Children's songs

[Katie]

Can anyone recommend any good children's songs about the mandolin or involving the mandolin or a mandolin player? I will be using my mandolin sometimes in my new job, and I'd like to make a fun introduction to it.
-Katie

[Frank Russell]

Hey Katie. Try Dan Zanes' stuff at the Festival Five Music site. Also, the Garcia & Grisman album "Not for Kids Only." Both are mando saturated, and won't drive you insane like most music "for children." Frank

[J. Mark Lane]

I often play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for my daughter (who calls it "Tinkle Tinkle Weetah Stawah"). When she gets tired of that, I switch to The ABC Song.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[JEStanek]

While the CD isn't a mando one Doc Watson's Little Pickers CD is quite good for a variety of songs. You could then go to mandozine.com and download the tab for the tune. I second the Dan Zanes recomendation. His webpage (www.festivalfive.com) has the lyrics and chords form most of his CDs' songs.

Jamie

[Katie]

I've got plenty of children's music that I can play on the mandolin. I'm looking more specifically for a song about the mandolin. There are plenty of songs about fiddles and harps and stuff that are age appropriate, but I don't know any about mandolins. I could always make one up or rewrite an existing song, but I was wondering if there are any already out there.
Thanks,
Katie

[ronlane3]

I sound like a child when I play my mandolin, does that count? (By the way, I'm 37).

[8ch(pl)]

I usually do "Morningtown Ride", although it may not be a Children's Song. Tom Paxton's "Marvelous Toy" definitely is. The Reader's Digest Children's Songbook is a treal good source. You may find a copy in the local library. i bought a Library Discard copy for $.50 afew years ago, gave it to an elderly lady since I already had a copy.

Marvelous Toy is In this book. Morningtown ride I got from the Web.

[Jim Yates]

Katie,
I don't know any kid's songs about mandolins, but I bet you could adapt Micael Smith's HOBO'S MANDOLIN quite easily.
Guy Clark's PICASSO'S MANDOLIN has some lines that would be good advice for kids:

"Well it's colorin' books and drinkin' wine
It’s hard to stay between the lines
Ain’t no rule if you don't break it
Ain’t no chance if you don't take it"

The kid in me loves this quote:
"He’s born in Spain and died in France
He was not scared of baggy pants"

[Santiago]

try the sponge bob theme. (Variation on ":Blow the man down")

[Bill Snyder]

She wants <span style='color:red'>SONGS ABOUT MANDOLINS,</span> not just generic children's songs.

[Breakfast]

Maybe there's a song about a taterbug that would work. It's a stretch, I know. I was actually commenting to a friend recently that there is a noticeable lack of songs about the mandolin, as well as artists singing about their mandolins.

[Katie]

Thanks Blep. I'll take a look at those. Thanks everyone else. I do appreciate the suggestions. I know and have access to a lot of good children's music (although since I'm doing music classes for 2-5 yr olds I have to limit the number of good songs I do since 2 yr olds can't get involved in the Song of the Last Whale). I'm thinking of raiding music from the children's show Fraggle Rock. That's some good music. I just wanted to give them some strong associations with the mandolin from the first day. I think I'll just have to get off my ### and write something this week. Great, more stuff to do.
-Katie