There are many things my little Aaron loves in life. A couple of the top rated to date are music (which most of you already know) and macaroni (in any shape, form and flavor). It goes without saying that these things have a way of making him drop everything that he’s doing and getting him really excited.
For all the reasons to love macaroni, the delectable, universal and versatile food found on the many plates of americans and cultures around the world are much of the same reasons to love Macaroni, a compilation of songs written and performed by Meredith Levande of Monkey Monkey Music.
“Meredith Levande is a children’s entertainer, educator and songwriter. Her music and videos can be found on children’s channels such as PBS Kids and Kids Thirteen as well as others around the world. She has learned to hone the art and craft of capturing the attention and the hearts of children. Among her many accolades, she has been featured in publications such as Parenting Magazine and Time Out New York Kids.” – Monkey Monkey Music
I found it so ironic that Meredith Levande’s latest album is called Macaroni—music and macaroni can’t go wrong with Aaron. They are both integral parts of our lives. When we are not in music class, we are certainly jamming at home. As you can imagine, Aaron was intrigued before I even pressed play.
I’m not an expert in musical notes and composition, but one thing Aaron and I can agree on is how music makes us feel. Aside from how it makes us feel, music also helps Aaron build memory, build connections and encourages language and use of words. The combination of all these things help us to set the standards for music in our household.
If it doesn’t excite you, help you learn, is super positive or make you go wild and crazy, it will not make the cut. I trust Aaron’s taste and I think he trusts mine.
Macaroni wonderfully combines so many things Aaron loves into well composed music. It’s a party all the time with guitars, maracas and drums in music that is reminiscent of country, soft rock, latin and some 70s classics—at least that is what I think of when listening. It’s a nice mix of fast and slow tempo songs out of which Aaron prefers the hear the faster tempos.
- Universal – It taps into various genres of music making the album so dynamic (just like the macaroni you eat).
- Educational – It covers animals, the five senses, the alphabet, the parts of the body, exercise and more.
- Fun & Silly – Kids love to jump around, have fun and be silly. This music does just that to the point where Aaron gets so dizzy he has to sit down.
- Interactive – The songs invite you to follow along and some incorporate a call and response feature to get kids to do what Meredith is teaching.
- Time Friendly – Each song is no more than 3 and half minutes, which means we can do a quick activity before mommy has to run back into the kitchen to finish prepping dinner (after all jumping around and dancing is no fun without mommy).
- Homeschooling Friendly – It’s a fun tool to reinforce what you teach everyday
- Makes Us Feel Great – Most of the time, that is all that matters. It is what music is supposed to do. If I can spend quality time with the little having fun and laughing, which makes us feel great, then we’re both happy.
Aaron’s favorites out of the 16 songs on the album include:
- Macaroni
- Who’s Got a Belly
- Alphabet City
- Stomp the Floor
- Funny Farm
You can purchase the album on Amazon.com, the Monkey Monkey Music website, or iTunes.
HAPPY TRAILS!
Wife to an amazing husband, mother to an exploring toddler and an MPA graduate aspiring to impact the world with encouragement in mothering and in social entrepreneurship.