Toddler Tunes

That's me in the picture drawing on the front steps of our house. I like drawing and coloring and many of my admirers fancy me quite the artist. But I believe I am also blossoming as a music afficianado as well.

Dadda has always played lots of classical music for me. I like to listen to music on the little radio in my room, in the car and at home while I play. And when there isn't music playing, I love to sing and dance all on my own. Yes, I love my fair share of Mozart, Brahms and Bach. I especially love Khachaturian's Sabre Dance from his ballet Gayane. But I'm not a total music snob (like Dadda). There are lots of pop bands out there working hard get the attention of us toddlers for more than 20 seconds at a time. And some of them are actually pretty good. Here are my thoughts on a few of them:

The Laurie Berkner Band
Laurie Berkner is the reigning queen of the alternative toddler rock scene. Her biggest success came with the smash hit "Victor Vito" that served to catapult her squarely into the mainstream. Laurie sings and plays guitar, although she often writes songs just above what seems to be a comfortable register for her otherwise rich, silken voice. She is backed up by keyboards (Susie Lampert) and bass (Berkner's husband Brian Mueller). I love her self-titled DVD that contains "Victor Vito," along with updated versions of "We are the Dinosaurs," "I'm Gonna Catch You" and "Pig on Her Head." Berkner's songs are firmly rooted in the American summer camp tradition. Her playful lyrics are set to persistently cheerful melodies that rise and fall, start and stop, with joyful surprise. The result is a truly original and sanguine sound world that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

I have watched Berkner's colorfully choreographed DVD on a regular basis for several months now. And the free bonus CD has been in regular circulation in the car as well. My enjoyment of these albums is surely testing the durability of the media they are imprinted upon. Meanwhile, I can tell Momma and Dadda enjoy Berkner's songs as well. Even though they groan quietly each time I request "Catch You" or "Dinosaurs" I often hear them singing along. Or worse, I catch them singing a few refrains to themselves when the music isn't playing and they think I'm not listening.

Ralph's World
In searching for an alternative to the songs of Laurie Berkner, Momma got me a DVD containing the music of Ralph (aka Ralph Covert). Ralph's World is the children's album Garth Algar never recorded. Covert, a slightly nerdy Stratocaster-playing minstral, wreaks of a thirty-something rocker whose dreams of landing it big in the world of grown-up rock never panned out. Somehow, Covert happened upon his own unique style of toddler rock that has me totally hooked.

His DVD, made up of two-minute musical vignettes, only runs about 15 minutes, but it's just the fix I need after a diaper change. He's able to capture diverse musical stylings -- whether it's channelling Bob Bogle in "Surfin' in My Imagination" or borrowing from Ringo Starr in "At the Bottom of the Sea" -- while his lyrics speak directly to the pre-school emotional experience. And Covert's edgy, grooving riffs are truly infectious. Like Berkner's video, Ralph's World equally demands that you get up off the floor and dance. And it's even more fun dragging Momma and Dadda from the couch to make them dance, too!

The Wiggles
Based in Australia, the Wiggles are a quartet of "entertainers" in colored shirts that have caused an international sensation. I don't quite get it. Momma got me one of their early videos on DVD with the hope of finding a way to break the spiraling Laurie Bernker/Ralph's World cycle. Unfortunately, what these guys lack in talent, they also lack in personality, charisma and intelligence. In this particular DVD, the Wiggles -- Greg, Murray, Jeff and Anthony -- look eerily detached with a glassy has-my-career-really-come-down-to-this? look in their eyes. The Wiggles appear to enjoy performing the songs as much as grown-ups enjoy listening to them. The surprise appearances from supporting characters such as Officer Beaples and Captain Feathersword are similarly disheartening, if not downright creepy.

The music is utterly basic. The production values are on par with community television. And the subject matter is often completely moronic. But if you let yourself get swept away, the experience can be quite a lot of fun. Flapping, jumping and swinging along to the motions of each song provides a decent outlet for the extra energy us toddlers often have. But I know how much Momma and Dadda hate these guys, so I really just get a rise out of making them put in the DVD and dance along with me. Hey, a toddler's gotta have some fun, right?

~:O