In the time of lockdown, you simply can't avoid moms. Whether it's mom on Zoom, or forwarding you funny stories you already saw online, moms rule Days of COVID. Just in time for Mother's Day, Suzi Shelton and Park Slope Parents are gathering a cast of acclaimed family music artists for a "Celebrate Moms" concert to honor not just moms, but all the people who take care of us, including first responders.
The event streams live on Saturday, May 9 from 11 AM to 2 PM ET at Suzi's Facebook page. Admission is free and donations are appreciated. All funds raised will go to the First Responders Children's Foundation, which provides support to first responders and their families who are enduring financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.
A community of more than 7,000 families in Brooklyn, Park Slope Parents shares advice on everything from choosing childcare to camps, hairdressers to healthcare, and coping with teething, terrible twos, and tweens.
"King of the Dance Party" Father Goose returns with his new self-proclaimed CD this week. It's a baker's dozen tracks featuring a bevy of special guests, including Dan Zanes, Josh (of the Jamtones), Aaron Nigel Smith, Danni Ai, and many more.
The music celebrates family, inclusion, and a multicultural world. Key tracks include the evergreen "Monkey Man," "Wanna Love U," and "Father Goose Time," the latter with Dan Zanes.
Father Goose manages to work in many styles to his musings, from sea shanties to English Music Hall, soul, North American and West Indian folk. Jamaican born Danni Ai, who toured with Shabbas Ranks and the Fugees, provides guest vocals on several songs.
Children's recording artist/mindfulness advocate Kira Willey has released a new video to promote her recent CD, EVERY VOICE.
The video for "Community" was created by multi-Emmy-award and winner Maciek Albrecht (also honored with a Peabody Award) and his company, MaGiKWorld Animation, in partnership with ArtsQuest. Much of the art was created during a collaborative arts project at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania's Southside Arts Festival.
Kira is part of the festival's music program in August (Aug 10), which also includes performances from Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke (Aug 3), Mil's Trills (Aug 9), Brady Rymer (Aug 11), and Joanie Leeds (Aug 12).
Here is the video for "Community":
Mista Cookie Jar brings the West Coast to the Midwest with Minnesota's Uncle Dox, on a new summer song, "Chillin'." It's a slow groove with some acoustic guitars and beats. What else do you want on a hot day in July? Find the song here:
Yoga used to carry a pretentious preconception – a pencil-thin woman carrying a yoga mat would pass the train station and eyes would roll. A few decades and a sea change of cultural transformation later, there's no eye-rolling at the number of yoga outfits and yoga mats walking around any given neighborhood. Kira Willey teaches music, yoga movement, and mindfulness for children – mixing all the concepts on four prior CDs as well as her newest release, EVERY VOICE.
There's a ton of empowerment behind the dozen songs on EVERY VOICE, from the gossamer anthem title track, to "The Leader In Me" and "Community." Kira and company (including producers Zak Rizvi and Dave Padrutt) believe in putting the foot to the pedal as well as crossing the legs in a lotus position.
It's truly important for Kira (a mother of three) to promote kid power – not girl power, although that sentiment is the topic of the CD's first video, "Real Girl," featuring numerous authentic adolescents (see below). Kindness is an over-riding theme, from the closing "Kindness Mantra," to "Come On In," where "kindness always wins" and "Hello Hope" with the line "Fill the world up with kindness and love and joy." Children's music icon Laurie Berkner guests on "Dream It Up," helping harmonize on the sweet-tempered reveries:
If you're chilly paint the sun If you're lonely paint someone If you're sleepy paint a bed to cuddle up in Close your eyes and dream it up In your mind imagine it and see What it can be
Kira's airy vocals are sometimes doubled and tripled to create a hypnotic wall of sound that accompanies the mostly acoustic arrangements. That doesn't mean EVERY VOICE isn't a dance party. With the possible exception of piano ballad "Hello Hope," it's inevitable that young impressionable minds will command little feet to do some cavorting and gamboling. And in a final Bharadvaja's Twist, that could be the most empowering act that Kira gives your kids.
Sting is releasing his first CD of original pop music in more than a decade. It's an opportunity to introduce new fans to his catalog. Due to his career longevity, the majority of Sting's solo and recordings with The Police fall under the heading of "Classic Rock." Whether or not he trends with younger audiences depends upon how hip they find the 64-year-old former punk.
The Laurie Berkner Band has released SUPERHERO, its first CD of original children's tunes in eight years. Unlike Sting, Berkner and Company may not win back any lapsed fans – that's literally an eternity in kid's music. It's not like they've been on hiatus. Between FOOD SONGS and MOVEMENT SONGS and LOVE, there's been a ton of cover (and recycled) songs in the marketplace to remind people that Laurie Berkner is more than the first lady of children's music, she's a hearty brand.
Similar to Caspar Babypants on his website, Laurie writes liner notes (possibly not available with the download) for each song on SUPERHERO. For instance, "Tallulah Jones" came from her love of rhyming pure silliness. "I love the name Tallulah," she explains, "Plus, I'd really like to see a 10-foot egg":
Hello hello I am Tallulah Pegs I’ve got a 10 foot house Filled with 10 foot eggs And I’ve got music in my legs
Laurie is ably backed by longtime keyboardist Susie Lampert, drummer Bobby Golden, and some guy named Brady Rymer on bass, who also duets on "Opelika Alabama." Ziggy Marley also duets on My My Marisol" and yoga-mindfulness expert Kira Willey provides violin and vocals ("Swing Me") on the CD.
When Laurie started on this children's music thing, she was doing kids parties with no kids of her own. Now her own daughter, Lucy Mueller, joins the family business on "Elephant In There." Some recording artists find themselves evolving and "growing" their sound as their families age. That's true to an extent with SUPERHERO, which clocks in at just under one hour. "1-2 Hands" is a speedy blur of a concept about bodies. "Face To Face" is a facial recognition song that I can see as part of her "The Music in Me" program.
Harkening back to her earliest recordings, there's a dance remix of "We Are the Dinosaurs" that older siblings can enjoy, too. But the bread and butter of the LBB audience are still the little people who weren't even conceived the last time Sting released a pop album. SUPERHERO mines all that toddlers desire and feel, which is Laurie's strength as a singer/performer. In a callback to "Hello Dolly," it's so nice to have Laurie back where she belongs. Others have tried to fill the vacancy in the intervening absence. But Laurie Berkner is back to reclaim those shoes... and pig hats.
SUPERHERO is available at Laurie's website, Amazon, iTunes, and other fine digital retailers.
Here is a video of the Laurie Berkner Band performing the new song, "Bicycle":
Earth Day is Friday, April 22. But in reality, every day should be Earth Day. As long as an environmental crisis grips the planet, people must remain vigilant. Especially in the face of climate change deniers and politicians who fear corporate powers more than the thought of ocean levels a foot higher and a depleted ozone layer.
Charity and the JAMband commemorate the occasion with a brand-new CD, EARTH. "Every day should be Earth Day," she sings on the track with that name. Truth be told, Charity Kahn and company have always been ecologically-conscious and 100 percent bio-kindie-gradeable. From their base in San Francisco, California, their website mantra is "Music - Love - World Peace." So don't dispute the message or hate the messenger. Come for the harmonies and stay for the natural warmth in the lyrics.
While you can't fault Charity for her earnest sincerity, subtitling your CD "Songs for the Earth and All Beings" is going to set off internal alarms in less socially-conscious parents. For instance, "We Speak for the Earth" is immediately followed by "I Am the Earth." Okay, if the Earth can speak for itself, why... oh why even ask the question.
The band does deliver some less-weighty thoughts with "Sing A Summer Song" and "We Love Everybody." The former I can absolutely concur (don't ask me about the latter these days). And "Pebble Meditation Song" would not feel out of place on Kira Willey's latest yoga for kids collection. "But it's a little hippie dippy," you might blurt, finally unable to control yourself. Yeah, but this is 10 songs devoted to the singular concept that the next generation needs a gentle entrance ramp to the world of liberal arts and open-mindedness. Your world may not be perfect but we only have one planet and Charity points out that EARTH is what we all share, no matter what our differences may be.
Closing track "Little One" starts with a sonic callback to Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" (at least for me) but turns into a gentle lullaby whispering "I am here forever for you." In the context of EARTH, Charity is singing about this fragile planet with the double entendré of a parent tucking in a child. But the underlying sentiment is a comforting promise we all want somebody to tell us every night of our lives, no matter how young or how old. Let sweet Charity sing your sorrows to sleep and dream about a healthier world and a sunnier EARTH for all.
EARTH is available from Charity's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes. Check the band's Facebook page next week for one free song download per day from the CD!
Here is the video for Charity and the JAMband's song, "Earth Day":
For many performers, children's music goes from a hobby to a passion to an occupation. Some try to emulate the success of Music Together, which binds the product (CDs) intrinsically to the program. I will forget a few, but Laurie Berkner is the latest to take that route, which includes Music for Aardvarks, Kira Willey (yoga), and New Jersey's Preschool of Rock.
The risk/reward ratio has an exponential curve – your core audience must be constantly cultivated with concerts, videos, local public relations, and word-of-mouth. Kids who age out of the lowest levels of the program can stick around for music lessons. But it's an endless cycle that can wear out the most dedicated instructors, who sometimes farm out the hands-on activities and stick to the administrative side.
It takes a lifelong immersion to surrender completely to the process. Among the most disciplined of these disciples is Michael Napolitano, the founder and director of Preschool of Rock. The son of a professional touring drummer, Michael began his musical adventure at 18 months old. Smash-cut to 10 years performing with the Blue Man Group and jump-ahead eight years to present day, with Preschool of Rock established at more than one dozen NJ/NY metropolitan locations.
Ben (15) occasionally asks "Where's the next Music for Aardvarks CD?" I explain that he's aged-out of that program. Thus, even if we got new music, it would be more suited for his little brother (5). Michael has left the constraints of Preschool of Rock for a while to devote himself to MICHAEL AND THE ROCKNESS MONSTERS. It's a children's CD without instructions for parents and isn't that a blessing.
Under the direction of über-producer Dean Jones, Michael lets loose a whimsical narrative-free compilation of characters and concepts. After listening to literally dozens of CDs that Jones has produced over the past few years, it's no wonder his services are in such high demand. The Rockness Monsters don't hit any wrong notes or jagged chords because they've been crafted to near-kindie perfection under his skilled hands.
The album's first track, "Pirate Song," delivers a sing-along "yo ho ho" chorus replete with multiple chances to scream "Aaarrrrrrrr!" Michael espouses that Black Sabbath is his favorite band. The closest thing to heavy metal on this disc are "In a Band" and "Rock It!"
More of the songs are in the toe-tapping juvenile jaunty vein of "Single Digits," where the protagonist bemoans the cold weather and recounts all the locations he'd rather be. For out-and-out fantasy, there's also "Dinosaur Haircut" and the reggae-tinged "Cosmic Vacation," where the best places to visit are all in the mind. Understandably (and since the CD is "Presented by Preschool of Rock"), Michael can't get completely away from the winding down concept with "Humming Song."
MICHAEL AND THE ROCKNESS MONSTERS doesn't break any new ground. But it allows Michael an opportunity to erase the dotted line between quality and quantity of musical expression that comes with a time-dependent kids music program. I wouldn't doubt that a few of these tunes show up in Preschool of Rock's curriculum. But they're fine on their own, which is a good placement on the risk/reward ratio for Michael.
MICHAEL AND THE ROCKNESS MONSTERS is available February 26 from the band's website, Amazon, CDBABY, and iTunes.
Here is the debut video from the album, "Pirate Song":
Loving Cup – Cat Doorman
Secret Fox – Gustafer Yellowgold
LA Christmas – Andrew & Polly & Mista Cookie Jar
Super Hero Rock Band – The Bazillions
Just Be – Kira Willey
20 More Dollars – Chibi Kodama
Forever Young – Andrew & Polly
Ahava – Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
That Way – Chibi Kodama
Uh Huh – Dean Jones
Crazy Mountain Road – Eric Herman And The Invisible Band
Dance For The Sun (2015 Remix) – Kira Willey
Mama Don't Allow – In The Nick Of Time
Yoga and kids music. What could go wrong? You're asking someone who isn't part of the equation.
I know people who do yoga. I know people who swear by yoga. My own son did yoga for several years (he stopped due to school time constraints and an instructor who subsequently relocated without letting ex-pupils know).
There seems to be a mini-explosion of children's recording artists who double as yoga instructors. We are more commonly acquainted with Bari Koral (who hosts a "Yogapalooza" event), but there's also Bethlehem, PA's own Kira Willey. Selected PBS affiliates run Kira's yoga-for-kids interstitials. And at the urging of SiriusXM Kids Place host Mindy Thomas, she produced a series of "Backseat Yoga" exercises that run on the station.
Kira is releasing a collection of yoga "shorts" for short-attention-span children, MINDFUL MOMENTS FOR KIDS. For our older son, who leads a fairly stressed life (early wake-up for school, long bus rides, homework, and after-school activities, not to mention a hyper little brother who attaches himself to big bro), these exercises are just the ticket for a quick breather.
The 30 moments are broken into sections such as "Calm," "Focus," and "Energize." You get the basic concept from titles like "Count to Five," "Be a Bumblebee," "Imagine You're a Tree," and "Do Nothing Moment." The arrangements contain simple instrumentation and plain, spoken directions in a sweet, encouraging tone. Kira has the confidence from years of experience and tried-and-true technique and is delighted to share these meditations, whether families choose to use them in the home or on the road.
MINDFUL MOMENTS FOR KIDS closes with two songs, "Dance for the Sun" and "Just Be," which is close to an anthem for meditation, if such a thing is possible. And she's on the road, singing and leading yoga to receptive audiences in the PA/NJ area – just click through to Kira's site for upcoming events.
MINDFUL MOMENTS FOR KIDS is available on January 15 from Kira's website, Amazon, iTunes, and CDBABY.
Here is the video for Kira's PBS kid's yoga series, "Fireflies Musical Yoga":
Last week, Amazon Prime Music announced its new streaming service for children's music featuring the Pop-Ups and (upcoming) Lisa Loeb. This week, Mighty Mo Productions goes back to the future to release its first physical CD, a sampler of independent kindie music entitled SMILES AHEAD.
What a difference a week makes, hmmm? It's an era of Kickstarter and Indiegogo and other crowdfunding sites that children's artists (among others) use to scrounge resources to produce music. Are the two concepts diametrically opposed? I'm sure Amazon will embrace music produced independently. Many of the tracks on SMILES AHEAD have been released by the artists themselves, such as Brady Rymer's "Jump Up!" and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo's "You're It!" There is no shortage of exclamation points on this compilation, by the way.
Rissi Palmer brings a touch of soulful country to "Best Day Ever" (not the Spongebob kid's favorite) and local artist Katydid makes her spotlight debut with "The Together Song." Kira Willey's "Gotta Lotta Happy" makes a welcome re-appearance after its debut on her yoga CD earlier this year. As Matthew pointed out when we tracked SMILES AHEAD during dinner, SiriusXM's Kids Place played the song over the weekend. You also get Frances England, Caspar Babypants, and the Okee-Dokee Brothers, among others.
Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove deserves credit for stepping into an arena where even Disney washed its hands and went back to its tween offerings. Mighty Mo is taking a different path – issuing compilations rather than fully-fleshed brand spanking new music. The Verve Pipe offered up their new anthem, "Get Happy."
Speaking of happy times, Vivi Melody and Family are ridiculously delirious. Or deliriously ridiculous. Their new CD, MORE LOVE, is 15 songs that practically club you into a cuddly coma. "All You Need Is Love" features her dad, Don "Poppy" Villemez, doing his best Willie Nelson-esque recital of the lyrics. An ancient favorite, "A Bushel and a Peck" emerges for the second time in a decade, after Randy Kaplan resurrected it for his shows.
As mentioned, MORE LOVE was a Kickstarter effort. Vivi, her family, and puppet (Goober) stay mostly in their Texas home base. But there's a universal appeal to her concept and whose family couldn't use more love nowadays?
Skewing towards the youngest youngsters (who would think "All You Need is Love" is an original composition), Vivi touches on "The Four Seasons" and includes the "Recycling Song" and a happy-everyone's-all-together singalong "Saturday."
There's a basic decency and clarity to MORE LOVE, without any undercurrent of sarcasm or pretense of adult asides. It's hard to promote a puppet through a CD (even Elmo is a tough sell if your kid doesn't see Sesame Street). But that's why Vivi has her YouTube channel.
Secret Fox – Gustafer Yellowgold
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Kangaroo! – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
Fortune Cookie – The Little Rockers Band
Wander 'Round the World – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Throw Me Something Mister – Jazzy Ash
Otis Dooda Theme – David Heatley
Prairie Boy – Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips
Colors (2014 Remix) – Kira Willey
An Age-Old Question for the Wanna Bees and Kira Willey
Music can be deceiving. Sometimes when I review a CD, I instantly "get" the concept, if there is one. Other times, I feel as if I'm missing something – perhaps in the presentation or because the music cries out for the accompanying live experience.
The Wanna Bees' new CD, DREAM BIG, falls into that chasm. Fronted by "Doctor Dan" (Chuck Riepenhoff) and "Builder Brad" (Rob Donaldson), the disc introduces a series of characters (and their cohorts) to listeners. But it comes off as mostly a laundry list. First they ask "Do You Like (Vet)." That's followed by "Valerie Vet." That's followed by Valerie's pal "Stephanie Stethoscope." Next is "Do You Like (Fireman)" and you can tell what's coming after that. By the time we got to "(Hooray for) Heidi Hose," my wife asked, "How many more songs?"
I don't want to seem too down on the guys. Clearly the Wanna Bees want to rock out while promoting occupations and showing kids all the fun things they can grow up to become. But the repetition did become a bit numbing. Princess Katie and Racer Steve play characters as well, but they never released a CD that doubled as a checklist of things you'd appreciate more in a stage show.
Speaking of live experiences, when you go to a Kira Willey concert, sometimes a yoga lesson sneaks in. Kira is keen on music and the mind-body connection and her third CD, HOW TO BE A CLOUD, mixes and mingles those concepts.
On CLOUD, there are 13 kids songs along with nine yoga tracks. Once again, listening to yoga tracks when you are not doing yoga reminds you that there's nothing like a live music experience. But the 13 kids songs are another story entirely.
"Dancing With My Daddy" is a melodic rhumba. The almost-misnamed "Jazzy" seems more of a country tune. "Colors (2014)" is a remix of her 2008 song that was used in a Dell TV commercial. The title track, "How to Be A Cloud, should not be confused with the Dean Jones song of the same name. It's an ethereal harmonic song, later reprised (as are many of the others) as a yoga track (with directions over the music bed).
As always, I cannot over-emphasize taking your children to a live music performance. In the case of the Wanna Bees, they may discover the joys of being a fireman. With Kira Willey, they can jump around and do a series of relaxing poses. Either way, their new CDs provide the blueprints.
DREAM BIG is available November 11 from the Wanna Bees website, Amazon, and iTunes.
Everlovin' Water – Lori Henriques
Paper Moon – Laura Doherty
Fart Like a Pirate – Papa Crow
The Owie Song – David Tobocman
LMNOP – Koo Koo Kanga Roo
Holidays – Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Everybody Out There – Paul McCartney
Love Factory – Mary Kaye
Go Plane Go – Kira Willey
I Want Some Milk – Danimal
Smallest Breed – Django Jones
Monsters – Edukator, Jr.
In A Timeout Now – Randy Kaplan
I Love U – Josh And The Jamtones
Sell Out – Reel Big Fish
Slow – Trout Fishing In America
Go Plane Go – Kira Willey
Bully Bully – Shine and the Moonbeams
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Alove Alliteration – Mr. Palindrome
Twirl! Twirl! Twirl! – Mr. Leebot
Hootenanny – Jambo
In The Sun – Elizabeth Mitchell & Dan Zanes
You're Embarrassing Me – The Bazillions
The Ground – Underbirds
Me and My Brand New Haircut – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Anybody Got A Watch? – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Millions of Things – Like Totally!
Stand Up – Kira Willey
Give Me Back My Hat – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Radiate – Jack Johnson
BroOKlyn – Mil's Trills
Trondaxx Berserker – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
I Wanna Party – Hot Wings
Grumpy Boy – Steve Songs
Boo! – Trout Fishing In America
Row Row Row Your Boat – Caspar Babypants
Speeding Motorcycle – The Pastels
Go Plane Go – Kira Willey
Music – Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band
The Plumbing Song – Weird Al Yankovic
Blue Underwear – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Till the Sun Goes Down – Poochamungas
Born To Rock – David Tobocman
The Fox – Red Yarn
Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
Stand Up – Kira Willey
My Treasure – Recess Monkey
My Eraser – Bill Harley And Keith Munslow
Endless Summer – Tim and the Space Cadets
Bananas (Plum Crazy) – Tangerine Tambourine
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
Delicious – Orange Sherbert
When the World Was New – Dean Jones
Blue Sky (Little Martha Intro) – Elizabeth Mitchell
Did You Feed My Cow? – Ella Jenkins
Chuckers – Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
Go Plane Go – Kira Willey
You've Got A Friend In Me (Featuring Chris Smither) – Alastair Moock
Up All Night – One Direction
Robots From The 4th Dimension – The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
Look, Think, Guess, Know – Tom Chapin
Little Cloud (Featuring Rachel Loshak) – Joanie Leeds And The Nightlights
Stand Up – Kira Willey
Guitar Pickin' Chicken – Ratboy Jr.
Rock Melon – Gustafer Yellowgold
80's Celebration – The Reduction Agents
Let 'em Know – Milkshake
Great Is Better – Rabbit!
I Think I Can – Ethan Rossiter And The Jamberries
Is This a Joke? – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Born To Rock – David Tobocman
Jim-A-Long Josie – Jr. Madness
Who Killed Poor Robin? – Red Yarn
In Tents – Recess Monkey
Turning Tables – Adele
Are You a Mirror (...Or a Window?) – Quiet Company
Changes – David Bowie
Hola Hello – Mariana Iranzi
Go Plane Go – Kira Willey
Me and My Brand New Haircut – Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs
Row Row Row Your Boat – Caspar Babypants
I'll Be An Alien – Justin Roberts
Hippie Mom – Big Bang Boom
The Bullfrog Opera – Morgan Taylor; The Okee Dokee Brothers
A Dog Named Bruce – Ralph's World
The event streams live on Saturday, May 9 from 11 AM to 2 PM ET at Suzi's Facebook page. Admission is free and donations are appreciated. All funds raised will go to the First Responders Children's Foundation, which provides support to first responders and their families who are enduring financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.
