One of the pleasures of my life has been discovering bands and artists, becoming vested in their music then watching them evolve as musicians and, in some cases, as people. It can be so very rewarding to find a band, singer or musician (local or national) that is relatively unknown and then fall in love with their style, lyrics, live performances and records. You can feel a deep connection to that act, because you were on board early. It is like having a little secret that is wonderful and brings a tremendous amount of joy. To share this with others only adds to the beauty of your tiny treasure. I have been working to instill this same kind of passion in my girls – through kids and adult music alike. There is an awful lot of quality, creative and original kids music acts recording and releasing music these days and many of those have the ability to tour behind their records. In short, it’s a great time to be a parent who strives to expose their kids to superior music and art.
While the quantity of children’s music released to mass consumption has grown by leaps and bounds over the last ½ decade, it can still be a bit of a challenge to hear, learn about and, in general, discover these awesome acts. Satellite radio channels like Radio Disney, TV shows like Jack’s Big Music Show and web blogs like Zooglobble.com and The Lovely Mrs. Davis Explains It All are doing their part to spread the word and present tunes by guys like The Terrible Twos, Buck Howdy, Joe McDermott, Dr. Noize, Justin Roberts, Morgan Taylor’s Gustafer Yellowgold and talented ladies Frances England and Elizabeth Mitchell – among many others.
While most American’s are sitting on their fannies and fawning over televised karaoke programs, these children’s acts are cutting their teeth in the recording studio, piling into a van and playing their sweet, poppy, fun and original tunes in front of kids across the country. These acts are accessible, down to earth and are genuinely good people who will hang out after a show, talk to our kids, sign their t-shirts or cds, hand out free temporary tattoos or stickers and put a smile on our kids faces that will be impossible to wipe away. The experience of hearing and seeing music with your children is something that should never be passed up. It is a wonderful thing to share in together as a family.
Gustafer Yellowgold’s “Wide Wild World” DVD Review
Justin Roberts’ “Meltdown!” CD Review