Finally, a Children’s CD Parents can Enjoy

I’ve listened to enough Wiggles songs to make my head explode.  I’ve heard every song that Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego have ever recited.  I know all the words to the Sesame Street classics.  But what else can I do?

You see my children like music – I mean really like music.  And in my effort to be a good parent, I try to cultivate that interest by surrounding them with music they enjoy.

And while they might treasure the sounds of their favorite TV characters, the repetition of that music on a daily basis is enough to test the sanity of even the best parents.

But when I’ve overdosed on children’s music, I can hardly put in Aerosmith or the Rolling Stones.  Not only is the language and references to sex and drugs questionable content for two year olds, but my kids find most of my music choices too loud (I know it’s only a short amount of time before I have the same claim about their music).

But I think I’ve finally found a CD that the children and I can enjoy together.  That Baby CD combines music made famous by some of my favorite artists with a nice acoustic sound that my kids can enjoy too.

“We are one of the few out there that have decided to take children’s music into a new direction,” said Rob Wolf, co- founder of OyBaby LLC, company behind That Baby CD.

That Baby CD has pushed children’s music further than ever before by trying to create “something that the entire family can enjoy,” Rob said.

And I think That Baby CD did just that.  The music is danceable.  The children can clap their hands to it.  Parent can – and will want to – sing along with the music, music they know from artists like Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Bob Marley. 

This CD has something for everyone.  It’s perfect for those long car rides when tensions run high and boredom sets in.  Parents can feel comfortable about putting in That Baby CD to liven up those long trips with some snappy music that gets your feet tapping and your voice singing along with the familiar words.

“I think the music has to accessible to [the children].  It has to have melodies that are catchy and words that are appropriate,” Rob said.

Rob combined his hobby video editing with Lisi’s photography skills and the pair’s love of music to produce their third children’s album.

“We struck a chord with a product that fits a need for a lot of families,” Rob said, adding that it’s a labor of love for him and Lisi.

The Wolfs first venture, OyBaby, and its sequel OyBaby 2, focused on Jewish music for babies and kids.  They wanted a way share their Jewish heritage with their children.  Both albums were well received with more than 40,000 copies sold in the U.S. and 15 other countries.

So when non-Jewish friends started asking the Wolfs for a CD that they could enjoy with their children, Rob and Lisi were happy to oblige.

In 2007, the Wolfs decided to take the things that succeeded in OyBaby and turn them into a non-religious product.  And it was only natural for them to turn again to their friend Stephanie Schneiderman, and her sisters Lisa Schneiderman and Kim Palumbis, to record their songs.

Stephanie, who has done the arrangement for all three of the Wolfs’ children’s albums, is an accomplished musician in her own right with five solo albums under her belt.  She and her sisters sing 10 of the 14 songs on the CD.

And the 14 songs came out of a lot of brainstorming on Rob and Lisi’s part.  After weeks of looking for potential songs, they came up with a list of 30 which they eventually pared down to those on the CD.

But don’t ask Rob to pick his favorite:

“That’s like asking me which is my favorite child,” he said.

I, on the other hand, have already selected my top choices – The Pretenders “Brass in Pocket” and 10,000 Maniacs “These are Days.”

The kids and I put the CD in and dance around the living room to those two tunes all the time.  It’s a great chance for them to experiment with their own dancing style.

But if you are afraid that that your little one won’t identify with the words, then you should try out That Baby DVD that comes with a child-friendly video accompaniment for each song (the picture at the top of this article is from video for Jonny Lang’s “Anything is Possible”). 

The DVD gives the children a chance to “visually put their mind to” an image when they are later listening to the CD in the car.

So if you are looking for music for your children that won’t drive you crazy, check out That Baby CD. 

David Cook Hospitalized, Released after Idol Performance

If you weren’t wowed by the performances Tuesday night on American Idol country night, you might be by the drama that unfolded after the show. David Cook was hospitalized and then released for heart palpitations and rising blood pressure.

If the pressure of performing live twice a week isn’t enough, David Cook is also dealing with a brother suffering from cancer who, according to TMZ, had a major set back last week.

It’s easy to forget how much pressure the contestants are under and that they have lives outside of the show. I hope that David recovers and wish for the best for his brother.

UPDATE:  During the Top 9 results show, David downplayed his hospitalization.  He said that he has high blood pressure and it spiked.  He said the hospital visit was just precautionary and he is doing fine.

Dolly Parton Brings a Little Country to American Idol

Country night on American Idol can be hit or miss.  But Dolly Parton seemed to bring out the best in the Top 9 contenders tonight as they do their best to honor her tunes with some justice.

In fact, I was overly impressed with the candidates this evening – well all but one.  It’s not that they all did an outstanding job, but the performances were at least pleasant and enjoyable.

Here’s my breakdown of the performances:

At the top of my list again this week is David Cook.  What else can I say about Cook?  Each week he steps up to the challenge of not only finding the perfect song, but the perfect arrangement to showcase his talent.  And he did it again this week an original arrangement.  “Little Sparrow” might not have been Cook’s strongest performance, but he’s still outperforming the others by leaps and bounds.

On the other hand, Michael Johns surprised me by turning in a stellar performance and showing us his blues side with “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right.”  This new blues version of Michael suited him.  It was very nice to see that Michael has more to his repertoire than Queen and I think this performance put him back in the running.

“Jolene” was a great song choice for Brooke White.  She looked like she was having a great time singing.  Of course, she performed with an instrument, but the guitar along with the accompanying instruments suited the arrangement and Brooke.  My only complaint was that song sounded a bit rushed to me.

And nobody is more surprised than me, but I liked Carly Smithson this week too.  She did a beautiful job with “Here You Come Again,” but honestly I still prefer Dolly’s version.  While the song might be better suited for Carly’s voice, I think she lacked the emotion that Dolly brings to her songs.

On a side note, Simon’s comments about Carly’s wardrobe were harsh, but he has a point.  I think the same can be said about Ramiele Malubay’s attire as well.  In fact, Ramiele’s outfit this week looked a lot like last week’s.

Furthermore, it’s clear that Kristy Lee Cook’s voice is definitely suited for country music.  Her performance tonight was not only one of her best, it also earned her a reprieve for another week.  That said, I think the tempo of her arrangement of “Coat of Many Colors” was a bit fast and didn’t give her a chance to express the sentiment behind the song.

Also on the top of his game tonight was Jason Castro.  I can’t believe that I’m going to say this, but I agree with Paula that “Travelin’ Thru” was one of Jason’s better performances.  The folksy like sound suited him and gave him a little more range than he has in the past.

Likewise, David Archuleta rendition of “Smokey Mountain Memories” was beautiful, probably one of his best performances.  But I’m having trouble getting excited about him doing yet another ballad.  The only time he’s strayed from the slow, soft songs he failed miserably.  I’m not convinced that he has the range or stage presence to be a great star.

Similarly, Syesha Mercado’s choice of “I Will Always Love You” was predictable.  She always goes for the Whitney Houston-type power ballad and she has the voice to carry it off.  She’s another that needs to find a little variety in her repertoire.  For instance, I honestly liked the beginning of her song – the simpler Dolly version – to the big Whitney finish.  If she had stayed with the simpler rendition, I might have been more impressed with her performance.

Contrastingly, Ramiele Malubay finally picked something besides another ballad.  But even with a catch little tune like “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” Ramiele was unimpressive and her performance was less than memorable.

Obviously Ramiele is my pick to go home again.  I think Archuleta and Syesha should join her in the bottom three just because they have failed to challenge themselves.

What do you think?  Who most impressed you tonight?

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