Thursday, October 18, 2012

Baby Songs for a New Generation from Vered

When I was a kid, I got turned off when I saw anything that said, "Music for the whole family!" Now I've pulled a 180 as an adult – with an 11-year-old (Ben) and a 22-month-old (Matt), what I need is exactly that… music for the whole family.

Occasionally, there are exceptions. Ben does not mind hearing his younger brother's Sesame Street CDs. In fact, he was more than happy to share the four CDs I made for him many years ago. But there are limits.

Vered's GOOD MORNING MY LOVE falls into that category of "explicitly for the baby" music. Already a 2012 Parents' Choice Gold Award-winning CD, the independent children's musician spent her summer fine-tuning the tracks for an autumn relaunch.

Having not heard the original release does not put me at a disadvantage – it sounds jaunty and whimsical and easy-going, and I'm sure it was slightly "less so" in its earlier incarnation.

Born in Israel, Vered studied clinical psychology and music therapy and became a jazz performer. There's a joke in there somewhere but I need time to figure out the correct wording. The songs on GOOD MORNING MY LOVE are pretty self-explanatory, with titles like "Hands in My Mouth," "Faces," "Bathtime," and "When You Smile:"

When you smile at me you know I feel just like an ice cream cone.
And I melt onto my fingers, on my toes, and my elbows.
When you look at me with those eyes the color of the evening sky
You know I feel just like the moon outside
Because I know I'll be with you tonight.

Vered bills GOOD MORNING MY LOVE as "a baby CD for parents who want to enjoy their babies more." Well, okay, nothing wrong with that. Matt loves music and would like nothing better than to learn how to control the stereo system by himself. Having started Mommy Music and Me classes, Matt is stunned when he comes home, starts singing fragments of a lyric, and Ben finishes the thought for him.

GOOD MORNING MY LOVE is a blissful, gentle, and loving way for parents to spend a short block of time with (very) young children. Just have something caffeinated on standby if you play the CD in the late afternoon.

The CD is available from Vered's website, Amazon, iTunes, and CDBABY.

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