Ideas for music to engage a Toddler Please, Thank you!

[pinkposey]

Hi - I know absolutely nothing about music, but I think it'd be really good to have some music on in our house as whenever my 15 month old hears any he dances and seems to love it.

I'd like to have a variety of jazz, classical, modern, perhaps some drumming etc - some really engaging (non-children's) tunes that we can both listen to, learn from and enjoy together, and perhaps stomp around to! :-)

I'm ok on nursery rhymes and so its not children's tunes that I'm after.

So, I guess I'm looking for some top engaging tunes to buy, but I don't really have a clue where to start.

Does anyone have any good suggestions please?

Thank you!

Put the radio on (3/6/1 if you can stand it) and see what DC likes?
For classical, you could go for the "children's" classics. My DC love the narrated Peter and the Wolf and DD2 got ballet stories (Sleeping Beauty,Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake) for Christmas which is a huge hit. She loves being all the different fairies at the christening. Young person's guide to the Orchestra is also fun, because you can pretend to play all the instruments.

DS loves Carnival of the Animals, Sorcerers Apprentice and anything Vivaldi. He also shares DH's passion for cheese and is never happier than when dancing with daddy to Hanson's mmmBop or The Pet Shop Boys.

I know you don't want kids music but I have to say that my toddler DD absolutely LOVES the Wiggles! They are rockstars to kids, and the music is very simple and educative. (You get the Wiggles in the UK, right?)

Blimey, that's a big question. I'd also say just put on the radio and see what engages him (you may be surprised, DS1 used to love Kerrang!) I cannot recommend Jazz FM for jazz though, so maybe look for some downloads of people like Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Stephan Grapelli, Dave Brubeck, Roy Ayres, Dizzy Gillespie (but jazz is a huuuge area of music in its own right).

The Putumayo World music cds are also fab.

Unfortunately, we do have the Wiggles in the UK. It is not music.

Other than the Wiggles, the music that has been noted by my 2 year old for praise include the following:
Various jazz classics, Nina Simone, Miles Davis etc - we often put Jazz FM on
The Hallelujah Chorus, The 1812 Overture and Rachmaninov concertos always seem to get a good reaction - lots of big bold tunes and rhytms
Something very Norah Jonesy/easy listening-ish (I'm not sure what it was) was playing in Debenhams the other day and DS declared 'Nice music!' very loudly, much to the amusement of everyone nearby.

I put Radio 3 on in the car a lot and have often found it to have a calming influence on crying children not to mention me but I think the big rousing stuff has more of an influence at this age. DS also really likes listening to musical soundtracks (Lion King, Les Mis etc), although that might be more to do with me and DS singing along in a very out of tune way

I plan to introduce DS to Peter and the Wolf and Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (which was updated last year I think) at some stage, but maybe not til he's 4 or 5.

Both my dc love chill fm and radio six music

We have music on a lot but since my dc's have got a bit older they demand their children's cd's whenever I put my choice on!

Sometimes I put classic FM on and they don't take much notice or comment, we watched Fantasia recently and my 3yr old was fascinated by a few bits but it was a bit much for my 2yr old.

They are more interested if I really seem to enjoy what I'm listening to. If I start singing/dancing then they'll join in. I've started going through my old CD collection and putting on stuff that I think may interest them, and I've had enough of only listening to kids stuff all day every day!

What about doing some sort of toddler music class with your DS?

Great suggestions. Yes, we'd love to do a toddler music class (we went to them when we were on holiday in London in the summer) but we live in DR Congo and we don't have things like that, and so I will organize my own. Thank you!