Imagine this scene from generations ago...an extended family gathers to relax after eating together. Grandma is bouncing the baby on her knee to an expressive, rhythmic rhyme.  Aunt Susie can’t contain herself as she retells an unbelievable legend that she heard from a friend. Father is reminded of a song he learned from his father, he sings with gusto while everyone joins in on the lyrical refrain. Scenes like this capture the environment that fostered the evolution of folksongs and stories that have shaped and defined our country. This oral tradition has produced songs, stories, and rhymes that have stood the test of time and have provided countless hours of entertainment and family bonding.   

 

Today, the world is a much different place - full of technological innovations that have opened up the world of music and the dissemination of stories.  The irony is that we are bombarded by streams of information that we can’t fully process and make our own.  The songs, rhymes, and stories that had been passed down from generation to generation, are actually getting lost amidst the mass amount of information available online.  

 

My inspiration for creating this site came out of a desire to compile these time-tested songs and rhymes for parents to use with their children.  The quality of any song can be tested by how many times you want to sing it.  After 20 years of singing these songs in the classroom and in the home, I can attest they have stood the test of time.   My hope is that this collection of songs and rhymes will be a catalyst for creating music together as a family, and a way to nurture you and your child’s sense of wonder, imagination, and joy.