Live(streamed) Kids Music Returns to Symphony Space

Live children's music has returned to Symphony Space, but with a twist. While the performers are on stage inside the venue, their concerts are conducted via livestream (for free!) to family audiences around the world. We're all hoping for a return to normalcy and this compromise allows "Just Kidding Kids" to deliver its eclectic agenda of artists.

The oldest resident Native American dance company in New York, the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, pay a visit on On Saturday, January 29 at 11 AM. The troupe was founded in 1963 by a group of ten Native American men and women (all New Yorkers) descended from Mohawk, Hopi, Winnebago and San Blas tribes. They are keeping alive the traditions, songs, and dances learned from their parents, while added to their repertoire from other Native Americans living in New York as well as others who were passing through. While the event will be livestreamed, sign up here to receive updates and an email alerting you that the link has been posted on Symphony Space's event page.

Latin Grammy nominee Sonia De Los Santos returns to the venue on Saturday, February 19 at 11 AM to promote songs from her latest album, ESPERANZA ("hope" in Spanish), along with music from her past releases. During the pandemic, De Los Santos conducted a series of "En Casa Con Sonia" solo concerts and is no stranger to the "art" of livestreaming shows. Click here for the event sign up sheet for her concert.

The music of East Asia is showcased by Elena Moon Park and Friends on Saturday, March 12 at 11 AM. Children with a curiosity about how alike people are despite our cultural differences may enjoy the welcoming folk rock sound of Park's ensemble. Click here and event an email for the livestream event.

Here is the video for Elena Moon Park's song "Flower Dance":

Eric Herman Debates Reality in New Music Video

What the world needs now is more Eric Herman. This spring, the surreal children's musician is returning with MAGIC BEANS, his nine album and also his first new full recording in more than five years. In the meantime, he's teasing the upcoming CD with a series of five videos, including this month's "Side Scroller."

The song (and video) operate on several levels, considering the amount of hours that children are encouraged to spend in front of screens during the pandemic. The protagonist imagines himself in a "Matrix"-esque situation where all his daily interactions mesh with different video games (For instance: Getting to your seat in the classroom? Centipede). "Side Scroller" is also delightfully meta, as there's the main character and the character in the video game that he plays, and then the (spoiler alert) human who sits at the main controller.

If you're a fan of shows like Westworld or films like the Matrix series, you'll immediately understand the concept of "simulation hypothesis." It pretty much asks, are we the reality or are we a program built by a more sophisticated species? It's notable that STEM expert Neil deGrasse Tyson gives this theory a 50/50 chance of being true, in part because an advanced civilization would have to weigh the significance of allowing the characters to have the sentience to comprehend their exact nature. If that premise gives you nightmares, just assemble some s'mores for the kids, relax in your family room, and exult in the knowledge that Eric Herman is dealing with these complex abstractions.

"Side Scroller" also depicts parallels between the boy's life and such classic video games as Pong, Tetris, Pac-Man, and even Tron (yes, Tron). The video is one of three created for MAGIC BEANS by NYC-based animator and motion graphics artist Jay Marks. 

Watch the video for "Side Scroller":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, January 24, 2022

I Spy – Ants Ants Ants
Lost In Yesterday – Tame Impala
Where We Are – The Lumineers
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions
Nice Guys Finish Last – Green Day
what if – Caspar Babypants
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas

Dinosaurs, Danny Weinkauf at LICM This Weekend

Remember the Syd Hoff story, "Danny and the Dinosaur"? The kid would sure enjoy the Long Island Childrens' Museum's (LICM) new exhibit, "Age of the Dinosaurs," opening this weekend. 

To celebrate the event, the LICM in Garden City has invited Danny Weinkauf and his Red Pants Band for a pair of performances on Sunday, January 23 (11:30 am and 2 pm). Due to pandemic social distancing, advance tickets are advised. You can purchase them from LICM by clicking here.

If you're not familiar with Danny Weinkauf, he's the bassist for a bunch of newcomers called The Might Be Giants and has released a full hand's worth of his own CDs for kids. Expect to hear science-oriented tunes like "I Am A Paleontologist" and "Dinosaurs on Roller Skates" (which fits the theme but is not completely jurassic-truthful).

Here is the video for the band's song, "Etymology":

A Triple Rainbow of Authentic Kid Power Pop

Keeping your kids busy during a pandemic can be challenging. But it also depends on your perspective. Jared Mees, co-founder of the independent record label Tender Loving Empire, decided to put daughters July (9) and Piper (4) to work in the family business. Mees founded Triple Rainbow, a family band that draws inspiration from their shared experiences and post-lockdown/mandate aspirations. The new CD, YOU ARE MAGIC, features 15 original songs and showcases vocals from the sisters.

What might the Mees kids be interested in doing? If you expect them to delve into cryptocurrency and foreign policy, you'll be disappointed. First and foremost, they want to have fun ("Dance Party," "Why Can't Every Day Be Halloween?" and "Slime"). They also want to keep busy ("Stuffy Scavenger Hunt" and "The Lake"). As they point out in "Facts," "If there is one true thing we can say, we've got a lot of living to do starting today." 

It helps Triple Rainbow to have a key band member involved in the music biz. Mees has a group of his own (Jared Mees and the Grown Children) and offers a deft hand in guiding his girls' songwriting technique. "Under the Water" may be a fantasy about aquaatic life, but it also contains a timely message about the ecology and climate change. The all-inclusive "Fam Jam" is a community-building exercise in reaching out and expanding your circle of support:

They could be your mom or your dad or your cousin or aunt
Could be your coach or your neighbor or your best friend
'Cause family is anybody who knows they can depend on you
And you can depend on them

The Oot 'n Oots have prospered because 14-year-old singer Ruthie is tackling the challenge of more grown-up themes in a children's music environment, without falling back on the tropes of "here's a song about fire engines, here's a song about brushing your teeth." Triple Rainbow has a long way to go (literally) and who knows, perhaps July and Piper will one day move behind the scenes and manage their father's musical efforts. However things shake out, there's definitely much more magic to be shared.

Triple Rainbow is doing a video variety hour to celebrate the release of YOU ARE MAGIC at 8 PM ET on Friday, January 21 on Facebook Live. The show will feature music, jokes, and actual magic tricks from Jared. They will also answer viewer questions and give shoutouts to contest winners. Click here to redirect to Facebook Live.

You can download and purchase YOU ARE MAGIC on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and www.tenderlovingempire.com.

Here is a video for "Slime":

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, January 18, 2022

The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
love you more – Caspar Babypants
Go – The Black Keys
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
One More Year – Tame Impala
Hitchin' A Ride – Green Day

Todd 'n'Tina Blow Up Your Kids (Figuratively)

It took the ever-inventive Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants) approximately 15 years to burn out of writing children's music. In that time, he estimated that after more creating than 360 tunes, there were no more silly, surprising couplings of concepts that were worth assembling into another collection. I've started to feel that the end is nigh on the reviewing end as well, although the pandemic encouraged me to strive for more coverage of the under-appreciated genre. 

I keep my ears open for ideas that haven't blasted from my speakers in the past. Minneapolis-based Todd'n'Tina managed to reach that goal with their debut collection, DYNAMITE. Songwriter Todd Millenacker and educator Krissy Mondelli produced "Dermatologist Astronaut," about an overachiever who wants to blast off and help aliens deal with their bad, um, epidermis (see the video below).

Todd'n'Tina concern themselves briefly with stuff like "Silly String," "Unicorns & Narwhals," and "French Toast Day." Two different songs cover lunch choices, with "Giraffes Like Peanut Butter" and "Peanut Butter Pickle Truck." But don't worry, there's also a PSA for good dental hygiene with "Flossing Is My Hobby." They consider a social media makeover for the most formidable Star Wars' villain on the hypothetical "If Darth Vader Had an iPhone," listing most of the major platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitter:

If Darth Vader had Twitter what would he say?
To all the noble creatures that stood in his way?
Would he write in caps or mock them with memes?
Would 140 characters be enough to crush their dreams?

Treating their venture as a lark rather than a vocation, Todd'n'Tina should find a receptive local audience in the Twin Cities, as well as more fans through their YouTube channel, where they plan to post videos of other songs from DYNAMITE. If 20 minutes is about all you can take from children's music, that's enough time to breeze through DYNAMITE before you explode.

DYNAMITE is available from Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp, and Amazon.

Here is the video for "Dermatologist Astronaut":

Ben's 21st Birthday Playlist - Monday, January 10, 2022

'Cause I'm A Man – Tame Impala
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas
invisible lizard – Caspar Babypants

The BenAnna Band's Appeal to Special Needs

Expressing emotions through music is a paramount part of working with people with special needs. During the pandemic, the BenAnna Band (Ben Norton & Anna Delgado) took extra care to reach out to their young charges on Long Island, first through remote sessions and eventually with in-person sessions. They have released a new EP, TOGETHER WITH THE BENANNA BAND, with five songs that define their tactile "experience through interactivity" methodology.

The duo (a couple in real life) met while studying music therapy at Molloy College in Rockville Centre. After graduation, Ben and Anna worked with students with a wide range of special needs diagnoses. After finding success using music as an instructional tool, Ben suggested to Anna that they formalize their arrangement as a children's music act – hence the BenAnna Band came into existence. 

With years of experience working with pupils with special needs, Ben and Anna adapt their live performances to achieve the best response, based on the functional level of their audiences. Their songs cover their own adventures and friendships, while stressing that people experience things differently. As "Sunshine (My Song)" explains:

I can be strong, there's strength in who I am

And who I am when I'm shining bright is who I'll be again

I can choose who I want to be today

And tomorrow I'll choose again.

Emotions and self-regulation are the theme of "Rainbow Breath," as stress reduction is a key component when interacting with children with special needs. Body control and movement take center stage on "Rhythm Song Clap Along" and "Shake Shake Shake and Stop." EP closer "Never Smelt A Sour Smelling Flower" reminds kids that everyone can make a valuable contribution and "be the best of flowers." Together, Ben and Anna hope to reach listeners and families to share their messages, and many will find the BenAnna Band has a definite appeal.

You can purchase TOGETHER WITH THE BENANNA BAND at the BenAnna Band's website, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Here are Ben and Anna singing their new song, "Sunshine (My Song)":