children's music

The Magic of Think

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Imagine, as a parent, helping your child form a robust and resilient identity and allowing your child to define his or her own values based on his or her own upbringing. Perhaps the gift that follows such acts is an individual with the ability to resist both the conditioning of modern marketing and majoritarian societies and the pressure of some peer groups that may not have his or her own best interests at heart. The Magic Of Think presents a host of artistic lessons designed to encourage our children to take solace and confidence from a remembrance of the uniqueness of their individuality. Singer/songwriter Janyse was inspired by her participation with the Make a Wish Foundation as a part of her role with the hit children’s show Ed, Edd and Eddy.

While listening to the CD, I was able to experience a rare aspect of personal nostalgia in the form of remembering the dreams of my youth, which seem to slip with every passing year. To become UN Secretary-General, write a world-renowned collection of poems, or simply “farm” alternative energy, you name it, the limits of my dreams were only confined by the breadth of my imagination. And I suspect the same is true of my nieces and nephews and of the millions of youngsters across the planet who are more familiar with being united with their peers than any other generation in human history.

Janyse seems to want to remind those adults charged with shaping and nurturing our inheritors that it is not simply the possibility of youth but the revitalized dreams of us who are farther down the path of life that must be cherished and continually maintained. The peppy and upbeat songs on The Magic Of Think deal with courage, friendship, and happiness. These are values and concepts that we, particularly in the Western world a la “the pursuit of happiness” or “the courage to be,” are invoked to cherish early on in our lives.

I will conclude with my personal favorite from the CD, it’s the fourth track entitled “Hero” and its most touching words are: “If I could be somebody, I know who I would be exactly... I would be the hero... find the hero inside.” True, noble wishes and a challenge to us all to ensure that youth strive to do good while remaining faithful to what is most true to them.

Written by: Brandon Copeland, May 29th 2010

Move Your Boots

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Bramble Jam

Delwin Studio

I have memories of listening to tapes of children’s music as a child, and even at such a young age, being hyper-aware of the overly simplistic and sometimes condescending nature of the songs. If only I had Bramble Jam to listen to. Their album Move Your Boots is a delightful mixture of music and vocals with integrity, fun, easy, and repetitive verses, in addition to lyrics that highlight everyday events of a child’s life that are both on a child’s level and relatable for parents.

Jason Kern, Jessie Griffiths, Asa Brebner, Jay Janney, and Pam Manning produced, wrote, and performed the pieces on this album, and the end product evidences their collective musical knowledge. The album explores different styles, from country to folk to reggae. Their vocals are straight-forward and often include complex harmonies, while the instrumental component is stable, skilled, and devoid of cheesy uses of Celeste or xylophone I used to associate with children’s music. Their website states that this album has “no preservatives or high fructose-modified-hydrogenated anything. It's real music that parents (or grandparents) and kids can just listen to and enjoy.”

The lyrics often include repetition that children can quickly latch on to, learning counting, patterns, and memorization. “Going to a Party,” for example, is a fun song that counts and lists different groups going to a party, including goats, monkeys, and kids. “Too Tall Small” is a silly song in the spirit of a limerick, with plenty of repetition and a focus on rhyme. “Five Little Piggies” is a play on the “little piggie” game that also features counting and repetition.

Other songs are fun and relatable to parents’ experience. Every parent can chuckle at “Pancakes,” which features the voices of a tired mommy and daddy awoken too early by children who want homemade pancakes; they pass the duty back and forth to each other, claiming the other has superior breakfast-making abilities, down to toaster-pastry making. “Mommy’s Lost Her Marbles” is an in-joke of sorts for working parents, whose Sunday nights precluding another week can be hectic; the joke that mommy “lost her marbles” is lost on the child, who narrates the song.

Songs like “Big Brother Blues” deal with issues children commonly deal with, like sibling rivalry. The lyrics are positive and empower each child listening to be proud of their own abilities. “Jack Came Back” details the worry one can feel when the family pet runs away or is hurt.

This album is quite an accomplishment, and I recommend it to any parents wishing to expose their children to music that will speak on their level without giving up musical integrity.

Written by: Cristin Colvin, May 3rd 2010

Cradle Songs

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Kitka

Diaphonica Recordings

Although happily childfree, I like kids and am intrigued by that idiosyncratic collective experience known as childhood. I am especially fascinated by the many ways we share the histories, humor, and ideologies of our cultures. I try to stay abreast of how these things are communicated. I pay close attention to what music is marketed to children (when, why, and by whom). I'm also a lover of a cappella and a Russophile to boot—all of which more than explain a desire to review Cradle Songs, the latest album from American all-women's vocal ensemble Kitka.

A quick glance at the band's bio would lead any listener to believe that there is simply nothing that Kitka cannot accomplish. Indeed, theirs is a truly inspiring career. The world-renowned ensemble—whose name means “bouquet” in both Bulgarian and Macedonian—has been standing tall as a shining example of musical integrity ever since their humble beginnings in 1979, performing as a group of enthusiastic amateurs. Since then they've transformed into a professional group with a revolving roster of singers, releasing nine albums on their own Diaphonica label, lending their talents to creative endeavors great and small, and wowing audiences around the world. They expend a tremendous amount of energy on research, carefully culling authentic songs and stories from Eastern Europe. The choral collective operates out of Oakland, California as a non-profit organization, sometimes selling songbooks to accompany their album releases and offering vocal workshops. If their primary mission is to share the beauty of traditional Eastern European music, then it would seem giving back to the community comes in as a close second.

Unless boasting big-name talent or universal appeal, it's rare for children's music to draw accolades from mainstream media outlets. Yet Kitka's Cradle Songs has garnered glowing praise from National Public Radio and The Los Angeles Times, and it's easy to understand why. Women of varying ages, races and backgrounds lend their voices to a stunning selection of international lullabies, mostly from countries in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. Much like their colleagues Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares Kitka is a group that excels at “exquisite harmonies.”

As would be expected, this is a predominantly vocal outing. Musical instruments are used sparingly and are often unique. For example, the CD opens with the Russian Jewish tune “Cradle Song,” which features both a toy piano and a toy glockenspiel. The result is eerily tranquil. Cradle creaks are a listed instrument on “Dzurk, Dzurk,” a song from the Russian Federation republic of Komi. Bulgaria's “Lale Li Si, Zjumbjul Li Si, Gjul Li Si” is awash in a warm keening wave of polyphony that leaves the listener spellbound. Kitka even manages to incorporate a hybrid bedtime story, featuring elements from Russian fairy tales and Hungarian stories, with the Ukrainian “Hajči, Meni, Hajči” sung over the top. One odd note worth mention: according to the translations provided, six of the seventeen lullabies specifically address male children. Could that be why the songs were saved for posterity? Could this be an indication of favoritism of male children in these cultures?

Written by: M. Brianna Stallings, March 19th 2010

This is Sour

admin — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:58:00 +0000

By Awesome Animal Ambulance

Aurora Seven Records

Up to Weymouth, doctor, up to Weymouth studio! Awesome Animal Ambulance’s CD debut, This is Sour, is full of cute catchy pop tunes that share more than animal fascination with the Panda Squad. They share nearly half the band, label, and a taste for the playful and upbeat. With song titles like “Hunting Season Behind the Wheel” or “Operation Kitty,” their song lyrics have a childish playfulness that even a boar couldn’t help but find charming. Some of the lyrics in “Count on Us" are “If you sense there is pollution/ and you don’t know what to do/ there is only one solution/ to get rid of the goo/ birds you can count on us/ squirrels you can count on us…” The CD is just too precious not to like. Where else can animal rescue be so much fun? There, I’m going to take out my paints and draw a happy blue sky. It’s only a pity the CD is eighteen minutes long, with a few under a minute synthesizer tracks. Check out cover artist Suzy Coady’s animal drawings, and surely the album as well. Hopefully we’ll hear more from Awesome Animal Ambulance.

Written by: Beatrice Smigasiewicz, May 30th 2007

Sing, Shout and Clap!

admin — Sun, 20 May 2007 02:35:00 +0000

By Arts*Cetera

When I first listened to Arts*Cetera's _Sing, Shout & Clap!_ CD, I had just picked up my one-year-old baby from daycare. Soon after the opening track, "Arfie's Theme," had begun I knew the CD was a hit. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a baby laughing, dancing (as much as he could in his car seat), and kicking his legs in joy.

ArtsCetera was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1998. Nanette De Cillis founded this center for arts and arts-related activities for adults, children and families. Arfie, the imaginary dog, is ArtsCetera's musical host, who represents not only something familiar to children (a puppy!), but also eases them into their first musical experiences and helps children understand music through getting to know a dog, which, most importantly, makes them feel safe and secure.

Although most of the tracks on the album are traditional songs, they are far from traditional in the sense of arrangement. All tracks are unique in themselves, and include Bob Hinkles’ voice interpreting a horn solo and a chicken in "Buffalo Gals" and the very humorous dog symphony of "William Tell Venture." By far, my favorite track is the Spanish song "La Vibora del Mar," which is sung by children themselves, giving the song much more energy. It includes the beautiful range of instruments, from the guitaron, guitars and vihuela to trumpet, violin and harp.

I would definitely say that this album falls under the same realm as They Might Be Giant's famous No! recording in that it is not your typical children's CD. Sing, Shout & Clap! is real music that has every intention of not only educating children, but also making them enjoy music at the same time.

Written by: MK Matson, May 19th 2007

Animal Crackers

admin — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:54:00 +0000

By Wee Hairy Beasties

Bloodshot Records

In the last few years, so-called 'kid rock' has become big business, boosted by big names, CNN articles, and nationwide tours. Animal Crackers is a folk-rock, alt-country album aimed at children and, presumably, parents driven insane by the thirtieth rendition of "Row, Row, Row your Boat." The singers are Jon Langford, Sally Timms, and Kelly Hogan, backed by Chicago's Devil in a Woodpile.

My experimental sample of one, aged two and a half, liked the first track, "Wee Hairy Beasties," and requested an encore. I enjoyed the rousing chorus, but quickly got tired of the echo effect of the female singers repeating each line. By the third track, my son had enough and asked me to turn it off. For someone who enjoys everything from the Doodlebops to Nine Inch Nails, that said a lot.

The album did not improve on the solo listen. Some of the lyrics are clever, and older kids will appreciate the word play on tracks like "Animal Crackers," if the sparse arrangements can keep them listening long enough. For adults, the animal metaphors may get old fast.

The piece de resistance is "Cyril the Karaoke Squirrel," At 4 minutes and 43 seconds, it is by far the longest of the bunch, and tells the story of a squirrel and his wife, Marjorie, the singing bee. They enter a singing contest. They only know one song, but the performance is so amazing that it makes other performers jealous, and they spread nasty rumors about the couple. The audience chases them through the streets with torches, but all ends well when the pursuers get lost in the woods and eaten by Cyril's friends while Cyril and Marjorie sing happily ever after "far away from humanity." I'm not naive enough to believe that kids should not be exposed to violence, but that was too much.

Toenail Moon" was the most enjoyable track on the album. Sally Timm's voice is excellent and the lyrics are amusing. Although the enhanced CD is advertised to contain a video for the song, my Mac claimed otherwise.

Written by: Vita Foster, February 23rd 2007