Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs

Subject: RE: Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs
From: clueless don
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 08:51 AM

I am sure that we must have sung some standard nursery rhymes to our daughter when she was very young. But the songs I actually remember singing to her were things like "Swinging on a Star" and "High Hopes". My wife would sometimes sing showtunes like "The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends" and "The Wells Fargo Wagon". We also made up a song that was all about her, and to which we would add verses as they came to us.

When she was a babe-in-arms, I used to lilt Irish dance tunes to her as I rocked her to and fro.

Later on, we purchased "kid tunes" tapes, such as the Kids Songs series and the Wee Sing series. I believe there were a number of standard nursery rhymes on those, particularly on the Wee Sing tapes.

Don

Subject: RE: Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs
From: M.Ted
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 07:35 AM

Here's a link--http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-467070/Why-nursery-rhymes-danger-dying-out.html--you must have been reading an old magazine, because this was a news story a couple years ago;-)

It is a sad fact that people don't sing to their children, whether it's nursery rhymes or pop songs, very much anymore-and popular songs aren't very singable any more--I'm betting that nursery rhymes have a lot more staying power than any of the pop songs of recent years--anyway, both pop songs and nursery rhymes are remember for a lot longer time than the results of surveys.

Subject: RE: Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs
From: Marje
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 07:13 AM

Although I'd encourage my grandkids to enjoy nursery rhymes, I have to say that the music that has really got my 3-year-old grandson going is the Mamma Mia soundtrack. He adores all the songs, and prances around singing some approximation of the words. It is a little disconcerting to hear a 3-yr-old sing "Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee a man after midnight!" but I don't suppose he has much idea what it's supposed to be about. It's probably no worse, lyrically, than the rhymes about trying to drown poor pussy in the well or Jack and Jill falling down the hill, and the tunes are melodic and catchy.

Marje

Subject: RE: Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs
From: Smedley
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 07:04 AM

I am offspring-free, so can't answer the final question, but I wonder if there isn't a danger in setting up too stark a dichotomy here between tradition & evolution here. Pop songs are part of kids' lives and it would be Canute-like to pretend otherwise. And making too big a fetish of old-style nursery rhymes runs the risk of trying to preserve childhood in some sort of timewarp.

Subject: Nursery rhymes v Pop Songs
From: GUEST,Michelin Man
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 03:08 AM

I was reading in a Magazine at the week-end that Nursery Rhymes were in danger of dying out because young mothers preferred to teach their children Pop Songs. Is this true?

When my children were young not only were they taught the usual Nursery Rhymes but I wrote them a number of new Nursery Rhymes and Stories (in which they featured)and which they still keep and enjoy.

Now I have grand-children I have written them some Nursery Rhymes and Stories which I know they enjoy and hope they will keep.

Do ther Mudcatters write for their children and grand-children or prefer to sing Pop Songs to their off-spring?