Finding Great Kids Music
 Kimberly Robasky  rates it:    Community rates it: (no ratings yet)
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If you haven't alreaady, you should first read: "Untruths Parents Share About Kids Music".

To start, of course, there's the ubiquitous Amazon store. With over 7,500 titles, they have a very complete repertoire. However, artists pay to get listed on Amazon. There are many independant and local children's artists that don't sell in quantities to justify the cost. Additionally, navigating the Amazon collection can be overwelming if your looking beyond Disney and Kidz Bop.

CDBaby is a great place to find independent kids music. I look there myself for "off-the-beaten-path" recommendations and have found some wonderful treasures.

Don't just rely on the e-commerce sites to guide you. You can find out about great titles by perusing awards lists. One of the best, in my humble opinion, is Fred Koch's monthly Chicago Parent Magazine column, online at bestchildrensmusic.com. There's also the Parent's Choice, Parent's Guide, ALSC, and the Children's Music Web Awards. Of course, you can also check the Grammys, which in spite of being very Disney-heavy, recognizes a lot of deserving titles.

Finally, your biggest bargains will be found at by your humble librarian. Mine is much more helpful than a search box, and seems to know better what my kids might like. There's a certain timelessness to children's music, so don't worry that they may not have the latest releases. If you don't find the title you want, there's also inter-library loan. If you still don't find what you want, then head right over to Amazon and feel good that you're putting food in the mouth of a starving artist. Then slip a generous donation, and borrow your heart out.

Most importantly, play, play, play. Get as much music as you can as many different styles. Stimulate their minds, encourage active listening, your children will thank you later.

Added:  Saturday, August 21, 2004

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Language: eng