Genre Analysis of Children's Music

1. Children’s Music Genre Analysis
By Sydney Thomas

2. Think about your favorite songs
from your childhood…

3. Chances are that the songs you thought of
included one or more of the following:
-Baby Beluga
-Baby Bumble Bee
-Farmer in the Dell
-Five Little Monkeys Swinging in the Tree
-If You’re Happy and You Know It
-Itsy Bitsy Spider
-Miss Mary Mack
-The Wheels on the Bus
-Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
-You Are My Sunshine

4. These songs are all

5. The genre of Children’s Music is not quite
as simple as it seems though.
It has:
- A complex history
- A detailed scene
- Characteristic patterns in the music

6. Complex History
1940s
• Young People's Records/Children's Record Guild
• Golden Records
These organizations were established, creating the
Children’s Music genre
1950s
• Pete Seeger (“Grandfather of Children’s Music”)
• Ella Jenkins (Rhythms and Rhyme)
With the introduction of these artists’ albums, the
perception of children’s music was changed forever

7. Complex History
1960s
• Mary Poppins soundtrack tops Billboard Charts
• Peter, Paul and Mary enter the children's music
world
Singers who previous sung adult music, begin to
enter the children’s music industry
1970s
• Schoolhouse Rock debuts on ABC
• Raffi's Singable Songs for the Very Young is
released
Music begins to focus on education

8. Complex History
1980s/1990s
• The Wiggles release their debut album
• Barney first aired on PBS
Television become one of the main ways for
children’s music to be heard
2000s
• Kidz Bop series debuts
Children’s music shifts to follow the style of popular
music

9. Detailed Scene
Where is it heard?
• Daycare
• School
• Home
• Cars
• Playgrounds
• Television
• Radio

10. Detailed Scene
Who sings it?
• Parents
• Daycare Providers
• Children
• Television Characters
What values do the songs bring?
• Entertainment
• Educational
– Manners
– Letters, Numbers, Days of the Week, etc.
– Emotions
– Animals, People

11. Characteristic Patterns
• Repetition

12. Characteristic Patterns
• Rhymes
• Motions to accompany the song

13. Characteristic Patterns
• Upbeat music
• Humor
• Repetition
• Short phrases
• Simple words

14. Characteristic Patterns
• These characteristics of the Children’s Music
genre are intended to:
– Appeal to children
– Be easy to remember
– Be easy to sing
– Engage children

15. Resources
• http://kidsmusic.about.com/od/childrensmusic101/a/history.
htm
• http://kidsmusic.about.com/od/childrensmusic101/a/timeline
.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_song
• http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/childrens-music-
repetition-in-music-and-its-history-1806480.html
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Childrens-Music---Repetition-in-
Music-and-Its-History&id=3676686
• http://youtube.com