Good music for my nine year old sister?

[eatenbytehworms]

Somebody gave my little sister a $15 itunes gift card, and though i was tempted to take it away from her and use it (een though i'm not an itunes fan), i think she should use it since it is her gift after all.

So what should I recommend her that she would like and that would be actually intelligent and good music, not some Disney teenybopper idol crap?

if I were to use it for myself, I would have bought either portishead, thrice, mew, vienna teng, or ramones, but I don't think nine year old girls are into that stuff.

Thanks.  Hurry and tell me before the Jonas Brothers get to her!

[bloop]

You stepped on my line.  As far as music for her age goes, the Jonas Brothers aren't a bad choice.  I find them listenable, believe it or not.

[enemy anemone]

based on my experience with 9-year-old girls, the important thing is to influence one or more of her friends as well, or at least find out if someone she knows/respects also likes good music and then talk about those artists/groups. if someone who is not you mentions some artist or group that you listen to, it suddenly becomes interesting and cool. otherwise, it is just that weird thing that only you like.
I've had some small success with influencing a girl that age with U2 and Patty Griffin songs because I like certain songs and then she found out that someone else did, too. I had given her a Switchfoot cd that she didn't listen to until her friend was like "you have a Switchfoot cd? cool! I like them too!"

later I would give her itunes gift cards because that is what she wanted, but I would tell her not to tell me what she gets with them because it would just make me angry and disappointed.

(other people's experiences with 9-year-old girls may be vastly different. it also depends on the individual personality of the 9-year-old girl.)

[spacebrat311]

I think it very much depends on the girl. I think kids often find it easier to get into things older people see as "challenging" or "weird" than adults do, but music is very social for them as well, so they're unlikely to stick with anything they have to listen to alone.

[Vlad!]

Don't try to force your (or anyone else's) views of "good music" on your sister. Everyone has their own tastes, and everyone has their own musical journey they need to go through before they can appreciate music and understand why they like what they like. If you indoctrinate her from a young age with even the best of groups, she'll just find herself liking good music without understanding why (or she might reflexively wind up not liking good music, because some good music requires you to ease into it). The only caution I will give is that there is a gap between what the MPAA requires parental advisory stickers for and what a reasonable parent (or elder brother) might want to actually be advised of...I believe that it's the duty of responsible parents to preview what their kids are getting into, and music is no exception. I don't know how your parents feel about this, but Grooveshark or YouTube plus a Google search for the lyrics will go a long way.

[Ian]

Somebody gave my little sister a $15 itunes gift card, and though i was tempted to take it away from her and use it (een though i'm not an itunes fan), i think she should use it since it is her gift after all.

So what should I recommend her that she would like and that would be actually intelligent and good music, not some Disney teenybopper idol crap?

if I were to use it for myself, I would have bought either portishead, thrice, mew, vienna teng, or ramones, but I don't think nine year old girls are into that stuff.

Thanks.  Hurry and tell me before the Jonas Brothers get to her!

I dunno, I can imagine a young girl liking Mew.   Other suggestions though:
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois seems like it should appeal to all ages
Phoenix is pretty fun.
Weezer is mainstream, but I can see them leading into a future interest in indie.
Hmmm... that's all that leaps to mind right now.

[Aaron]

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois seems like it should appeal to all ages

I don't know if I want a 9 year old wondering about John Wayne Gacy just yet. LOL

[ewok20t3]

Maybe something like Gnarls Barkley or Imogen Heap?

[murlough23]

I would make a mix of selected songs from artists you enjoy that you think might be attention-grabbing for her - that could potentially get her hooked on a particular song and make her want to check out more songs from that artist. Pile the really catchy stuff up front; maybe throw a few curveballs toward the middle or end of it. (Whether this is a CD meant to be played in order, or a playlist that'll go on an iPod, etc., is up to you.) If I were making a mix for a 9-year-old, I'd probably go with a lot of indie pop stuff that was relatively lighthearted in subject matter but intriguing enough musically/lyrically to make the kid ask "why". So, for example, even though Vienna Teng tends to be more moody, something like "Harbor" or "Augustine" or shoot, even "Grandmother Song" might be fun.

[Ian]

Good idea murlough.

I'd make sure to include:
at least one Animal Collective song... Brothersport, Summertime Clothes, Leaf House, Who Could Win a Rabit
Mew - Zookeeper's Boy
fun's CD from this year is filled with great songs, try Walking the Dog
Radiohead - 15 Step
Any Andrew Bird or Sufjan song
etc
Throw in a couple oldies maybe even like some Beatles or Beach Boys

[Ian]

Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself