Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners What kids like.

In terms of "family" or "children's" music, the biggest hit in our household for many years (boys now 7 and 8) has been Joe Scruggs. He's wickedly funny and the albums are well produced to boot. Our favorites are "Bahamas Pajamas" and "Ants." I've listened to a few of his earlier albums but found that they did not hold up nearly as well. "Peter, Paul and Mommy" and Pete Seeger's "Birds, Beasts, Bugs, and Little Fishes" have also withstood the test of time.

Adult music: Enduring favorites include Chuck Berry, anything by The Byrds prior to the departure of David Crosby, anything by Johnny Cash ever, and Marty Robbins' "Gunfighter Ballads." Surprisingly, The Beatles and Elvis have yet to make much of an impression. Anything jam-oriented (Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, etc.) is right out, as is crooning (Dad's love for Mel Torme is a running household joke, like it used to be on "Night Court"). Coltrane met with this incredulous inquiry: "Do you actually LIKE that music?"

Pink Floyd killing off brain cells? If that was the case, I'd have none left. The only way Floyd causes brain damage is if you use a psychopharmacologic accompaniment!

Damn, I love using big words.

Mark

big will,first off,congrats on the baby,my wife orders videos from a website called-one step ahead-they have videos with things that will keep your babies interest.and they use classical music for the backround....some classical some slipknot,some megadeath....you know,mix it up a little....good luck...ron

In reply to:

---

Damn, I love using big words.

---

Anything to prove to yourself you've still got some gray cells left, eh?

I think I still have more gray cells than gray hairs, but the gap is shrinking every day!

Mark

I see we got sidetracked and didn't answer your question with respect to very young children in particular. My memories of those distant years are already hazy--could I still change a diaper in my sleep? I'm not sure--but I do remember one album that we listened to over and over again at bedtime, and which I actually grew to like more rather than less over time. Our copy long ago vanished, but I think it was "Disney Babies: Lullaby." It ends with a perfectly heartbreaking vocal/acoustic bass duet of "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes." (There is also a similarly titled but different "Disney's Lullaby Album," which I haven't heard.) Here's the link at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000001M0Z/ref=m_art_li_1/103-5473838-5761455?v=glance&s=music

As the kids get older, the "Disney Classics" series come in handy, too.

P.S. Approach Raffi with great caution. The kids may like it, but you probably won't.

Gray hairs are much better than less hairs.

I tried to use Kind of Blue to calm by son's colic when it would rev up lo those few months ago...not that it worked, but it was worth a shot.

That aside, there's a fantastic Naxos CD available with Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, and The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Our little one LOVES Carnival of the Animals.

In reply to:

---

Gray hairs are much better than less hairs.

---

As I always say, I don't care if they turn gray as long as they don't turn loose.

Mark

Id say that the Pink Floyd/ roger waters stuff would promote the growth of brain cells alot more than kill them. Its music that makes you think. Its music you can enjoy. Since i started listening to it, my vocabulary has increased. Since roger writes with words that arent commonly used as other artists who only have a limited vocabulary.