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Ella Jenkins
First Lady of Children's Music By Kelly Burgess
In all these years, Jenkins' philosophy and style haven't changed, but, somewhat to her dismay, attitudes toward children's play have begun to shift.
"I grew up in the era where little children didn't talk too much and you were quiet unless spoken to," says Jenkins. "If a child did happen to say something around adults, they were told to be quiet. Then we began to realize that children need the freedom to interact with adults, although in a positive, respectful way."
Nowadays, Jenkins notes, although children are no longer expected to be seen and not heard, there's little respect for the fact that they need freedom of expression.
"When I was a child, we played games that were very interactive," say Jenkins. "There was jump rope, hopscotch, marbles and games with balls that all had to do with creating rhymes and rhythms. Then, when I began entertaining children, I used many of these chants and activities from my childhood, and children have always responded to them. Today, these traditional activities are disappearing as children are put into formal activities earlier and earlier. Children start dance classes as young as 3 years old now."
Jenkins also notices that with the rise of cell phones, parents tend to ignore their children in favor of whoever is on the other end of the phone. Jokingly, she says that she's thinking about writing a song about turning off the phone and paying attention to the child in the stroller.
Children never have to worry about being ignored with Jenkins. After all these years, she still loves them and says that their interest in her music is what keeps her focused and interested. "The children I work with stimulate me each day, and I'm looking at the future each day when I see these children," says Jenkins. "I keep the music alive for them."