Listen to an exclusive full-length sneak peek of “Love Me Tender” (lullaby style) here.

Learn more about Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley.

Rockabye Baby!

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Every parent dreams of seeing their kids achieve something great, and oftentimes that means standing up on stage, rocking out for hundreds of people. Many parents get their kids involved in playing music while they’re young, which would explain why so many music schools have been popping up around the country. While it’s amazing to see a young child up there singing and dancing, what about a kid who just shreds the guitar to pieces? Here are some great videos of kids who can shred, and will probably melt faces in the years to come.

Buddy Guy Plays with an 8 Year old

Canon – On Electric Guitar

11 year old shredding

Some kid named Bonethrashing shreds

A 10 year old and guitar instructor battle it out

8 year old blues man

Little Latin Jazz Master

Ryan Abeling

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I recently attended a Lady Gaga concert and I was not surprised to see many parents there with their very young children. Gaga is a phenomenon and she is all over the radio, internet and TV, so to see that she has many little fans made sense. My five year old likes to sing along to Poker Face all the time. The thing that did surprise me was the content of Gaga’s concert. I would assume that Gaga knows she has a lot of young fans and that a lot of families attend her shows, yet her set was filled with racy costumes and expletives. The cursing wasn’t limited just to the music–she was also screaming four letter words at the audience from the stage. So I decided to come up with a list of family friendly artists that are currently on tour.

1) Jonas Brothers
These are the kind of guys that mothers hope their daughters will one day marry. Aside from their charity contributions and purity rings, their music is squeaky clean and can be enjoyed by all. They are about to appear in an upcoming Disney special called Camp Rock 2, and the cast has joined them on tour, as has Demi Lovato. It’s sometimes hard to hear what song they’re playing due to all the female fans screaming but the boys know how to work the crowd. They are currently touring the U.S. until September 19th when they perform their last show in Irvine, CA before heading to Mexico.

2) Beach Boys
So maybe it’s not the original line-up, and maybe it’s only Mike Love, but the music this band made in the sixties is timeless. You should introduce your kids to the Beach Boys classics like “Good Vibrations” and get them dancing at home before bringing them to see the band. They’ll be playing the U.S. and Canada until the beginning of November. It’s a great family show even if you’ve never picked up a surfboard.

3) Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is the biggest thing in music right now thanks to girls under the age of 18. His non threatening lyrics and hair that looks like he hasn’t used a brush on it in ten years has turned him into a hit. He’s touring behind his recent album My World 2.0 with support from Sean Kingston, which makes sense considering they have a hit duet with “Eenie Meenie.” They’ll be touring the U.S. and Canada until right before Christmas.

If none of this interests you or your kids then wait until 2011 when the Backstreet Boys will be touring with New Kids on the Block, and you can show your kids what you used to listen to at  their age and how you can still scream with the best of them.

Rob

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Before Stevie Wonder was ripping it on the clavichord with “Superstition,” he was just a kid, playing songs for Motown CEO/producer Barry Gordy, with dreams of making it big despite his lack of sight.

Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, Wonder was found by Gerald White of the band The Miracles, who pestered his brother Ronnie to check out this amazing kid. He had heard Wonder at a friend’s house and finally got Ronnie to see the talented boy perform. Reportedly, Ronnie was so impressed he took Stevland to Gordy who dubbed the boy Little Stevie Wonder because he was “the eighth wonder of the world,” and signed him at age 11.

Wonder would go on to record several albums under the name, until the mid-1960’s when he’d drop the “Little.”  Beforehand, he had a few hits, most notably “Fingertips (Pt. 2),“ which featured Marvin Gaye playing drums.

Here are some videos/songs from that time in Stevie’s life:

Little Stevie Wonder in a film called Bikini Beach

Square (his first time on vinyl)

Fingertips

Little Stevie Wonder – Fingertips 1964
Uploaded by essentialme. – Explore more music videos.

Sir Duke (As recorded when he was a child)

Contract on Love

Ryan Abeling

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In an earlier post I covered the top 3 rockin’ family bands bands which included The Jonas Brothers, Hanson and of course The Jackson 5 (perhaps the most talented musical family out there simply because of Michael’s awesome voice and moves). Now it’s time to look at the next batch. This line-up is similar in that it encompasses both recent acts who have hit it big and those classic groups that were big when I was a kid. Both lists offer two things: they are an excellent reminder of great music that you can listen to with your kid and they show that families who stick together can sometimes accomplish great things. So here we go, round two of the top rockin’ families!

3) The Bacon Brothers
You may know Kevin Bacon from Apollo 13, A Few Good Men and Footloose. In his spare time Kevin has a pretty serious career as a musician with The Bacon Brothers. The band formed in 1995 (although they had known each other much longer) and consists of Kevin and his brother, Michael. They’ve released five albums with the most recent being New Years Day in 2008. Their rock / folk sound might not appeal to everyone but the cool thing about these guys is that they’re not just in it to make money. They appear on Sandra Boynton’s CD Dog Train and recorded the title track for Philadelphia Chickens, both of which will appeal to your kids. Check out “New Years Day,” from when they stopped by Daryl Hall’s house to play.

2) Kings of Leon
Brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared and cousin Matthew are all Followill boys. They are also known as the Kings of Leon (named after their father Ivan “Leon” Followill.) The band formed in 1999 in Nashville with a southern rock sound that progressed to more of an arena rock vibe. If you haven’t heard Only By The Night, their 2008 hit album, you might be the only person in the U.S. who hasn’t. While I wouldn’t play the whole album for my kids, unless you want to be asked a lot of questions about “Sex on Fire,” definitely play “Use Somebody,” their Grammy winning single. The song is catchy and builds a wall of a sound that would make Phil Spector proud.

1) Bee Gees
How the these guys went from the brothers Gibb to being named Bee Gees is still confusing to me, but their music launched a movement in the late 70’s and is still toe-tapping today. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb were well-known songwriters and pop stars as well as disco pioneers and their music on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack is still classic. “How Deep is Your Love,” “Night Fever” and “Stayin Alive” all hit #1. It is estimated that the Bee Gees have sold more than 200 million records (40 million alone from Saturday Night Fever.) It’s never too late to introduce your kids to disco, even if you might think it’s dead. Play them “Stayin Alive” and watch the magic happen.

Rob

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The recent Lollapalooza festival held in Chicago’s Grant park featured a kids stage, as we previously mentioned. Held last week, a few great videos of the performances at the Kidzapalooza stage (http://www.kidzapalooza.com/) have emerged. This year featured acts like The Candy Band, Dan Zanes, Ed Kowalczyk, Rocknoceros, JP Jones with Chrissie Hynde and the Fairground Boys, Recess Monkey, and much more.

Here are some of the best videos available for your listening and viewing pleasure.

Recess Monkey at the Pre-show event for Kidzapalooza:

The Verve Pipe at the same event:

Ed Kowalczyk (from Live):

Ed Kowalczyk – Grace from Amy Mueller on Vimeo.

Rocknoceros:

Rocknoceros – Texas from Amy Mueller on Vimeo.

Candy Band:

Candy Band – I’m a Monkey from Amy Mueller on Vimeo.

Drums with Rhythm Revolutions:

Drums with Rhythm Revolution from Amy Mueller on Vimeo.

Tim and The Space Cadets:

Tim and the Space Cadets from Amy Mueller on Vimeo.

JP Jones, Chrissie Hynde, and the Fairground Boys

Ryan Abeling

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After the Pacific Northwest children’s music collective Kindiependent emerged many months ago to create a tunes for kids, another group has now gathered in LA. Artists Making Family Music (or AMFM), was cofounded by Deborah Poppink (of DidiPop) and Birdie Mendoza (of Birdie’s Playhouse).

Their goal is to put on shows for children and families in need of assistance, as well as creating an active sharing community for children’s musicians the world over. The group is said to be, according to the founders, “a group of family musicians that gather to support each other in the business and art of making children’s and all-ages music. Meetings consist of brainstorming, sharing successes and challenges and creative work, such as songwriting.”

There are also rumors of a SF-based group emerging in the coming months, involving a Sippy Cups member, and someone from the Recording Academy. So it seems to be a new trend out on the West Coast. When will the East coast jump on?

The group is making news, appearing on the cover of the LA Times and on various children’s music blogs. There are a lot of plans in the mix, so keep an eye on their sites to find out more info from them. Visit their Facebook page, or check out the founder’s sites http://www.didipop.com & http://www.birdiesplayhouse.com.

Ryan Abeling

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They say the family that plays together stays together. When it comes to musical families this doesn’t always ring true. It’s always easier to rock out with your siblings since they’re around anyway, but what happens if everyone wants to be the lead singer? What happens if you don’t always see eye to eye about the direction of your music? Sometimes it’s harder to tell a brother or sister that you don’t like their playing than another band member. Just making it in a family band is a challenge, let alone making musical history.

Remember what Vito Corleone told Sonny in The Godfather? “Never let anyone outside the family know what you’re thinking.” That might not really tie into a list of the top rockin’ families, but it is a great quote. So here, without further ado (or more random family quotes), are the top rockin’ family bands:

3) The Jonas Brothers
These three brothers from New Jersey seem to have it all going for them. They’ve released four albums since 2006, have dated celebrities like Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift and had the full force of the Disney machine behind them. With this much money and fame you might think these guys are jaded superstars who lack manners. Well, I actually met these guys once and I can tell you that Nick, Kevin and Joe are three of the most polite young men I have ever come across. Perhaps it’s their upbringing because their father is a former pastor. The Jonas Bros. also give 10% of their earnings to charity. Aside from their good work, these kids know how to craft a pop hit. Check out “S.O.S.” off their 2007 Jonas Brothers album. Hey, 81 million hits on YouTube can’t be wrong.

2) Hanson
When you say Hanson, the first response you usually get is, “Wait, those three brothers from MMMBop?” I’m happy to report that those three kids have grown up into fine musicians who are all dads now. They got their start in 1992 at the Mayfest Arts Festival in Tulsa. They launched “MMMBop” off of Middle of Nowhere in 1997 and a phenomenon was born. But the three brothers, Taylor, Isaac and Zac, grew into their music comfortably and veered away from the immature sound and lyrics of “MMMBop.” Check out “If Only” from 2000 to see what I mean. It’s a great track and if you can get your kids hooked on Hanson with “MMMBop” they just might go for this one too. Also, check out Hanson’s latest offering, Shout It Out.

1) Jackson 5
No family list would be complete without the Jackson 5. I can promise you that every kid will love “I Want You Back” and “ABC”, while parents won’t be able to stop tapping their feet at the same time. Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and Michael started in 1964 and never really quit. The funny thing about the Jackson 5 isn’t that their lead singer was the most talented–that’s often the case with some bands–the unusual thing about the Jackson 5 was their lead singer was eight years old and sang and moved like he had been doing it all his life. He owned whatever stage he performed on. Check out the classic “ABC” and make sure you play it really loud for the kids.

Rob

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Thinking that your child may have the gift of rock? Well maybe you should look into sending them to school to be trained by real rock musicians. Rock Stars in Training is a school based in Los Angeles that gives children a chance to learn music from recording artists and performers. Songs from all decades are covered and your kids get to play along with talented artists.

The classes are for children 0-4 and the kids will learn the basics of tone and pitch by singing along. Instruments such as guitar, banjo, keyboards, percussion and more are introduced to the class. Kids will have a chance play along with the lessons.

Twin sisters Lauren and Dana, who are in the band Malibu Storm, started the school. Lauren’s husband Dr. Marc Milstein, along with the twins, created and developed the educational enrichment program. Check out a video of their band here.

There is even the option to pull together a group of kids and have the classes come to you. Online enrollment is available at here. They’re available for birthday parties, which can be tailored to 6-11 year olds as well.

Ryan Abeling

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Everyone knows that Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera got their start on the Mickey Mouse Club, but who are today’s hot rising child music stars? At this point it’s fair to say that even though she’s only 17 Miley Cyrus has been doing this for too long to be considered a child star. Once you’re photographed with a twenty something boyfriend and your parents are nowhere to be seen, you’re too old for this list. So here’s a look at the hottest kid music stars today. All these kids are under eighteen in age and offer up safe and harmless music for your kids.

3) Miranda Cosgrove
If you don’t know who this is just hold up her picture to a kid under the age of ten, and the response you’ll get is: “She’s only like the biggest thing on Nickelodeon, EVER!” Miranda appeared on Drake and Josh and then starred in iCarly. In April she released her pop/rock debut album, Sparks Fly, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Album Chart. Check out her hit “Kissin U.”

2) Selena Gomez
If it’s not Nickelodeon, it’s the Disney Channel. That’s where Selena Gomez launched her career. She starred in The Wizards of Waverly Place and last September Selena Gomez and The Scene released their debut album Kiss & Tell. The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Album Chart and has a dance/rock feel to it. Not bad for someone who just turned 18 in July. Check out “Naturally.”

1) Justin Bieber
If you don’t know who Justin Bieber is, then you don’t have a young daughter or you’ve never been to a mall. Bieber is the biggest thing to hit pop music since the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC craze of the turn of the century. He has two albums currently in the Top 30, was basically discovered on YouTube, and then was the subject of a bidding war between Usher and Justin Timberlake who both wanted to sign him (Usher won.) He is well worth the hype as you will see when little girls scream louder for him than they do when they get a tetanus shot. He’s also only 16 years old. Check out his latest with Sean Kingston.

Rob

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