"Why
I Write for Children" by Gunnar Madsen
As a child, my favorite recordings were not made for children. Up until
the age of 8, I listened to the slim collection of records that my parents
had, my favorites being “The Music Man”, “Porgy and
Bess”, “The Smothers Brothers”, “The Limelighters”,
“The Kingston Trio”, and “Alan Sherman”. I heard
so-called children’s music at friends’ houses. I knew we were
supposed to like it, that it had been made for ‘us’, but it
seemed silly. I don’t know what other children my age felt about
this music – maybe they enjoyed the cute little songs about the
engine that could. It left me cold.
Not that music was a big passion for me. I could pretty much take it or
leave it. I was just a boy, going to school and filling after-school hours
with various playtime activities.
Then, one Sunday evening while watching the Wonderful World of Disney
at my grandparents’ house, my teenage aunt charged into the room
and changed the channel to the Ed Sullivan Show. She was very excited
about something called “The Beatles”. When they came on, my
world changed. All of a sudden, there was something to care about. Music!
I had never heard or seen anything so exciting as The Beatles. I became
an avid music fan, and later, in my teens, taught myself guitar and piano
and eventually became an actual musician (whatever that is!).
Until very recently, I did not have children of my own. I don’t
teach or interact with them directly on a regular basis. I came by accident
to children’s music. The songs and arrangements I wrote for my group
The Bobs throughout the ‘80’s were complex and witty, intended
for adults. But something about the music invited younger people to listen
in. The Bobs became popular with children. This unintended success with
kids led to a brief foray into trying to write music for the children’s
market with a group of fellow songwriters. Our project fizzled, but I
went on to put out a small cassette of songs for children that I sold
through the Bobs’ fan club. It was successful, people liked it,
but by 1990 I gave up on writing for children. I was afraid of having
my career be limited to doing strictly children’s material, and
I felt constrained by trying to write for the children’s market
– a market seemingly dominated by cute and wishy-washy material.
Nine years later, something shifted in me, and I suddenly felt compelled
to put out a children’s record that was NOT cute or wishy-washy.
A record of the sort that I would have liked when I was young. I looked
around at what was being marketed and shoved at children, and I was determined
to give them something better, something with guts and substance. Damn
the ‘children’s market’, it’s an ugly and debasing
construct!
I’m not against age-appropriate entertainment. Mr. Rogers knows
at a gut level how to connect with pre-schoolers, that’s what he’s
good at. He’s targeting his material to a certain age, but his approach
is infused with honesty, his gentleness is genuine. (On the other hand,
I am not convinced that the people behind Barney have the same core understanding
– it feels more like they are merely feeding the cravings of pre-schoolers).
But what excites me is connecting with young folks from where I am as
an adult. I cringe at the thought of putting on a goofy hat and acting
like somebody’s idea of what a 5 year old would like. I need to
be me, and I believe many kids appreciate that. Pete Seeger didn’t
become a 5 year old when he sang to youngsters – he remained himself,
and kids AND their parents responded.
But Pete Seeger, Mr. Rogers, and most children’s music IS aimed
at younger children. What about older kids, ages 5 to 10, or 11, 12, or
13? The industry trend is to push Britney Spears and other pop sensations
at them. Well, it’s natural for kids to yearn towards adult material,
after all I was enthralled with The Beatles at age 8. But, excuse me,
Britney and her ilk are nowhere near the artistic splendor of The Beatles,
and their message is overtly sexual and generally lacking in wit. If I
were a youngster today, the world of music would look pretty bleak and
grim. I mean, by the age of 13 or so I’d be ready for Radiohead
or Rufus Wainwright, but I’m not sure I would have ‘gotten’
their music at the age of 8 or 9. It does not invite the adolescent in.
I want my music to bridge those adolescent years. By all industry accounts,
it’s a non-existent demographic. Kids are supposed to go from Raffi
to Britney in one big gulp. Hogwash, I say! I’m putting so much
care into crafting the melodies and the lyrics, I want my music to have
depth, I want parents and kids to be able to enjoy it together. Many parents
cringe at the records their little ones put on. I want NO CRINGING, from
any age group! And, here’s a funny thing. I’m aiming to capture
adolescent ears. But I get adults with no children confiding in me that
“Old Mr. Mackle Hackle” is one of their favorite records.
And then, I’m thinking that I’ve written songs that are maybe
a bit complex for younger ones. But no, I get fan letters from the parents
of 2 and 3 year olds, saying how “Old Mr. Mackle Hackle” is
the little ones’ favorite record. It’s NOT too complex, there’s
something in the spirit of what I’ve written that is inviting them
in, at all ages. It may be years before a 2 year old will understand the
wit behind the lyrics, but the melodies, the rhythms, are right there
for them to enjoy. The Beatles included me, a shy 8 year old, in their
musical world. It was a blessed gift. I’d like to give the same
kind of gift with my music – to adolescents, to parents, to people
of whatever age.
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