• Rocking with Walnuts Archive

    My almost-10-year-old has developed an ear for music. After years of being “subjected” to plenty of kiddie music for her mom’s work, she has been able to weed out the “boring” from the “too-babyish” (her words, not mine). So when she sits up and takes notice of a new sound that is both catchy and one that she thinks will appeal to discerning listeners such as herself, it makes me pay even closer attention. Danny Weinkauf’s No School Today is our latest conquest and in both of our humble opinions, it does not disappoint. Right from the opening track, “Hey!,” the upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics (“It’s easy to sing along to…they just keep singing ‘Hey’”) makes for a smooth start, segueing into the delightful [&hellip

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    In our family, spring cleaning extends itself over to our family car, and that means swapping out our current CDs for some fresh new tunes. Just in time, The Little Rockers just dropped their third kids’ CD, Count Me In!, and it makes for a refreshing new sound. Chris & Jessie Apple are at it again with a medley of songs that are as diverse as its listening audience. Aimed at ages 2-6, Count Me In! contains plenty of catchy, sing-alongs that are easy on the ears and age-appropriate for the preschool crowd. From the opening title track, to “Wild, Wild West,” each track invites young listeners to use their imaginations and dream big. Whether they are greeting a new neighbor in “Hi, Hi, Hi,” [&hellip

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    When I first heard that Laurie Berkner was releasing her first-ever lullaby album, I practically ran to put on my PJs and jump into bed. Having spoken with her on the phone for an article in a local parenting magazine, I can instantly recall her soothing voice, one that would be ideal for assuring a good night’s sleep for any tired tyke. Sure enough, Laurie Berkner Lullabies offers up plenty of reasons to grab a blankie and settle down for the night. Among our favorites are  “Fireflies,” a nod to our favorite season and its magical creatures, and “Pillowland,” an imaginary place that invites listeners to play and dream. Astute listeners will pick up on two Berkner classics, “Under A Shady Tree” and “Five Days Old” [&hellip

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    I confess: I kinda like doing laundry. I find the chore of sorting colors and whites rather soothing and the sounds of a tumbling dryer, a familiar comfort. Because I wind up folding clothes during our nightly DVR catch-up, this mindless task comes full circle as my day wraps up. I wish all household tasks didn’t require me to expend that much energy (for instance, I loath loading/emptying the dishwasher)…as long as the batch of clothes I’m folding doesn’t reveal any mismatched socks. No matter how much my family tries to keep those pairs together, a lone sock somehow ends up without his mate, and that’s just no fun. Where does that illusive sock go, I sometimes wonder? Could he have taken on another persona, [&hellip

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    It only takes a couple of Christmas catalogs to fill our mailbox, and boom! We’re already thinking of holiday gift ideas. And with Hanukkah right on top of Thanksgiving this year, kids will be drawing up their wish lists faster than we can clear the dinner table! My 9-year-old is begging for her own iPod, but the jury is still out on whether Santa will deliver. One toy we’ve got our eyes (and ears) on this year is PopStars!, a super-cool playset line from Playmobil. If you’re already familiar with this company’s tremendous assortment of themed castles, pirate ships, farms and other adventure-packed settings, you’re no stranger to the tremendous play value…not to mention the multitude of miniscule accessories they come with! But don’t worry [&hellip

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    Show of hands: how many of you watch Parenthood?…Thought so. If you’re like me, you spend your action-packed weekends tending to the kiddies during the day and catching up on all the shows you’ve DVRed during the week. (I know, I lead an exciting life.) And since the Bravermans have returned to our living room this fall, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the fate of Julia and Joel’s marriage, Kristina’s budding political career and the arrival of the newest Baby Braverman. Well, now you can extend your weekly fix with the soon-to-be-released Parenthood Original Television Soundtrack Volume 2. It’s a collection of tracks playing the background as the daily sagas of the family unfold before our eyes. From Lyle Lovett to CeeLo Green, there are plenty [&hellip

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    It takes a lot for a CD to earn its scratches. Well-worn records of my childhood meant they were played over and over so much, we knew the lyrics by heart. Bruised knees weren’t a sign of rough play, but having been pounded one too many times as we mimicked the drum beat of our favorite songs. Well, it may be time for my kids to rack up a few bumps of their own, thanks to the effervescent, contagious sounds of Josh & the Jamtones’ Bear Hunt! What starts out as ode to gospel with “Swing Low” quickly segues into a mix of storytelling and songs that make themselves known–in the best possible way. The title track takes attentive listeners on an imaginative journey that carries [&hellip

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    Who doesn’t remember the first Beatles song they ever heard? For me, it was “Octopus’s Garden.” While I don’t recall exactly how old I was, it was pre-MTV music videos and the visuals in my head stimulated my imagination much like a picture book might. For my daughters, both girls learned “Yellow Submarine” in their preschool days. A perfect singalong, this tune’s repetitious verse and rhythm is perfectly paced for the untrained listening ear whose just getting the hang of following instructions and paying attention. So naturally, we weren’t surprised when Caspar Babypants decided to pay tribute to these living legends with his own musical love letter. Baby Beatles marks the seventh album for this alt-rocker-turned-kid-rock-musician whose own experience as a Beatles worshipper dates back [&hellip

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    Don’t be freaked out by the title of this post. I realize I wrote about Halloween last time, and now it seems as if we’ve already fast-forwarded to November (heaven forbid!). Instead, we’re paying tribute to a quality with year-round appeal, one that never goes out of style, and that’s good manners. It’s a skill that (hopefully) our parents cultivate and that we continue to refine through adulthood (haven’t you appreciated when someone holds the door for you, or when another driver lets you out in front of him?). In our house, we’re “big” on saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ but generosity goes beyond those simple gestures. And that’s something wholeheartedly embraced by Recess Music‘s latest CD, Gratitude Attitude. Chock-full of a variety of musical [&hellip

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    I don’t know where I’d be without our public library these last few weeks. Given the unsettled weather as of late, we’ve been more book-bound than beach-bound, and that means taking advantage of the wealth of children’s programs. Today’s class was an unexpected treasure, as my girls were treated to a lively performance by a children’s musician I’d not yet stumbled upon. The aptly named Story Laurie was a sight for sore eyes…or perhaps it was the other way around? As she emerged from her tent and feigned surprise to her audience, we got our first taste of this silly, yet playful songwriter. What we liked best about Laurie is her down-to-earth way she relates to her young audience. Rather than just launching into song [&hellip

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