Maker Songs for Maker Kids

I don't know if this generation of kids are any more DIY than previous generations, but those kids with maker tendencies (or parents who want to encourage those tendencies) have never had as many opportunities to indulge them (not to mention temptations to ignore them).

I was listening to The Board of Education's fine new album Binary when it occurred to me that the song "I'm Not Here Right Now," about a kid not so keen on sitting in a classroom but very keen on getting out and constructing and exploring, could be an anthem for today's maker kids.

So here's a playlist to be inspired by the next time you and your kids are turning a cardboard box into a race car, learning basic electronic circuitry, or building your own cardboard drum set.  I tried to stay pretty close to the maker concept (and avoiding music-making or cooking and the like), but strayed occasionally into maker-friendly songs that more generally celebrate imaginative use of found objects and creating one's own entertainment.  (Also, despite the number of tracks covering the Woody Guthrie classic, this is nowhere near the number of versions of "Bling Blang" that are available.)

Yes, I understand the slight irony of listening to others' creative works while creating your own, but nobody's perfect.  Go forth and create!

Maker Songs for Maker Kids [Spotify url]

Billy Kelly – The Ballad of Johnny Box
The Biscuit Brothers – I Did It Myself
The Board of Education – Vasimr (to Mars!)
The Board of Education – I'm Not Here Right Now
The Board of Education – Know Your Inventors, Pt. II
The Board of Education – Know Your Inventors, Part I
The Board of Education – Lunchtime (Tin Foil Robots)
Brady Rymer – Bling Blang
Caspar Babypants – Googly Eyes
Coal Train Railroad – With A Box
Dan Zanes & Friends – Thrift Shop
Dog On Fleas – Bling-blang
Elizabeth Mitchell – Bling Blang
Fox and Branch – Bling Blang
Frances England – Bling Blang
The Hipwaders – Art Car
The Hipwaders – My New Camera
Imagination Movers – Imagination Movers Theme
The Jellydots – Adventure Quest!
Johnny Bregar – Yes I Can
Johnny Keener – Bling Blang
Justin Roberts – Cardboard Box
Keith Munslow – Cardboard Box
Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band – Lemonade Stand
Lunch Money – Come Over to My Dollhouse
Matt Clark – Cardboard Box
Metric – Everybody Has a Talent
Monty Harper – My Video Camera
The Pop Ups – Box of Crayons
Ralph's World – Sunny Day Rainy Day Anytime Band
Recess Monkey – Fort
Recess Monkey – Science Fair
Recess Monkey – Toolbox
Recess Monkey – I Got A Toy, But I Played With the Box
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Hot Lava
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Brainstorm
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo – Bored Is A Bad Word
Sugar Free Allstars – Cardboard Box
They Might Be Giants – Science Is Real
They Might Be Giants – Put It to the Test
They Might Be Giants – Computer Assisted Design
They Might Be Giants – Where Do They Make Balloons?
They Might Be Giants – The Edison Museum

A Grab-Bag of Songbags

OK, now that you've read Nerissa and Katrina Nields' excellent book about family music-making, All Together Singing in the Kitchen, perhaps you've been inspired to make more music, either by yourself or with others.

Where next?

Well, I've got a number of books filled with notes and words for singing along with.  Except as noted, all songs feature piano notation with chords for the guitarists (and ukulele-ists) among you.  I've listed some Amazon affiliate links for those of you interested in purchasing a copy -- in many cases, only used copies are left as some of these books are currently out of print.

What if you can only get one?  Well, it probably depends on who you are -- i.e., your musical background -- who your audience is (older? younger?) and where you plan to use it (schools? homes?).  Hopefully I've given you enough guidance to help you jump in.

And so we shall.

Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag [Amazon link] was first published in 1927.  Regular readers may be familiar with Dan Zanes' take on the poet's collection of American folk music (indeed, that's how I was first made aware of it).  My collection features an introduction from Garrison Keillor, and feels as much like a textbook as a songbook, thanks in part to its exhaustive 290-song collection and Sandburg's slightly more ethnomusicographical notes compared to the other books here.  In fact, that's probably a problem for most dabbling singers -- its breadth makes it too hard to find a hit on every page.  (One of the joys of the Zanes album is that he mostly shies away from popular songs and instead resurrects the unknown.)  But it's that breadth that can also give you months of discovery as you work your way through the text.

Ruth Crawford Seeger's American Folk Songs for Children [Amazon link] was first published in 1948 and is in many ways the kids' equivalent of Sandburg's collection (indeed, he writes a brief introductory note to the collection).  Seeger was a composer and tireless folklorist, not to mention Pete Seeger's stepmom (so her influence works in many, many ways).  Adults not used to singing with kids may be heartened by Seeger's lengthy preface.  Many of the roughly 70 or so songs are brief, somewhat unfamiliar (the collection is, after all, nearly 65 years old at this point), and designed as much for a school setting as a group setting, but there is beauty here.  (And if you don't believe me, ask Elizabeth Mitchell, who has repeatedly cited this book as a major influence on her work.)

Moving on to yet another era, John Langstaff's Hi! Ho! The Rattlin' Bog and Other Folk Songs for Group Singing [Amazon link] (1969) will be of interest to fans of the Nields because the sisters studied with Langstaff growing up in Washington, DC area.  Langstaff selected 50 songs "especially for their suitability for group singing" for all ages, representing many different types of traditional music.  Given the book's age, some of the songs that may have been familiar in the mid-60s are less so now, but I find the songs well-chosen

Nancy & John Langstaff's Jim Along, Josie [Amazon link] came out a year later, in 1970, as Langstaff and his wife compiled a selection of "folk songs and singing games for young children," as the book's subtitle promises.  The book includes 81 different songs, all definitely targeted at the younger set.  Given the number of songs in the collection, there are a number of songs you'll recognize, though obviously quite a few will be totally new to you as well.

Kathleen Krull's I Hear America Singing: Folk Songs for American Families [Amazon link] (1992) doesn't have the pedigree the previous books have, but it's a pretty decent collection of 62 songs, primarily from the (historical) folk tradition, but with a handful of newer songs (e.g., "Little Boxes" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" -- OK, "newer" is a comparative phrase) thrown in.

Finally, Peter Blood & Annie Patterson's Rise Up Singing [Amazon link] is sort of the graduate work of this program.  With words and chords to 1,200 songs, you won't ever be at a loss for words for singing.  What you may be at a loss for, however, are the melodies.  In order to fit 1,200 songs in less than 300 pages, you'll just see chords.  Which is great if you have a huge musical background, but flip to any random set of 2 pages, and you're likely just to see one song you're familiar with.  The advantage, however, is that there are some more modern songs -- Beatles tunes, etc. -- than what you'll see in the other books.  Its compact size and breadth make it a nice complement to the other books listed here, but it would not be my first choice.

"Felt Around the World" - "We Are the World" for a New Generation

Felt Around the World coverBig news in the kindie world today as more than a dozen kindie puppets officially released a new song, "Felt Around the World," designed to raise awareness of puppet rights.  Accompanied by a video and a brand new organization -- Hand Aid -- the song is designed to make listeners aware of the inherent dignity of sock-, felt-, and cotton-based puppets both inside and outside the kindie music world.

The song is the brainchild of puppet songwriter Marion Aeder, who's written for such puppet music luminaries as Kermit the Frog, the Von Trapp Family puppets, and the version of Punch and Judy currently being performed by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.  "I was tired of seeing my puppet friends treated like mere toys," and wanted to give voice to the feelings all puppets have," says Aeder.

So he contacted his friend, the puppet impressario Mayor Monkey.  MayMo is best known, perhaps, as the excitable hand puppet band manager of Seattle kids music band Recess Monkey, but he also has served stints as a Public Interest Research Group organizer, and it turns out MayMo had been hearing many of the same concerns Aeder had.

West Ginger Liberty

The two puppets banded together -- Aeder providing the music and lyrics, and Mayor Monkey contacting his many compatriots in the kindie world.  For example, Socrates Monk, sock puppet manager of Australian-American kindie band The Mudcakes, was happy to join in.  Likewise, West Ginger Liberty, Princess Katie's right hand-er, puppet, also immediately said yes -- her performance on "Felt Around the World" is her first on-record singing performance.

Aeder and MayMo -- like Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, or Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, and Quincy Jones before them -- merged an anthemic song with a cast of stars.  Unlike "Do They Know It's Christmas?" or "We Are the World," however, they didn't need to all gather in one place.  Technological advances of the past 25 years meant that they could all record in the comfort of their own... homes, and send their work into Mayor Monkey, who by this time had also managed to corral (hound? badger?) Recess Monkey into playing backup and Jarrett J. Krosoczka into contributing album art.

Enthusiasm among the kindie puppets ran high for the project, with many new kindie puppets joining in, sometimes for very personal reasons.  "Felt" participants Macho Nacho and Mouth Trumpet from Musical Stew met after being placed in Time Out after a peaceful 2004 demonstration in Medford, Oregon as the "Puppet Movement" was gaining momentum. Others, like Yosi's super-exuberant Eugene (he of the instantly memorable adlibs during the song's bridge) or Todd McHatton's Marvy had no personal tie to the project, but found themselves instantly drawn in.  (Marvy is rumored to be working on a solo record, in fact.)  And clearly it gave some puppets like The Wolf, best known for his demolition business, an opportunity to share skills he's honing with Debbie and Friends.

Felt Around the World co-mastermind Mayor MonkeyWhile the primary purpose of Hand Aid and "Felt Around the World" is to raise awareness of puppet rights, it's also going to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.  (All net proceeds after mixing, mastering, and Mayor Monkey's new megaphone he bought to keep everyone in line will go to St. Jude's.)  Listeners got a sneak peak of the song yesterday at Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, Ages 3 and Up!, Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl, and Hilltown Families.  But you can purchase the song today at iTunes, Amazon (affiliate link), and CD Baby.

Or enjoy the video right here.  Remember, folks, puppets are people, too.  OK, they're puppets.  But they deserve our respect.

Review: Musical iPad Apps for Kids

I know. I know.

I agree with you: instead of playing music on the iPad, kids should be using honest-to-goodness instruments, including those instruments known as their own voices.

But sometimes kids want to play on the iPad and if some of those games and books are primarily musical in nature, who am I to force them to play Angry Birds instead?

So here are a handful of musical apps that have found their way to my iPad.

Let's start off with the Puff, the Magic Dragon app, based on the classic song and popular picture book from Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton and featuring Eric Puybaret's illustrations. Like most iPad books, it features the ability for the reader to read the text themselves or to have it read to them. And as one would suspect, you can also have Yarrow and his daughter sing the song to you as the animation proceeds. But at $5.99, some people will find the app a bit pricy for the level of interaction (comparatively minimal) and animation (a little "chunky" compared to the level of Puybaret's original illustrations).

The Secret Mountain's A Duck in New York City app is, just like Puff, the Magic Dragon, a song (by Connie Kaldor) and a book (illustrated by Fil & Julie) that is now an app. On the positive side, the conversion of the illustrations in a collage-like format into moving pictures is well-done. On the negative side, the song isn't as classic as "Puff," though that's probably an unfair standard for comparison. Again, you have the option of reading it yourself, having it read to you, and listening to the song, with a karaoke option thrown in. For $3.99, the app is a little more affordable than the Puff app, but I'd definitely listen to the song before committing the money (and the memory space) for the app.

With both these apps, I felt like something was missing, like the interactive nature of the iPad begs for more control and interaction (and, frankly, in the case of the "Puff" app, finish) than what they offered. Perhaps we haven't yet found a good music-book-to-app app yet. (It seems like a Gustafer Yellowgold app, done well, would be truly game-changing for the kindie world.) But there are other apps with musical DNA to consider...
Dr. Seuss Band is basically a piano version of Rock Band or Guitar Hero, except that in lieu of slightly scary looking computer-animated rock stars (Lego-based or otherwise) it features plain goofy strips of color. And instead of a wide variety of rock songs you get goofy songs with Seuss book titles as song titles and which sound like they should be playing a local merry-go-round. But, it's a game, which may be enough to keep your kids occupied for a while. The game is free, but you (or your kids) will need to unlock higher levels (or purchase the unlocking via an in-app purchase) or you'll have a relatively small selection of songs to try. Of course, free play (not associated with a game) is also an option. Get the app here.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the LEGO DUPLO JAMS app I highlighted a few months back. It's probably the app whose musicality is least necessary of those mentioned here. It features LEGO-themed songs and some fairly random (and simple) touch screen games for the preschool set. The app is not necessarily the most challenging, but the songs are decent and the price is right (free). I don't necessarily see this as a long-term app for any family's iPad, but it's definitely work checking out.

Boy, oh boy is Apple's Garageband a big program. Weighing it at more than half a gig, it's one of those apps you actually have to think about wanting to download, especially if you have a 16 GB version and the iPad gets many different types of uses, from music to video to games and pictures. But the $4.99 app is incredibly powerful and lots of fun, even if you have no intention of ever recording a song.

To do a full review of the app is beyond my scope here, but suffice it to say that this is a very popular app with my kids. We don't have a drum set (yet), so getting to tap fingers on the several different types of complete drum sets to make a reasonable facsimile of drum sounds is an OK substitute. The program also includes keyboards, drum machines, bass, guitar, even a sampler and an amp for your guitar. Perhaps one of the coolest features for people of all levels of musical abilities are the "smart" instruments, where you can, literally with the touch of the screen create a track that sounds pretty competent. (Yes, Little Boy Blue and I mess around with the Hip Hop Drum Machine, quite a bit, thankyouverymuch.) And who knows, maybe one day, Little Boy Blue or Miss Mary Mack or I will finally polish up those doodles of songs into the real thing.

Finally, an app that's actually for the iPhone, though it works just fine for the iPad, if a tiny bit fuzzy. It's called Dropophone, and it's from the kid-friendly band Lullatone, known for its appropriation of unique instruments to create songs that sound like they're simultaneously 50 years from the future and the past. It's pretty simple -- the user can select from 30 tone/instrument combinations that loop continuously (unless changed) and, if desired, turn on a simple metronome to help guide their selections. It's a lot like Brian Eno's "Bloom" app (and the like), but more structured, which may be helpful for kids who are trying to come up with an actual song. I wish you could record the results, but oh well -- music can be fleeting, and the app is free. It's not Garageband, but sometimes (often) Garageband is way too much.

[Disclosure: I received free copies of the Puff and Duck apps for possible review.]

Book Review: What Instrument Is This? - Rosemarie Hausherr

A while back the Official Wife of Zooglobble brought this book home from her preschool classroom. It's called What Instrument Is This?, and as you might deduce from the title, its structure is a series of questions encouraging the elementary-school-aged reader to guess the name of an instrument.

Now, given that the book is 20 years old, and some of the pictures inside appear to be at least twice that, one could be forgiven for dismissing the book. But it's a totally charming book, probably the best "introduction to instruments" book I've ever seen.

Author Rosemarie Hausherr organizes the instruments by instrument group (winds, strings, keyboard, and percussion), and features many different types of pictures and settings. There's just enough detail to make it interesting without overwhelming -- the recorder is a long, hollow piece of wood with eight holes, played by blowing into the whistle mouthpiece, with a "warm and cheerful sound."

While the text style and the design of the book remain remarkably consistent throughout (and the subtle logos representing each of the four instrument groups would look modern today), that's offset by the diversity of musical and photographic styles and subjects. Classical music, sure, but bagpipes? CBGB (yes, that CBGB) is thanked in the credits, so I can only assume the picture for the electric guitar (strings section) is from a gig there. The kids in the pictures reflect a fairly diverse crowd, spanning many races and featuring more than one child with disabilities playing (or experimenting with) instruments. It's nothing fancy, but it's great at keeping kids interested without trying too hard to do so.

The book appears to be long out of print, but Amazon has several copies for little more than the cost of shipping and I'm sure it's available elsewhere. (That's an Amazon affiliate link, by the way.)

What Instrument Is This? is a great book for preschool and elementary school classrooms, as well as families looking to introduce a visual element of music into their homes. Definitely recommended.