Check out Bruce Haack's work. I find it very interesting for children's music.
Arthur |
The Jack Johnson soundtrack from "Curious George" is good for both parent and child. I don't have the CD, but I did enjoy the movie with my young son. Here's one of the reviews off of Amazon: I'm a 46 year old music junkie with a 2-year-old daughter. So when I find an album that passes muster as kiddie fare but I can groove to it as well, that's gold. And if that's your criterion, this is one of the records of the year.
Laid back Hawaiian surf bum Jack Johnson's easy breezy whimsy goes just right with the George oeuvre. Happy strumming, never in any hurry, and with cheery little stories and lessons embedded into the lyric, which you don't even have to pay attention to. Playful words, playful music. The kind of record I love, and that I want my little girl to love-- which she does.
If you're in the same boat as me-- looking for happening tunes for daddies and babies alike-- also check out Dan Zanes and Friends, Catch That Train! According to that reviewer, the Dan Zane album might be a good one too. I've enjoyed Zane when I've seen him on PBS Kids... Enjoy, TIC |
My experience may seem heretical here. I played mostly oldies when my kids were growing up. Now they really like Sinatra, Elvis, the Fifties and the Eighties. They do listen to the latest and the "greatest" now and then but they have a healthy respect for the quality of past popular music. They did get some exposure to classical from movies and they did play in the school orchestra but nobody in either side of the family was interested in it. They also grew up witn Christian praise and worship music.
Play fun music so they can appreciate it in general. |
One word of warning- the Night on Bald Mountain and Sorcerer's Apprentice segments on Fantasia scared the !@@##$% out of my 3 y.o. 16 years later, he still won't watch Fantasia. |
Good point, Swampwalker, about "Fantasia" -- I can't recall how old my (now college-age) daughters were when they first watched it -- in any case, they were old enough to watch it fearlessly and repeatedly with delight.
And a few more to add:
Grieg, Peer Gynt suite (esp "In the Hall of the Mountain King")
Rossini, various overtures
A lively CD anthology called "Baby Dance: Toddler's Jump on the Classics" |
