I'll come clean here and admit that I am not a big fan of kids music. I'm talking The Wiggles, Barney, anything sung by Mickey Mouse and other similar members of this genre.

Don't get me wrong: That music certainly has a time and a place. I don't ban it from my home. My two-year-old loves a CD of Mickey singing classic children's songs. My older daughter had a brief Wiggles phase. And I'll give credit to Barney's "Clean Up" song for helping to get my house in a little bit better order.

I also know that simple songs, like nursery rhymes, are important for their development. And I know that music they can relate to makes it more fun for them. I'm not reading Faulkner to them at bedtime, after all.

So, when it comes to the music we listen to on a daily basis, I look for artists that we all can agree on. My family of four has narrowed in on four favorites: Gustafer Yellowgold, Justin Roberts, Frances England and Recess Monkey. If you don't know them, you should.

In all four cases, there's plenty of good musicianship and lyric writing to keep parents as interested as the kids. In Roberts and England, you'll find songs that speak to you as much as they speak to your kids. In Gustafer Yellowgold and Recess Monkey, it's just a lot of fun.

So ... I already have July 21 marked on my calendar because that's when I expect we'll be headed out to The ArtsCenter in Carrboro to hear Recess Monkey play a few of our favorites. When Brooke over at The ArtsCenter told me they were coming, I'm pretty sure that I responded to her in all caps (and Brooke, I apologize for that). And then I recounted the dance my daughter and a friend did for their preschool graduation to Recess Monkey's song "Moon Boots" that involved the robot ... but, I digress.

The Seattle-based trio will stop at The ArtsCenter for their first North Carolina show on 11 a.m., July 21, show. Tickets are on sale now. They are $7 for kids, $9 for the general public and $28 for a family four-pack. Kids 2 and under (who sit on your lap) are admitted free.

For all the details and to get tickets, click here.

From the rumbling I'm hearing from venues across the Triangle, this summer is shaping up to be a great one for good family music. So stay tuned!