Kids Music compilation

[jacqui]

In response to our article on "Kids Music that Won't Drive Parents Crazy," we've received dozens of emails. Here is a compilation. Feel free to add your own favorite. You can read the original article on the RT homepage (www.red-tri.com). -- RT
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Hi … mom of two here to recommend any CD by Jim Gill and also Putumayo’s World Playground as music that big and little people can enjoy together!
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I have the BEST children's CD. This CD is part of a four CD collection
called Sounds of the South. These are songs collected by a Smithsonian
musicologist on location in the south in the early 20th century. There is a
folk CD, a blues CD, a gospel CD, and the best - a children's folk CD. All
the music is vocals with the occasional banjo, fiddle, and harmonica. The
songs are incredibly unique - only one have I ever heard anywhere else and
the singers are authentic with gravely voices - no cutesy fake animals here!
The collection is expensive, although it is well worth it, but the Seattle
Public Library has it and it took almost no time for me to get it after I
requested it. This is honestly the best children's music I have ever heard!
Hope you like it!
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Just a few that we like!

NO! They Might Be Giants

For the Kids Too - Various Artists

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there's lots out there that will -- and an increasing number of
artists (now parents) who don't want that to happen and are cashing
in! most of these people are serious former musicians who got sick of
the craziness of the business of music and/or had families and got
forced (thankfully) in a different direction.

check out dan zanes (whom many of us parents loved in the del fuegos)
and his many CD's for kids and big people. www.danzanes.com

locally, we can now enjoy the new CD from johnny bregar - a
seattle-ite you may know from the band, big spoon. johnny's new disc
has a lot of old favorites and some new ones in a wide variety of
musical traditions. you can visit johnny's web site and buy the CD
at www.johhnybregar.com

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Here are a few CDs I love for parents and kids alike:

-NO!, They Might Be Giants - fun and really funny songs by an awesome band that normally doesn't do "kids music"
-Bedtime with The Beatles, Jason Falkner - beautiful intrumental renditions of the some of the best Beatles tunes, sweet and soothing
-Free To Be You and Me, various artists - most parents in their 30s will remember fondly these songs, the positive messages still ring very true today

thanks!
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I love your newsletter, thank you!

My daughter loves the Justin Roberts CD, Yellow Bus (Land of Nod, $16.9 and I do too. It isn't annoying, and my daughter (who is almost two) belts out many of the lyrics while the CD is playing and when it's not!

Hope this helps!

Thanks again for all you do...
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Justin Roberts is great! We have his cd "Way Out". The words are funny and
the songs are actually good--even my husband likes it. No purple dinosaurs
here!

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My name is Johnny Bregar and I'm an independent artist here in Seattle. I recently finished work on a CD entitled "Stomp Yer Feet!" It's a CD full of music that's great for kids and adults too. No cartoon voices or silly characters - just real, rootsy, folksy music that kids love. I've gotten great feedback on the CD - I've attached a review from this month's ParentMap.
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As far as music goes, one of my favorite baby gifts is a CD called For the Kids, with Sarah McLaughlin singing a truly wonderful version of Rainbow Connection (which I still think of as a song by Kermit the Frog). You seriously have to hear it! Another great track on this CD is the Bare Naked Ladies singing La, La, La, La Lemon, a Sesame Street favorite (hilarious). Generally I would recommend most any CD by Dan Zanes as his songs are such silly, zany fun that they make the whole family want to get up and dance. Last but not least I would highly recommend the Schoolhouse Rock CD for anyone nostalgic for those Saturday Morning educational songs…I’m Just a Bill, Conjunction Junction, Interjection!, but be warned that you will not be able to get them out of your head.

I think you can get probably get most if not all of these suggestions at the Land of Nod, which has a darn good kids music selection. And there is always Amazon.


All for now…I love your site!
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Favorite kiddo CDs:

We love Jim Gill’s “Do Re Mi on his Toe Leg Knee”

My kids love Gill’s songs, rhymes and activities (his “Spin Again” song is our all-time favorite); I love the catchy tunes and clever lyrics.

He has many other great CDs to choose from, too.

We Love this fun & active CD!!!



Also listening a lot to Putumayo’s “World Playground 2” – mellower, but still fun & engaging

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My daughter and I love Sara Hickman's "Toddler" which
you can get at the library or Land of Nod in U
village.

Veronica Golden
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The PEPS CD, Sing With a Child, is a great one! Plus it is a fund
raiser for PEPS as well. It can be ordered from the PEPS website and
amazon.com.

http://www.pepsgroup.org/cd.htm
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A friend turned me on to “Philadelphia Chickens,” from Susan Boynton. The songs make my almost 2 year-old son smile and giggle, and yet the CD has good music and some of the lyrics have me laughing out loud. Definitely kids’ music that won’t drive you nuts (although you might find yourself humming the songs <g>).


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Our favorite kids CD's are by Justin Roberts. Our two year old loves his
"Yellow Bus" CD. It has a great James Taylor-ish feel. The music isn't too
crazy sounding, so even my husband will let the kids listen to their music
while in his car.

The kids new favorite songs are by The Laurie Berkner Band. We bought the
DVD/CD mix at Starbucks and my 2 year old is now requesting that rather than
Dora the Explorer. This is a refreshing change. Rather than buy a bunch of
her CD's I've been downloading her most popular songs from i-tunes and
burning my own CD.

Great website, I love the updates!
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I love your newsletter, thank you!

My daughter loves the Justin Roberts CD, Yellow Bus (Land of Nod, $16.9 and I do too. It isn't annoying, and my daughter (who is almost two) belts out many of the lyrics while the CD is playing and when it's not!

Hope this helps!

Thanks again for all you do...
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As far as childens music-love Raffi of course. Some guy named Ralph-very
funny for adults too. My husband downloaded Backyardigans songs-very
tolerable and so cute.
thanks,
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Kid's music: For lullabies: Curious George soundtrack by Jack Johnson.
Actually, anything by Jack Johnson. And we *love* our "Brazilian
Lullaby" CD by Ellipsis Arts. Our 4 year old sings along in Portuguese
(we don't speak Portuguese - he's just picked it up from the CD). It's
incredibly peaceful and soothing. For more energy, try "No" by They
Might Be Giants, but only if you already like They Might Be Giants. Both
our kids (4 and 2) love "Robot Parade", especially the part where
"Robots obey what the children say!" We also play a lot of somewhat
cheesy 60s and 70s music, which they don't mind and we think is kind of
fun. Beach boys, Bob Marley, Beatles - a lot of it has fun "safe" lyrics
which are actually understandable!
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CDs to recommend:

Universe of Music--French: Kids sing in both English and French such favorites as "Wheels on the Bus" and "Old MacDonald". Great way to teach your child some basic french vocabulary with tunes both mom/dad and child can love. There is also a Spanish version.

Charlotte Diamond, 10 Carrot Diamond: Winner of the Canadian Juno Award, Parents' Choice Classic Award and American Library Association Award. A Canadian Gold Record with 4 Hugs a Day (in both English & French), Octopus(Slippery Fish), and I am a Pizza (with several versus in French). Cute catchy tunes!
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When my kids were little the absolutely most tolerable made-for-kids cd we listened to was called Reggae For Kids. There is a Reggae For Kids II but it isn't quite so great. http://www.rasrecords.com/reggaeforkids/index.htm The best cd plan, though, is to get the kids interested in music the parents genuinely enjoy. The Beatles and Guy Clark were huge hits for us. My rule of thumb was always that if anything made-for-kids set my teeth on edge, we just didn't have it around. Life's too short, and there is so much other good music to choose instead.

My kids and I can't get enough of Ralphs World "Bottom of the Sea" - in
particular the song

M-O-M-M-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E

My 3 year old is practicing spelling and we're all having a laugh. Available
on Amazon.com and at Land of Nod.
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Dan Zanes and Friends, "Family Dance" -- kids' music that won't drive parents bonkers.
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My kids (Treyson 5 & Ryan 3) and I, both love listening to Bob Marley CD’s in the car. The reggae, whether you can understand the words or not, has a calm and relaxing, yet energizing rhythm.

We also all LOVE the Kenny Loggins CD, “Return to Pooh Corner” It has sweet songs and lyrics and great sounds! My boys have been falling asleep to this CD since the day they were born!
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Kids love the beatles and flaming lips.
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One CD my twins and I really enjoy is "In Your Backyard" by Strollin' Jeff Wolin. You can buy it here:

http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/xq/asp/SID.2/Product_ID.3248/qx/product1.htm

and other places on the internet. We found it during a trip to Colorado where Jeff Wolin lives. The songs are in all different styles, fun, and educational. Even though my guys are way younger than the 8-13 yr. recommended age, we still have a great time listening to this music!
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We love Grisman & Garcia’s “Not for kids only”
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Hi. I have two CD tips for you. My son is 4 months old and we both
love playing and dancing together to French Playground by Putumayo
Kids Presents. Another favorite CD is World Music for Little Ears:
Authentic Lullabies from Around the World. It has the most wonderful
songs on it, perfect for winding down at the end of the day in the
nursery, getting your little one ready for bed.