Hellobee

Local. It’s a big thing. BIG. Eat local. Buy local. Support your local ___. I am completely and totally down with the grassroots sentiments behind the movement, and so the idea of being able to consume something like music and know where it’s coming from is huge to me. While I love the idea of having cool kids who listen to old rap and The Rolling Stones and indie folk, I also have met my kids. Mostly, I want them to have the opportunity to hear lots of things, and learn what they like, and above all, enjoy it. That’s what music is about, right? Enjoyment. So the fact that I know all the lyrics to several Wiggles CDs? That’s cool. We can do The Wiggles. And the girls do actually listen to some stuff that makes me feel like the edgy hipster parent that I sort of would like to be if, you know, I were… like that. Beyond our toe dipping into the adult music pool, there’s also tons of great kids’ music out there. Many of them are likely household names already. But maybe, just maybe, you haven’t heard of these guys: Nature Jams. And if you haven’t, you really need to check them out. Seriously. Now. Dooooo it. Because, as it turns out, the same music that’s fun for dancing and singing along to can also be music that’s good for the environment and the heart.

There’s nothing quite like seeing them work together and have fun.

I came upon Nature Jams by accident. I purchased some car seat strap covers from a mom on Etsy, who I had met through a Facebook group that chatted about babywearing and woven wraps (I know it sounds like a classic case of “knew a guy, who knew this guy, who knew this dude who,” but I promise there are no drug deals or dark alleys in this particular story). When she mailed them to me, she included some thoughtful treats, including a CD. It was called Be Kind by Nature Jams. I started brainstorming things you could do with a CD: Coaster. Frisbee. Deter garden pests. Pretend that the Schleich animals are sitting in the middle of a circular enchanted sea that drifts across the carpet with dogged purpose. It was a sweet gesture, but, needless to say, I thought we’d have a quick listen, and then mosey that CD on over to a more appropriate incarnation. And I have never in my life been more glad to be so completely wrong.

About a week later when I discovered that it had somehow found its way into my glove compartment (our missing sock elves were bored?), we gave it a try in the car. The songs were catchy. But what shocked me most of all was the conversation we had when we were done listening. Most of the songs have incredibly pro-social messages, that are presented in ways that get your attention, make you smile, and stay in your head long after the music stops. Ellie started to talk to me about the song Bully Train. She was able to use the song as a launchpad to share her own thoughts and feelings, and able to borrow some of the language to talk and think about many big issues relating to existing side by side with other people. How we treat each other. How we treat ourselves. How we approach the world around us. I was shocked, and so happy. It often seems hard for her to talk with me about these things, but this music– something about this music helped us fall into a shared language, and all of a sudden there we were. Talking about feelings. Obviously I would never recommend going out and buying a CD in lieu of actual therapy, but I can’t begin to tell you how incredible, and, yeah, downright therapeutic it was.

It’s no secret that the music we enjoy affects us more than just in terms of looking cool in front of our friends. To quote healthychildren.org, “In a study of 144 adults and teenagers who listened to 4 different kinds of music, grunge music led to significant increases in hostility, sadness, tension, and fatigue across the entire group, even in the teenagers who said they liked it. In another study, college students reported that pop, rock, oldies, and classical music helped them feel happier and more optimistic, friendly, relaxed, and calm.”

Music can influence mood. Can influence the way we take in the world around us. It gets in our heads, and it gets in our hearts. The idea of being able to share enjoyable music with my children that left them with more than just an uplifted mood was, well, music to this mom’s ears. Issues of morality, care for the world around us, and living a healthful lifestyle are complex — gross understatement of the year. And yet these are the very things that I feel the most passionate about clarifying and supporting in my children. After all, these are the things that shape who we are, both now and in the future. Having another tool in my toolbox always feels like a big thing. Especially when it’s something that the girls file away under “fun” rather than “boring morality lesson (again) from mom.” Because, you know, then they might actually listen.

So how did this inventive take on children’s music come about, exactly? Rob Young and Zach Ladin, the two men behind Nature Jams, are quite the dynamic duo. Rob graduated college with a degree in music, and began sharing that passion with children as a music educator. He has some pretty neat ideas to make “formal” music training fun and intuitive for even the youngest kids. Zach, who I had the pleasure of interviewing, is pursuing a degree in ornithology and is passionate about the outdoors and the environment. Both were active in the Delaware music scene before joining forces, and wanted to create music for children that could be appreciated by the whole family. The result is socially-conscious music that manages to be playful and infectious rather than preachy and didactic. Heck, even the U.S. Department of State jumped on board, claiming We Dig Worms, Localvore, and Into the Garden to use in programs and materials dedicated to teaching English to non-native speakers. They have good taste, the Department of State.

At one point in our interview, I mentioned how beneficial I thought some of the music might be to a social skills group that Ellie participates in two days a week. Zach’s response just felt like the perfect description for Nature Jams: “That’s what it [our music] is for. That’s what it’s all about– how it can benefit people. That’s the whole point.” And you know what? I couldn’t sum them up any better if I tried.