Low Tech Culture

“Learning about yourself and what you’re drawn to is one of the cool things about growing up.” – Rachel Childers, musician with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

To piggyback off our last post, we’re sharing the low-tech devices your kids can use to find their musical tastes.

The Old

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with going old school. If you still have these lying around, introduce your kid to the classics and low-tech tech.

Tape cassette and/or CD players: I recently found some of my old mixtapes and CDs while decluttering the house and I WISH I had a player to show my kids what I was into as a kid. If you care to go the extra mile (which I’m tempted to do), you can purchase them secondhand or from Amazon. Your local library might have a player you could check out.

FM/AM Radio: FM radios allow kids explore music genres. My kids started experiencing the power of the FM radio when visiting my parents over Thanksgiving.

Record player: Vinyl is in and you can now find records everywhere. Buying record players is now in demand enough that you can buy new as well as secondhand. Your kid may enjoy curating their album collection and displaying it in their room.

iPods: Even though Apple discontinued iPod production in 2017, they are still operational with a bit of effort. iTunes can bring these players back to life so long as you have all the appropriate cables and ports to transfer. Third party companies can also refurbish them with a battery or software replacement.

MP3 players: Not only can you find them on Amazon under $50, but also download music files for free at your local library or even convert Youtube music videos into MP3s.

The New

Yoto: The Yoto is a simple audio device aimed at younger listeners. It’s mostly for audiobooks, but you can also get music compilation cards from Disney soundtracks and musical artists like Elton John, Bob Marley, or the Spice Girls. To listen, children pop in small cards for the music they want (purchased separately). The player also offers daily free content such as kid-friendly radio stations and podcasts when connected to the internet.

Mighty: Looking like an iPod Shuffle, the Mighty is a portable digital music player that allows kids to load it up with parent-approved Spotify or Amazon Music playlists. Holding more than 1,000 songs, it works with Bluetooth, wired headphones, or portable speakers.

Echo Dot: With an Amazon Kid+ subscription, the voice-controlled Echo Dot for Kids offers access to age-appropriate music across platforms like Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. Parents can control filters for explicit content via the dashboard, and adjust parental controls as children grow, allowing the device to function like any other Echo.

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Sources:
Sick of screens, families are giving kids old Walkmen and MP3 players – The Washington Post