Readers Who Need Readers: Road Trip (Eastern U.S. Edition)
I got the following e-mail a few days back...
Hello from a Maine homeschooling Mom... My 8-year-old son has the incredible opportunity to drive from Maine to Mississippi next month with his grandparents. I'm putting together some 'on the road' school for him including short studies of each state he will go through. I'm wondering if there are albums that feature different regional music in the USA? Or, if you could recommend at good blues album for kids so that they can celebrate properly once they are in Mississippi.Unlike many "Readers Who Need Readers" segments, I was able to answer the question (in part) -- click through to see my response, which comes with some help -- and offer some more suggestions to fill in the gaps.
I responded by saying... "I don't have a good single album to suggest, at least not for your trip. Your best blues bet is probably a Leadbelly album fromSmithsonian Folkways (review); there are a number of them from him, though. Smithsonian Folkways, actually, is probably your best bet for trying to find regional music. It won't necessarily be a "kids" album, but they've done a good job of trying to collect regional sounds. They're not the only ones, I'm sure, but I've always found their liner notes and selections to be top-notch.
I know that Taj Mahal has done a couple kids' albums, and they're certainly blues-y, but I don't know if they're quite what you're looking for.
You might want to get the Little Mo McCoury bluegrass album, too, especially if their path takes 'em through Kentucky or Tennessee."
I also copied Gwyneth on the e-mail, since her memory is often better than mine, and she offered the following:
"I started thinking, and kept thinking of New Orleans stuff, which won't help all that much, I guess :)
-- Kid Pan Alley might have some music to fit.
-- Eve and Mare are a bit "southern".
-- Or maybe some Appalachian music.
-- I'm also thinking of Ella Jenkins or Dan Zanes and their "work songs" might fit to tell the story of the south.
-- Some more Bluegrass."
My final thoughts were that:
-- Yeah, I kept thinking of New Orleans albums, too.
-- The Kid Pan Alley CD, while it doesn't really tell the story of Nashville, is a good "Nashville-sounding" disk. (In a good way.)
-- And Another sort of bluegrass disk (with a lot of folk thrown in) is Timmy Abell's "Little Red Wagon" (Timmy's from the Asheville, NC area).
So, fine readers -- have I (we) missed any kid-friendly albums that you think epitomize regional sounds at their best?
Comments
How about John Linnell's State Songs? Not really so educational, but...
If only they were going through Michigan, Kevin Kammeraad would have them covered.
Posted by: Bill Childs | August 5, 2008 04:06 PM
With the exception of "Electric Man," I listened to Muddy Waters when I was young without parental supervision. :)
Posted by: Funky Mama | August 5, 2008 04:43 PM
Bill, I actually thought for a moment of "State Songs," but, thought it stretched the bounds of educational.
Posted by: Stefan | August 5, 2008 04:46 PM
My first thought is the Deedle Deedle Dee's "Freedom In a Box," which covers a little slave history, as well as other educational (and non-educational) material. The other one that comes to mind is the soundtrack to good ol' Schoolhouse Rock, which my 9 1/2 year-old LOVES. Not specific to the states, but covers a lot of general US history as well as other interesting topics. It's a classic.
Posted by: Katy L | August 5, 2008 06:05 PM
i'd make a mix tape for a road trip...
ellis paul's "road trip" for instance, is a great overview of americana. not specific to this journey, but a great song, nonetheless.
having the exact route would be great. keep in mind, the south is full of all kinds of rich musical history...we don't just twang. i would definitely include some bluegrass and blues...
here's another thought...why not give him the chance to make a mix of his own favorite songs (or add his favorite songs to the mix you make) so that the soundtrack to this trip is more meaningful. not really knowing his grandparents, (or him, for that matter) but i'd put some stuff on there (instrumental) to facilitate talking between the generations. he has the chance to walk away from this trip with a wealth of knowledge from them directly. knowing the path would be great, like i said...sounds fun.
Posted by: bill smith | August 6, 2008 05:53 AM
How about Jim Cosgrove's CD, "Mr. Stinky Feet's Road Trip"? It was inspired by traveling with our kids.
Posted by: Jeni Cosgrove | August 7, 2008 10:49 AM
Another artist sent me an e-mail with the following couple of suggestions:
"1) Sounds of the South: American Folk Music for Children (This is the fourth CD of a Smithsonian Collection called Sounds of the South)
2) Cajun for Kids (I've never heard this album, but saw it on Amazon when I googled Cajun and kids)."
Posted by: Stefan | August 7, 2008 08:26 PM
David Holt - I Got A Bullfrog: Folksongs For The Fun Of It.
In my opinion, it is one of the greatest bluegrass/Appalachian/folk music albums for families. It's fun for everybody and the songs are little slices of timeless southern Appalachian Americana.
Posted by: Bryan Townsend | August 15, 2008 07:33 AM
Which reminds me, Byran, of "Bullfrog Jumped," which is a collection of folksongs from an Alabama-based collection. It's a little historical in nature, but if that's your ken, it's a great resource. (And there are some really good songs on there.)
Posted by: Stefan | August 16, 2008 07:31 AM