Remember the old proverb, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The premise behind the saying is clear: Your attempt to improve something that is already sufficient may backfire." In the case of the new collaboration between Raffi and Lindsay Munroe, one could amend the maxim as, "If it ain't woke, don't fix it."
NURSERY RHYMES FOR KINDER TIMES updates a bunch of anachronistic Mother Goose chestnuts from decades – and centuries – ago and hardwires them for modern, spoonfed kids. Sure, you could call "Three Blind Mice" outdated...just look at the title. The same goes for "London Bridge Is Falling Down." But are children so coddled that they can't hear about "Humpty Dumpty," an egg, for omelet's sake, falling off a wall? Does Humpty really not get scrambled and put back together? The original intention of the ditty was teamwork (all the king's horses and all the king's men) and now it's "well, Humpty's friends came running to make sure he was okay."
I'm not on board with the small-brained thinkers in Florida pushing a "Don't Say Gay" agenda for preschoolers. But I'd think "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" is still kind of relevant in this environment. However, 20-year-plus preschool music teacher Pam Gittleman (a member of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative) wanted to reinvent these rhymes to nurture caring and compassion, and promote social and emotional intelligence. Those principles are the hallmark of Raffi's Child Honouring program. I've got another idea – how about creating NEW rhymes? It might be more difficult to market them, since you lose the selling "hook" of modern woke-ness. I guess now parents have a choice. I know what mine is.
Twinkle Twinkle Kindie star Is back hosting Kids Club For tykes near and far
Well, mostly for children who live near Santa Monica, California. After a two-year pandemic break, the monthly concert series returns, with Twinkle (Alitzah Navarro Dallas) kicking things off at 11 PM on Wednesday, May 4 at Santa Monica Place.
Featured guest artists include Kids Imagine Nation (June 1), Laura Doherty (July 6), Jason Mesches (August 3), Ruth and Emilia (September 7), Andy Z (October 3), Rory Gardiner (November 2), and Baila Baila (December 7). You can check the venue's website for additional information closer to each event.
Artificial intelligence can turn on a coffeemaker and cook a pizza, but it's far from replacing us. To make that clear for techno-savvy kids, Kelli Welli has titled her third family collection ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES (8 LB Gorilla Records). Still, your friendly family cyborg may harbor a secret desire to share a funny thought – and it might even make you crack a smile.
The colors of the rainbow translate into a brilliant array of human possibility on "Rainbow Love Song," quietly addressing the LGBTQ community without rubbing it in the noses of more conservative-minded parents. An all-star platoon of kids artists contributes backup vocals, including Flor Bromley, Claudia Robin Gunn, Kymberly Stewart, Twinkle Time, Elena Moon Park, Red Yarn, and Joanie Leeds. The latter also provides harmonies on "I Will Miss You," a mothers' lament about the joy of watching children grow, become independent, but then no longer need the kind of emotional assistance from their toddler days:
I will miss your little hugs
And the way you snuggle up
As we're reading favorite stories or reading lullabies
I will miss the way you look at me
And the wonder in your eyes
Every time I have the privilege of teaching something new
There must be something in the water in the Pacific Northwest. Kelli Welli joins the host of notable talents from the region, such as Red Yarn, Johnny Bregar, and Recess Monkey. ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES features her take on traditional material, such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Five Little Ducks," and "Five Little Frogs." She also exhibits her range with opera ("Stinky Shoe Reprise"), Irish punk ("Stinky Shoe"), and country "Dognado," where her home is overtaken by convivial canines. And Kelli puts the family in family music with appearances by her own kids. ROBOTS DON'T TELL JOKES, but there's something funny going on and Kelli wants to make sure your children are a part of it.
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala
Lazy Boy – Franz Ferdinand
Go – The Black Keys
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Clown Shoes – Ratboy Jr.
It's A Wonderful Life – Kepi Ghoulie
When Twinkle Time (Alitzah Weiner Navarro Dallas) says dance, it's hard for audiences to say no. Especially when paired with frequent West Coast collaborator Mista Cookie Jar (CJ Pizarro). The duo have returned for "Rain Or Shine," a new dose of power pop aimed at combating the blues caused by April showers. The beat is infectious and the lyrics are easy to sing along with:
We’re gonna be together rain or shine We’re gonna let our love light up the night We’re gonna hold hands So everyone can see Together we got something And its endless possibilities
Kindie musician Kathryn "the Grape" Cloward focuses her attention on mental health and self-care for children, topics that found themselves expedited to audiences during the past two-plus years due to the pandemic. Her latest collection, ALL TOGETHER, promoted empowerment and diversity through tracks such as "I Like Being Me," "You Matter to Me," and "Choosing Kindness."
Like many other performers, Cloward has expanded her "Grape" brand across recordings, videos, and books, all promoting progressive encouragement and educational material, thinly couched with messages for younger listeners (it's definitely for the under-8 set). Tykes still get tunes like "Jump for Joy" and "Let's Celebrate," but there's also a quiet "It's Okay to Cry," which is not to be confused with "It's Alright to Cry," the famous song from FREE TO BE...YOU AND ME. There's always a market for single-entendre music for small fry. Most of Cloward's catalog is streamable so kids can even request it directly from Siri and Alexa.
Listen to Kathryn the Grape's song, "I Feel Good About Myself":
BIRDIE, the children's music project created by Teresa Gasca-Burk and Gary Burk, have released a new spring-ish video for their song, "I Choose Happy." After partnering in a rock band, the duo segued into writing and performing original children's music for California families. You can find their music at their website, Amazon, and Apple Music. Here is the video for "I Choose Happy":
Lost In Yesterday – Tame Impala
The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
Summer's Here – The Bazillions
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
I could go on and on about the importance of Earth Day and how sustainability is something that everybody needs to take seriously. But I'm writing about kid's music, which means you need to run the content through the perspective of a child; being neither vengeful, judgmental, or ominous. During a program for school children a few decades back, Daria (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) was asked to conceptualize a song for the occasion. She used the chestnut "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and reconfigured it with the help of her students into "We've Got the Whole World In Our Hands." Their vision included not only recycling and ecology but also family and community outreach. She then took the song and crafted it into a workbook that can be used in educational programs about Earth Day.
You can hear the song on Spotify and Apple Music. Here is Daria singing "We've Got the Whole World In Our Hands":
Another performer celebrating Earth Day is New York City's Esther Crow has delivered a timely video for her song, "Stuff." The concept is easy enough to understand… you don't need to be a hoarder to find your living space overwhelmed by possessions. As her song explains, responsibility means previously-read books and used shoes can be given away to make another friend's day:
I got stuff in my closet, I got stuff in my drawers
I got stuff to deposit at the local thrift store
So much stuff that I never even wore
So much stuff I can't fit it through my door
So much stuff I can't take it anymore
The video for "Stuff" showcases the Crow fam (including 8-year-old son Vincent) and the Strawbitty Yops, under the engineering prowess of Grammy Award-winning über-producer Dean Jones. The one thing we can all agree is that there's not enough quality children's music and Esther is diligently working to overcome that oversight.
You can hear "Stuff" on Spotify and Apple Music. Here is Esther Crow's video for "Stuff":
Music is food for your ears. A single is an
hors d'oeuvre, an EP is an appetizer, and a CD is a full meal. If you're lucky, you can satisfy your hunger with the first two. Speaking of lucky, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band started 2022 with a bang – a Grammy nomination for Best Children's Recording (their 2021 release, CRAYON KIDS). Although they did not win, Lucky and company are surfing on that momentum with LOS FABULOSOS, a new EP from 8 Lb Gorilla Records.
The lead track, "Ridiculous," is all about slapstick, letting go of inhibitions, and being yourself (with wild public domain silent comic footage). "Elephant" talks about proper hydration, using pachyderms as the jumping-off point. "Elevator" tries to create a dance from being scrunching together in a tight space (something the pandemic made dangerous). There are two version of "Me Gusta," plain and Robert Elbach-ed (a remix producer friend of Lucky). If you're ready to be fabulous and silly this summer, the Lucky Band is right there with you.
Here is the video for their new song, "Ridiculous":
Father Goose has a new video for the song, "Invisible," the title track from his 2021 pandemic EP. The tune deals with children's fears of being marginalized, whether by the pandemic or through stress caused by conditions at home. "Invisible" can also be used as a gentle learning tool, to educate kids that they need to advocate for their own emotional and physical well-being. The video depicts different scenarios, although most in an almost subliminal fashion that will go over the heads of the youngest viewers (which might be a good thing).
You can stream the song at Soundcloud and Spotify. Here is the video for "Invisible":
Dog On Fleas released a song called "Doppelganger" before the pandemic, as a response to being mistakenly recognized as somebody else. The term comes to mind when listening to Steve Elci's new CD, NUTMEGGER. His vocals – as well as his song arrangements – are reminiscent of fellow children's musician Brady Rymer (which is the inverse of being a bad thing, far from it). The two performers are located a ferry ride apart (Long Island to Connecticut) but they occupy a similar workspace and create kids tunes at the highest level.
A "nutmegger" is a resident of the state of Connecticut and Steve wears his roots with pride. He combines entertainment and craftsmanship to devise distinctive hooks and lyrics that reach down your throat and make you sing along, before you realize it's happening (such as "Yellow and Green" and "Silly Words").
All the shades of the rainbow is the subtle theme of NUTMEGGER, from "Yellow and Green" to singing about painting the sky red, blue, and white on "4th of July." Steve delivers a message of tolerance and equality on "Crayons in the Sun," pointing out that every color is different and special, but that they all run together and become one when they're shared:
Colors, sweet colors, melting into one
Time of hope, time of choice, time to listen, a time to rejoice
With love we'll make a stand
Together hand in hand
Steve isn't timid about using his platform to address issues that will directly impact his young listeners. "I Won't Say Goodbye" in title alone would appear to be a traditional CD-ending "until next time" tune. Except the creatures that Steve doesn't want to bid adieu to are endangered species such as blue whales and California condors, not drowsy tots. Be forewarned, as satisfied, semi-conscious youngsters are the likely byproduct of an exuberant album like NUTMEGGER.
For small children, the entire world seems like a planet of giants. Everything is an adventure, from stepping up to brush your teeth, to being lifted onto your parents' bed. Some kids feel intimidating by the challenges of the jungle gym and playground equipment. Others soon tire of these juvenile structures and look to conquer new worlds. It's those industrious youngsters, such as Alec DuClime, who are celebrated in "I Like To Climb On Things," the new video from the
Sugar Free Allstars. Alec, the video's protagonist, seeks to be beyond sofas, counters, and bureaus, and graduates to mailboxes, refrigerators, even a Pontiac Firebird Trans Ams, and sees the potential (and danger) in ascending a polar bear.
The video was shot, edited and produced by friend of the band Andy Gibson, and features SFA members Chris “Boom!” Wiser and Rob “Dr. Rock” Martin. You get the duo's sassy sense of power funk and quirky sense of humor. Find music from the Sugar Free Allstars at their website, Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Here is the video for "I Like To Climb On Things":
New collaborations have reared their heads in the post-Grammys glow. Yes, the March ceremony and surrounded festivities turned out to be COVID super-spreader events. But prior to the gathering, two-time winner Lucy Kalantari and 2022 "Best Children's Recording" recipient Falu teamed with fellow nominee Fyütch to sing the praises of diversity and the benefits of a blended community with "Joy Spice Soul."
The self-explanatory title hints at the mixture of sounds and stylings from three very different performers and their backgrounds, as they merge talents to produce a soupçon of children's music. Kalantari continues to expand her jazz recordings to incorporate other genres, which in turn presents a multi-faceted, 360-degree view of the scope of the world of music. Their new offering demonstrates that there's a spice to life, which provides joy and hopefully more than a little bit of soul.
Stars – Ants Ants Ants
Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
Loving & Kind – Aaron Nigel Smith
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
White Whale – Kepi Ghoulie
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala
Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Finally – Franz Ferdinand
Inkpot – Kepi Ghoulie
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Sometimes there's a song in your heart (or head) and the music fights its way out up your esophagus and out of your mouth. That's the concept behind Jazzy Ash (Los Angelino Ashli St. Armant)'s new track, “Everybody Gotta Sing.” After spending her upbringing in New Orleans, Ash (along with her band, the Leaping Lizards) have cultivated a throwback swing sound that gets kids and parents alike on their feet and harmonizing like they just can't stop. It doesn't matter if you can play an instrument or the method you use to share your inner music, Ash emphasizes. With temperatures going higher and the end of the school year getting closer, kids are gonna need an anthem and Ash is prepared to make them dance for it.
Origami is the art of folding paper and transforming it into different things (such as a dog or even Yoda). As children get older, reaching milestones transforms them into the adults they will one day become. As Pointed Man Band (Dan Elliott) explains in his new song, "Origami," it's the responsibility of parents to correctly fold and shape our kids in the right way:
With two hands and a small piece of paper
I've got the world to create with just some folds and maneuvers
A little time, a little space
A little thought and some features
A library book on how to craft these delicate creatures
With its lively piano, organ, and horn section, "Origami" reminds kids that everybody has the right and obligation to make their mark in the world. That optimism puts the "point" in "Pointed Man Band."
April showers are promising a bucketful of children's music releases. Leading the torrent is WELCOME SPRING, the uplifting new EP from Chicago's Little Miss Ann (Ann Torralba) through 8 Lb Gorilla Records. Buoyed by the spirit of collaboration, Ann has released six tracks featuring a savvy arsenal of similar-minded performers, guided by kids music über producer Dean Jones.
If there's a common thread to the songs on WELCOME SPRING, it's a child's awakening to the outside world and their own abilities. The peppy title track showcases vocals by Brooklyn's Suzi Shelton and highlights the trumpet playing of Anna Jacobson. "So Many Ways," a duet with Uncle Jumbo, describes many things that make people stand out as individuals. "I Like Rice" covers similar ground with different types of food (showcasing fellow singer Flor Bromley). Second-generation drummer Michael Napolitano (of Michael and the Rockness Monsters) adds 1960s drums to "Koo Roo Koo Roo Koo Koo." Shelton and Ann's daughter Olivia accentuate "Parts Are Greater Than the Whole," which emphasizes that some people seem to have bigger hearts.
Little Miss Ann is pumped that the winter (and possibly the worst of the pandemic) are behind us. WELCOME SPRING and all the promise of warm weather and kindness of friends and family.
Here is the video for Little Miss Ann's song, "Welcome Spring":
Anyone who's ever gazed down at their newborn and thought "I made this" will appreciate "Art," the new video from Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari. The tune, from WHAT KIND OF WORLD?, the 2021 collection by Lucy Kalantari and the Jazz Cats, is a meta musing about the artistic process and how our development influences the world around us. The literal artwork was provided by 7-year-old Hannah Mayers, set to animation by director Matt Mayers. View the video here:
There are people who are engaged in making the world a better place for children and people who are engaged in making better children's music. Australian-based eco-pop artists Formidable Vegetable have taken two great concepts and launched a series of songs and videos promoting everything from recycling to personal responsibility to nature. Their latest EP from
8 Lb Gorilla Records, IN REAL LIFE (IRL), tackles social media and technology, something that would draw a standing ovation from Raffi, who created the Child Honouring program decades ago as a way to protect young minds from being manipulated by adult concepts.
Six songs doesn't sound like much, especially when two tunes clock in at less than one minute. But the band, led by ukulele-strumming sustainability serenader Charlie Mgee, are experts in delivering big returns. They produce an upbeat mix of styles and topics, including obsessive consumption ("Greed"), neuro-diversity ("Bad Timing"), and disconnecting to enjoy the outside world ("Short Attention Span"). And that's all you need to enjoy children's music in real life.
Here is the video for Formidable Vegetable's song, "There's No Such Thing As Waste":
Speaking of people Down Under, Loopy Tunes Preschool Music from New Zealand have recorded "Let's Make Lemonade" to celebrate spring and warm weather. The sister duo of Siu and Leah Williams have previously released native bilingual Māori and Pasifika children’s music. This tune is their first English original. It's a poppy duet and you can almost hear the ice cubes clunking into the glasses.
Speaking of spring, the Big Idea Committee (BIC), a Philadelphia duo (Christine Petrini and Melissa Brun) accompanied by Karl the Cello, produced their latest single, "Spring!" via Zoom, for their upcoming CD. The sprightly tune features sounds of spring created musically by area musicians Marybeth Kern (flute) and Kanako Omae Neale (percussion instruments, such as glock and triangle). “Spring!” has sprung and BIC wants to get kids outside to enjoy all that nature has to offer – bringing this post full-circle with the same principles espoused halfway across the world by Formidable Vegetable.
