Musical Diversity

The other morning my son Benjamin was watching Hip Hop Harry on tv. It is a kids' show that has positive messages but many are packaged in hip hop music. I started thinking about kids shows and the music featured on them and realized that nearly all kids shows use hip hop music. I like hip hop and rap but I'm concerned that kids will grow up liking only hip hop music and upping their noses at other musical forms.

Growing up in the 70's, I was an avid Sesame Street viewer and that show provided a good mix of music. One week Stevie Wonder might be the guest host, the next John Denver, the week after, Roy Clark. The modern Sesame Street has had Yo Yo Ma, Nora Jones, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss, and Wyclef Jean. Sesame Street continues to provide a rich musical mix while the rest settle for hip hop homogenization.

Listen to all kinds of music!