Captain Bogg and Salty - Emphatical Piratical

I love these guys! Funny, sing-able, dance-able genre-hopping pirate songs. Whenever I put on a CD for grown-ups in the house they think it's my own band, that's how up my street this is.

Check out these lyrics, spoken by a native of Frogg Island (the pirate's hideaway) in a "native" accent:

"When we come to the Frogg Island, no-one was here.
Only the purple tiki was here.
We ask the purple tiki 'Where we build village?'
'What berry we eat no make us throw up?'
The purple tiki no answer.
The purple tiki never answer.
The purple tiki only listen."

Haha! It's one of the kids' favourites too.

I'll be putting this up for sale on the kids-tunes.com site soon, in the meantime click here to buy their previous album "Pegleg Tango" which is also great.

Children's Book Week

May 10-16, 2010 is Children's Book Week. Check out the Children's Book Council for more information about how you can help make every child a reader at:

www.cbcbooks.org

Kindermusik Playdates!


Exciting things are going on at Delightful Sounds. We will now be offering classes on the second Saturday of each month. These family style classes will be open to children 0-7 years old and their parent or other caregiver. Too busy or not sure if your ready to commit to a full semester of music classes for your child? No problem! Kindermusik Playdates are a one-time only class. You'll enjoy a new theme each month, and then you can continue the learning at home with your take-home CD and kit. Register today by clicking here!

Madagascar soundtrack


Some hits you probably already have, like "Chariots of Fire" and "Boogie Wonderland", along with some pretty decent underscore tracks.

The reason I bought this though is Sacha Baron Cohen's version of "We like to move it move it", which is amazing. At a kids disco I did last summer I must have played it 5 times (because the kids kept demanding it).

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Beatles

Plinky-plonky xylophone (or, rather, marimba) versions of Beatles tunes. When Heather ate 2 bowls of jelly instead of dinner it didn't force her to sleep, but it did keep her calm and, crucially, quiet while I paced the kitchen with her in my arms in the middle of the night. Musically a little suspect, but not offensive.

Old English Nursery Rhymes - The Broadside Band

Nursery rhymes performed in traditional English folk style. The female singer's voice is a little bit grating, and it's very long (52 tracks!), but it's pretty good. Probably the best nursery rhyme CD I've come across. It's also Heather's favourite. "IMES! IMES!", she says, pointing at the CD player.

Buy it, and other classic kids music, now on www.kids-tunes.com

Oxbridge Baby Classical Music

Midi (i.e. programmed on a computer, rather than played) versions of popular classics.

Ugh! Rubbish! Avoid!

Sesame St. Platinum All-Time Favorites

An enduring favourite in our house. "Elmo's song" has been Heather's favourite song for ages, and me and Niamh love the oldies like "People in your neighbourhood".

Isabelle claims that Heather likes Elmo so much that Elmo must be her husband.

Buy it now on kids-tunes.com

Carnival of the Animals, narrated by Johnny Morris

I really like "Carnival of the Animals", and played bass in it once in my youth. This is a good performance of it, and Johnny Morris (former presenter of Animal magic on BBC tv) recites a little rhyme at the start of each piece of music. He does a decent job, but the rhymes are kinda crap and are spoiling my enjoyment of the music (plus he recites over "Fishes", which is one of my favourite pieces). Ogden Nash wrote a set of rhymes for this too, and they're much better - must search out a version with his rhymes on it instead

What do birds, monkeys, and gifted children have in common?

I was recently reading a blog post about gifted children and obsessions. It can be very common for any child to become obsessed with something, but it is especially prevalent in gifted children. They may become fascinated by something typical, such as trains, music, or dinosaurs, or it could even be something we might find rather unusual, like pasta or different fabrics. I know many parents worry that this type of intense interest may be a red flag for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Autism. However, it can actually be quite normal!
Gifted children have an insatiable appetite for new information. Therefore, they will often latch on to something that interests them and study it thoroughly. Once they have examined this area of interest to their satisfaction, you will likely see that they select something else. For example, one of my daughters was fascinated with birds. Every night for her bed time story she would want to read the Audubon Society identification book. By age 2, she could give the full name of about 40 birds just by seeing their picture. She is 8 now, and, even though she still likes birds, she no longer wants to read about them every day. We have graduated to monkeys! ;)
Here is my point. If you are trying to decide if your child is having trouble developmentally, the best rule of thumb is "Does the area of concern affect your child's daily activities or growth?" In other words:
  • Can your child interact appropriately with their friends?
  • Does it affect their learning ability in a class?
  • Does it have a strong negative affect of their behavior at home and how they relate to their family?

If so, you should discuss your concerns with the appropriate professional.

Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Fever

Quiet, melodic, mellow, acoustic-y music - a little bit of Mercury Rev in here, a bit of The Beatles. Accompanied by a DVD of animated videos for each song.

While the music is very well-produced and very melodic, it's all a bit boring. I like the sound of the thing, but the songs just don't hold my interest all that much. The videos aren't very interesting either. Isabelle says "I like it a little bit".

My Very Favourite Nursery Rhyme Record - Tim Hart and Friends



Nursery rhymes performed by Tim Hart and Maddy Prior of the English "electric folk" band Steeleye Span. It starts off great, but there's some dodgy 80s-sounding keyboards on here, and Maddy Prior's voice can be a little hard going at times.

Hmm. Undecided. So far Heather prefers The Broadside Band's nursery rhymes record.

Beethoven's Wig


Classical music with funny/silly lyrics sung over the top e.g.

"Franz Lizst/The famous pianist" (sung to the tune of Hungarian Rhapsody #2)

"Beethoven's wig/Was very big" (sung to the tune of the 5th symphony)

The words are hilarious and the performances are great. I love it! Isabelle loves it! Niamh loves it!

just listen to learn

I was recently read an article about how listening to music affects musicality. Originally, it was thought that musical ability was shaped by intense musical training. However, the study showed that people who listened to music performed equally as well in certain musical tasks as those who were trained musicians.
So how does this relate to you and your family? I have often said here that early and varied exposure to music is an important part of a child's development. Music is such a powerful tool, because it is available to everyone, regardless of ability. In fact, it is one of the few activities I can think of that can enhance all areas of development at once. Whether that exposure is in a music class, at home, or in the car, it increases your child's development in the following ways:
  • The varied rhythms and sounds will increase your child's analytical and sequencing skills.
  • Listening to a variety genres increases your child's love of music as a whole.
  • Music listening and singing are proven to increase language skills.
  • Enjoying music as a family can strengthen emotional and social development through bonding and interaction.
  • Dancing and playing instruments increases your child's gross and fine motor development.

So go ahead and enjoy listening to some great music with your child today!

Freebies and upcoming events


We have several local events coming up in April. Don't miss out!


  • April is "bring-a-friend" month! Any student who brings a friend to class will receive a free children's CD. Please check with your teacher to ensure there is space for the visitor before attending. If your friend chooses to enroll after their visit, you will also earn a $10 credit towards your next Kindermusik semester!

  • April 2 - Kindermusik Military Playdate at MacDill Family Resource Center. 10:00 AM Come enjoy a free Kindermusik class with your child as a thank you for your family's service to our country!

  • April 6 - Chick-fil-a Kid's Night with Delightful Sounds 5-8 PM. Stop by the Causeway Blvd. location in Brandon and enjoy some Kindermusik fun with your meal. You can also register to win a Kindermusik prize pack!

  • April 22 - Parent's Night Out at Delightful Sounds 6:30 PM. Due to the overwhelming response to our previous class, we are offering another CPR training this night. Cost is $10 per family, and you must RSVP by April 10th to attend.

Read Across America

Last week was Read Across America week. Many schools celebrated literacy all week and many of the teachers and students dressed like their favorite book characters. For more information about this exciting event, check out http://www.nea.org/readacross

It isn't fair!




One of the things I've noticed most keenly about raising gifted children is their strong sense of justice, or injustices as the case may be! It might be related to the social injustices they see around them, their feelings about how animals are treated, or even how they feel about the way they are disciplined. Their heightened sensitivity combined with their high intelligence allows for some strong feelings about the world around them. I've probably been most aware of this in my extrovert child. Her emotions come blazing out in a fury when she sees something she thinks isn't fair. Here are a few suggestions to help you weather the storm.




  • Understand that their feelings are very real to them, no matter how petty it may seem to you as an adult.


  • Take the time to openly discuss what they are feeling.


  • Encourage them to come up with creative solutions to problems that bother them.


I've seen parents channel their children's energy in this area so well, that they raise some awesome, world-changing children. These are the types kids you see collecting food or clothes for the homeless or organizing something for the local animal shelter.



On the topic of parenting, don't be afraid to say your sorry if they call you on something. As a parent, I fail all the time. After all, we are only human, and it's not like they come with instructions! When my children point out something they don't think I've been fair about, I take the time to discuss it with them, and if an apology is necessary, then I say I'm sorry. Never underestimate the power of a good example!