Customer Reviews

Smithsonian Folkways Children's Music Collection

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This record is the first one my baby girl responded to. I am a musician and have played her everything from Schubert to The Beatles to Billie Holiday and she loves THIS cd. I think it's because, unlike so many children's records, it has lots of different natural sounds: clapping, singing, click-clack etc. all made my the human voice rather than a sythesiser. These are sounds from the real world not the loud, in-your-face toysrus nightmare. I also love the fact that the songs come from many different countries. Plus, I can sing along and actually enjoy it!

This CD is fantastic! It has a variety of children's songs: American Folk, West Indian, African, French, Jewish and Spanish. It includes some classics like 'Twinkle, Twinkly', 'Skip to my Lou', 'Mary Mack' which are all done in a fun folksie style. Many of the songs will have you dancing 'All Around the kitchen' and making animal sounds. I like the variety of styles with the folk tradition. I feel that I am exposing my daughter to something educational and fun which I can also enjoy. In fact, I have already listened to this cd 100 times, and I know I will not tire of it. I enjoy listening to it as much as my daughter! You certainly can't say that for most children's cds.

This is a beautiful, varied collection of American folk music and poetry for children, that reflects the rich diversity of our shared culture. Not only will it introduce your baby, toddler or young child to American cultural heritage, but also to rhythm, melody, rhyme, language and fun with music. It will enrich the adults in the house too! Probably only a few of the songs will you recognize immediately, like Miss Mary Mack and Skip to My Lou--but you and your child will be familiar with and singing along with many of the other songs after hearing them only a few times.
Worth every penny.

This is my toddler's absolute favorite CD. It's also my favorite of all his music. Like other reviewers have said, it is not the phony, annoying music that is typically directed at kids. It is diverse, genuine, and not condescending. A must have, in my opinion.

As the mother of an 18-month year old, I'm new to children's music, but I can tell you how repulsed I am by the artificial-sounding stuff that dominates the market. This C.D. is a direct contradiction to all that. Each tune has its own heart, soul, individuality, sing-a-bility, and personality. My daughter loves it, and I can't resist the urge to clap, sing, finger snap, and dance. It pays great respect to our American folk heritage by including the works of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Also included are some blues, some Africn rhythm, some Canadian folk, some poetry, and more. The words are included, along with a brief history for each piece, making it educational for all. Haven't you always wanted to know the words to "Whoopie Ti Yi Yo Get Along Little Doggy?" Now's your chance. You must buy this. It's extraordinary.

Obviously pre-school doesn't always account for "real" musicians or officinados, however, these songs are classics and need to be heard by children for historical, musical,and singable reasons. Timeless and catchy my 9-year old daughter thrives on classical folk and Smithsonian gives a well-rounded selection. A good deal!

This is my favorite of all my kid's CDs. The variety of the music is astonishing, but all the pieces share an originality and artistry that is entirely genuine and joyful. My son has loved this for years, as have I.

This collection does run hot and cold, I agree. There are a lot of songs about toiling in coal mines, too. But these gentle old fashioned songs are great for settling my boy to sleep. The first few are fun to sing together ("Let's go riding in the car", "All around the kitchen" (cock a-doodle oodle oo!)) then they calm down and it works perfectly for nodding off. I also appreciate that my son is getting some exposure to these American classics. Recommended, at least as a change of pace from those migraine-inducing "kid's Bop" CDs.

This sampler does what a good sampler should do -- makes you want to buy the full CD versions that these cuts were taken from. A must for every nursery CD shelf.

This cd samples several different styles of children's music, from lullabies to calypso beats and in between. This a wonderful way to engage your child in moving to rhythm and share a part of American History with them. Our infant music class dances and sings to some of the songs on this cd collection. To truly enjoy this cd get up and move with your children to the music. Pretend to drive a car when you hear "Ridin' in the Car" or pretend to be a big lumbering elephant while dancing to "Mary Mack".