Mike & Peggy Seeger - American Folk Songs For Children
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Free Music Notes for American Folk Songs For Children
Free Music Review: Passing on traditions
Hit: 5 Stars
I borrowed this item from the Library, and found it hard to return it. We checked it out twice. Finally, I purchased the CD set. My son who is 3 and a half, loves the music. It puts us instantly in a good mood, commuting to work and school in the car. I love it as well, which is a plus. I found myself humming along the tunes throughout the day. The instrumentation is lovely as well. My son always asks me what instrument is playing now. One added bonus for me, is some of the songs I remember my grandparents singing. I love handing down the traditions of folk music to my son.Free Music Review: Songs about murdering children???
Hit: 1 Stars
I'm completely horrified by the song on this cd "As I walked out one holiday". The idea that a song about dragging a child off to a dark room where no one can hear him scream in order to stab him to death?? And then he's dragged down to the depths of hell?
How in the world is this a cd for children? I'm glad I only borrowed it from the library and didn't pay money to hear these grating country twang hillbillies sing about such awful things.
Please, do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy this cd!
Free Music Review: Half of what it could be
Hit: 3 Stars
The songs are full of interesting combinations of words and rhythm, but Mike and Peggy often seem to miss the subtle brilliance of the off-beat energy of half of the songs. Most of the songs were done better by their original composers. What is also missing is the intonation, accent, gruffness and uniqueness of the voices of a variety of singers. I get the feeling sometimes that they were trying to rush through the 95 songs just to get them done.
The half of the songs they did well are still worth listening to. The musicians really seem to be enjoying themselves, and that is one of the most important elements essential to children's music. I have sifted through and selected the good ones to shuffle with our other children's songs which makes them easier to appreciate.
In the cd booklet that comes with the discs they talk about adaptation of tunes and words, but they don't credit any of the original artists. Its worth the effort to look the songs up online to find some other singers for these songs.
Free Music Review: Why oh why
Hit: 2 Stars
Didn't I listen to the sample tracks?
The singer might be to your taste, but not mine. Do yourself a favor and listen before you buy.
Free Music Review: Folk music preservation
Hit: 4 Stars
In the 1948, Ruth Crawford Seeger published a seminal collection of folk music called "American Folk Songs For Children," a group of 94 songs and instructions for using them in the classroom that hepled introduce folk music into American schools throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
With this 2-cd set, two of her (now adult) kids have recorded every song in the book, with a little help from friends. The songs range from a mere 8 seconds long to almost 6 minutes. It's done in a straight-forward and sometimes playful way, some songs being a capella and some with accompaniment of folk instruments including acoustic guitar, dulcimer, autoharp, banjo, fiddle, and some light percussion.
If you're not "into" folk music, there's a good chance this isn't for you. It may, however, be interesting to your young kids. I have the book too and in it there are many instructions and suggestions on how to get kids to participate in the music, making up dances and their own verses. If you're the kind of person afraid or dismissive of "hillbilly" music or who mainly shops for your kids entertainment at toys r us, I say this: expand your horizons, perhaps, it can only do your kids some good.
I saw the review deriding the female vocal and was prepared for the worst when I got this cd, and I thought it was fine. She sounds great singing an octave above her brother, and conveys a lot of charm on many of the tracks.
I do, however, see this as more of an archival project than a viable "let's listen to the entire 2 cds now, kids!" kind of experience. I think they wanted to make sure an audio recording of all the songs in their mom's book was preserved. It's really a treasure trove of kids' rhymes and fun folk songs, though, and more people should hear it than probably will.
It should be noted that Dan Zanes' kids music "hit" "All Around the Kitchen" came from Ruth Crawford Seeger book.