Daria and Esther Crow Celebrate Earth Day

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":

Esther Crow's Green Earth Day, New View from Koo Koo Kanga Roo

In celebration of Earth Day 2021 (Thursday, April 23), musician Esther Crow has released the bio-friendly song, "It's So Easy Bein' Green." Yes, the title plays off Joe Raposo's iconic Sesame Street tune. In June, Esther is stepping away from Thunder & Sunshine, her funk-rock ensemble, to promote her upcoming solo CD, ALL TOGETHER NOW. The project, spearheaded by kids' music über-producer Dean Jones, promises songs about environmental justice, social justice, and animals. Esther is releasing a video next month to commemorate Endangered Species Day on May 21.

Featuring her seven-year-old son Vincent, "It's So Easy Bein' Green" addresses ways to bring about positive change, in line with this year's slogan, "Restore the Earth." The duo talk about such easy-to-accomplish tasks as eating less meat, riding a bicycle to reduce carbon emissions, and utilizing reusable water bottles:

It's so easy bein' green
Living' low waste, using LEDs
Picking up bottles on the beach
Whatever you can do, to help make it clean

As Esther points out, “If each of us made these small adjustments in our lives, we could have an impact."

Grab "It's So Easy Bein' Green" at Bandcamp and Hearnow. 

The post-pandemic spring blast of children's music continues next month with the release of SLOW CLAP, a new CD from Koo Koo Kanga Roo. To prepare audiences for what's coming, they've dropped the first video, “Ice Cold Lemonade.” Making their case for a summer anthem about the citrusy kids favorite, the song was produced by Lazerbeak (who worked with Lizzo, among other notables) and features a guest verse from Murs, a Los Angelino who knows a thing or two about sunshine. The kaleidoscopic video shows the duo of Bryan and Neil dressed as oversized lemons in a park, a playground, and on a boat. Because lemons love boating, mmkay. Watch the video here:

Ensemble, Pointed Man Lead Earth Day Musical Charge

Just in time for Earth Day 2015 come a pair of environmentally-conscious, child-friendly CDs packed with music and a touch of messaging. As I'm usually message-adverse, I proceeded with initial trepidation but was pleasantly surprised.

Earthworm Ensemble (organically) delivers its second CD, BACKYARD GARDEN, with 13 original tunes covering animals, recycling, and the wonders of nature. Multi-instrumentalist Dan Elliott (aka The Pointed Man Band) returns for his sophomore release, FLIGHT OF THE BLUE WHALE. Both collections are dedicated to some pretty fierce natural concerns, as you can plainly see.

The five principal musicians behind Earthworm Ensemble (Shawn Nourse, Sherri Nourse, Victoria Jacobs, Paul Lacques, and Denny Moynahan) seek to engage all ages with songs such as "Bees Make Honey" with its heavy bassline and the deep-friend southern xydeco sound of "Chicken Coop." There's even a mini-story suite with "Mole versus Coyote" and "Coyote versus Mole."

To remind kids of the hubris of ignorance and pride, "Sparko Stegasaurus" the dinosaurs talks about  how he will walk the earth forever...until he catches a glimpse of something large in the sky making a beeline for the planet.

In the end, Earthworm Ensemble reminds us to care for the planet through the concepts of "Reduce Reuse Recycle." A solid message (if not the more familiar song that shares the same name):

We'll get a few more years out of our trusty old Chevy
See the world from the window of a train
Turn off the lights, we'll turn off the TiVo
Ride our bikes, get around in the rain.

The Pointed Man Band's Dan Elliott spends his time on FLIGHT OF THE BLUE WHALE with the animals – "Red Fox," "Moles on Parade" (there are those moles again), and of course a selection of whale-based tunes, "Old Mother Blubber Hunter," "Gypsy Whale Waltz," and the title track. But it's not a predominantly downbeat, with the funky "Apodidae Reggae," the jaunty sea shanty, "Valse De Taupier," and the nearly-burlesque "Tunneling To Paradise."

The CD comes with a story booklet that ties in to the music. Elliott seeks to delve the relationships between parents and children, from the opening "Red Fox":

It's the little hands that keep the big hands running
So won't you put your hand in mine.

You can't force sincerity. It has to be honestly produced (and reciprocated in kind). Earthworm Ensemble and the Pointed Man Band have a genuine interest and investment in your children and teaching them to respect the planet, so they – and it – will have a future they can enjoy. In the meantime, there's always music to share.

BACKYARD GARDEN is available from CDBABY, Amazon, and iTunes.

FLIGHT OF THE BLUE WHALE is available on April 24 from Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.

Here is the video for the Pointed Man Band's "Summer":