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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Share CD Review

  
I have been a fan of Recess Music for some time now, and I was very excited to receive their new CD, Share! in the "Best Foot Foward" series of CDs.

All the songs on Share! celebrate sharing and generosity as key actions for bringing harmony and understanding into classrooms, neighborhoods, and homes. The album features 15 tracks that showcase contributions by some of today's most gifted kids' musicians, including Renee & Jeremy, Dog on Fleas, Ben Rudnick & Friends, Charity and the JAMband, and Noel Paul Stookey ("Paul" of the legendary folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary).

Recess Music's founder/producer Nancy Doan explains that, with Share!, she decided to focus on sharing because, "Children are not born with an innate concept of sharing; instead, generosity is something we learn. Very young children do not want to share their toys or their Mommy or their food. The only way little ones learn to share is through the encouragement and examples of the adults in their lives."

I interviewed Nancy about her thoughts on this CD, and she responded generously below:

1. How did you come up with the idea for this CD?
Thank you for the questions, Cara.
When I originally developed the concept for the BFF series, I was thinking of the human qualities I wanted my children to carry through life, specifically,
· Believing that they are valuable human beings, (U R Some 1)
· Understanding how, we as individuals, would like to be treated by others, really the Golden Rule concept, (Big Bully)
· Respecting another’s right to have place in the world and the challenges he or she may face, (Someone Else’s Shoes)
· Contributing some of what I have to the world, (Share!)
2. What are some different ways parents can use this CD to help teach their children important life lessons about sharing?
When I design a particular album, like Share! I have a very defined recipe, if you will, of what I want to include. I look for songs that convey the many different ways to look at an idea. For example: Mi Casa, Su Casa, by Jack Pearson, is the concept of hospitality. Hospitality is a big word that to me means opening my home to others and sharing what I have with them. Sharing a meal, a bed in the guest room, or the kids having a sleep over, are all ways that we might share our home. 
Also, there are three food songs included on the album, each one very different from the others. Green Beans Everywhere is beautiful, I’ll Share My Spinach With You is funny, (who wouldn’t want candy instead of spinach for lunch?), and Homemade Cookie is really a problem solving song=how to share one cookie with many friends. Sharing being the overriding concept within each song. It is not a coincidence, that on the back of the album, children will see that all three foods mentioned in the songs are found on the shelf, with a sign above that says, DONATE HERE!
Finally, two songs that look at sharing from two different prospective: I Need A Hand is about what I need to receive from someone else, Give It Away is about what I can give. Sharing is a two way street.
Hospitality, cookies, your local food shelf, needs and opportunities…are all brought together to convey sharing. All good discussion points about sharing around the dinner table, or in the car, while listening to good music.

Thank you, Nancy, for this great CD series, and thank you for sharing ideas on how we can use it with our own children! I have really enjoyed using this CD with my three children. They love the variety of songs and music, and they get a real kick out of the songs, "Green Beans Everywhere" and "I'll Share My Spinach With You." Every time my children are having a rough time sharing, I will give them a choice of which sharing song they'd like to listen to. This will hopefully reinforce the lesson of sharing in a fun and positive way. It is a great tool to use with your family or classroom!

Share! is now available for pre-order at recessmusic.com, and, upon its release, will also be available at amazon.com and its international affiliates, iTunes, and brick and mortar retailers throughout the U.S.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. I think I'll check this one out. That green bean song makes me laugh because my 2 year old tells me every dinner time, "I not like geen beans!" (whether there are actually any green beans at the table or not).

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    1. Kids are so funny! I am sure you will love this CD as much as we do!

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  2. I am a grandmother but still have children's CD's and music videos I used with my children and in my job as a children's librarian. I still enjoy listening to them. The tunes are catchy and the messages positive and fun. I have passed some along to my oldest daughter to use with her toddler. SHARE! sounds like one I'll have to add to our collection. Thanks for the review.

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    1. I didn't know you were a librarian. I should have guessed, though. Well, that is awesome! We love our library, and I am sure many people appreciate you!

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