Well I, for one, resent you, apple, and I'm not ashamed of that
December 30, 2005 7:51 PM Subscribe
So I'm in China teaching English to a batch of little Asianlings, and both I and the kids despise the English-language music they're forced to learn. "Apple apple I love you"??? We can do better, folks. I've tracked down the original "Bananaphone" by Raffi and had amazing success with it, but I need more kooky, interesting, easy-to-understand music for kids. Ideas?
Barry Louis Polisar (whee, I just discovered that he has free samples on his website!). I grew up with Naughty Songs for Boys and Girls, his first record. "Never cook your sister in a frying pan" >>> "Apple apple I love you"
Not sure what his newest stuff is like, but I'd say he's pretty kooky. iTunes had individual downloads, as does MSN Music. You might also try Free to Be You and Me, but several of the pieces are spoken rather than sung, and it might be too dated and/or 1970s-ish.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:34 PM on December 30, 2005
Not sure what his newest stuff is like, but I'd say he's pretty kooky. iTunes had individual downloads, as does MSN Music. You might also try Free to Be You and Me, but several of the pieces are spoken rather than sung, and it might be too dated and/or 1970s-ish.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:34 PM on December 30, 2005
Woody Guthries children's songs are catchy and repetive, and I think they would be perfect for teaching enlgish to kids.
posted by afu at 9:33 PM on December 30, 2005
posted by afu at 9:33 PM on December 30, 2005
When I taught English in Prague I used the Hokey Pokey and the kids really seemed to like it, especially the physicality of it.
posted by captainscared at 9:40 PM on December 30, 2005
posted by captainscared at 9:40 PM on December 30, 2005
Sharon, Lois and Bram all the way! I have fond memories of singing Skinnamarink as a kid in school and the silly motions that went along with the lyrics....(eye [love] u!)
posted by phoenixc at 9:42 PM on December 30, 2005
posted by phoenixc at 9:42 PM on December 30, 2005
You might consider a series of small music books called "Wee Sing and Play."
Otherwise, I'm kind of fond of Trout Fishing in America's childrens' music.
posted by ilsa at 9:52 PM on December 30, 2005
Otherwise, I'm kind of fond of Trout Fishing in America's childrens' music.
posted by ilsa at 9:52 PM on December 30, 2005
Teach them this, and you'll never hear the end of it (ALERT: UNUSUAL CRUELTY, EARWIG VARIETY) —
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears,
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears;
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all....
[all together now]
posted by rob511 at 11:08 PM on December 30, 2005
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears,
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears;
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all....
[all together now]
posted by rob511 at 11:08 PM on December 30, 2005
Fatcat and Fishface. Very, very good. I particularly recommend Horrible Songs For Children.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:32 PM on December 30, 2005
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:32 PM on December 30, 2005
The sesame street music cds are a favorite of my daughter's. If they've had any exposure to sesame, the kids you're teching should like them, too.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:04 AM on December 31, 2005
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:04 AM on December 31, 2005
My siblings and I used to sing Fred Penner's version of The Cat Came Back long after we should have grown out of it.
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:14 AM on December 31, 2005
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:14 AM on December 31, 2005
Garcia and Grisman--Not for Kids Only. Most songs are written by "Trad.", whoever that is.
posted by gilgul at 4:15 PM on December 31, 2005
posted by gilgul at 4:15 PM on December 31, 2005
John Lithgow's Singin' In The Bathtub is a great album of kid's songs. Some of them might be a little too pun-filled for non-native speakers, but "A, You're Adorable" seems like a great one to learn the alphabet. (I'm always skeptical of actors-turned-singers, but Lithgow has a very good voice, and his singing has as much warmth and humor as his acting. I listen to this album all the time, and I don't even have kids.)
posted by yankeefog at 5:39 AM on January 4, 2006
posted by yankeefog at 5:39 AM on January 4, 2006
Oh, also get a hold of Mother Goose Rocks - it's nursery rhymes set to modern music styles. The U2esque version of "Heads Shoulders Knees & Toes" is BRILLIANCE.
There's a Mefi thread on it which appeared a few months ago.
posted by divabat at 1:50 AM on January 11, 2006
There's a Mefi thread on it which appeared a few months ago.
posted by divabat at 1:50 AM on January 11, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Good Brain at 7:53 PM on December 30, 2005