(Not-So) Terrifying Tunes
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Am I talking about Christmas already? Heck, no. I’m talking about Halloween! It’s that time of year when the leaves on the trees are changing, the cozy sweaters and flannels are out and ready to be worn (if the temperature ever drops!), and children are dressing as their favorite characters to get some yummy candy. At a recent Halloween event for work, I saw lots of Blueys, Wednesdays, and ROBLOX/Minecraft, but do you know what I didn’t see? Vampires! Not one!! And that’s too bad because I love vampires. From the scary ones, I’m looking at you 30 Days of Night, to the funny ones, hello Hotel Transylvania, vampires are a classic movie monster. To celebrate them, I’m kicking off this post with two new tunes featuring these fanged friends.
To start things off, let’s get a little jazz-swing beat (oooh, that clarinet!!) going and enjoy Simon Stanley‘s new song about a creature of the night who really wants nothing more than to dance under the stars in “Vampire Boogie.” The lyric video adds a not-so-scary bouncing vampire head to help listeners follow along with the lyrics. Everyone’s going to want to do the “boogie woogie woogie woogie woo.”
Next up is the pop tune “Transylvania Town” from Todd ‘n’ Tina. Shot in an escape room, the video features Todd as a friendly-ish vampire who’s just looking for a drink of B-positive when Tina happens to come along. The cute video combined with the boppy melody and clever lyrics make this a fun one for children of all ages.
But wait, we’re not done yet! There’s still more Halloween fun to be had. The vampires aren’t the only ones showing off their moves this year. Keeping the groovy, jazzy feeling of the bare trees swaying in a dark forest, Chanelle & Friends invite listeners to the “Monster Dance.” The lyric video features friendly characters with just a drop of creepiness, to make this fun for even the older kids to enjoy.
Finally, what does every Halloween need? A party! And who better to host that party than Mr. Pete’s Playhouse? Combining animation and live action, “Halloween Party” is an incredibly upbeat song that is the perfect early afternoon, kids are full of candy-filled energy tune to get them moving around and burning off some of that sugary goodness.
Still looking for more music to add to your Halloween playlist? Think outside the coffin this year. Rather than using some of the classic Halloween tunes, try using music by one of your favorite children’s musicians. Check out this massive “Preschool Halloween Playlist” curated by Itty Bitty Beats and featuring over 100 songs by dozens of today’s amazing children’s performers. Enjoy and Happy Halloween!
Set to be released this Friday, October 18, children’s indie folk band Little Coyotes’ debut album Songs to Howl & Sing is a real delight. The ten tracks in this collection are a love letter to the outdoors that celebrates many of the facets of nature, while also conveying messages of positivity and empowerment for young listeners. Whether learning about the national parks, shapes, sunny or rainy days, or the power of vowels, children will be enchanted by the lyrical prose found in each of the musical phrases.