Erica Rabner's Got This Pandemic

Singer/songwriter Erica Rabner had a unique vantage point from inside the pandemic. Through her "day job" work with children, she could see how youngsters of all ages were suffering – and not just physical ailments brought on by coronavirus. She developed two separate releases for different age brackets on the new 8 Pound Gorilla recording label – THE COVID ALBUM which was released earlier this year for toddlers and younger tots – and the brand-new WE GOT THIS for their older, preteen brethren.

Excited by material she collected from conversations with children (used in seven interstitial messages scattered throughout the CD), Erica finished WE GOT THIS, top to bottom, between December 2020 and January 2021. The title track became the catchphrase between her and producer Brian Blake as they literally willed the music into existence. The year 2020 was a traveling adventure for Rabner, who traded her New York City for a car and moved cross-country. The tracks for THE COVID ALBUM were recorded in a closet in Austin, Texas. 

Erica decided to use a different approach for WE GOT THIS. Your heart breaks listening to children expressing their thoughts on anxiety, loneliness, social media, and looking for ways to remain positive. The 10 songs relate to and amplify the complexity of these emotions, especially when parents – expected to always have the answers – frighteningly are a different breed of superhero, are are the essential workers who kept society moving, thanked in the opener, "Stronger Together."

Fellow 8 Pound artists Genevieve Goings ("Highlights Reel") and SaulPaul ("Be The Light") deliver inspirative vocals on songs about seeking optimistic in the middle of pandemic fatigue and looking for silver linings instead of dwelling on the worst aspects of your current situation. "Slack" gives children permission to just be themselves and "Zoom" addresses the comical, frustrating side effects of remote education:

How can I concentrate in class on Zoom when Jason's sister's always crying?

How can I focus when Maya says her Internet is down again but we all know she's lying?

It bears repeating that children's music is not strictly for children. With songs like "Be the Light" and "Brand New Day," Erica Rabner finds optimism inside the darkest year in your family's lives. There's a warm, fuzzy friendliness that makes "we got this" another three-word slogan worth teaching your children.

WE GOT THIS is available from Erica Rabner's website, Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the title track, "We Got This":

Rabner Helps Kids, Families Cope With COVID

Vaccines are on the way! But ramping up to 350 million people (which means more than half a BILLION vaccinations) means there's still a long time until we all celebrate our family reunions. This is especially frustrating since testing was not done on children under age 16. Seizing on the jumbled emotions of these turbulent, virulent times, Erica Rabner is releasing THE COVID ALBUM: SONGS TO HELP KIDS AND FAMILIES COPE.

Erica is acutely aware of the impact of enforced pandemic separation, as her own grandmother passed away last summer. Over the final six months, there was no in-person contact between them, which inspired her to write "Grandma, I Miss Ya," with backing vocals by Grammy winner Jon Samson. The new video for the song (complete with archival footage of Erica and her grandmother) is viewable below this review.

The year 2020 became a traveling adventure for Rabner, who traded her New York City for a car and moved cross-country. Using her background in early children education, she recorded tracks in a closet in Austin, Texas that became THE COVID ALBUM, including "Imagination Station," "Manage Your Feeings," and "Wash Your Hands," which became the source of more than 500 TikTok videos featuring kids and their creative masks.

Many parents have just about given up trying to get their children to understand the importance of wearing masks. After consulting with a pediatrician, Erica crafted the harmonic "Mask On" to remind families that "personal protective equipment" (PPE) directly affects everyone:

Mask on, put your mask on
Cover your nose and mouth
Don't leave your house without your mask on

THE COVID ALBUM shows Erica's affinity with younger audiences (her "day job" is a research analyst for Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood). While everybody is dealing the pandemic fatigue, parents can step aside for a little while and let Erica Rabner fill the emotional, entertainment, and educational void. 

THE COVID ALBUM: SONGS TO HELP KIDS AND FAMILIES COPE is available on February 17 from Erica Rabner's website, Amazon, and iTunes.

Here is the video for "Grandma, I Miss Ya":

Yowie! A New Music Label For Kids!

When I got into the children's music scene in the early '00s, the major labels treated the genre with literal kid gloves. Recordings for young listeners required curation by parents – and the audience "ages out" of your talent roster in a finite number of years. It was frankly too much of a chore for an industry where physical product – at that point the lifeblood of the touring, local musician – was beginning to dwindle, in favor of digital downloads or online steaming services (something tweens and toddlers don't have a credit card to purchase).

In 2006-2008, a breakthrough looked possible, as Disney Music threw its massive marketing influence behind a selection of artists, including Ralph's World, for a "Disney Music Tour" featuring They Might Be Giants (who performed the theme to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and had released several children's music CDs). Disaster struck as the Barenaked Ladies, scheduled to headline a few of the concerts, dropped out when lead singer Steven Page was arrested for drug possession. TMBG filled in on those dates (including a show outside the Nassau Coliseum that I attended) but attendance didn't exactly thrill Disney. The experiment ended soon afterward. 

The world is a totally different place and 8 Pound Gorilla Records, curated by SiriusXM Kids Place Live's Kenny Curtis, is poised to face those challenges head-on in 2021. A division of the comedy label 800 Pound Gorilla Media, 8 Pound Gorilla Records will mirror its parent company's digital marketing tactics to promote a diverse lineup of truly independent musicians, spanning a number of genres, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

More children's music in 2021? From people who know what they're doing? What's the downside in that? 

As seen by three of the contenders for Best Children's Recording bowing out of the category due to discomfort with the all-white nature of the five nominees, multi-culturalism is a big deal for 8 Pound Gorilla. The roster ranges from Australia’s Formidable Vegetable to Grammy-nominated Bay Area artist Frances England. This year will see new releases by Grammy winner Tim Kubart, Genevieve Goings (Disney Jr's Choo-Choo Soul), comedian-musician Mike Phirman, pop songwriting duo Rabbit!, Sesame Street songwriter Erica Rabner, Nashville's Elliott Park, SaulPaul, Latin Grammy and Emmy Award winners The Lucky Band, Chicago’s soul duo Raii & Whitney, and Atlanta’s hip-hop maestro DJ WillyWow. 

Genevieve Goings christens 8 Pound Gorilla Records as the first artist being featured this year, with the release of GREAT INDOORS, a pandemic family EP. “8 Pound Gorilla is really nurturing to artists – we do what we do, and they will take it from there,” she said. 

Sharon, Bram & Friends Talk Peace; Erica Rabner Says "Mask On"

Children's music is all about shared experience. How else are kids going to discover music if it's not shared with them? That creates a next generation that begins to create and share their works and so on. "Talk About Peace" was written by Joe Hampson – a Canadian folk singer in The Travellers who was married to children's performer Sharon Hampson (of Sharon, Lois, and Bram acclaim). While not as well known in the United States, the trio were celebrated for their body of work and inducted into The Order of Canada, their country's highest honor.

That trio recorded "Talk About Peace" for their 1980s television program, "The Elephant Show." More than 25 years later, the song has been re-recorded (using Zoom technology) by Sharon and Bram and Friends – including Josh Lovelace, improv expert Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is it Anyway?), actor Aaron Solomon (who played Johnny Cash in Million Dollar Quartet), and Canadian children's music duo Splash'N Boots.

After the retirement of Lois and Bram, Sharon was encouraged (by Bram) to keep recording and performing with her daughter, lyricist Randi Hampson. Sharon and Randi now sing the songs of Sharon, Lois & Bram through Facebook Live Singalongs every Thursday at 1:00 PM. ET on the Sharon, Lois & Bram Facebook page.



Singer Erica Rabner is one of the many performers using her voice to help children under the importance of wearing masks. Her new song "Mask On" promotes community safety and the role of personal protection equipment in keeping your loved ones safe. Erica is currently planning a music video to boost “Mask On” into the popular consciousness, featuring people of all ages and backgrounds.

"My goal is to make masks more fun and turn a source of anxiety into a source of pride," explains Erica, who spoke with a number of like-minded educators, parents, and health care professionals. You can find Erica's Google Form to submit yourself/your children for the "Mask On" video and listen to the song here:

Erica Rabner · Mask On

Pinna and the Birthday Show Offer Original Kids Content

What if there was an ad-free streaming service with original content custom-made for youngsters? That would be Pinna, which is offering 30 days of free listening (60 days using the code PINNA4KIDS). The service was founded last year and has partnered with Scholastic, Random House, and American Public Media, among other sources.

Podcasting may not be brand new, but it is certainly "of" this generation. Pinna includes dozens of podcasts for children, and pledges that their content is 100% child-friendly within their confines. Making all the shows positively positivity for sheltering minds.

Pinna has released an original kid-friendly album called Real Me, showcasing 10 new songs, written and produced by kindie artist Erica Rabner. Real Me also features tracks with the Alphabet Rockers and Tim Kubart.

Here is the video for "Real Me":



Former Sprout personality and Grammy winner Tim Kubart is also a participant in the new "Birthday Show," a daily interactive kids program for kids ages 3-8 from video startup Hellosaurus. You can sign up for adult notifications. The login page has a handy dandy countdown that tells you when the next show is going live.

"Birthday Show" is the latest effort from Hellosaurus, and is being touted as an interactive mobile video platform for kids from the people who launched HQ Trivia, Toca Boca, and Peekaboo Barn.

Striving to be truly interactive, The Birthday Show allows sheltering kids at home to play use their computer, tablet, or touchscreen phone to engage in classic party games like piñata and treasure hunt, blow out candles, “eat” the cake, and unwrap a present. Past guest stars have included Genevieve Goings, Emily Arrow, and trumpet virtuoso Benny Benack III.

Like Pinna, Hellosaurus started last fall, just in time to (unfortunately) be ready for the COVID crisis. You can view past episodes of "The Birthday Show" at their website.

Quick Hits: Free Valentines Music and Video

Valentines Day and children's music are two concepts that don't necessarily go hand in hand.

But there are ways to make them work together and provide fun for all ages.

Justin Roberts has released a video for "Valentine (I Don't Want to Be Yours)," from his latest album, LEMONADE. View it here and enjoy:


You can download Justin's song as well as tunes from other artists such as Recess Monkey, courtesy of Beth Blenz and Sugar Mountain PR, through the actual day (February 14). Here's the playlist link.

Enjoy love-themed songs from Little Miss Ann, Raffi, and Frances England. And then go find some other stuff by those artists and share it with the little ones you love.

Erica Rabner is also offering a Valentines song for download – "Valentine's Day" (wonder where she got that title) is up for download at Soundcloud. You can also click through to her debut album, PB & JAMS.