***Max's Family Band***

When you first pop Max's Family Band into the CD player, the first thing you think is, "Man, this is like Broadway music for kids!" Well, it's not a coincidence: Gary and Yvette Negbaur have years of musical theater experience as both composers and performers, and they translate their talents into their kids' music debut album Max's Family Band. Inspired by the antics and day-to-day life of their son Max, the Negbaurs composed 15 songs for and about him that all parents can relate to, and some tunes will even get a giggle out of the grownups.

"Gobbledygookster Baby" is full of fun words, "One Sock Octopus" is entertainingly silly (hey, made me laugh!), and when it's "Haircut Time," what better style to sing about it than barbershop quartet? Dig how the swingin' verse of "Grandma Time" jumps to a doo-wop chorus, then try to follow the piano/vocal runs on "Picky," and dance to the hand jive boogie of "Rockin' Zebra."

Check out "The Color Medley," a four-song mini epic that utilizes Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles psychedelia, some Chicago blues, a little New Orleans shuffle, and a taste of hot Salsa to musically describe yellow, blue, green, and red. And on the songs "I'm Glad that You've Discovered M" and "Hello Mr. Diaper Hello" you can practically feel the heat from the footlights! Both songs would make perfect preschool stage productions, complete with tiny dancers and singers.

Max's Family Band is cute, catchy sing-along entertainment for your youngest music lover.

It's a shame...

...that a bland product like The Jonas Brothers' Lines, Vines and Trying Times has massive advertising dollars behind it and hits #1 on the Billboard Charts, while a brilliant effort like Cathy Heller's Say Hello to the Sun remains relatively unknown. Both albums are aimed at the pop music-lovin' preteen crowd, but Heller beats the big label machine at their own game, hands down. Get the word out, people: there's awesome music out there for kids!

• Read a full review of Cathy Heller's Say Hello to the Sun
  
• Read a full review of The Jonas Brothers' Lines, Vines and Trying Times
  

What's on your Kids-List?

I found this great website the other day called Kids-List. It lists local activities for children and breaks them up by various age groups. I searched in my area, not sure how well-informed the results would be, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a fairly comprehensive list! You can even search based on specific catagories, such as playgroups, preschools, music, and other types of classes. I hope you'll find it to be a valuable resource for finding great local activities and some Mommy and Me fun!

Yo MJ

I've always been kinda cynical. I mean, nothing just blew my mind, ya know? Well, when I watched this live in 1983, this.blew.my.mind. It was truly one of the few times in my life that I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Crank up the volume and try to dance along at home.

This is for my friend Brad Breath.

Best Kids' Music of 2009...

...so far! There are *lots* of great kids' CDs out this year, and I've pulled together a few of my favorites that have already hit the record store shelves. You can check out my list of Best Kids' Music of 2009 over at About.com, and then let me know who you think should be included on the year-end list.

Lord of the Dance

We are learning about Irish music in our Family Time classes right now. The lilting melody and rhythms are so much fun to move and jump to. I guess I just needed a smile today, so I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did!

Nuff Said...

Life Skills 101

When I was a child, my parents gave me a very special gift. It's a gift that I have used over and over again in my adult life. It's called life skills. At an early age, my parents began teaching me practical things like how to read a map, cooking, how to follow a budget, and a host of other things. These are skills that are not necessarily covered in a class at school, yet they are so vital to our adult success.

Now that I have children of my own, I have begun to calculate what life skills I want to pass on to them. I want them to gain the same love of music that I have, to experience Mozart to Etta James to Toby Mac and around the world and back again. I want them to learn to be responsible no matter who is watching or not. Good money management skills are definitely on the list, along with cooking, sense of direction, and "street smarts". What about common etiquette and an understanding of appropriate attire in various social settings?

We, as parents, get so consumed with giving our children a quality education. We carefully select preschools and grade schools years in advance, but are we as consumed with passing along these equally important life skills? Have you considered which skills you want to pass along to your children?

So, here's to my parents! Happy Father's Day, Dad. Mom, I love you! Thanks for giving me the life skills that I would have never found in a classroom.