SY for kids
 

So, my mom and I run a day care center for kids aged infant-preschool (0-5 years old), and I always like to have music playing for the kids. I try to expose them to as much as possible without being inappropriate for the age... so I play them Raffi and all of the regular childrens songs... but I also like to mix it up. This summer I have a mix including artists such as Bob Marley, Ben Lee, Louis Armstrong, Old & In the Way, Peter Bjorn & John, the Police, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young... and a ton more. I'll pretty much play them anything that isn't too risque.

The other day I was listening to the mix CD i've been playing them for the last month or so and I had a craving for something more... something SY. If you had to choose a SY song (or a few!) to play to a toddler/preschooler, what would it/they be? Keep in mind that the kids often learn the lyrics and repeat them all the time... so something like kissability might be a little too much :p

nice, Linsey!

http://sonicyouth.edgeboss.net/downl...o1.mov?ewk13=1

My Friend Goo video

"Goo" seems rather like it was written for toddlers but the underwear references might get you in trouble with the parents.

"Sympathy For the Strawberry" has kind of a child-like innocence to it, which I think Kim was going for.

For some reason, I think of Kim songs working best in this scenario. "Washing Machine" might fit too.

Total Trash

My wife told me she used to dance to that one when she was a stripper. Not that it disqualifies it at all, just an amusing aside.

that is rather amusing

not really a song you'd strip to, is it?

bonus points for having a stripper wife.

Well, I'd strip to it, but that might not be a money maker.

I've never been in a strip club that played anything close to that, but she was in Austin at the time. She said it would usually go o.k. until the noise break started and then the dj would usually fade it in confusion. I'm sure the other girls giving lap dances were probably pissed off if he didn't!

I'm glad I didn't meet her back then, as I probably would have been her ideal customer and never gotten to know her for real. Still, of course I wish I could have seen it...

I used to play Shaking Hell for my then 5-year old sister. She hasn't spoken to me since. I'm not sure if that's because she resents me for it or because the psychiatric ward doesn't allow residents to make outbound phone calls.

Sunday (nothing objectionable)


Hoarfrost (very pretty winter-time song, nothing objectionable, I could def see this as something soothing to come the little animals down)

hahaha... I'll never think of total trash the same way.

Goo is looking like a good option... I was thinking Kool Thing would be a good one, but I can see the little guys now "wooooord up! fear of a female planet.... fear baby...."

i suggest:
- little trouble girl
- bull in the heather
- inhuman

Some stuff on Rather Ripped seems rather lullaby-ish.

I'm gonna have to rain on the parade with my two cents. Most adults can't tolerate SY. I cannot possibly image a five year old embracing them. In fact, I'll go further and say that the five year old who DOES embrace them should be considered a highly dangerous individual.

There's a record called "Ramones for Kids." Break 'em in with that.

I guess you're not aware that a number of the posters here are parents with children into Sonic Youth. That's a pretty mean thing to post.

Little Trouble Girl is the obvious choice. That or TV Shit anyway ;)

Aww I think kids can handle anything... I can mold them into little noise-loving creatures :)

Beat on the Brat

Sleepin' Around.

It's not so much mean as clueless. I don't know how somebody could be into Sonic Youth and not see them as a hugely positive influence. Maybe if all you'd ever heard was Confusion is Sex era stuff you might see them as dark and troubled, but at this point in their history thinking that liking their music has something to do with embracing darkness is just silly.

Not that I don't love the scary stuff like "Shaking Hell" and "Death Valley '69" but it's only one facet of the band.

Anyway, kids are almost always more open minded than adults.

Thanks for that awesome comment, Dead-Air! I wouldn't even consider playing Sonic Youth if they were a horrible influence on kids. Children are usually open to anything you expose them to, they rarely judge because something sounds or looks "different," they're great that way.