"Because Dan Zanes would sure make one funny-looking Wiggle"

I was browsing the Parents Choice website just yesterday, and this article concerning the selections of their Spring 2006 music award-winners hadn't been posted yet. Devon points it out today. (Look for more reviews of some of the albums on the list in the weeks ahead right here.)

Also of note is an interview with XM Kids' Director of Children's Programming Kenny Curtis, who comments on the current state of children's music. My favorite part of the whole piece:

PC: Any Other Reason To Keep Promoting High Quality Kids
Music?
KC: Because Dan Zanes would sure make one funny-looking Wiggle.

Finally, I had meant to post this anyway -- Richard Perlmutter of Beethoven's Wig fame has 10 tips on "How To Get (and Keep) Your Child Excited About Classical Music." It's a good article, worth a read, but I would argue that his tips apply to all music, not just classical:

Start With Music
Mix It Up
See Music
Identify Instruments
Make Connections
Dig In
Take Music Lessons
Listen With Them
Make Up Songs
Do It Again (Repetition, Repetition, Repetition)

There is absolutely nothing in that list that should be restricted to classical music alone.

Baby, You Look Faaaaabulous

Ah, yes, late nights at nightclubs. Getting home at 4 AM.

OK, I never really did that, and I get up at 4 AM now to deal with a 9-month-old who's cutting teeth and recovering from a stomach flu simultaneously. But it's always fun to reminisce about the good old days that never were, including going out to discos.

Except now I can. If I, er, live in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boulder, and San Francisco, all of which have hosted or will soon host Baby Loves Disco events.

The concept?

DJs. Discos. Diaper changing stations.

That's right, now you can get loose on the dance floor with your very own kids dancing to (what I assume would include) tunes such as "Love Train," "Boogie Oogie Oogie," and -- why not? -- "Play That Funky Music." [Edit: Here's a sample playlist. None of the above, but "Ring My Bell," "Shake Your Groove Thing," and, yes, "I Will Survive."]

The sensible parent in me says, do we really want 4-year-olds to dance to disco music, which is not always the most child-friendly, lyrically? The fun guy in me says, this sounds like a lot of fun, and I bet my daughter would love it, too, assuming she wasn't too overwhelmed by the sheer visual and audio stimuli.

(Hat tip to the Semi-Official Ralph's World Message Board for the link.)

*****

Today I was also going to post something about Chica-go-go, which a kind reader alerted me to. It had a very Pancake Mountain-like vibe which intrigued me. (It also appeared that half of the Bloodshot Recordings label has appeared on the show.)

But in case of blog-mind-meld, Clea beat me to it, and wrote more than I would've anyway. So go there instead.

News: Kids' Music Moves Downtown

An interesting article reprinted in the Arizona Republic this week about playing kids' music in nightclubs. The article talks about how some nightclubs are booking shows for artists playing children's music. Seems like not every club could pull this off, depending on the operating interior decorating motif, but there's no reason why parents can't give their kids a wide range of cultural activities by taking them to a nightclub (in a safe environment) just as they might take them to the symphony or the ballet. The article namechecks other artists -- They Might Be Giants, Ralph Covert, and Laurie Berkner -- as well as mentions other, less well-known artists.

Another approach to kids' music is to have "regular" musicians come in and play shows. This is the approach that the Washington, DC cable show Pancake Mountain has taken, bringing in non-kiddie artists such as the Arcade Fire ("Wake Up" is a pretty cool song, I admit) and Vic Chesnutt. Without watching the video clips, I'm not sure how the approach actually works, but it's further proof that people are taking more seriously the idea of kids as music listeners.