Personalized Music For Kids
I remember there being kids books that you could buy, and the big deal was, that you could have the text personalized to fit a specific person. It was all computer generated, and what you had to do was to supply a childs name, their siblings names, their parents names, their grandparents names, and a few specific personal items. The book would have spots, where you could substitute those names and personal facts into the story. Kids would really like this, especially given the “all about me” world that they live in. It was amusing for parents, and quite a novelty item. You had to wonder when it would get to music as well. Well, that day has come.
You can now order CDs, that have modified lyrics specific to your child, grandchild, nephew, or niece. It’s of course a little trickier to do than a book, but with the advancement in computer music software it is quite possible. In some cases, the names and facts are dubbed over an existing song track. But, the better software will have a library of pre sung names that are actually substituted in place of the original lyrics. While the former approach may sound more professional, I don’t think that to a younger child it will make much difference. Maybe just to the parents.
I know a few kids, that would love to hear this kind of music with their own names in it. My kids had a few of those personalized books when they were younger, but I had my own way of using that same technique with regular books and songs. While reading or singing songs with the kids, I would frequently substitute their names and friends names in place of the regular characters in the stories and songs. It was a lot of fun, to do it with a song they knew very well. Because of course they’ve heard it so many times, they could tell it from memory. But, when you mix it up a little it kind of throws them off. But in a good way.
At first they may not catch it, but then they do, and something kicks in. They look at you funny, tell you your singing it wrong, and insist you do it the right way. At least initially that’s how they react. The next time you recite the same book or song, they’re waiting for it. And I think they get a little disappointed if you don’t use your literary license and start messing with it. It makes things more fun, and get’s them thinking in more creative ways. So, in a way you’ve taken a legitimate learning experience and made it that much better.
