Shannon, I believe that “Barenaked Ladies” would fall under the Roger’s rubric of “commercial pabulum.”
My children (4 and almost 2) have listened to their share of classical music since birth. There’s some classical that I wouldn’t play for them, however, for the same reason Rogers mentions: “Loud and aggressive sounds are not good for babies.” So it’s easy on the Mahler, Shostakovich, et al. for now. Although I did play the finale to Mahler’s Second Sympathy in the car one time while driving my elder daughter. She was two at the time. When it was over, she said, “Big music!” That’s as apt a summary of that piece as you’ll find in two words or less. Now my 22-month-old enjoys dancing to the opening rhythms of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.
But you know what else I didn’t subject my little ones to? The stultifying music of Barney. After having “sampled” some of that stuff around other couples with children, we vowed not to impose the Purple One on our kids. Thank God for Carl Stalling and the Looney Tunes! Now that’s great stuff! Not only does he use many famous classical tunes, but also many famous songs of the times, and also wonderful tunes from Raymond Scott.
By the way, our decision was validated when we learned this news: US interrogators are using the Barney theme to break Iraqi prisoners. (Oh yeah? Just wait till Amnesty International finds out!)
