Hitting the right note with children

Music stuck in a time warp

Looking for musical nutrients to nourish his baby, Liu searched the internet for children's music. But he said he was "completely dismayed" as 90 percent of children's songs available were nursery rhymes he used to sing as a child.

"Every industry in the country has been developing at breakneck speed. How could children's music still stay pretty much the same as it was in the last century?" Liu questioned.

Meanwhile, no one can ignore the fact the country's music industry has been thriving, too, the musician said.

2018 saw China, a new entrant in the global top 10 the previous year, ascend to the seventh position, according to Global Music Report 2019 released by IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry).

Another report released by Communication University of China reveals that the total scale of China's music industry in 2018 amounted to 374.8 billion yuan ($54.6 billion), an increase of 7.98 percent year-on-year.

Aside from the awkward time warp that Chinese children's music seems stuck in, what equally baffled Liu was there were few contemporary Chinese musicians writing songs for children.

However, the past 15 years or so have seen the emergence and growth of modern kids' music in America and Europe, Kanthor observed. Unlike simplistic songs for kids that may drive parents crazy, modern children's music is meant for the whole family to enjoy.