Children's Music Blog

As parents are well aware, kids are using iPods and other listening devices at earlier and earlier ages. In an attempt to inform families about the dangers of using earphones incorrectly and to suggest safe ways to enjoy listening to music, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has established a national coalition of kids' music stars to promote healthy personal audio technology habits.

ASHA has already recruited Justin Roberts, he of Pop Fly, Not Naptime, and Great Big Sun fame, as a spokesperson for their efforts, and Roberts will perform the first in a series of "Listen to Your Buds" concerts at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry on November 19. You can read more of ASHA's press release here, get more information about the "Listen to Your Buds" program here, and listen to an 11-minute podcast of Justin himself talking about hearing safety, a little personal history, and his songwriting style here, including {gasp!} his secret for writing songs for kids!

Anti-folk darling Kimya Dawson, one half of The Moldy Peaches, is releasing her first kids' album on September 9, 2008. Alphabutt will be Dawson's first musical outing since her surprising success with the Juno movie soundtrack.

Inspired by her daughter Panda Delilah's birth in 2006 (yep, Panda), Dawson recorded over a dozen short, silly, sweet songs about everything baby/toddler related: eating, playing, pooping, singing, farting, loving and being loved.

If scatological tunes scare you, if you don't like unconventional song structures, or if free-form recording techniques offend your ears, you might want to stick to The Wiggles. If you give Alphabutt a chance, though, you'll find something funny and precious in all of Dawson's songs.

Kids are gonna absolutely love the tracks "Alphabutt," "I Like Bears," and "Seven Hungry Tigers," while the 30-second-long a cappella track "Pee-Pee in the Potty" is a toddler anthem waiting to happen. If Dawson ever makes videos of "Wiggle My Tooth" and the doggie bio "Louie," children's networks would be crazy not to add them to their regular rotation.

Looking for an inexpensive alternative to next month's Austin City Limits Music Festival? Drop by the Ruta Maya Coffee House on Saturday, September 27 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm to catch some of Austin, Texas' best children's music performers.

For a mere $5.00 per person (infants get in free), families can check out Joe McDermott, Super Pal Universe, Laura Freeman, The Telephone Company, and Mr. Leebot for an evening of fun and music. These Austin-based performers represent a wide range of musical styles, so everyone will find a band to sing along with.

The one-night-only festival is presented by Bill Childs, of the website Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, and Stefan Shepherd, of the website Zooglobble.

East Los Angeles-based roots rockers Los Lobos are in the process of recording an album of classic Disney covers, such as "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)," scheduled for a November release. The CD will be the band's final obligation to their longtime label Hollywood.

Los Lobos released the concept album Papa's Dream on the Music for Little People label back in 1995, so this won't be their first venture into the kids' music world. In fact, they've already recorded a version of "I Wanna Be Like You" for the 1988 compilation Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films, and hopefully the rest of their upcoming CD will be as equally rambunctious and full of their trademark Tex-Mex sound.

When you hear "Disney Music Block Party" you might immediately think High School Musical/Hannah Montana/Jonas Brothers extravaganza. Think younger: Disney has rounded up some of the most popular children's music stars and gone on the road for a summer tour.

Five of the top performing acts in kids' music, They Might Be Giants, Dan Zanes & Friends, Ralph's World, Imagination Movers, and Choo Choo Soul, will be appearing as a rotating lineup throughout the Northeast and Midwest during July and August. Interestingly enough, none of the five bands in the tour were "created" by the Disney corporation, in contrast to the company's "prefab" preteen and teen music stars and bands.

You can check out the Disney Music Block Party Tour schedule here, and read more about the artists at this link.

The Parents' Choice Foundation presents their awards for exceptional children's music every spring, and the 2008 winners were recently announced. Five CDs were awarded the Foundation's Gold Medal:

• Roger Day - Dream Big! (Roger Day Productions)
• Marla Lewis - I Love to Talk to Plants (Plum Juice Records)
• Justin Roberts - Pop Fly (Carpet Square Records)
• Brady Rymer - Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could (Bumblin' Bee Records)
• Various Artists - Down at the Sea Hotel (The Secret Mountain)

Products have to be submitted to the Parents' Choice Awards Committee to be considered for one of their six levels of awards (Classic, Gold, Silver, Recommended, Approved, and Fun Stuff), so lots of music probably flies under the committee's radar. Nevertheless, this is a great place to start if you're looking for quality kids' music.

Universal Music Group will continue their line of CDs for children by releasing Totally '80s for Kids on August 19, 2008. The tag line for the Universal Music Family series is "Songs for Kids (and Parents, Too...Finally!)," and each CD features original songs by the original artists. Titles include Future Idols (Broadway hits), Jazz Lullaby (soothing jazz tunes), Motown for Kids (self-explanatory), and Songs for the Car (driving tunes).

I'm not sure why one would include ABC's "The Look of Love" (from Totally '80s for Kids) on a children's compilation, or what exactly makes The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (from Songs for the Car) suitable for a road trip CD. But the series boasts one of the most fun holiday CDs ever in A Holly Jolly Kids Christmas, and you just can't beat Miss Ella's Playhouse, an album of Ella Fitzgerald gems for kids!

All of the CDs are recommended on the album covers for ages 2 and up, except for Jazz Lullaby (ages 0-4), Miss Ella's Playhouse (ages 1-4), and Future Idols (ages 5 and up). You can read more about the series and listen to clips from each CD here.