Conference mr1pst::music

    Do little kids really like kid's music?  My daughter never did.  When
    she was a little kid she used to listen to Men At Work, Michael Jackson
    and Hall & Oats.  The first album she ever wanted when she was very
    young was Hall & Oats.  She used to love them when she was a little
    kid.  This was the late '70's.  I don't think she ever paid any
    attention to music that was intended for children.
    
    Lorna
    

    
    
    
    I know my kids seem to prefer "adult" music.  They'll sing
    kids songs (Raffti, etc.), but my son can tell you almost
    all of Elvis' songs (thanks to his Father - not *my* cup
    of tea), and will come out with a line from some current
    song when I least expect it (I remember him singing "I
    don't ever want to feel like I did that day..." when he
    was only 4!)
    
    And my daughter will dance to *anything*!!!
    
    A little off the subject - what amazes my kids now (and
    amazes me!) are the shows that are on now like The
    Partridge Family!! My son can't understand how this show
    could have been on when Mommy was a little kid like he is now!
                                                                  

    
    My niece's current favorite song is 'Tears in Heaven' 
    
    "Uncle Jimmy!  Play the *sad* song!!"
    
    oh yeah, she's 2 1/2 years old.
    
    Now, if we can only get rid of *Barney* . . .
    
    					- Jim
    

    One of my daughter's favorite songs when she was a little kid was Lou
    Reed's "Take A Walk On The Wild Side."  She used to like to sing the
    part that goes, "And the colored girls go do-da-do-do-do-do-do,etc." 
    She used to bounce her black Barbie doll up and down to the song. :-)
    
    Another early favorite was Elton John's "Crocodile Rock."  She had a
    blue teddy that she used to make play along to that song.
    
    Lorna
    

    My approach is to tape whtever the kids ask me to.  They like a lot of
    stuff that we adults might turn up our noses at because they haven't
    been bombarded by the media yet.  My eight year old begged me for a
    radio but never listens to it, just tapes.  
    
    Current faves are Boozoo Chavis (zydeco), Lucinda Williams (country
    rock) and the Boogaloo Swamis (also zydeco, but they like it because my
    friend Joe Pete is in the band and they like him a lot).   They sing
    along with all that stuff pretty regualrly.  they also have some Raffi
    and things like that but don't play it all that often anymore.
    
    They do ask cool questions when listening to adult music, though...one
    day we were tuned into a reggae show and they wanted to know what
    "herb" was  8^)  8^)
    
    							Brian

  I have sons 8 & 10; they have spurned all manner of Sesame Street & other
  kid-demographic tapes, and now use tapes of the Time/Life "Rock'n'Roll
  Era" series (1 for each year, 1955 - 1964), as their bedtime listening.
  
  My older son's favorite songs are "It's My Party", "Tears on My Pillow",
  and all the Chuck Berry and Little Richard items (many) on those tapes.
  (That series is now being sold by Tower Records, BTW.)
  
  My younger son is a big fan of the "Back to the Future" movies, and
  listens to the soundtracks of those (which vary from pop songs to
  quasi-classical soundtrack music).
  
  They used to like Michael Jackson tapes, until he became uncool to their
  generation(s).  (About 2 years ago.)    - Jay

The earliest stuff I remember listening to (when I was 5 or 6, maybe) was an
album of Strauss waltzes, and the soundtrack to "The Saga Of Andy Burnett". :-)

My 4-year-old listens to kiddie songs on his Fisher-Price cassette player.  He
also likes me to put on ELP's Brain Salad Surgery, and jump around to
"Toccata" pretending he's a ferocious dinosaur :-)

-Lance-

    The first song I ever remember listening to was The Ballad of Davey
    Crockett, and the flip side which was called something like "Bang, Bang
    Goes Old Betsy" and was about his gun.  This was in the early '50's
    when Davy Crockett and coonskin hats were all the rage.  (I had a
    coonskin hat, too.)  I can remember playing that song about the gun
    over and over and falling down at the appropriate times.  It's nothing
    to be proud of, I know.  :-)
    
    The first rock song I can remember listening to was Elvis Presley's
    "You Aint' Nothin But A Hound Dog."  I can remember that I couldn't
    figure out what it meant to call a person a hound dog.
    
    Lorna
    
    
    

    
    Great note, John. You beat me to it. I was going to start one.
    
    Intended audience:
    If you are an incurable single or if you think being a parent is not
    cool, then hit next unseen. The rest remain with me.
    
    John, I will recommend an excellent CD (well, it comes in the other
    format too) for your niece:
    
    Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers	- Give a little love
    Bob Dylan				- This old man
    Sting				- Cushie Butterfield
    Paul McCartney			- Mary had a little lamb
    ?					- The ballad of Davy Crockett
    Little Richard			- Itsy bitsy spider
    Bruce Springsteen			- Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips
    Brian Wilson			- ?
    Bette Midler			- Blueberry Pie
    Elton John				- ?
    James Taylor			- ?
    Carole King				- Child of mine
    Meryl Streep			- ?
    Jackson Browne			- Golden Slumbers
    Barbra Streisand			- A child is born
    
    It is a lot of fun listening to Bob Dylan doing "this old man". Bruce's
    "chicken lips and lizard hips" is a riot. It is Disney's aids
    collection (well, you know what I mean, the profit goes to).
    
    For classical exposure:
    
    Mozart's Magic Fantasy
    Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery
    Beethoven Lives Upstairs
    Mr. Bach Comes to Call
    
    Collect all four. I bought them one at a time but they are also
    available as a set.
    
    First make your child fall in love with Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf,
    narrated by Sting and then immediately plug in other Sting stuff by
    "now would you like to listen to other music from this story teller?".
    
    Now that my daughter (7) has developed a refined taste in music, I do
    not have to do as many tricks as I used to. Like, as soon as Sesame
    Street plays "Cereal Girl" plug in "Cinnamon Girl". Or, as soon as Sesame
    Street plays "Letter B" plug in "Let it be". I used to do such things
    when she was 4-5. Now she listens to almost everything I listen to.
    We also have seasonal tickets for "Young People's Classical Music
    Concerts". She loves those. Ballet too. Swanlake, nutcracker, whatever
    there is, I make use of it.
    
    The Sound of Music is still an excellent CD, I believe. We also have
    all Disney stuff.
    
    We also have a movie called "The Orchestra" narrated by Peter Ustinov,
    teaching kids about instruments.
    
    I can go on and on. I still have plenty to say but I have to call
    a customer now (god these customers, they think I am here for them).
    
    Lale
    

    RE: .7    ELP's Toccata ??!!!!  that's a with-it kid...although my kids
    will also probably hear that when I try to teach them to play
    keyboards. That's When I have kids, we don't have any yet, but we
    will...  :)
    
    my favorite songs when I was a child were The Beatles. Christmas 1965
    my brother got Rubber Soul, I got a little plastic guitar, and one of
    those little kiddy drum-sets, (I was 5) and I remember vividly all
    afternoon listening to Rubber Soul, playing my little drum set, making
    I believe I was Ringo

    My seven year old son has a Fisher-Price tape player, and likes to play
    David Bowie's greatest hits album, whatever it's called.  I can't wait
    for the day when he comes home from school with a note asking us to
    explain why he keeps saying "Wham bam thank you ma'am!"  %^)
    
    And the band I'm in does a tune he's gotten to like a lot - Talking
    Heads' "Psycho Killer".  He walks around chanting "Fa fa fa fa, fa fa
    fa fa fa fa...", among other lyrics.  Sigh.
    
    Dave

    My 5 year old son is a Roxette fan.
    
    
    fred deady

    Lance apparently believes that it is never too early to indoctrinate
    kids into the realm of progressive rock.
    
    Somehow, I'm not all that surprised.  ;-)
    
    	db

    My six year old niece like "Billy Rae Cyrus", my sister-in-law and I
    were out shopping last week and Ashley was in the back seat, I was
    amazed at how she sang along with the radio and didn't miss a beat.
    
    Ashley's never really been particularly crazy over kids music, she does
    like the Chipmunks, and songs from such music as "The Little Mermaid",
    "Aladdin", "101 Dalmations", and Beauty and the Beast".
    
    Rose
    

	Hey, I played "The Gates of Delirium" for my kids when one was 3 years
	and the other was 6 months.

	They like it; my wife still refers to it as "the pots and pans album".

	ScottR

    ref. .11
    
    Dave, buy your son Barenaked Ladies' Gordon album. It is packed
    full of music. Reading your note, I am confident that your son
    will like it and you will get to listen to a variety of hummings.
    Disclaimer: You may not like it.
    
    What/who is Barney ?
    
    I hate trolls by the way (I don't know if this was relevant).
    
    Lale

    Barney is Mr.Rodgers in a Purple_Dino_Suit.Kids Eat him Up.(Or,I wish
    they would.)
    
    My kids like Madonna and that Kindda stuff.Well..Each to their
    own.But..WHERE THE HELL DID I GO WRONG!!!!!!!
    
    
                 Crazy_Wind_Up_Toy_Al

My thirteen year old son has been a big fan of Baroque, Renaissance and
Medieval music since he was a toddler.  I'll never forget the time we were 
listening to the radio and a Bach concerto came on - one that we didn't
have in our collection.  Simon listened for half a minute and said, "That's
Bach!"  He was not quite two years old.

Today, he also likes Celtic folk music, Cajun, most "World Music", Fifties
R'n'R, synthesized space music, and I don't know what else.  The only kids'
music he ever liked was old folk songs that have stood the test of time.
He was never attracted to modern manufactured kids' music.

He isn't interested at all in modern Rock and even makes fun of me when I
check out MTV to see what's happening.  Sometimes I feel like I'm the 
rebellious teenager and he's the fuddy duddy parent.   :^) :^)

Bob

    
    
>Simon listened for half a minute and said, "That's
>Bach!"  He was not quite two years old.

    Listen, Bob, let's get one thing straight, my kid is smarter than
    yours, ok. Besides my kid can beat up your kid, since she is a
    green belt (going for her blue) at Karate.
    
    ;-)
    
    Lale

    It's odd reading through this note, really. My 6-year-old likes music,
    and hears lots of different kinds. He likes the kids' music as much as
    any other, probably more *especially* because he can pretty easily tell
    that it's especially *for* kids.
    
    Why do I find the notes in this thread odd? Well, it just seems that
    almost all seem "proud" of the fact that *their* kids have more
    sophisticated tastes, whether or not that was the intention. Is there
    something considered *wrong* about kids liking children's music?
    
    Baffled,
    
    	Bob

    
    
    Sure, Bob, there's definitely some parental pride in their prodigies
    precocious preference for mainstream material as evidenced by comments
    like "my kid's smarter than yours".  It's like kid stuff is there to be
    denigrated...kinda like Steve Wright used to say: "I've written a couple
    of children's books - but not on purpose."
    
    Actually, if you try it sometime, writing well for kids is just as hard
    as writing well for any other audience.
    

     
    John, you have totally misunderstood my "my kid is smarter than yours"
    joke. But she is smart enough to understand a joke when she hears one.
    We are very proud of her.
    
    Lale

    Bob Ashforth, I agree, my daughter likes kids stuff too. Only,
    now that she is getting close to 8, I guess she gets bored if the
    music or tv show is too simplistic.
    
    We used to go to Sharon, Lois and Bram's Elephant Shows, every time
    they were in town, but now she doesn't want to anymore. We still watch
    Disney musicals together. 
    
    I have always enjoyed listening to her music with her, at home or at a
    concert and now she enjoys listening to my music with me, at home or at
    a concert. I like her being selective. I wouldn't want to live with
    someone who listens to everything from Brooks to Bolton to Bon Jovi.
    I am very happy that she has a refined taste in music, be it kids or
    adults.
    
    Lale

>    Listen, Bob, let's get one thing straight, my kid is smarter than
>    yours, ok. Besides my kid can beat up your kid, since she is a
>    green belt (going for her blue) at Karate.
    
Oh yeah?!  Well, ...hmmmm, you're probably right.  He's so obsessed with
music that he's completely non-athletic and can't relate to normal
adolescent stuff.

My kid *did* like children's songs, but the things he liked were the old
songs that have survived because there's something, I dunno, universal
or cosmic about them.  "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring",
that kinda stuff - simple melodies that tap into the cosmic unconsciousness.
There really are intervals and modes that evoke a pretty universal response
in people, especially children - if they haven't already been overstimulated
and overloaded so they can't get in touch with those essential responses.

Some kids will just naturally respond more readily to either the lyrics or
the rhythm.  Of course, Peter Yarrow defined the essence of a children's
song nearly thirty years ago.  The basic elements are -

	Simplicity, so the child can learn the song; pathos, to prepare
	the child for later traumatic experiences; and repetition, to
	give the child a false sense of security.


Bob

    I have already mentioned 
    
	    Mozart's Magic Fantasy
	    Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery
	    Beethoven Lives Upstairs
	    Mr. Bach Comes to Call
    
    Now, there is a new one: Tschaikovsky Discovers America. As good as the
    others.
    
    Lale