“Children’s songs are important to children because they can learn the positive ideas in the songs so that they will become more kind-hearted,” said Mr. Armando Lai, whose pen name is Wai Yin. He is a musician who writes both children’s songs and songs for adults. Recently, he produced an album of children’s songs.

“The reason why I began writing children’s songs 8 years ago is that there were not many children’s songs at that time. I write songs mainly out of interest. I like children,” said he.

According to Mr. Lai, the production process of children’s songs is exactly the same as that of making a song for adults. However, the time needed to write lyrics for a children’s song is just 15 minutes on average. But it takes him about an hour to write a song for adults.

He explained, “Since the lyrics in children’s songs are usually simple, it does not take me much time to write one. However, the shorter time does not mean I am not serious. Indeed, I am more serious in writing children’s songs than in writing songs for adults.

“I have to bring out the main theme of the song at the beginning, because children are less patient. It requires more effort to do so.”

Mr. Tang Man Kit, 28, is also a composer of both children’s and adult songs. He explained, “The difference between children’s songs and songs for adults is that children’s songs are much simpler. As long as the lyrics of a children’s song are interesting and easy to understand, and the melody is easy-listening, it is a successful song.

“Nevertheless, for songs for adults, more emphasis is put on the musical arrangement and the sentiment of the singers.”

Miss Vikki Tong, a singer of children’s songs, said, “For children’s songs, it is simpler to perform naturally. However, it needs more sentiment to sing songs for adults.

“The main difference is that singing songs for adults will help to increase the sales of records, because children do not have money to buy their own albums, but adults do. Besides, songs for adults can become popular in a very short time, thus helping sales,” Miss Tong added.

According to Mr. Lai, even though he is an adult, it is not very difficult for him to write children’s songs.

“I have been a child, and I know how children feel. However, children today are very different from children of decades ago, in terms of their lifestyles, interests and their ways of thinking. Therefore, songwriters of children’s songs have to pay more attention to children’s lives, the games they play and the environments they are living in. They should gather more information about children before they write,” said Mr. Lai.

In fact, there are many techniques to write a good children’s song.

Mr. Harry Wong, a disc jockey for FM Select who has written more than 100 children’s songs, said, “To write good children’s songs, the composer should not be afraid of writing childish things and should have an innocent heart. Besides, the composer should avoid being too direct in teaching children in the song. Otherwise, it will be boring and children will resist the idea presented in the songs. What’s more, writing things which are too difficult for children to comprehend should also be avoided.”

Apart from handling these techniques, composers themselves should also widen their scope of music in order to write good children songs.
Above: Miss Vikki Tong

Mr. Tang said, “Since children’s songs are usually easy-listening and easy-understanding, their messages can be easily understood by children. Also, children are able to remember them well. Being a children’s song writer, I think I carry the responsibility to spread positive messages to children and teach them. I hope they will always bear the messages in mind,” said Mr. Tang.

However, Mr. Wong sees the effect of children’s song in another way.

“I think the cultural roots of Hong Kong are not deep enough. Local children’s songs do not contain anything related to culture. But it is important to build up children’s sense of belonging to the country. I think the situation may be improved after 1997,” said Mr. Wong.

Miss Tong has her own point of view towards children’s songs. Before singing children’s songs, she thought that children’s songs were just songs that kids sing in schools. After singing children’s songs, she thinks now that children’s songs have educational value and play a indispensable part in kids’ lives.

In recent years, children’s songs have been presented to children on television like pop songs. There have been weekly charts of children’s songs, children’s song awards and music videos which were unavailable 10 years ago. It seems that children’s songs are more commercial now.

“From my point of view, the local children’s songs are getting more and more commercialized in terms of musicians’ motives for composing. Most of them produce children’s songs just to make profits. I don’t think the output of their production is good,” said Mr. Wong.

Said Mr. Tang: “Children’s songs are becoming more commercial. Hong Kong music has no roots. As long as a song is easy-listening, it is supposed to be a good song. We are now adding some popular elements to make the songs more widely acceptable. We are just making a compromise which I don’t think is a problem.”

“Going commercial is a trend and an effective way to let more children know more about children’s songs,” Mr. Lai said.

Said he: “It’s impossible to make big money by producing children’s songs. But I still go on as I am interested in it and I derive much satisfaction from writing children’s songs.

“Once I was on a train, and I met a child who said to me, ‘Let me teach you a song called Where the Chicken Is.’ Actually I was the composer of that song, and I was very glad to know that the child appreciated my song. I believe that such satisfaction is not something that can be bought.”

April 1996