KidTunes: Big Bully Observes “National Anti-Bullying Month”
Recess Music is a music production company with a mission to “entertain, encourage, and educate children and families about the adventure of being human through music that presents positive ideas for living a life full of possibilities.” The newest entry in Recess Music’s “The Best Foot Forward Series” is Big Bully, the perfect soundtrack for “National Anti-Bullying Month.”
Bright, kicky tunes that don’t sound at all like they were written for kids, are accompanied by lyrics offering lessons from which we can all benefit—after all, bullies come in all sizes and none of them are cool. The first track, “Bubba Bully” (The Uncle Brothers) explains why bullies do what they do, and what their victims can do. “Vicious Vinnie” (The Hill Brothers) is a humorous tale of a kid who will do just about anything to avoid the school bully. The Golden Rule-inspired “No Put Downs” (Lyle Cogen) puts down “dissing,” and “Don’t Bully Me” (Glenn Colton) promotes peace and harmony and shares the low-down on bullies.
Songs on Big Bully focus on interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. “Enemies” (Milkshake) reminds us that sometimes our best friend in the whole wide world is just a pain in the neck; “Time In Time Out” (The Hipwaders) details the misery of being sent to time out; and “Me Last Attitude” (The Happy Crowd) is a breezy tune that tells us that it doesn’t have to be “all about me.”
Big Bully is not preachy; it’s enjoyable music that happens to deliver positive messages. Clever lyrics and a variety of musical genres introduce and emphasize social tools, including apologizing (“I’m Sorry,” Susan Salidor), positive self-image (“One and Only Me,” Janet’s Planet), empathy (“Can You Imagine,” Leslie Bixler), and altruism (“I Can Make a Difference,” J.P. Taylor and the Academics).
Nobody likes a bully, but kids are going to love Big Bully—it’s protest music for kids, and there’s not a sour note on the entire album. It’s a terrific adjunct to anti-bullying education that painlessly reinforces appropriate behaviors and will not irritate adults after repeated playing.
Additional songs on the album are “Most Valuable Player” (Nancy Tucker), “Mean Ogre” (Mary Kaye), “Bad Day Today” (Lou Del Bianco), and “Wishing Well” (Renee Jeremy), another song emphasizing empathy. Click here to sample.
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