Music for an 11 year old or "How to be a good uncle"
I found these weird tracks ("Brush Your Teeth" and "Adding Up Numbers") from a guy who calls himself <a href="http://www.kompressormusic.com"; target="_blank">Kompressor</a> and I thought they would be perfect for my oldest nephew.
Making this CD is reminding me of what it was like to be 11 and what would be good for him to have. He watches Nickelodeon and such, so he is subjected to the nu-pop pablum that I loathe.
I'm of the school that thinks a good taste in music is essential for mental health.
So onto the point:
What would you include on a CD for an 11 year old kid who is intelligent for his age?
Making this CD is reminding me of what it was like to be 11 and what would be good for him to have. He watches Nickelodeon and such, so he is subjected to the nu-pop pablum that I loathe.
I'm of the school that thinks a good taste in music is essential for mental health.
So onto the point:
What would you include on a CD for an 11 year old kid who is intelligent for his age?
Comments
Actually, that does bring up an interesting point, I have been thinking of including some of what I consider "good" hip-hop to put some perpective on what he hears everyday.
[ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
<strong>"Brush Your Teeth" and "Adding Up Numbers"</strong><hr></blockquote>I didn't listen to these, but they don't seem right for an 11-year old. Maybe a 4 year old.
I must admit that I have always had... strange... taste in music. At 11 I was listening to stuff like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson, etc. etc. so Im not the best person to give advise on 11 year old music
However my sister (who is 13 now) always liked stuff like Aqua, which, while obnoxious, is actually some of the better pop-crap out there.
Techno man, get him into Aphex Twin
I was basically the same way and I'm trying to make sure my young nephew gets a wide view of music before he starts gravitating towards a particular style.
(translation of that: I'm trying like hell to make sure he isn't an MTV-zombie)
I already had "Motorpsycho Nitemare" and "Oxford Town" slated to be included, so you're thinking like me.
BRussell:
It's not Barney stuff, it's industrial synth-metal sung by a native German.
<a href="http://www.ampcast.com/music/10728/artist.php"; target="_blank">listen</a>
Perhaps for the potential for his mental health then the best of music is the ticket. I know that the "best music" is an intensely subjective and personal matter, but perhaps one can subsitute "best" for "that which is apart from the whims of fashion and youth culture and stands the tests of time".....namely music which has been put together by craftspeople of the greatest artistic abilities and skills, in terms of composition, arrangement, lyrics, and performance, as opposed to instant gratification, easily digestible, mass-produced cookie-cutter drivel thats "here today, and gone tomorrow".
You could also try old faves like ABBA and Kylie?
J :cool:
<strong>
Making this CD is reminding me of what it was like to be 11 and what would be good for him to have. He watches Nickelodeon and such, so he is subjected to the nu-pop pablum that I loathe.
I'm of the school that thinks a good taste in music is essential for mental health.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hey, Groverat.
I hated most of the music that others picked out for me, unless they knew me well. Don't assume he listens to such and such. Go out and ask him, or ask his parents to make him do a list.
Perhaps he would enjoy a discussion about music, or a foray into your musical collection a lot more that a prepared CD of stuff you think he would like.
Just my take on things
Mat
I made a CD for him a couple of month back (mainly Gorillaz) at his request, and he liked it so I've decided to be a little more adventurous with this one.
Also, kids at this age are very malleable and very open to liking different things, which is why I think it's important that he hears a wide range of things, not just what they're playing on MTV or Nickelodeon (although he got lucky with Gorillaz having an animated video).
I've asked him for a list and he doesn't know of anything he doesn't already own or hear all the time already. At 11 I didn't know much at all about Bob Dylan, I sure wish I had heard it earlier.
awesome educational album
Blind Mellon's 3 Is the Magic Number is awesome.
<strong>He gets enough of that from Nickelodeon.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No. Do not include hip hop. But anything will lead to the "harder stuff" anyways I guess.
My sister, when I was young (we're talkin' 60's man) turned me onto the Beatles. Which unfortunately took me down the path to the Rolling Stones...But I think that the Beatles (no, not White Album) are a great start.
You may want to find selections of good jazz music too. Even classical music.
Dunno, I think that maybe sitting the kid down and listening with him to selections of cool music would be more fun. You would get an idea of what will interest him for that age. And have him there to burn the tunes on that CD with you. Something he'll never forget.
Sorry, I think all rap music sucks...must be my upbringing... <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
Good for you! I tried like hell to make sure that my sister didnt... it didnt work... lets hope that our approach works better (mine was just to tell her how stupid this all was, but not to offer alternatives).
Perhaps also PinkFloyd? Everyone loves brick in the wall.
Mother aint bad either
"Mother will put all her fear into you..."
Also Id sugest some alternative. Red Hot Chilly Peppers arent THAT bad (actually some of their songs are quite decent), and Our Lady Peace has its moments (though now I come to think about it I cant imagine an 11 year old deciphering the lyrics).
Also try to introduce him to REALLY good writing, stuff like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.
Nice thick old-school styles with no cussing and all about fun or telling a story.
"In The Ghetto" - Eric B & Rakim
"Quality Control" - Jurassic 5
OutKast's style is awesome, but their content is just a little much for this particular endeavor.
People need some references as to the roots of hip-hop and what good hip-hop really is (read: not the crap you see on MTV/BET for the most part). It's not going away and it is certainly a viable style.
Also,
Moving to the Stones is definitely a bad thing.
90% of this thing is rock-influence. Talking Heads, Beatles, Dylan, Pixies, Floyd, SDRE, FTM, Ryan Adams, Clapton so far.
More suggestions?
Or you could give him and iPod and let him decide....
Aries 1B