'Shooting Star' Highlights New Zealand Youth

The distance between Nashville, Tennessee and Arrowtown, New Zealand is thousands of miles and takes more than a day of flying (Don't even try to Google Map the mileage). Originally from Gore, New Zealand, singer-songwriter Jackie Bristow decamped to the United States to pursue her musical career. She returned to her homeland in 2000 as coronavirus put the country into lockdown.

As Bristow's touring plans were put on hold, she created SongCatcher, a music education program to teach self-expression through songwriting to 7-10 year old kids in the local Wakatipu basin. The resulting, intensive 19-week workshop for seven youngsters turned into a group dubbed Jackie B and The Mini Band. The resulting five-track EP, SHOOTING STAR, documents their recordings, courtesy of 8 Pound Gorilla Records. 

The vocals for SHOOTING STAR were recorded in St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arrowtown, the backing music was recorded and produced by Bristow's long-term musical partner Mark Punch in Nashville, and the entire track was mastered at Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia (Their first song, "It's Christmas," was released in December and is not on the EP, but it still available on Amazon and Youtube). 

While it's not addressed directly, the pandemic certainly has made children seek answers from all corners about returning the world to normalcy. "Shooting Star" tackles the topic in an oblique manner:

I see a shooting star

It's flying very fast

To make my wishes come true

For me and you

Climate change and the planet's future is addressed on "Earth Guardian," with a smidgen of New Zealand flavor when the kids sing "Every day is a little scarier like a wild boar trying to knock your door down." But they come full-circle and rejoice in having too much fun on "It's A Beautiful Day." Bristow is planning to take SongCatcher nationwide across New Zealand in 2022. It will be fun to chart her progress and what her charges produce on their own in the future.

Download SHOOTING STAR from Jackie Bristow's website, Amazon, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, or Spotify.

Here is the music video for the title track, "Shooting Star":

New Kids Videos from Claudia Gunn, Todd'n'Tina, and Daria

Television had Game of Thrones. Film had The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Kids music has Claudia Robin Gunn's series of songs about the seasons. The latest, "Winter Snow" showcases two blue penguins frolicking in the middle of winter. They look at snowflakes, go ice fishing, shovel out their car, and have a snowball fight. Don't worry for these critters – they were blue in the previous videos, so the extreme cold didn't turn them blue. You can find more of Claudia's music on her Soundcloud page, including her "Sing Through the Year" collection of tunes. Here is the debut video for "Winter Snow":

Minneapolis-based Todd'n'Tina (songwriter Todd Millenacker and educator Krissy Mondelli) have released a new video for their song, "Silly String," featuring a classroom of kids with containers of the multi-colored string spray. What could possibly go wrong?

Bilingual folk singer Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou celebrates first responders with her pandemic kids song, "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses." The tireless, thankless work done to protect families in the world community motivated Daria to write an inspirational anthem, in the tradition of her idols such as Ella Jenkins, Raffi, and Pete Seeger. 

Daria spent her pandemic running virtual workshops with children around the world. While working with a group of immigrant children in Australia learning English as a second language, Daria was galvanized to compose “Thanks To The Doctors And Nurses,” based on those kids' sincere expressions of gratitude for the professionals who had “saved their lives.”

Ancillary materials for "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses" are available for families and educational programs on the Teachers Pay Teachers website. You can download lyric sheets, a karaoke version, posters, and thank you cards for classroom use that can be personalized to thank specific doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals.

Hear "Thanks to the Doctors and Nurses" at Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Watch the video for the song here:

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, February 10, 2022

Summer's Here – The Bazillions
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
14 sour sweetheart – Caspar Babypants
Seasons – Maroon 5
Where We Are – The Lumineers
Word is Love – Alphabet Rockers
It Might Be Time – Tame Impala

Songs of Love from Sonia De Los Santos, Alphabet Rockers & Mista Cookie Jar

A trio of children's music performers are releasing a pair of tunes celebrating tenderness and affection, just time for Valentines' Day. On the East Coast, bilingual songstress Sonia De Los Santos has released a new song, “All I Need Is Your Smile.” On the West coast, the Alphabet Rockers and Mista Cookie Jar have teamed up for "The Word Is Love."

De Los Santos's third CD, ESPERANZA ("hope" in Spanish) still qualifies as "new," since its release last May. However the genre is transitioning as individual songs (don't call them singles anymore) and videos are becoming the industry norm. "All I Need Is Your Smile" demonstrates that her time performing with Dan Zanes flavored her songwriting and delivery, right down to the choral refrain "When everything is not quite fine/my sweet little Valentine."  The song is an easy-to-learn ballad about how the simplest human gesture can lighten a person's spirit, with some Spanish phrasing that highlights the universal appeal of a sunny disposition.

Listen to and download "All I Need Is Your Smile" from Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Music.

The Alphabet Rockers are once again in the running for a Grammy for Best Children's Album through their participation on ALL ONE TRIBE from the One Tribe Collective. They've teamed with a master of kindie collaboration, Mista Cookie Jar (C.J. Pizarro) on "The Word Is Love." CJ and Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Shepherd (the Rockers) deliver a fresh slice of kid-hop with a message of the power of positivity:

Love is way more than the fabric we fit in
We rep these colors every shade of our melanin
We say what’s not fair without fear of tellin em
(that’s love) It’s not a secret that we’re keeping
It’s the password that keeps mean words from creeping

Grab "The Word Is Love" from Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Music.

Ben's Playlist - Monday, February 7, 2022

Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
Winter Bird / When Winter Comes – Paul McCartney
Is It True – Tame Impala
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
two is one more than one – Caspar Babypants
Prosthetic Head – Green Day
Village d'Ãtoile – Dog On Fleas

Bears & Lions Totally Not Ready for Bed

Bears and Lions, the country's best children's music group featuring grownups wearing animal costumes is back with a new EP, WILD AND FREE from 8 Pound Gorilla Records. The pandemic could make kids feel like caged beasts, especially during lockdowns and remote learning. B&L sympathize (it's tough to get those outfits dry-cleaned if you're in quarantine) and share some rocking tunes with an ecological messages, to boot.

Stage gear does not translate through your sound system. However Bears and Lions pass the authenticity test through the strength of their material. "Porcupine" is a story of camaraderie told through the perspective of getting past differences and seeing how everyone looks the same (from a hot air balloon). Relationships are also the theme of "Friendship Song," using the simple concept of music bonding people and critters. "The Wagon" aromatically narrates the kind of things that families encounter when they go on vacations, but points out "At the end of the day, we're far away, but we're okay." Tykes who get amped when the sun goes down will enjoy "Go To Bed," billed as the world's first anti-bedtime anthem. It's a raver in the style of the group's massive breakfast rocker, "Pancakes!"

Speaking of the ecological message, that gets addressed on "Wild and Free," the kid-hop title track, where Bears and Lions advocate for their um...humane rights on this shared planet:

One hundred million years we've been on this Earth

Man, we deserve a place, deserve to be heard

So listen to our words, we have things to say

Like don't you want to be wild and free

Bears and Lions look forward to seeing your kids when the childrens' music live performances are safe and vaccines are available for the under-five set. Prepare to answer your daughter when she asks, "Why does the lion have a better six-pack set of abs than you, daddy?" My suggested reply, "That's what happens when you get to roam wild and free, and don't work remote."

WILD AND FREE is available on January 28 from Bears and Lions website, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Here is the video for the band's song, "Go To Bed!":

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)":

Ben's Final 2021 Playlist - Wednesday, December 29, 2021

The Moment – Tame Impala
The Kiss Of Venus – Paul McCartney
You Are Magic – Triple Rainbow
It's a Miracle – Dog On Fleas
put this monkey to bed – Caspar Babypants
New Pair Of Shoes – The Bazillions

Kid Pan Alley Lets Kids Write the Songs

The conceit of Kid Pan Alley is sheer simplicity – why believe that only adults can write song lyrics with any level of depth or emotion? KPA founder Paul Reisler spent 18 months during the pandemic helping children work through their fears, concerns, and dreams to construct the songs on the project's latest CD, MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR.

It's not just coronavirus that affected kids over the past year-plus. They addressed climate change ("The Day the Stars Reached the Earth" featuring Natalie Zuckerman), celebrating our own lives ("Small Things Make a Difference" featuring Michael Lille), and even adoption ("I Think I Blinked" featuring Billy Jonas).

Kids' favorite Randy Kaplan, a frequent KPA contributor, polished the quirky "Tear My Mask (To Pieces)," with a protagonist eager to get back some sense of normalcy. The heartbreaking "Staring Out My Window" is every child's ballad of the lost year of companionship and routine. The aforementioned "I Think I Blinked" deals with adoption so quickly that you might miss the key lines on first listening:

I've known it all along
That's why I wrote this song
I've seen the pictures on the wall
I knew I didn't look like you at all

Kid Pan Alley is not just about granting children access to their feelings. The KPA project is intended to demonstrate that careers in the performing arts are a viable future (these are also welcome concepts to music, acting, and singing instructors around the country). With schools cutting aid to arts programs, KPA reinforces the necessity of educating well-rounded children by motivating all of their potential interests. MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR delivers songs written by kids for kids that can also teach their parents a lesson or two.

MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR is available on Kid Pan Alley's website, Amazon, and Apple Music.

Here is the video for the song, "Staring Out My Window":

Ben's Playlist - Monday, December 27, 2021

Reality In Motion – Tame Impala
Helicopter Leaves – Ants Ants Ants
That's My Style – The Bazillions
Go – The Black Keys
Taco Tuesday – The Lucky Band
Doppelganger – Dog On Fleas
toy boat – Caspar Babypants

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, December 22, 2021

All Dressed Up For Christmas – Adoraborealis
Fanga Alafia – Aaron Nigel Smith
Shine A Little Light – The Black Keys
spoky baby – Caspar Babypants
I'm an Optimist – Dog On Fleas
Buenos Dias – The Lucky Band
Finally – Franz Ferdinand

Adoraborealis Dressed In Their Holiday Best

What to do once you've hit the heights as a children's music performer, had your group become the house band on a popular kids tv show, and then found yourself perplexed by a pandemic? For Brooklyn musician Mike Messer, the choice was to segue into a new group – Adoraborealis – and release a brand new holiday tune, "All Dressed Up for Christmas."

Messer's previous group, the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, was an early obsession of my younger son. One year the kid even dressed for Halloween as Mr. Clown, an integral part of the group's live (and recorded) performances. But there's been a lack of new material or even live shows for a number of years. Sadly, my son has declared himself "immune" to whatever charms children's music once held for him.

This is a situation that plagues all performers who specialize in children's music, as your audience grows and evolves at a steady clip. Messer's solution was to sidestep the Funtime funk and move into a new realm. With that decision, Adoraborealis arrives with its pleasant Christmas song and a lyric video. "All Dressed Up for Christmas" is all about the colorful outfits that people sport to show their holiday spirit, and the love and care that demonstrates for other people in their families and communities:

I’m so weary of dreary but when you're here
We are nearly a rainbow on snow
It’s a miracle
Come here and curl into me
All of the way ’til and through Xmas Day

Every year, musicians struggle to find a new angle for December festivities, regardless of religious belief. Messer has liberated his sartorial selection and hopes it will become a perennial favorite.

You can find the tune on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Amazon.

Here is the lyric video for "All Dressed Up for Christmas," produced by animator Jodie Ray Charity: