I love to cook. For years my pantry included the “cooking wine” that’s probably in your pantry as well.
One day I was watching Michael Chiarello’s show on Food Network, a show about risotto con funghi, one of my favorites. He paused after toasting the arborio and said something like, “At this point I like to add some dry white wine to the rice, I find it gives it a nice crispness underneath. Now whatever you do, PLEASE don’t use that “cooking wine” you find at the grocery store for this. You don’t need anything expensive, but you should NEVER cook with something you wouldn’t gladly drink.”
It hit me like a stone. I tried it next time, and it added a whole new dimension to my risotto, and everything else I use wine in (which is a lot.)
What does this have to do with children’s music? Well, in my house (or at the very least in my car) the same principle applies. I do not play music for my kids that I wouldn’t listen to myself.
Why poison your child’s very soul with some saccharin nonsense sung by a frustrated night club dropout? For God’s sake, you’re trying to prepare that critter for a great life; a life rich with art, lyrical prose, genuine emotion. Raffi is swell and all, but compared to Stevie Wonder? Are you kidding me?
If you doubt this, spin Superstitious the next time you’re in the car with your kids. Give it 3 plays, and if your child doesn’t ask you for that song EVERY TIME they get in the car from then on, I’ll spring for the Laurie Berkner (the LEAST bad of the age challenged genre.)
Some other guaranteed midget-pleasers:
- Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
- Ice Cube – Bop Gun
- Elvis Presley – A Little Less Conversation Remix
- Kim Wilde – Kids in America
- Frank Sinatra – The Coffee Song
- The Proclaimers – (I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles
- Bobby Darin – Splish Splash
- Alphaville – Big In Japan
- Bruce Springsteen – Cadillac Ranch (Live)
Full disclosure: Most of these are artists I love. But that’s the bonus here, Dadawan.
First time Dads think they need to change themselves, become suddenly interested in the elaborate, highly specialized Kid-O-Sphere that profit seeking enterprises have constructed around their children. Kids music, kids food, kids drinks, kids shows, kids everything. When we were kids we listened to, ate, drank and watched what our parents did, and in the process learned more about our parents and ourselves as people. We learned to love – maybe even later in life – some of the things they loved.
That’s a pretty special connection, I’d say. So which of the music you love can you share with your kids today?
#
Luckily for me I haven’t fallen into the trap of having to switch the station to listen to the kids’ channel on Sirius (waaaay too much Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes for my taste). Instead, ever since our daughter was born we just listen to our own tastes in music on car trips, etc. My daughter now loves Broadway music, classic rock, ’80s new-wave synth and classical music just as much as we do. I don’t even mind putting in some of my punk favorites, I just have to be a bit careful about remembering which songs have lyrical issues that I don’t want to be repeated.
That said, there is some good kids’ music that isn’t too earache-inducing — The songs from Backyardigans and Wonder Pets have varied musical stylings and, in some cases, are even operatic.
#
Luckily for me I haven’t fallen into the trap of having to switch the station to listen to the kids’ channel on Sirius (waaaay too much Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes for my taste). Instead, ever since our daughter was born we just listen to our own tastes in music on car trips, etc. My daughter now loves Broadway music, classic rock, ’80s new-wave synth and classical music just as much as we do. I don’t even mind putting in some of my punk favorites, I just have to be a bit careful about remembering which songs have lyrical issues that I don’t want to be repeated.
That said, there is some good kids’ music that isn’t too earache-inducing — The songs from Backyardigans and Wonder Pets have varied musical stylings and, in some cases, are even operatic.
#
I agree completely, and honestly, I don’t even really censor the music I listen to for lyrical issues, why you might ask? Well, first off, the wife swears like a sailor, so they hear it anyways, second, I would much rather the boys ask me about the words they hear so I can explain to them what they are and why they aren’t allowed to use those words.
I remember being so proud when my oldest asked me if he could listen to The Clash for the first time and when he told me that his favorite song was “Gary Gilmour’s Eyes” by The Adverts (and no, he had no idea who Gary Gilmour was).
At present my oldest loves The Beatles, Thee Clash, AC/DC, The Fugees and a whole other slew of great music, music that we can enjoy and listen to together.
#
I agree completely, and honestly, I don’t even really censor the music I listen to for lyrical issues, why you might ask? Well, first off, the wife swears like a sailor, so they hear it anyways, second, I would much rather the boys ask me about the words they hear so I can explain to them what they are and why they aren’t allowed to use those words.
I remember being so proud when my oldest asked me if he could listen to The Clash for the first time and when he told me that his favorite song was “Gary Gilmour’s Eyes” by The Adverts (and no, he had no idea who Gary Gilmour was).
At present my oldest loves The Beatles, Thee Clash, AC/DC, The Fugees and a whole other slew of great music, music that we can enjoy and listen to together.
#
Hear hear. I’ll throw in one more suggestion, which turns out to be an interesting hybrid: They Might be Giants, almost any album. I have always enjoyed their quirky, smart, poppy style and it’s great as “kids music” too. So great, in fact, that they now have three CDs of music specifically marketed for kids but fun for adults too: “No!”, “Here Come the ABCs”, and “Here Come the 123s”. There. I’m out of the closet.
#
Hear hear. I’ll throw in one more suggestion, which turns out to be an interesting hybrid: They Might be Giants, almost any album. I have always enjoyed their quirky, smart, poppy style and it’s great as “kids music” too. So great, in fact, that they now have three CDs of music specifically marketed for kids but fun for adults too: “No!”, “Here Come the ABCs”, and “Here Come the 123s”. There. I’m out of the closet.
#
I highly recommend the Jazz for Kids CD for young children with cool parents. You can find it here: http://urlzen.com/32q. It’s worth the price just for Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “Old McDonald Had A Farm”.
#
I highly recommend the Jazz for Kids CD for young children with cool parents. You can find it here: http://urlzen.com/32q. It’s worth the price just for Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “Old McDonald Had A Farm”.
#
Sir Duke by Mr. Wonder is “the bomb” per my 10 y/o! I love the music teacher of my children! She exposes them to this type of stuff at school…who’d have thought. Last week it was a score from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia. Also, the ENTIRE fam plays Guitar Hero at our house. Yes, I play on the easiest level even after almost a year…My 6 y/o plays on medium. (Have we hijacked the blog post and morphed it into a confessional?!) Because of GH my kids love what my husband and I would call classics. Can’t complain about that.
#
Sir Duke by Mr. Wonder is “the bomb” per my 10 y/o! I love the music teacher of my children! She exposes them to this type of stuff at school…who’d have thought. Last week it was a score from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia. Also, the ENTIRE fam plays Guitar Hero at our house. Yes, I play on the easiest level even after almost a year…My 6 y/o plays on medium. (Have we hijacked the blog post and morphed it into a confessional?!) Because of GH my kids love what my husband and I would call classics. Can’t complain about that.
#
@Sundi — There’s nothing wrong with admitting to playing GH on Easy, I got up to medium after a while (don’t even bother with Hard). We just started playing Rock Band 2, and my 3-year-old daughter grabbed her fancy hat and noise-maker (a fake tambourine) and joined along.
#
@Sundi — There’s nothing wrong with admitting to playing GH on Easy, I got up to medium after a while (don’t even bother with Hard). We just started playing Rock Band 2, and my 3-year-old daughter grabbed her fancy hat and noise-maker (a fake tambourine) and joined along.
#
For the most part, my kids also listen to what I listen to. My 4-year-old son Ronin loves rock, and often offers his opinion on which songs rock and which don’t. AC/DC, Sabbath, The Ramones, Audioslave and Black Keys are typical requests. My 7-year-old daughter Violet isn’t as inclined to the RAWK; she leans more towards indie bands. She was singing along to Sufjan Stevens and The Strokes on the way to school the other day.
I do monitor lyrics for objectionable language, or themes but for the most part it’s not a problem.
@Matt Huyck – When they were younger, both kids loved They Might Be Giants – good choice. They were also into the Beastie Boys.
#
For the most part, my kids also listen to what I listen to. My 4-year-old son Ronin loves rock, and often offers his opinion on which songs rock and which don’t. AC/DC, Sabbath, The Ramones, Audioslave and Black Keys are typical requests. My 7-year-old daughter Violet isn’t as inclined to the RAWK; she leans more towards indie bands. She was singing along to Sufjan Stevens and The Strokes on the way to school the other day.
I do monitor lyrics for objectionable language, or themes but for the most part it’s not a problem.
@Matt Huyck – When they were younger, both kids loved They Might Be Giants – good choice. They were also into the Beastie Boys.
#
I guess I’m gonna agree and disgaree here, Mike. All five of my kids are, to one extent or another, 80’s music afficianados thanks to riding around in the car with their dad. But when they were little, we always played Raffi and the like, and I thought that was good for them, too. It’s not all “saccharin nonsense,” and they actually learned something from it. It’s like I always said about Barney when all of the “hip” parents were saying they would never let their kids watch it….God forbid they get into Barney and have lessons like saying “please” and “thank you,” which they were already learning at home, reinforced. God forbid!
#
I guess I’m gonna agree and disgaree here, Mike. All five of my kids are, to one extent or another, 80’s music afficianados thanks to riding around in the car with their dad. But when they were little, we always played Raffi and the like, and I thought that was good for them, too. It’s not all “saccharin nonsense,” and they actually learned something from it. It’s like I always said about Barney when all of the “hip” parents were saying they would never let their kids watch it….God forbid they get into Barney and have lessons like saying “please” and “thank you,” which they were already learning at home, reinforced. God forbid!
#
At two my daughter (and later her brother) sat at the mixing board (in rehearsal) as I ran sound for a band that played rock(Back in Black, etc.). She knew all of the songs I listened to from Willie Nelson to Uriah Heep, and she knew every Sesame Street song and the theme to Mister Rogers. Life is like a box of chocolates, as the saying goes, she sampled and developed her own taste, and yes I did sit through some things I didn’t like, and she sat through some Country that she thought was really bad. Sunday Morning Coming Down was the funniest song my kids had ever heard until they were well past 25. I believe that what music is on is not nearly as important as that there was always music, from gospel to rock, that engaged them. So I had great confidence that their “love” of rap would someday wane.
#
At two my daughter (and later her brother) sat at the mixing board (in rehearsal) as I ran sound for a band that played rock(Back in Black, etc.). She knew all of the songs I listened to from Willie Nelson to Uriah Heep, and she knew every Sesame Street song and the theme to Mister Rogers. Life is like a box of chocolates, as the saying goes, she sampled and developed her own taste, and yes I did sit through some things I didn’t like, and she sat through some Country that she thought was really bad. Sunday Morning Coming Down was the funniest song my kids had ever heard until they were well past 25. I believe that what music is on is not nearly as important as that there was always music, from gospel to rock, that engaged them. So I had great confidence that their “love” of rap would someday wane.
#
Great post, Mike. Since 2005 I listen to podcasts more than anything else in the car, and I have tried to be “selective” as to which ones I play when the kids are in the car (using “kids” loosely as today they are 20, 18 and 17), and as a result I have converted at least one of my kids to start subscribing to and listening to some of the same podcasts themselves. When they were younger I enjoyed playing songs I liked and knew well enough to sing along to, as they got much enjoyment from hearing how bad a singer dad was (and still is!).
#
Great post, Mike. Since 2005 I listen to podcasts more than anything else in the car, and I have tried to be “selective” as to which ones I play when the kids are in the car (using “kids” loosely as today they are 20, 18 and 17), and as a result I have converted at least one of my kids to start subscribing to and listening to some of the same podcasts themselves. When they were younger I enjoyed playing songs I liked and knew well enough to sing along to, as they got much enjoyment from hearing how bad a singer dad was (and still is!).