Posts Tagged ‘kids’ music for grown ups’

So I slept a lot this weekend. I think I’m fighting off the cold that Elli developed last week. Her poor eyes were so goopy all day Saturday. She’s finally clearing up, but now I’m stuck with a sore throat and a runny nose.

I’ve definitely got the Monday Blahs!

So I thought I’d beat them with a fun song today from our Sponsor Aaron Nigel Smith. His album Everyone Loves to Dance was released earlier this year and has been a wonderful addition to our family’s collection of music. Here’s the title track, Everyone Loves to Dance. It’s sure to get you moving and grooving and soon you’ll forget it’s Monday at all!

Everyone Loves to Dance

What do you do to beat the Monday blahs?

Disclaimer: The above links are not affiliate links, however, Aaron Nigel Smith is a sponsor of BBGU. Our contract does not include posting about him or his music. I chose to do that because it’s what I needed today!

We are so excited to have Aaron Nigel Smith as a new sponsor of Because Babies Grow Up. We received Everyone Loves To Dance a few weeks ago and it has been a lifesaver! I turn in on every day while I’m making dinner and it gets the girls moving, singing, and most importantly, out of the kitchen! I love to listen to it while I’m cooking, too, because it’s just so fun.

Aaron Nigel Smith has been quite busy recently touring with the Ziggy Marley Family Time Tour, Between the Lions Live, NEA Read Across America Tour. Let me tell you, after all that, he has got kids down pat! His voice and inflection, his lyrics and the energy of his music all appeal to the youngest of listeners, and even on up to grown ups. His music has also received the NAPPA and iParenting awards. When I showed Sammi this video, she loved it instantly. Grab your little one and enjoy!

By far my favorite song is the title song, Everyone Loves to Dance. But we have also really enjoyed Simon Says. We used the song to teach Sammi how to play the game. We had so much fun. Aaron Nigel Smith will be touring later this year and I bet he’s a show worth taking your little ones to. I’m hoping he comes somewhere close to us so we can go see him (Please! Please!)

Giveaway!

Aaron Nigel Smith is offering a copy of his new CD Everyone Love To Dance to a BBGU reader as part of the Winter Wonderland Carnival. This giveaway is open until January 31 at 11:59 pm EST. You can enter to win on the Join the Winter Wonderland post. For additional entries, you can comment on this post as well. Everyone Loves to Dance is also available on iTunes and on Amazon.

How do you survive making dinner with little ones clambering about for your attention?

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the giveaway for Roger Day’s new album Why Does Gray Matter? …and other brainy songs for kids! I absolutely loved reading all the smart things you and your kids do. Seriously, wasn’t that the best bragging session ever!

The winner is Donna. Congratulations, Donna. Check your email for info from em about how to claim your prize. If I haven’t heard back from Donna by Wednesday, we’ll choose another winner.

If you’re bummed you didn’t win and would love to get an autographed copy of Why Does Gray Matter, then head over to his site where you can purchase it. If you’re in love with Amazon, like me, then you can head over there and grab Why Does Gray Matter?

Don’t forget to enter this week’s giveaway. It’s my new book. Read the post where I bare my musical soul. Then please leave me a comment. I’d so appreciate some love for my book!

What a way to start off the new year! Here’s a catchy, clever album all about the brain. Roger Day had the great idea of creating an entire album around the brain: Why Does Gray Matter? …and other brainy songs for kids! Overall, the album reminds me of all the things I love about They Might Be Giants: smart lyrics and upbeat tunes.

Roger Day appeals to my parenting side by incorporating words like ‘lycopene’ and ‘deep basal ganglia’ into his songs as he extols the virtues of healthy food for the brain and the finer details of how the brain works. Then he also brings to life the kid in me who loves corny wordplay and geeky facts.

But, don’t take my word for it! I wasn’t the only one who loved this album. We were headed out through winding roads on Saturday. So naturally I drove to avoid motion sickness. Brent typed notes for me on my phone as we talked about the songs. When I checked out what he wrote down, I found this: “Husband really enjoys this album.” And that’s coming from my very music savvy sweetheart. Sammi had something to say about it, too. A few songs into the album she commented that “these are songs to help us stay awake!” Which is a compliment since we usually try to sing them to sleep with lullabies on long road trips.

Random Things I Like

• Roger Day is from Tennessee which significantly increases our chances for seeing him live!
• On the back side of the lyrics sheet is a nifty poster for the album that I’m actually considering hanging in my office.
• He started performing his children’s music at community service shows for local Head Start programs where he was scheduled for his regular college coffeehouse shows. (One location he played was right here at Lincoln Memorial University! though I don’t know if he did a children’s performance here.)

Win Your Own Copy

We’ve got a copy of Roger Day’s new album Why Does Gray Matter? …and other brainy songs for kids! to give away to one Because Babies Grow Up reader. To enter, please leave a comment telling me something smart about you or your little one. For additional entries you can blog, tweet, facebook or delicious this post. Just leave another comment telling me what you’ve done and I’ll tally all the extra entries in when I randomly select the winner.

This giveaway is open until Monday, January 11 at midnight, EST. Please help spread the word and good luck!

This was a CD of firsts for our family!

The first time I changed my laptime program on the way to the library just to include songs from this CD. We listened to it for the first time on the way to the library last Friday.

The first time my children did all the actions to the songs on very first time they heard the songs! This one really blew me away. I looked back in the rear view mirror and they were touching their toes and nose, raising their hands high and even attempting to turn around while remaining buckled in their seats. Such creativity!

The first time we have religiously carried a CD from house to car and back into the house every time we’ve gone somewhere.

We were excited to work with Waldmania! again to review a CD of music for kids that adults like too. We had enjoyed Milkshake and were hoping for something of equal caliber. We were not disappointed! We enjoyed the upbeat, energetic style of Bari Koral’s Family Rock Band in their new album Rock and Roll Garden.

Bari Koral has been compared to Jewel and Norah Jones, but for me, Bari is my soul sister, the sister to the part of my soul that aspires to change children’s lives and help parents connect with their children through music. The first time listening to her new album, I knew we had found a family classic.

This album doesn’t go on sale until January 12, unfortunately, so I can’t put it on my Christmas gift guide. BUT, I wanted to. Although it is available for pre-order though Amazon and Bari Koral’s website.

Now for the good news!

Bari Koral has offered one reader the chance to own Rock and Roll Garden before you can buy it. So, to enter for your chance to win a copy of Rock and Roll Garden by Bari Koral The Family Band, just leave a comment below. I’d love to hear how you connect with your little ones through music. Inspire me! Of course the winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator. The giveaway is open until Tuesday, Nov 24 and the winner will be announce in Wednesday’s post, Nov 25.

We love music in our house. We are always singing a song or making up a melody to accompany our conversations. We listen to music constantly in the car. Now that we live in such a rural area, we spend a lot more time listening to music. We were recently contacted by Sara Fischer Hodges about her husband’s new album, KiddyDittys (A Kid’s Album for Adults). I was excited to work with Sara in sharing John Jeffrey Hodges latest CD.

We’ve been listening on and off again to this CD for several weeks now. John’s voice is deep and crooner-like. He brings energy to his music without being hyper like some kid music out there (I’m thinking camp song CDs, here). It’s a nice change of pace for evening listening or long Sunday drives.

Brent and I also really like his lyrics. This album is written from a parent’s perspective and covers everything from the humorous side of parenting (Garbage Day) to the sentimental (Your Father). We chuckled through the whole song Garbage Day because it was so true to life. They lyrics start “If you don’t do what I say, I’m going to take those toys away and put them in the garbage on garbage day. I’m gonna throw those toys away!” How often I have felt that. I have even made that threat a few times.

John Jeffrey Hodges brings a fresh perspective to the for-kids music scene. I like that his songs are from a parent’s point of view and remind me of all the aspects of parenting. He is unique as is the artwork on his CD. Sara shared this story with me about the cover:

The cover art for KiddyDittys (A Kid’s Album for Adults) was painted by Dave Osmun (“Oz”) of Temple, NH.  Dave is one of Jeff’s oldest and dearest friends.  He’s an amazing human being and one of the most talented people you will ever meet.  Oz has been confined to a wheelchair for over 30 years as the result of an accident.  He is a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, and paints with a paintbrush attached to a stick which he holds in his mouth.

The painting on the cover was done specifically for this project.  Jeff and Oz met as teenagers in the small town of Siasconset (‘Sconset), MA, on Nantucket Island’s eastern shore, where their families spent summers – and where both Jeff and Oz return each year to spend time with each other and many of their childhood friends who have known each other for close to 50 years.

The painting reflects the ‘Sconset bluff as well as Sankaty Lighthouse and Sesachacha Pond.  If you look closely, however, you’ll see that the painting also represents a subliminal guitar.  This painting was Oz’s concept and we could not be more proud or happy to have this incredible piece of art as our cover for this album.

There are two copies of KiddyDittys (A Kid’s Album for Adults) available to participants in the Fall Fling. If you haven’t already, please comment on the post, Join the Fall Fling to enter the giveaway. Please leave a comment here for an additional entry.

I was inspired to find more gown-up style kids’ music after the positive feedback on the post about For the Kids. I didn’t have to go very far to find the band Milkshake who releases a brand new CD (their fourth) today! They offered us a CD to review and we jumped at the chance to hear the sounds of a rock band turned kids’ music band.

We got the CD on our way out the door to the grocery store. Now that we live in rural Tennessee, a drive to the grocery store and back was enough time to hear almost the entire CD. We danced, bopped our heads and even chimed in on the chorus of a couple songs that were pretty easy to learn. I think my favorite part of the initial listen was the first song. It’s energetic, catchy and fun then there’s a guitar solo. It’s perfect.

After listening to it quite a few times now, we find ourselves singing You Did It! anytime those words are appropriate for our situation. This is a CD our whole family has enjoyed together. I’m interested, too, in going back to their earlier albums. The band turned from indie rock to kids’ music when band members became parents. Their first CD was made when their children were babies/toddlers and so it has great appeal to that age group. As their children have grown, so has the music and themes of the songs. I think the girls will love to grow up with this band!

To celebrate the release of their new album, Great Day, Milkshake has offered to giveaway one CD to one lucky Because Babies Grow Up reader! You have one week to accumulate as many entries as you’d like! Here’s how:

• Visit Milkshake’s fan page on Facebook and check out the songs from the new album on the left side. Come back and leave a comment about which song you like. (required)
• Become a fan of Milkshake on Facebook. Leave a new comment telling me that you did. (1 entry)
• Subscribe to Because Babies Grow Up’s new subscription feed in the right sidebar. Leave a comment saying you subscribed. (1 entry)
• Share the post on any of your favorite social bookmarking/networking sites. You can use the button links at the end of this post. Please leave a comment for each site you share it on. (1 entry per site)

This giveaway is open until Sunday night. A winner will be chosen at random from the comments using Random.org and will be announced Monday morning. The winner will have until Monday evening to claim the CD. If I have not heard from the winner by Monday night, a new winner will be chosen and announced Tuesday morning.

Enjoy checking out the band Milkshake and sharing this wonderful band with friends, family and your favorite social networks!

*By the way, my baby turns 1 today! Happy Birthday, Elizabeth. We love having you in our family.

Do you ever get tired of your children’s music? Sammi has two CDs she absolutely loves. They are pretty much the only two she’ll listen to. One is Mickey Mouse characters singing songs and the other is a CD of short songs like Three Blind Mice and London Bridges. They are both really fun and I admit that I enjoy them. Most of the time. But every once in a while I long for the days of listening (uninterrupted) to the radio and hearing grown up music.

One day Brent came home from the library with a CD that was the answer to this dilemma. For the Kids is a collection of our favorite musicians performing children’s music. Some of it’s familiar tunes like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (although this version takes the cake and makes me want to take singing lessons just so I can sing like them!) and others are not the traditional “kids” songs you’re used to hearing. Brent and I love listening to this album even when the girls are sleeping in the car!

We’ve recently introduced Sammi to this CD and she also loves it. Her favorite song is The Hoppity Song by Five For Fighting. My favorite energetic song is Snow Day by Bleu and my favorite lullaby is Willie the King by Dan Wilson, although it is quite sad. Now when Sammi asks to listen to kids’ music, I can turn this on and we’re both happy.

For the Kids*

*Clicking on links to individual songs will open iTunes.