolf and The Carnival of the Animals

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The first songs my kids got addicted to were by The Beach Boys. Their Good Vibrations compilation CD had the grooves worn off of it…well, if a CD had grooves. You haven’t lived until you’ve swung your 3-year-old daughter around the kitchen to “Do Ya Wanna Dance” and played air guitar and clapped along with your 6-year-old son to “I Get Around.”

I tend to play grown up music that is accessible. They also love The Ramones - although of course the lyrics are questionable on a number of songs.

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For quality children’s music you should check out John McCutcheon. He’s a brilliant instrumentalist. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a better hammered dulcimer player anywhere. Especially recommended are Mail Myself to You (1988) and Bigger Than Yourself (1997).

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http://www.mrray.com/startdreaming.htm

I really like the first album, will have to order the second. My kids are 5 and 8 and they have enjoyed this album for the last 4 years. That’s pretty good considering the 8 year old already likes Hillary Duff. The 5 year old doesn’t want anything but John Mellencamp.

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I recommend the highly entertaining and entirely subversive compilation from Bloodshot Records, The Bottle Let Me Down - Songs for Bumpy Car Rides. Bloodshot is the record label that brings you Ryan Adams and Neko Case.

From the Bloodshot website:

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Trout Fishing in America is my favorite kids’ group. I’m particularly fond of “I Think I’ll Need a Bandaid” and “Are We There Yet?”

We didn’t listen to much kiddie music when my daughter was a tot - a litle bit of Joanie Bartels and Raffi, a couple Disney soundtracks, but she pretty much listened to whatever I listened to, and now at 14, she likes almost every kind of music there is - folk, rock, country, jazz, R&B, moldy-oldies, classical, you name it. She’s not an opera fan, and she likes quite a bit of emo-punk stuff that does very little for me, but she’s just as likely to be listening to Leo Kottke or Tom Petty as she is Bowling For Soup.

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Lots of good stuff mentioned already. I’d like to add Priscilla Herdman (lovely voice), Arlo Guthrie, and Tom Chapin (Harry’s brother; you and your child won’t be disappointed in Tom Chapin’s stuff) and lastly [for now], Tom Pease.

Enjoy!

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A Charlie Brown Christmas - The Vince Guaraldi Trio. Great music. We play it every Christmas, over and over again.

My kid is a bit atypical, I’d guess. Since she was 5, her favorite artist was Beck.

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We’re very fond of Philadelphia Chickens. Lyrics by Sandra Boynton and an all-star cast, including Kevin Kline, Patty Lupone, Laura Linney, and Meryl Streep.

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At the risk of stating the obvious…

Two words: SESAME STREET

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My kids (4 and 2) like Joe McDermott.

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I second this one. We even got to see him at our kids’ school ten years ago or so. My kids, now old, liliked Raffi just a bit, and we never got bored of him. Another possibility is old folk songs by the likes of Burl Ives. I’m sure they’re available somewhere today, we used my wifes old 78s from the '50s.

You might also try some oldies collections - from the 50s and 60s. But you never can tell what is going to work - my kids loved the Sailors Hornpipe from the end of Tubular Bells.

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Jerry Garcia and David Grisman did an album of traditional folk tunes called “Not For Children Only.” Terrific stuff.

“There ain’t no bugs on me…”

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I second Trout Fishing in America: they have albums for both adults and children, but I’ve been a big fan of their Family Music Party album for the past four years (I don’t have any kids! :eek: :wink: ).

My favorites are “We Weary Deer” and “What I Want is a Proper Cup of Coffee;” also, “Back When I Could Fly” still touches me, and I’ve been singing their “Lullaby” to my friend’s 3-year-old son since he was born. :slight_smile:

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Putumayo Kids has some wonderful world music compilations, and much of their adult material is acceptable for kids.

Imagination Movers is a group out of New Orleans whose music is very upbeat and poppy, but the lyrics aren’t condescending. I LOVE these guys.

I recently got a CD called For the Kids too!. This is a compilation of songs by people like Lisa Loeb, Jason Mraz, They Might Be Giants, and Matthew Sweet. Good material, and good choice of artists. The songs are fun, but the voices and music aren’t syrupy-sweet.

For classical music, especially for older kids, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten is a good introduction; it’s used in college music appreciation classes.

For older kids, especially those with a bit of imagination and language skills, “program music” is good. This is stuff like the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovski, The Moldau by Smetana, that sort of thing. It’s fun to sit back and try to figure out the story by the themes. There are some good recordings of these. I try to stay away from the “Baby Mozart” stuff; Aaron’s been listening to (and enjoying some of) regular classical since he was very young.

Robin