The Beauty of Music

As a child care provider, I've thoroughly enjoyed playing a part in helping curious, impressionable, and energetic young children grow and mature during their first few years of life. Every week I loved sharing songs with them for the sheer joy if it, but there are actually many benefits to singing and playing music with your children.

• Music helps develop children's language, math, and listening skills
• Music helps develop children's self-esteem and social skills
• Music improves memory
• Music relieves stress and encourages creativity
• Music is a multisensory experience
• Music helps improve fine motor skills, coordination, and rhythm
• Music provides an outlet for self-expression
• Music improves self-regulation skills and makes transitions easier

Having said all that, though, the most beautiful thing about music is that melody is universal and crosses all cultural boundaries. We were very fortunate at our early learning center to have the opportunity to work with a culturally diverse group of children, some of whom had a limited grasp of the English language when they first arrived at the school. However, after just a few days of singing songs together, those children joined in enthusiastically with everyone else.

It’s also important for children to have knowledge about and appreciate the traditions and lifestyles of kids from different lands. This can only help to lessen their fear and misunderstanding of anyone not like them. Those fears and misunderstandings tend to lead to prejudices many of us adults can't let go of. Record labels like Putumayo Kids, The Secret Mountain, and Smithsonian Folkways provide rich, deep collections of children’s songs from around the world, while artists like Elena Moon Park and José-Luis Orozco share collections of childhood songs from their native countries. Have fun exploring these resources and collaborating with your children in the beautiful global language of music!

Mailbox Monday: What's New in Kindie Rock

Alison Faith Levy - The Start of Things

(Release Date: April 21, 2015; Mystery Lawn Music)

Former member of San Francisco's The Sippy Cups drops her second kindie rock solo album. Tunes include a cover of Cat Stevens' "If You Want to Sing, Out, Sing Out." Soulful and groovy.

Standout Track: "Rainbow Tunnel"

Future Hits - Today is Forever (Hoy es para siempre)

(Release Date: May 5, 2015; Coach House Sounds)

Down-to-earth indie rock from Chicago. Each catchy, organic, and educational tune is performed twice, once in English and again in Spanish. Nice addition to ESL classroom collections; comes with bilingual lyric booklet.

Standout Track: "Morning Ritual"

Keith Munslow - Tiny Destroyer

(Release Date: April 7, 2015; Needlenose Music)

The tunes on Munslow's seventh kindie release combine a variety of musical styles, comedy routines, storytelling, and humorous lyrics. The results sound like a cross between Steve Martin, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and a Broadway musical.

Standout Track: "Old Joe's Bones"

Nathalia - Dream a Little (Sueña un Poquito)

Colombian-born singer, music therapist, and early childhood music educator Nathalia Palis-McLaughlin began her Kindie Rock career with the release of From Here to There in 2012. As there is a dearth of well-produced bilingual kids' music out there, it's good to see the arrival of her second collection of songs in Spanish and English, Dream a Little (Sueña un Poquito). The album is highlighted by the work of GRAMMY-winning engineer and co-producer Shafik Palis as well as by the talents of Andres Castro, Fernando Perdoma, Juan De Luque, and Mark Nilan Jr., among others. The musicians in Nathalia's band have worked with a constelación of Latin music estrellas, including Carlos Vives, Alejandro Sanz, Paulina Rubio, Christian Castro, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin.

Dream a Little blasts off with a trip into outer space where Nathalia explores "Los Planetas" with a buzzing power pop tune. The bubbling "El Amazonas" describes the remarkable flora and fauna of the Amazon jungle and features a rap by Colombian singer/songwriter Juan De Luque, while "Magical" celebrates the power of our imaginations via a waltzing power ballad. The explosive and uplifting "Shine" is perfectly crafted for the dance floor, and the biographical story of "Norah's World" vibrantly bops along as a little girl imaginatively interacts with neighborhood animals.

"Pop Pop Pop" celebrates the joy of blowing bubbles, while the retro feel of the movement song "Shake Them Bones" makes for a perfect Halloween dance ditty. "Tu Dia Puedes Cambiar" mixes reggaeton with an Ace of Base feel, and asserts that you can change your day by keeping in mind the wonderful aspects of our world. Nathalia assures her dog "There's No One Like You" as she lists all the meaningful ways her canine friend enriches her life (and listen for the great wordless harmonies in the chorus and Randy Singer's Mickey Raphael-like harmonica runs!). Dream a Little quietly comes to a close with the brief "Sueño Feliz," as Nathalia and her ukulele wish listeners happy dreams.

Sure, there have been several superb bilingual Kindie Rock releases in the recent past (dig Lucky Diaz, Elena Moon Park, Mariana Iranzi, etc.). What sets Dream a Little apart from most of those albums, though, is the production quality. Brian McLaughlin and Shafik Palis have masterfully integrated modern sounds and organic instrumentation to create catchy, up-to-date, radio-ready tunes that'll catch the ears of listeners both young and old. Add Dream a Little to your bilingual Kindie Rock collection, then make sure to check out the official Nathalia website for more information about her tour dates and music releases.

Released December 12, 2014; Nathalia Music

Track Listing

1. "Los Planetas"
2. "El Amazonas"
3. "Magical"
4. "Shine"
5. "Norah's World"
6. "Pop Pop Pop"
7. "Shake Them Bones"
8. "Tu Dia Puedes Cambiar"
9. "There's No One Like You"
10. "Sueño Feliz"