Camper Van Beethoven and Children's Music

(Photo Credit: http://chrismolla.fuzz.com/)

I'm extremely dubious about children's music, which is why the focus of this blog is the main CD section of the library and not the kids' section. I haven't found much kids' music that I like, so I'm most interested in introducing well-crafted adult music to DJ B. For that reason, we haven't hit very many children's music performances, either. I realize that we're missing out on a whole subculture, with artists like The Sippy Cups, Enzo Garcia, and Miss Kitty (who we have seen) wowing crowds in San Francisco on a regular basis.

Today, I set my music snobbery aside to check out the free music gig by Chris Molla at our local San Francisco Public Library branch. The room was packed with babies and tots, who seemed to enjoy the folky music played on guitar and accordion. Chris engaged the crowd, asking for color suggestions for one song where he seemed to improvise rhymes on the spot, based on the color. He told us that the orange/door hinge rhyme credit was courtesy of a 6-year-old. Miss B kept her colors to herself and was reluctant to get up and dance, but she did smile throughout the show.

Afterwards the librarian told me that Chris Molla was a founding member of indie band/college radio staple Camper Van Beethoven. And, now, he's a preschool music guru playing at a library near you!

The moral of the story is I'll have to give kid-oriented music a second look now, as sometimes it comes with some pretty cool credentials.