Children’s musicians Erin Lee and Marci bring us the next of their regular posts with thematic recommendations for kid-friendly music, plus activities to make the songs an interactive experience for the whole family.
Look for Erin Lee and Marci here on the first Monday of each month, or visit their homepage, www.gottaplay.org.
I’ve created links to Amazon for the full albums (click the album image or name), plus links to Amazon MP3 downloads, when available, for those who want only the singles. (Click the song name.) I also have a widget after the jump that will let you preview most of the songs without leaving Mombian.
One of the cool things about being a performer who sings for children – come December you get to celebrate every holiday, not just the one your own family celebrates. Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day— you name it, we sing about it.
What all these holidays have in common is the joy of sharing them with family and friends. So here are some beautifully written songs by award-winning singer/songwriters about all of the wonderful people in our lives. These are some of our favorite songs that celebrate love, family and friendship.
“Family” (Patricia Shih, Your Imaginengine! [Not yet on Amazon, but available from Digstation and (soon) the artist’s Web site, where you can also hear a sample.]
Patricia Shih has just released her newest CD and it has possibly our favorite song if hers on it – “Family.” Patricia knows that families come in all shapes, colors and sizes. She also knows that sometimes you create a family from neighbors and friends — whether you are related or not, “Where there is love there is always family”. Patricia seems to have created her own family of top-notch musicians and vocalists to join her on this song — and yes, Brady Rymer fans, that is Brady singing along.
“You Are My Friend
Pam Donkin and Greta Pederson will have everyone singing along with this celebration of friendship. The harmonies are gorgeous, the images are easy for even the youngest listeners to understand, and the heartfelt message is simple and straightforward: “You are my friend; I will be there for you.” This is a great song for you and your child to sing to each other and to the people who are special to you.
“Next Year
Here are some activities to get this song off the ipod and into daily life: Sometimes kids have trouble making friends. Talk about ways you could help out another kid who is struggling to make friends. What new skills did you learn this year? What are your goals for next year?
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