Elizabeth Mitchell
You Are My Little Bird
(hear it)

This album is full of little wonders and things to discover. It's music that is intended to appeal to children, and I imagine there are many kids who like it or would. Do children even listen to this kind of music anymore? I suppose those whose parents treasure and protect their innocence do. I know innocence is a virtue brought out in me by Mitchell's album.

Actually, it's Mitchell, her husband, her daughter, and her niece and nephew on this recording. Other people appear, but the voices are clearly of a brood. I have always enjoyed family-made, friend-made music. I think people with friends and family are so lucky. My wife Lea and I made an album called "House Music" featuring all the songs we sang around the house. Unfortunately we liked, especially back then, to sing sometimes about pee and poo and such things, so very few people have heard it. Most of the songs are about the dog, though. But even the less polite songs are innocent.

Perhaps instead of "children's music" we could call it Innocent Music, or maybe Little Music.

I love how Bartok and Debussy made music for children. Does anyone make non-singing music for the innocent and small any more? Perhaps I will try.

bb, 2 April 08