12 replies to this topic

[Darren H]

When her language skills catch up with her love of music, my two-year-old is going to be a performer. I've been gradually building a Spotify playlist for her and am looking for suggestions? Are there any particular songs you or your children especially loved when you/they were very young?

[Andy Whitman]

Darren H, on 27 April 2012 - 08:19 AM, said:

When her language skills catch up with her love of music, my two-year-old is going to be a performer. I've been gradually building a Spotify playlist for her and am looking for suggestions? Are there any particular songs you or your children especially loved when you/they were very young?

Both my kids at age 2 were inexplicably fond of Tonio K's album Romeo Unchained. There's something charming about a toddler singing, "It's a jungle out there/It used to be a garden."

[J. Henry Waugh]

Darren, this is a topic that is dear to me because I have three-year-old twins and one loves singing and the other loves race cars. What blast it is to navigate the differences.

We have a an evening routine that involves watching 15 minutes of Curious George after dinner before story time, a song and prayers. My cable package recently added a music channel called Paladia and my wife wasn't home so I went wacky and had the kids to watch that instead of the man in the yellow hat. (It was an Oasis concert).

And then I was told by my daughter: "That's not music. That's rock 'n roll!"

That's a long setup to say that outside of the normal Sunday School songs, "You Are My Sunshine" is the song we sing the most. There is a current song called "If I Die Young" that she wants to sing all the time and it is sorta catchy. I know the chorus and it is completely possible that the lyrics to the verses will have something that will horrify me if I paid attention, but I haven't and probably never will.

The only non-hymn I remember from childhood is C'mon Ring Those Bells and songs from Take 6. Petty's "I can't decide which is worse" resonates.

[Christian]

Play different types of music for her. She'll let you know what she likes. I never expected my kids to like music from my collection or Sarah's, so it was heartening to discover that they all enjoy Johnny Cash and Elvis.

We give our kids CDs when they're going to bed. My daughters surprised me by gravitating toward Miranda Lambert's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." (They chose it one night off my shelf. I didn't offer it to them. I don't know what drew them to it. What they must be thinking of the lyrics to the song that opens that recording is something I wonder about as I close the door and say, "Good night.") They also like Alison Krauss.

My boys are enjoying Rocknocerous. They still love Bible Songs CDs and Veggie Tales, etc.

Edited by Christian, 27 April 2012 - 11:04 AM.

[Tyler]

You should check out Rain For Roots. They have a free sampler on NoiseTrade.

[morgan1098]

Phil Joel's "Deliberate Kids" CD is a favorite with my daughters. The lyrics are what you'd expect from someone in the CCM world... Bible verses set to music, the books of the Bible set to music, etc. But it's all done with such a sense of fun and enthusiasm, and the instrumentation and arrangements are actually quite inventive for a release of this nature. I quite like it myself.

[opus]

The Innocence Mission is frequent bedtime music for Simon. And we're fans of Elizabeth Mitchell's solo stuff (she's also in Ida). Solid folk-pop coverings songs from around the world in a whimsical, Sufjan-esque style.

[Stephen Lamb]

Two other projects I keep on my list to give to friends who have kids, put out by some friends here in Nashville:

http://www.slugsandbugs.com/

http://coaltrainrailroad.com/ (this one is a good jazz project, including, for example, Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones / Dave Matthews Band) on sax.)

[opus]

Stephen Lamb, on 27 April 2012 - 02:20 PM, said:

Two other projects I keep on my list to give to friends who have kids, put out by some friends here in Nashville:

http://www.slugsandbugs.com/

We've found this to be enjoyable, too.

[Holy Moly!]

If Spotify is the future there may not be much music left by the time your kid is grown up.

[Nick Alexander]

As a Dad w 4yr old twins, Yo Gabba Gabba (and their myriad guest performers, like Mates of State, Jem, Devo, and many other alt-indie artists), are the only game in town.

[wmadjones]

I'm amazed at what my 3-year old daughter likes. She LOVES Sound of Music, especially "Do Re Mi" and "Favorite Things." Both of which she can nearly sing better than me. She's also a big fan of marching bands (thanks to both her parents having been band geeks all the way through college).

She also likes the typical kids CDs - Bible songs, nursery rhymes, traditional kids songs (wheels on the bus, etc.).

[Darren H]

Thanks, everyone, for the recommendations. If any of you are Spotify users, here's a link to the constantly evolving playlist.