Sing songs of love...

(VHQN) - Driven by her love for children, female musician Tran Thu Huong from Quang Nam province has created many compositions for children, featuring a special musical element: children's rhymes.

DVD cover art for "I Love Children's Rhymes" by composer Tran Thu Huong.

Bring nursery rhymes to children.

For many years, music lovers nationwide have known female composer Tran Thu Huong - a member of the Vietnam Musicians Association (originally from Que Hiep commune, Que Son district, currently residing in Di Linh plateau, Lam Dong province), for her hundreds of songs diverse in themes and genres.

Specifically in the field of songs written for children, she has over 100 songs printed in two song collections, "From the Loving Podium" and "Moonlight on the Hammock" (published by Thanh Nien Publishing House), along with the music DVD "Lullaby for Grandma," which are loved by children all over the country...

Her childhood love for children didn't stop there; recently, the female musician released a music album-DVD containing 10 songs titled "I Love Children's Rhymes" to send to children nationwide through television broadcasts in many localities...

Composer Tran Thu Huong confided: “For a long time, I have cherished the idea of how to bring children's rhymes to them. Because the rhymes from my childhood in my hometown, Que Hiep, in the midland district of Que Son, have deeply ingrained themselves in our hearts during summer afternoons and moonlit nights, along with countless memorable games such as: "Having Hands, Not Having Hands," "Casting Coconut Trees," "Dragon and Snake Climbing to the Clouds," "Asking Where Cuoi Went," etc.”

One day, during a break between classes, I saw my students playing traditional games in the schoolyard, but they didn't know how to read or sing any of the nursery rhymes. The idea of bringing nursery rhymes to them so they could play and sing at the same time became more compelling. And I dedicated myself to this work, considering it a gift for my students…”

Folk games are associated with children's rhymes and songs.

She has set many poems to music, such as: "Little Child Looking at the Sea" (Tran Manh Hao), "Little Pilot" (Vu Duy Thong), "Alarm Clock" (Hoai Khanh), "Grandma's Moon" (Nguyen Luong Hieu)... and they are loved by children.

Taking advantage of this, she selected and collected a number of short nursery rhymes that could be used for games while singing. From there, she used rhythms and melodies with a modern musical feel, familiar to children, breathing life into those nursery rhymes, making them love both the melodies and the lyrics.

Thus, 15 songs based on children's rhymes were created, brimming with love for children and nostalgic memories of childhood. Notable examples include the cheerful and whimsical songs in the DVD album "I Love Children's Rhymes" by composer Tran Thu Huong, such as "Planting Beans and Eggplants," "The Ant Rhyme," "Mr. Thunder and Mr. Lightning," "Beautiful Hands," and "The Kitten Washing Its Face"...

Many songs have short, concise lyrics that easily resonate with young children, such as "Mr. Thunder, Mr. Lightning" with its endearing lines: " Mr. Thunder, Mr. Lightning / He roars loudly / He explodes everywhere / Breaking pots and pans / Breaking all the dishes in my house / I drag him out and beat him / One whip / Two whips / He runs back to heaven / Oh, Mr. Thunder, Mr. Lightning !". Or like the song "Going Out in the Sun" with lyrics that sound like loving advice and reminders: " Look at the little bird / It's perched on a branch of a crape myrtle / It calls out to those who are good / To listen to it / Going out in the sun requires / A hat to cover oneself / Anyone who doesn't listen / Will get a headache and a runny nose ..."

Music nourishes the soul.

Children's rhymes are verses or songs that children sing while playing traditional games. Many of them have meaning, but some don't; they are simply rhyming and, especially, catchy and amusing.

Incorporating music into nursery rhymes may seem simple, but it's actually very difficult. The challenge lies in preserving the core essence and main idea of the rhyme while also allowing children to hum the melody, maintain rhythm, and improvise with climaxes.

Regarding this, musician Tran Thu Huong said: "Children's rhymes inherently only have rhythm, not melody or pitch. Therefore, when writing songs, I usually base them on the core of the lyrics, incorporating a few ideas that harmonize with the rhyme, along with a gentle meaning, contributing to the character and aesthetic education of children without losing the essence and main idea of the rhyme."

What's commendable is that, after writing songs inspired by children's rhymes, composer Tran Thu Huong personally funded the production of the DVD album "I Love Children's Rhymes," which includes 10 songs. From arranging and orchestrating the music, selecting singers, setting the scenes, casting actors in each music video, filming, and post-production editing, it all required a tremendous effort in terms of time, money, and mental fortitude from this female composer.

But she said that once the "children's rhyme project" was completed, all the difficulties and hardships seemed to vanish, leaving only happiness in hearing the children sing and play, and seeing their radiant smiles in the garden of music.

Currently, the DVD album "I Love Children's Rhymes" by composer Tran Thu Huong has been broadcast on many television stations nationwide. These include the television stations of Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Binh Phuoc, Lam Dong, and Quang Nam, her hometown.

The musician has also been invited to interact with children on the theme "I love nursery rhymes" in various local radio and television programs. This is how the musician from Quang Nam province conveys his love for childhood through nursery rhymes.

Hopefully, musician Tran Thu Huong's story of bringing nursery rhymes to children will continue to spread, becoming a valuable source of spiritual nourishment to help nurture the souls and love of music of childhood.

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