How Herbert the Snail Made Me Stop and Think.

Have you noticed how "busy" children's music has become? I guess when I stop to think about it, most of the music, Christian or non, coming out today is more convoluted and well, busy. Now I am not talking about the message, though the message of some songs today are just foul, but I am talking about the rhythm/beat and number and type of instruments.

Recently I was looking for some new children's music CD's to play in Noah's room and when we are in the car. Having grown up in a large family, sometimes to the quiet can be like "nails on a chalkboard", so I play music to cut the silence. Noah now asks for a "CeeDee" when he is in his room or the car. Did you know that listening to the same CD fifty times is worse than silence? It is! Anyhow, the last time we were at Mardel's I found copies of  "The Music Machine" and "Bullfrogs and Butterflies" (Noah's new favorite). The first time I played "The Music Machine" I had flashbacks of the 80's and many happy childhood memories. The thing that kind of surprised me was how simple the songs were. Most songs have one vocal, and often one instrument, usually an acoustic guitar or piano. I need to confess that the first time I listened to the songs again, I actually found some of them insipidly slow,(just being honest) but Noah loved them. The more I thought about the slow songs, the more I was not sure I liked my initial reaction, which by the way has changed. I find them slow, but cute now.

As I was thinking about how music for kids has changed and I realized pretty much all music has gone down this road. The popular music of the 80's and 90's is now considered easy listening and is piped through the stores. We never sing the slower choruses that were song so often in church. I mean, when was the last time you heard a Keith Green song in church? Or better yet a hymn? We don't sing them because the songs are "outdated", to slow, or dare we say it "boring". As the world has changed the style of their music, we have marched right behind them, demanding the same style and cadence. I think we may have become the frog in the pot of water, slowly being boiled to death. Not that all songs today are bad, just I think we should just be aware of where we are going and realize that old is not bad. The message is more important than a modern melody.

Anyway enough rambling, here is a fun little song from "The Music Machine" so you can have a fun song playing through your head all day too!