Sunday, 17 November 2024

Is YouTube Harmful to Children?

 

At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, today I'm pondering two significant questions. Firstly "is YouTube in any way harmful to children?" and secondly "does Albo have a point?" The mere fact that the Australian government is currently including YouTube in the proposed social media ban, has made many musicians stop and think. As a content creator myself, and having been uploading videos on YouTube since 2008 I, like many other musicians have skin in the game, and stand to lose out if the plan goes ahead. 

Despite this inconvenient truth, I personally feel the need to research what is behind the government's decision based on objective facts. Facts, not from what is currently available in the partisan press; but from well-researched, peer-reviewed academic studies. The type of studies that no doubt a Prime Minister such as Anthony Albanese will have readily available. If there is any credence to YouTube being included in the ban, then I want to see the receipts, and not be swayed by all the emotionally charged rhetoric I've been reading online. 

I read amongst these discussions the use of pejorative terms like "nanny state" and even quotes cited from dubious politicians pursuing their own agenda. Surely one of the major responsibilities of any upstanding government is to protect the vulnerable, and if there is any evidence that You Tube poses harm to children then they are duty bound to act.

I say to the content creators who are concerned about loss of income, perhaps it's time that Google/YouTube started paying us directly for our content, instead of dishing out advertising revenue ad infinitum. In my opinion, encouraging content creators to focus on numbers to make a living has created a platform that is rapidly declining in both quality and originality. 

There is an awful lot of repetition of so-called trending content which has too often got nothing to do with art and very little to do with education. Although production qualities have significantly improved over the years, in my experience quality control over what is deemed as educational appears to be sadly lacking.

Perhaps the musicians who create music videos for educational purposes would be better served going outside YouTube (like a certain Australian duo featuring a tiger have done) to provide their educational content independent of the constraints of the almighty YouTube algorithm. Or better still, maybe consider a career in the teaching profession. There are schools the world over crying out for educators. Trust me, and I speak with some authority on this, having been a state school teacher for over twenty years, you will find it to be the most rewarding career you could ever choose. 

So I'm off to do my own research, and for those playing along, I'll let you know what I discover in due course. If my research definitively proves that YouTube is in no way harmful to children, then I can assure you, I will be as relieved as everyone else. 

Thursday, 31 October 2024

Artist Spotlight: Robin Nathan aka fleaBITE


New Zealand may be small but it certainly is mighty when it comes to children's music and entertainment. At the centre of the wonderful world of children's music emanating from this island nation is Robin Nathan or fleaBITE as she is more commonly known. An award-winning artist who has managed in her illustrious career to walk away with four, yes that's right four, Best Children's Album awards, three with fleaBITE and one as a producer for the wonderful Fatcat & Fishface. Her formative years include heaps of experience in both theatre and radio, where she mastered the art of surreal comedy.

Interestingly, there is no particular message in her work as such, she is very much an organic creator, blowing in the wind with whatever takes her fancy from one day to the next. Which is why she explores a host of different musical styles, and achieves such eclectic diversity on her new album. Impossible to pin down or even categorise, fleaBITE is something of a law unto itself. Constantly searching, exploring new sounds, new ideas and new techniques in order to create a truly compelling product.

Her music is unique, captivating and entertaining and succeeds through achieving that fine balance between musical dexterity, humour and technical prowess. She is very much in the school of child-centred entertainment, where the music is from a child's perspective and not aimed at the parents. Off-beat and original; fleaBITE offers a different approach, providing the listener with music that breaks down traditional barriers. 

The new album Piggy Oink Oink (yes that's right), features ten original songs which draw from a variety of influences including rock, techno and reggae to name just a few. With sound effects galore and some inspired musicality throughout, fleaBITE take no prisoners here with themes as diverse as animals, swimming, the weather, colours and even shampoo. A real standout track for me is "Colour Me" with its ambient vibe and magnificent choral infusion. The melody is quite superb, and the song works because of its minimalist arrangement and crystal clear vocals that captivate and delight in turn. Marvellous!

All in all an extraordinary artist whose growing reputation I am sure will lead her from strength to strength.

fleaBITE - a creative powerhouse.

Monday, 30 September 2024

What's in a Name?

The Swedish composer Bjorn Ulvaeus once admitted in an interview that he never cared much for ABBA as a name. When pressed further, he suggested that Roxy Music, The Rolling Stones or Depeche Mode were more serious contenders. Whether you agree with him or not regarding his name preferences, I'm sure we'd all agree that having a great band name can do wonders for your music career. For me, names such as the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Ramones or the Smiths immediately come to mind. 

A name defines an artist or band, whether it's the Edge, Sting or the Clash, your name acts as a point of reference, grabs the attention, and if it's captivating enough can propel your music to astonishing heights, particularly if you have the music to back it up. Clearly in the long term it is the music that really counts, just ask Elton John, but in the short term, the band's name and the image they project ultimately provide the keys to the citadel.

I have no doubt that the early and rapid success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was largely because of their name. It was their name that got them the initial attention, and landed them the London shows providing the perfect platform for their musical talent to shine through. I know this because I was around back then, and although they only had one single out at that particular time, everybody was talking about this Scottish band with the unique name. It sometimes makes me wonder how many great bands we may have missed out on over the years perhaps because they didn't get the name or the image quite right, because clearly the image of any given band is equally important.

Gary Numan always cited Ultravox as a major inspiration, and when he was asked why he felt the original line up featuring John Foxx never got the recognition they deserved, he suggested it may have been because 'they didn't get the look right'. Gary Numan had both a number one album and single at the ripe old age of 21, and clearly understood the power of imagery. Changing his name from Gary Webb to Gary Numan was as inspired as his icy stage presence and exotic outfits. He clearly knew his stuff, as did a certain Midge Ure who took over from John Foxx on lead vocals, and transformed Ultravox's image with tremendous success in the eighties. Clearly sound and vision work together in harmony.

Many other great band names have fascinating origins and mythologies underpinning them, and none more so than the Rolling Stones. The story of their name, as once reiterated by Mick and Keith, was that when Brian Jones was on the phone and landed their first gig in London, they also landed a major problem, they didn't have a name for their band to perform under. In something of a panic, Jones apparently looked around the room for inspiration only to spot a Muddy Waters album with the song 'Rolling Stone' featured on the track listing, and the rest of course is musical history.

The reggae band UB40 provide another interesting story as they were all unemployed and living off benefits when they came up with their name. For all those of you not from the UK, the name UB40 refers to the identity card each member had to present to the unemployment office in order to claim their social security benefits. Talk about rags to riches, from miserable dreamers to multimillionaires courtesy of an unemployment card and a handful of decent tunes.

Nigel Morton, original manager of the rock band New Model Army, told me that he landed their first major break through gig because the highly influential promoter John Curd loved the name. He booked them to play without listening to a tape because he thought it was such a 'superb name'. This was clearly significant, and proved to be a game changer for the band from Bradford. I remember seeing their early posters around the city centre and thinking to myself what a brilliant name for a band. I can't imagine they would have managed to garner their army of loyal followers over the years under any other name despite their compelling music. The same could perhaps be said of many other artists and bands.

You could perhaps start with Simon and Garfunkel who were originally known as Tom and Jerry, or maybe 'On a Friday' who changed their name to Radiohead. Other contenders include Queen, who changed their name from Smile, the Obelisk who became the Cure, the Pendeltons who became the Beach Boys, or alternatively, Mr Crowe's Garden who became the Black Crowes. Then there's the Young Aborigines who became the Beastie Boys.  Does anyone remember Wicked Lester who became Kiss, or perhaps the Screaming Abdabs who became Pink Floyd. 

Would Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem have succeeded without the name Red Hot Chilli Peppers? Or the Pulka Tulk Blues Band who became Black Sabbath? Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I heard somewhere that Credence Clearwater Revival were originally known as the Golliwogs. Alternatively, when it comes to solo performers how does David Jones measure up against David Bowie, or James Newell Osterberg compare with Iggy Pop? Sometimes artists get lucky and they have a great birth name like Elvis Presley or Taylor Swift, but then again if you consider the likes of Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Snoop Dog, Lorde or Pink, surely they all benefitted from a bold new aesthetic approach.

There are so many fascinating stories I have come across over the years, far too numerous to mention here, and no doubt many like-minded musicians, will have spent many an hour pondering over what their newly formed band name should be. Not an easy task, so perhaps there is an element of luck involved, or maybe you have to just dig deep and look within. 

The appeal of Nirvana for me is quite a compelling one. Where Curt Cobain one of the most brilliant and tragically tortured artists of all time, a man who struggled with drugs and mental issues throughout his life opted for the name Nirvana. The irony of this name was not lost on too many people. Nirvana to this day remains one of my favourite band names, and a great band to boot. They still have an astonishingly high stream count, despite not having released any music for three decades. What a tragic loss to music his short life was.

Now you may argue, and you may be right, that clearly there are many bands who hit the top without particularly inspiring names and deservedly so. I love the 1975 but never cared much for their name, the same goes perhaps for U2, the Killers and Coldplay, all who have enjoyed enormous success without the assistance of a clearly identifiable name or image. I also used to be a fan of UK prog rockers Supertramp who had huge success in the seventies, but I disliked both their name and their image. It's nice to know that sometimes music really does conquer all. But if you want to get noticed in this game, a good name can go a long way to achieving this. It doesn't matter how good your band is, if no one gets to hear it or see it. Which reminds me of the old Chinese proverb. "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Good question.

Incidentally, two of my favourite bands of all time, the Psychedelic Furs and the Only Ones both have great names. Apparently, singer Richard Butler came up with the name Psychedelic Furs because he loved the word 'psychedelic', and combined the adjective with 'furs, lifted from the Velvet Underground song 'Venus in Furs'.  It's also well documented that the Only Ones name came from a dream that singer songwriter Peter Perret had, which seemingly just floated into his head one night, something of a gift from the Gods perhaps. Alternatively, Marc Bolan decided to shorten his bands name Tyrannosaurs Rex because producer Tony Visconti used to abbreviate the name to T Rex when he wrote it in his diary for a forthcoming session. A man who wrote the classic anthem 'Children of the Revolution', a song which I still play to this day.

Which conveniently brings me to on to the subject of children's music. As we all know children's music is a relatively new genre, having only really taken off in the nineties largely as a result of the incredible success of the Wiggles. Their inspired choice of name would clearly never have worked for a rock band, but for a kids' band it's perfect. Clearly, children's bands have a bit more room to be experimental with their names, and don't need to concern themselves with what is regarded as cool or in vogue, by an increasingly fickle and somewhat cynical music press.

My favourite kids' band name of all time has to be the Relative Minors, what an absolutely brilliant name, and one which would no doubt work in many other genres. I also love the Mudcakes, Bounce Patrol and Itty Bitty Beats. All these names are right on the money, and if you are interested in other contenders please check out my earlier blog post from July which features a list of my favourite all time kids' band names. In the meantime, I take my hat off to the truly exceptional, imaginative and resourceful use of names that have come to light over the years. If you have any band names that you like and consider to be worth mentioning then feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

That's the name of the game.

Saturday, 31 August 2024

Artist Spotlight: Kath Bee

Kath Bee is a New Zealand based artist who has been performing to families across her homeland for over seventeen years. She began writing songs for children back in 2001, and her extraordinary back catalogue now includes over one hundred original songs. She is also increasingly active on YouTube, amassing over a million views to date, no mean feat in such a crowded space.

The artist has released eight albums to date, each featuring the type of critical content that both engages children and informs parents. This includes the album, Children: Our Voices IntertwinedD, where the children took centre stage singing on each track, an idea which originated from the emotional impact of the Covid pandemic.

Her latest album, Simple Action Songs for Babies to 2yrs for Learning & Fun, is aimed squarely at the youngest listeners. It is a short, sweet album covering everything an early childhood educator would require for a music program. Clocking in at just over nine minutes, the album provides a fresh approach to some classic early childhood music themes, and does so in fine style. I have no doubt this album will soon become an absolute must for parents and teachers of infants alike. 

The album features a lively series of interactive, action songs bookended by two catchy greetings songs providing a perfect way to start and finish the day. The vocals are as clear as crystal, and are supported by simple arrangements, providing the kind of pop sensibility that renders them perfect for a very young audience.

You can hear how the artist's expertise as an early childhood performer really shines through each track, leaving the listener confident in the fact that you are in more than capable hands. There is an immediacy to each song,  providing a certain familiarity in the music even on the first listen. The album takes the listener on something of a musical journey, where movement is the key ingredient. This includes all motor movements, such as clapping, walking, tiptoeing, stomping, jumping and spinning.

The album succeeds in providing a complete toddler workout for every young child, whether they are at home with a carer, or with an early childhood educator running a music class. There is also plenty to dance to here for both carers and their little ones. The album is short and sweet, and finally draws to a close with a sit down track, quickly followed by a soothing lullaby to calm things down.

The album really has it all, it is highly interactive, beautifully sung, and engages the audience throughout, with songs that serve as playful commands to action. The album features live instrumentation including some of the finest double bass playing you're ever likely to hear.  Both highly interactive and engaging the album opens up new possibilities, where every song has a purpose that is executed brilliantly throughout. Enough said!

Kath Bee - inspiring young minds.

Wednesday, 31 July 2024

EKM - Top 20 Kindie Band Names

The world of kindie music is exciting and diverse with a wide range of music styles and creativity on display. This also extends to the band names chosen by the various artists. Here, in no particular order, is a list of my absolute favourite band names. If you haven't done so already, I urge you to check these artists out at your earliest convenience.

  1. The Relative Minors
  2. Alphabet Rockers
  3. The Mudcakes
  4. Bounce Patrol
  5. Tiptoe Giants
  6. Itty Bitty Beats
  7. Teeny Tiny Stevies
  8. Kids Imagine Nation
  9. The Zing Zangs
  10. Andy and the Odd Socks
  11. Little Feet Music
  12. Recess Monkey
  13. Spotty Kites
  14. Spikey and Friends
  15. The Quokkas
  16. The Little Wattle Bird Band
  17. The Cuddly Koalas
  18. The Vegetable Plot
  19. The Not-Its!
  20. Brady Rymer and The Little Band That Could

Sunday, 30 June 2024

Whistle & Trick Live at Ron Hurley Theatre, Brisbane

 


How lucky was I to catch the mighty Whistle & Trick perform their wonderful show at the Ron Hurley Theatre in Brisbane. A relatively small but intimate venue which provided the perfect backdrop for this inspired performance. The stage set up consisted of a Pearl drum kit with an additional monitor to the side, three vocal microphones and some sparse but highly effective lighting. Incidentally, the venue was packed to the brim with excited children and families eagerly anticipating the performance.

The dynamic duo hit the stage at around 11am, and despite some untimely technical problems quickly shifted into gear, working the audience to maximum effect with their colourful costumes and delightful vocals. The opening track "Bananas and Other Delicious Things" immediately had the audience clapping and singing along in rapturous delight.

The children were soon up and dancing to a host of brilliant songs, as the duo served up some familiar favourites including "Clicketty Clack" and "Shake Your Body" just for starters. As the show progressed the band provided plenty of theatrical moments including the unexpected arrival of a charming life-sized emu puppet during the electrifying "Melindu". 

The drumming of Col Leadbetter was superb throughout, as were the excellent harmonies of Maddie Thiele who also played the ukulele. Despite the fact that Trick was struggling with a throat issue she powered on nonetheless and never missed a beat throughout. The degree of professionalism on display despite such setbacks, was of the highest standard providing real credence to that old cliche 'the show must go on'.

Other standout tracks included the mesmerising "Shake Your Body" the highly engaging "Shiver Me Timbers" and the alluring "Rain Rain" where a bubble gun was introduced firing an array of exploding bubbles into the air adding further colourful mayhem to the proceedings. There was clearly no shortage of theatrics here, further epitomised in the form of two multi-coloured fans that moved like butterflies floating in the breeze. 

The duo then took the tempo down a notch with the gentle lullaby "Sleep Baby", a song which provided an opportunity for the audience to momentarily pause for breath and enjoy the gentle vibe.  Even in the quietest moments they manage to hit the target such is the strength of songwriting featured here. This was shortly followed by the lively "I Love My Family" adding another slice of joyful optimism to the proceedings, where the energy of the music was clearly working on an enraptured audience. 

The band finished with the explosive "I Wanna Be a Dinosaur"; without doubt one of the finest dinosaur songs you are ever likely to hear, which had the children jumping around impersonating dinosaurs like their lives depended on it.  All in all a brilliant show from a superb new band, who really know how to work an audience. Many of which seemed very familiar with the songs, and sang along with gusto and relish throughout.

It's no mean feat to keep young children engaged for almost an hour, and even when the curtain finally fell, you could feel the audience would have loved to have heard more.  For me, the main strength of this band is the way they communicate with the audience, creating the type of atmosphere that is both infectious and engaging, where seemingly there's a party going on, we're all invited and everyone's having a great time. They achieve this with the type of exuberant energy and playful participation that can only make you smile.

Whistle & Trick - we are family.

Thursday, 30 May 2024

Do Children Deserve Better?


Back in May last year, Canadian musician Grimes had this to say about children's music: 'People who don't have kids don't realise the insidious artistic scourge that is "children's music". How can we heal as a society when everyone's earliest artistic experience is completely devoid of humanity or beauty? Half joking but kinda not.' Yes, pretty provocative I agree, and such a controversial assertion that clearly brought her a modicum of notoriety as a result. I can't imagine it concerned her much though, as she temporarily basked in the sunshine of transient outrage. As Oscar Wilde once famously declared: 'The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about'.

Nonetheless, the question still remains, is she right or is she wrong? Surprisingly, I would argue that she is both right and wrong; although such ambivalence may come as a surprise to anyone familiar with this blog. Grimes is clearly wrong, when you consider the delicate beauty of Claudia Robin Gunn, the imaginative zest of Poco Drom, or the enlightening energy of Joanie Leeds. These artists are amongst a growing number of emerging musicians across the globe, who have clearly succeeded in elevating children's music to new heights. 

However, I largely agree with Grimes in the sense that family music seems to contain more than its fair share of vacuous repetition. I'm sure most people will have come across the song 'Baby Shark'; currently the most popular video on YouTube of all time, with over fourteen billion views to date. There is undoubtedly an addictive ingredient to these types of tunes, which are often cynically targeted, rehashed and presented to children across the internet. Surely this raises the question, does the genre really need another version of "Baby Shark"? If your answer is yes, then clearly Grimes had a point. 

Having said that, there is plenty of evidence that children enjoy singing simple tunes and tend to respond to catchy ditties. There are also undoubtedly many language development opportunities contained in this type of music, particularly for younger children, that assist with cognitive development. However, shouldn't musicians at least try to expose the public at large to something different? Remember how JK Rowling transcended children's literature through the Harry Potter series. Or how Queen managed to disrupt the snobbery of the classical music establishment with their prog rock anthem Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Furthermore, it's not just children's music which is vulnerable to such criticism, and derided as a homogenous entity. Mick Jagger once famously sang, 'it's only rock 'n' roll but I like it', well, so did their fans, it was a superb song written by a legendary band that stood the test of time. Nonetheless, as with every genre there is always a polar opposite lurking in the shadows. For every Beatles there's a Monkees, for every Marc Bolan there's an Alvin Stardust, and for every Abba there's a Brotherhood of Man.

Now this is only an opinion so no emails please, but it begs the question, are we doing children and their parents a disservice, continually dishing out this ubiquitous repetition, or do they deserve better?  I appreciate we all have to make a living somehow, and accept that there are sometimes certain financial imperatives at stake. If you are in the business of simply making a profit through music and this is how you want to go about it, then who am I to argue, burn me in hell as long as it pays. Just don't expect artists such as Grimes or anyone else for that matter to respect it.  

Baby Shark - money for nothing and your clicks for free.