A few years ago my son was at a birthday party and got the best party favor ever—a CD of kids’ music. But not just any kids’ music. These were songs that I really enjoyed listening to and singing along with as well. (Read: No toddlers shouting incoherently, no overdone nursery rhymes, no techno madness.)
I decided to copy the idea for my son’s 2nd birthday and the CD was a hit—with kids and parents alike. When his 3rd birthday rolled around, people were asking if there was going to be a new CD. I obliged. I even did a holiday version for my other son’s 1st birthday since he’s a November baby. Now that my big boy’s 4th birthday is sneaking up on me, I’m working on another CD. But frankly, I’m having trouble finding great songs.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s no shortage of kids’ music. Just a shortage of fun, adult-friendly kids’ music. My kids will listen to the same CD, 5 times a day, for weeks on end. Which means I listen to the same CD, 5 times a day, for weeks on end.
Here are some of our favorites from past CDs to give you an idea of what we love:
If All of the Raindrops by Laura Doherty
Hey Hippopotamus by Justin Roberts (love most of his songs, really)
You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Riders in the Sky
Catch the Moon by Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell
The Disappointing Pancake by Lisa Loeb
Upside Down by Jack Johnson
Little Sack of Sugar Elizabeth Mitchell
In my quest for another great CD, I’ve been researching songs. These are some albums that have been recommended in various blogs and articles.
Victor Vito & Buzz Buzz by Laurie Berkner
Snack Time by Barenaked Ladies
Catch that Train & The Fine Friends Are Here by Dan Zanes
Time Machine by The Sippy Cups
At the Bottom of the Sea by Ralph’s World
Meltdown by Justin Roberts
Here Come the ABCs by They Might Be Giants
I also came across the Timeout New York Kids “Best of 2009” list.
I’m spending lots of time listening to clips on iTunes in hopes of finding some new gems. If you know of any, please share them. I could use the time and my kids could use some new favorites!
PLEASE NOTE: When creating CDs, please be sure to understand and follow copyright laws (i.e. buy multiple copies on iTunes, etc.).
To my knowledge, this would be illegal. I believe, burning music for others is the same a photocopying and distributing a book, artwork or photo. Music purchased by you is meant only for personal use, not distribution. I would not recommend this as an idea for loads of moms to participate in copyright infringements.
You make a great point I didn’t address. It’s my understanding that each download from the iTunes store can be burned legally 7 times. You may need to purchase multiple copies of a song depending on how many copies you make. Of course I would recommend ensuring you’re following copyright laws. Thanks, Jill!
You may want to be careful about this. It is actually illegal. You are making copies for others. You can legally make copies for your own personal use but not to give to others.
Thanks, Maryann. I’ve added a note to ensure people are thoughtful of copyright laws should they decide to do this. I appreciate your time and insight. Of course I would never condone people break the law…I just haven’t been able to find a great source that clearly outlines it. If you know of one, I’d love to link to it!
There is a fine line between sharing music you love with others, and making it harder for musicians to make a living. As a teacher and performer, I can say that it is hard to sell CD’s, even great ones that people say they love. I sell downloads on itunes and other sites but some of those sites only pay the artists 3 cents or less for a song! This does not cover the costs of making a CD, recording, mixing and packaging are very expensive, if you do it for 2000. that is a great deal but most independent musicians spend much much more. So I would just caution everyone to help musicians by purchasing music or CD’s from their websites. It’s great to spread the word about music you like, and i know it may even be cost prohibitive to buy your guests a 10-15 dollar CD. But please remember the people who make the music and try to support them in any way you can. Perhaps you can hire a musician to perform at the party and they will sell you some CD’s at half price, that is what i do for my customers.
Amy, what wonderful insight and ideas. I’m learning a lot about your industry since my post was apparently flagged in a group and I truly appreciate your kindness and thought about how families can do right by the artists. Thank you!