Things We Love to Do is the eighth album by Wellington music-man Kelvin Roy and aims to offer “enhanced educational experiences for Kids & Teachers”.
I’m liking
Roy’s focus on the value of getting children moving through music is commendable. Meditative-contemplative approaches to children’s music currently seem to be en vogue, so having an album that encourages children to jump, move, shake, slide, glide, and a host of other dance-related verbs, is appreciated. Where the musical atmosphere is meant to engender calmness, Roy achieves this by subtle tempo changes and instrument variation.
Things that made me go hmmmm
Song length: personally, I’m a fan of children’s songs that only just scratch the 1:30 min mark; the 3:00-4:30 min length of the songs from Things We Love to Do felt too long. With ideas around movement being reinforced through constant word repetition, some songs tended to become somewhat mantric.
The conclusion
Roy’s voice reminded me of Geoff from The Wiggles. So for children familiar with their music, Things We Love to Do may prove a valuable addition to a parent’s educational music arsenal. Overall, I like Roy’s approach but, given the song length, I don’t think this album will land on repeat in our house (or car) often.
