Canadian Mom Blogger - Product Reviews, Travel, Food and Parenting
Last summer my family had the chance to take a trip on one of the Wheatland Express train rides for children that the excursion train puts on each year. And while on our ride, we were entertained by the kids music of local musician Sylvia Chave.
My two older boys had lots of exposure to different children’s artists, but since my toddler lives in a house with a tween and a teen, he’s mostly only had the chance to listen to current top 40 hits. That is, until we took our train ride!
When I first met my fiancé, one of the things that we immediately had in common was a passion for music. He played guitar. I played piano. He loved old blues music and I loved jazz standards. We both had an appreciation for classical music that developed even more over the years as we shared our favourite pieces and composers with one another. And, as lovers of music, we were both fond of many of the songs by the Beatles.
Sharing music with our boys is something that’s always been a part of our lives as well. But getting kids excited about some of the genres we love isn’t always easy. Jeremy started exposing the kids to classical pieces with the help of kid-friendly favourites such as Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. I created CDs of some upbeat jazz and blues classics like Cookin’ with Grease by Sista Monica Parker. And Netflix stepped in to introduce our kids to classic Beatles hits with its fun-filled new cartoon Beat Bugs! [Read more…]
It’s been quite some time since I’ve discovered a great new children’s musician, but recently I was lucky enough to discover the upbeat music of award-winning Canadian singer Jessie Farrell. Her new children’s CD, Take Me Outside, is a collection of thirteen fun songs that are perfect for celebrating the beauty and magic of spring.
I have a love of folk music, so the mellow country/folk style of Jessie’s songs is one that immediately appealed. The songs were catchy and embraced both a love of nature and of spending time together as a family. With kid-friendly themes ranging from mud pies to the moon, these songs offer appeal to both adults and children, something that I always appreciate.
Finding new children’s music is always a treat for me. My boys and I have many tried and true favourites when it comes to children’s musicians and each of my kids has a CD player in the bedroom with a stack of discs beside it. But it’s been some time since we discovered a new singer that got the boys and me both grooving. So when Mariana Iranzi, a professional bassist and educator from Argentina, offered me the chance to review her new CD, I couldn’t resist.
Hola Hello is an upbeat collection of thirteen songs with great kid-friendly content and a blend of Spanish and English lyrics that I absolutely loved. Finding diversity in children’s music isn’t difficult; CDs often contains a variety of styles and sounds to keep kids interested. But what made this CD extra special is the way it took that concept to a new level by introducing another language. And as an added bonus, hearing other languages is thought to help increase a child’s general proficiency with language in later years.
The songs themselves were mostly upbeat with a few slower ballads as well. The music was very melodic which meant even the fully Spanish songs were enjoyable listening for the boys. I loved the slower songs especially for their exotic feel and captivating melodies. My boys, as usual, loved the higher energy songs, but to my surprise they actually tended to favour the songs that were almost entirely Spanish! [Read more…]
The energy and positive attitude of children’s musician Joanie Leeds are partly the reason that her CD What a Zoo is one of my boys’ absolute favourites. Now, Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights are back with a brand new, fun-filled CD that kids will love: Bandwagon! This new CD features fifteen tracks of fun-filled songs packed with kid-friendly lyrics in a variety of musical styles. But what really makes every song stand out is Joanie’s trademark mellow voice.
While the CD features songs ranging from rock to pop, the majority of the CD features catchy folk-style songs that are, in my opinion, the best way of showcasing Joanie’s voice and so those were the songs that really grabbed me. Of course, the other thing that I noticed, just as I had with What a Zoo, is that I enjoyed listening to the CD just as much as if it had been one of my own adult music choices.
And my boys felt the same way. While Zackary and Benjamin generally preferred upbeat songs like Bandwagon, the swinging and addictive title track and UFO, an upbeat rock song featuring aliens and a great sing-along chorus, they also appreciated some of the more mellow songs and Benjamin in particular absolutely adored Nightlights, a pop ballad that was perfect for a relaxing afternoon. [Read more…]
