May 13, 2011

GROOVE ~NOT GROVER~ TO THE MUSIC

If your kids are anything like mine, music is a sure fire way to calm down, liven up, or “fix” any situation.  The rain has you stuck inside – Who wants to dance to some music??  Stopped in traffic? – Who wants to listen to some music??  Kids are bored – Who wants to have a dance party in the living room??  And so on and so forth.   

If you’re anything like me, there are some days where I feel like if I hear one more Elmo or Dora or Grover or Thomas song I think I’m going to scream. Now, no disrespect to the little red furball and his friends. My kids love them therefore, by association, so do I. But Elmo’s la-la-la-la hook and those other silly kids songs are sure to get stuck in your head for weeks on end and there’s simply no escape.

After one particularly rough kiddie-music filled day I made it my mission to hunt down music that my kids would like that I could tolerate being played again and again and again (and again). And what I found was wonderful. Turns out many bands and recording artists I myself enjoy have their own childrens’ albums – who knew! For instance, They Might Be Giants has their record, Here Come the ABCs! Or, a major favorite in my house is now Ziggy Marley’s Family Time. Yes you will be listening to reggae songs written for children, but the tunes are reminiscent of sitting on a beach in Jamaica while the warm sun beats down. And what parent wouldn’t appreciate that music-inspired image? And my ultimate favorite: the Rockabye Baby! CDs. God bless the creator of this series which consists of lullaby renditions of all your favorite recording artists from Green Day to Bon Jovi. You can never imagine just how peaceful Livin On a Prayer is when played by a xylophone.


So, before you lose your marbles do some research to see if your favorite artists have an album that your little ones can enjoy.  What you find may surprise you.  Move over Barney, there’s a new musician in the house!  

Sincerely,
From the Stork’s Nest-
Liz

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