What could be better than good music, children squeeling happily, and people coming together to support a good cause?

When we organized Kids’ Jam for Janeway in St. John’s Newfoundland, a benefit concert featuring some of the Juno Award nominees, we found out that such events are infectious! The reaction we received from parents and children alike, convinced us that there is a need for more, similar events.

We are so happy to announce that the KidsBeet Concert Series has sprouted!  The first of what is planned to be a series of concerts will take place on October 30th at First Church Boston.

The concert will feature the ever popular Ben Rudnick & Friends, Juno nominee Charlie Hope & Brooklyn favorite Suzi Shelton.  Hosting the event will be Rik Barron, a popular folk and children’s performer from St. John’s Newfoundland.  Rik Barron was the host of the original Kids’ Jam in St. John’s,  and we are very excited that we could arrange to have him participate in this follow-up event.

KidsBeet is being organized and promoted in partnership with BostonChildrensMusic.com,  and the Community Music Center of Boston (www.cmcb.org) a non-profit music education program in Boston’s south end.

The goals of the concert are (1) provide a quality family music event at an affordable price (2) promote top local and visiting children’s music artists to local fans and bloggers, and (3) be a sustainable concert model that gives back to the community.

We are excited to be working closely with Franciscan Hospital for Children, who will be the beneficiary of the fund-raising activities.  Tickets for this special event will be on sale here on Kids Music Connection in the coming days.

Kids Music Connection will have a booth at the Annual NAEYC conference and exhibit hall.  Last week we launched a promotional package to involve children’s artists in the promotion, but based on some of the feedback and preferences that were expressed, we are modifying have modified the plans to better meet your needs.  We have taken down the promotion page to allow us to revise and relaunch the promotion within a day or so. The new registration page for the Children’s Music Guide & participation in the Kids Music Connection booth at NAEYC is now back online.

The new plans will reduce the cost of participation, allow each artist to have a greater presence in the Children’s Music Guide, and ensure that the guide gets into an even more targeted audience.

We appreciate all those that have signed up already and will work with you to ensure that you find the right plan going forward.

Suzi Shelton: No Ordinary Day

Suzi Shelton has been performing music for kids around her home base in New York City for the past 10 years.

Suzi rocks parents and kids alike, whether it be thousands of families at the Lincoln Center tree lighting to swarms of fans at Tribeca Film Festival or The White House Easter Egg Roll.

Suzi Shelton has been a standout among the current crop of kid-friendly musical performers since her days performing with other artists. With her angelic voice and no-sugar-added lyrics, Suzi responded to fans wanting more and more of Suzi. Kids respond to her beauty, warmth and youthful appeal while their parents appreciate Suzi’s hip and catchy tunes and lyrics.

Suzi is the featured artist and host of a music-activity DVD series from Gymboree Play & Music. Suzi’s music is all about combining music and movement to encourage kids to participate by using their imaginations, and they really rock out!

Suzi’s two cd’s and dvd have won her Kids First, Nappa, Children’s Music Web, and Parent’s Choice Awards.

Here is what the press is saying about Suzi:

“Bright, playful energy.”  Cookie magazine

“Suzi provides tunes you and your child can enjoy, and that carry forward with your child well beyond toddlerhood.”
Thingamababy

“Original songs are sweet and catchy expressive vocals serve the songs well.”
The Lovely Mrs. Davis

“Her angelic voice entertains the audience with a musical menagerie of tunes.”
New York Magazine

“The lyrics are funny and have meaning on many levels.”
ITunes

Suzi is teaming up with Charlie Hope to give away a free download! Click here to find out more about these two fan favorites and download your free song!

As school budgets across the country tighten, there is a feeling that cutting arts & music is a way out (here is just one example).  The idea that music and art is a luxury, not a necessity in education and society is as pervasive as it is wrong.  Likewise the notion that a country such as ours cannot afford innovative music programs, or that they do not have lasting impacts on individual participants and the society at large belies the facts.

Take for example, the country of Venezuela that has a per capita GDP of just over $12,000 versus $45,000 in the USA.  One of their most precious exports to the USA is not oil, rather the maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the new Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Dudamel is a product of the national music program El Sistema (The System) in Venezuela that has trained up over 250,000 musicians through 600 neighborhood orchestras.

Dudamel founded Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) in an effort to transfer The System to the USA.  After 3 years the program is working with 300 children in South LA, and The System is expanding to cities across the country.

On May 10th, 60 Minutes ran a wonderful profile of Dudamel and YOLA, including a new program in Baltimore called “OrchKids” spearheaded by Marin Alsop, the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

The criteria for participating in this privately funded music program at Lockerman Bundy Elementary School is that they “be there, get good grades, and take care of their instruments.”  Indeed, according to Dudamel a major benefit of these programs is that they instill not only discipline, but character and teamwork, and keeps the children “off the streets.”

Indeed it seems to me that if we want our education funds to be more effectively used, and truly want to engage and inspire our children, wouldn’t one of the first investments be in an instrument and musical instruction? If you watch the 60 minutes piece, you will see the enthusiasm of the children and hear DeShane Parker, a single mother of three children explain how the OrchKids has caused their children to not want to miss a day of school, and be more responsible.

Watch the 60 Minutes piece and tell us about inspiring music programs near you.   We want to feature the heroes across this country that are bringing music to life for our children, and in more detail than this short blog post.  In the words of Dudamel, “Can you imagine classical music for everybody? You know, this is a crazy dream.  But it is true, because it’s happening.”

I spent last weekend at Kindiefest.  This was an annual conference of childrens music professionals, which included panel discussions on marketing, distribution, etc., as well as featured performances.  It was interesting to meet performers and hear what people were saying, and learn more about the challenges (and opportunities) of being in the childrens music industry.  Here are a few things I took away from the conference.

1. The Importance of Community: In the very first panel discussion on marketing, Regina Kelland from To Market Kids said it best when she advised the audience of the importance of doing things together that cannot be done alone.  This is the essence of what we hope to do with Kids Music Connection: To do together, what we cannot do alone.   For those of you that participated in the Kids Music Connection promotional insert in the Kindiefest gift bags, you have already participated in such an effort.

2. This Is Not An Easy Industry: Multiple panels made it clear that this industry is not for the faint of heart.  We learned of the difficulty of getting into retail stores, the demise of the CD, the value of  pr firms (that most starting out probably cannot afford) , the fact that most national parent magazines are now closed, and Parenting only reviews 2 CDs per month, etc.  This is not to say the conference was lacking optimism and excitement; it was very clear that this is a dynamic industry full of opportunities.  The bottom line is success will be based on being remarkable and creative (and willing to work real hard!).

3. This Is A Diverse Group: In one discussion the issue trying to categorize children’s music was raised.  One suggestion was kindie, or kindie rock, but not all children’s music (or participants) would be considered independent, nor is it all rock.  There were other suggestions, but the point is, it is difficult to pigeon hole children’s music.

That is just fine with me.  Imagine if there were literally only one or two kinds of children’s music—how boring would that be!  It is very clear that I have my preferences and biases, just as you do.  I like what I like, you like something else, and my children like something completely different.  While there is value in trying to classify different types of music—as children’s rock, folk, classical, traditional, or otherwise, it gets really interesting as music is produced that cannot be easily classified.

Debbie Block (Manager for Bill Harley) said it best in the panel on distribution, in quoting someone she had previously worked with (I am paraphrasing): Don’t strive to be the “best”, strive to be the “only.”  Mr. Leebot understands this as he has created the category of “robot music.”

What category will be synonymous with your music?

Panel on the Future of Marketing Kindie Music

Kids' Jam for Janeway Poster

The launch of our website was primarily built around an event that we organized during the Juno Award celebrations in St. John’s, Newfoundland.   Inspired by a discussion we had with Charlie Hope, we approached the other Juno nominees for Children’s Album of the Year and everyone that was going to be in town for the Juno Awards agreed to participate in a free benefit concert for the local children’s hospital.

The concert was a great success, despite losing The Bees Knees as they were stranded in Halifax because of fog, and not having Norman Foote, the ultimate winner of this year’s Juno Award as he was unable to travel to the awards.

Here is a short video with some clips of the performances.  A special thank you to Charlie Hope, The Kerplunks, Bobs & Lolo, and our wonderful host Rik Barron for outstanding performances.  In the end, we were able to raise over $1100 for the hospital through donations, raffle, and refreshment sales.

We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, Little People’s Workshop, Dominion, The Newfoundland & Labrador Musician’s Association (AFM Local 820), Sheth Designs, Gower St. United Church, Oompa Toys and Trees & Tots.

Most have you in the world of Twitter have heard of “Music Monday” where people recommend music of all kinds. Well, this Monday is a special Music Monday, unrelated to Twitter.

The Coalition for Music Education in Canada launched Music Monday in 2005. What began as a dream more than five years ago has now inspired Music Monday initiatives in the United States, UK, Australia and Hungary!

Music Monday is an annual event that brings together thousands of students, musicians, parents and community members across Canada and other international locations, to celebrate the gift of music in our lives, on the same day at the same time. Always on the first Monday of May, this year Music Monday happens on Monday, May 3rd, 2010. The goal of the event is to simultaneously fill the skies with music as a reminder to all of the importance of music in our schools and in our lives. Each year, the country is galvanized around the performance of a song. In 2009, Canada will once again rally around Serena Ryder’s energetic song, Sing Sing and a new song will be introduced for 2011.

Where will you be on May 3rd at 1pm edt?  For many of you, this will be the first time you have heard of this event.  I just heard about it last Saturday.  That doesn’t have to hold you back.   Sing with your children, tweet about it, tell your friends.  Learn more on their website, twitter, and facebook page.  I hope to have more information about this important initiative in future posts.  There are a few schools in the USA that are participating.  Do you think that American schools need a little encouragement to remember the importance of music in their curriculum?  Speak out, contact your school, and invite them to participate in some way this year, or participate in a big way next year.

Remember, you gotta Sing, Sing, Sing Sing…..

The Bees Knees

The Bee’s Knees are a JUNO Award Nominated musical duo based out of Toronto, Ontario and comprised of sisters Andie Duncan and Cyndi Duncan-Lumsden. Since it’s inception in 2006, The Bee’s Knees have quickly become one of Canada’s most musically accomplished bands making records for children today. With catchy, upbeat original tunes with strong melodies and solid production sounds, The Bee’s Knees write songs that inspire and entertain children, while engaging their parents at the same time. Andie Duncan (Actra, AFM) is the lead singer, composer and producer for The Bee’s Knees. Prior to writing children’s music, Andie’s musical career included solo artist performances of her original songs on the Lilith Fair stage, as well as opening theatre dates for a number of higher profile artists including k.d. Lang, Holly Cole, Jann Arden, Paula Cole and Joe Cocker. Andie and her husband are raising their two young children in Toronto.

Cyndi Duncan-Lumsden (BA, B.ed) is the co-writer and principle lyricist for The Bee’s Knees. Cyndi draws on her 22 years of experience as an inner city teacher to capture the interests and moods of the children she teaches when writing songs for The Bee’s Knees. Cyndi is married to a fellow teacher and together are raising their three teenaged children.

Andie and Cyndi were thrilled to win the the award for Favourite Children’s Group at this year’s Canadian Independent Music Awards (The “Indies”), and are over the moon about the JUNO Nomination for Best Children’s Album 2010. The Bee’s Knees are excited to be embarking on an animated film project currently in pre-production to support their music.

The Kerplunks

The Kerplunks are award winning children’s entertainers bringing high-energy, colourful performances to the stage – and outfits that match! As a group they are committed to educating children through musical creativity. When they start playing, kids are soon dancing and following along with the actions. Even parents can’t resist getting up out of their seats!

The Kerplunks have two full-length albums and are in production for the third to be released in the summer of 2010. Their self titled debut album (The Kerplunks, 2007) made a big splash and immediately garnered recognition from the music industry. The Kerplunks won a 2008 Canadian Folk Music Award for Children’s Album of the Year and a 2008 Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Children’s Recording as well as being nominated for a 2009 JUNO Award for Children’s Album of The Year. Their second release (Walk On, 2009) was supported by FACTOR and has already been recognized with a second 2010 JUNO Award nomination, a 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, 2010 Canadian Indie Award, International Songwriting Award as well as two separate nominations for the International Independent Music Awards (Best Children’s Song – Walk On and Best Children’s Album).

Fronted by the dynamic female duo of Tina Jones (vocals, trumpet, baritone horn, trombone, kazoo) and Dinah D (vocals, upright bass, banjo, mandolin, kazoo) and backed up by their talented male counterparts Aaron Cadwaladr (guitar, kazoo, vocals) and Phil Wipper (drums, vocals). The Kerplunks have played some of Western Canada’s best festivals – including the Vancouver International Children’s Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival. They have also performed in theatres and throughout BC public schools with the Art Starts in Schools program. Garnering rave reviews, The Kerplunks are looking forward to bringing their high-energy show to audiences across Canada.

The Kerplunks provide a unique live performance with a full four-piece multi-instrumental band, presenting a wide variety of upbeat lyrics and musical styles that even parents can enjoy. The Kerplunks get the whole audience singing along, on their feet and participating in the actions.

To say the least, The Kerplunks have gained a high-level of success in a short period of time. With a third full-length album to be released in the summer of 2010, this standout children’s band, like their little fans, is getting bigger every day.

You may have noticed that the tagline for Kids Music Connection is “Orchestrating A Better World.”  This is because an important part of our purpose here to support and promote the good that is going on around the world by the musicians, educators, parents and others.  However, the term “Orchestrating” is a problematic word, because it implies that we somehow think we can coordinate such things or that they all happen in a harmonious manner.  Of course that is impossible.

Perhaps a good interpretation is that you all are out there doing great things, in your own way, and we want to help present the many efforts in a coherent way.  We also want to be a leader in making good things happen.  The Kids Jam for Janeway is an example of a benefit concert featuring 4 of 5 Juno nominees, that we have organized at the request of Charlie Hope, and with the great cooperation of 3 other competing groups for the same award.

But enough about us, we want to highlight the interesting things you are doing to make a difference in the life of a child.  Here is are a couple of examples:

Neil Brewer has been devoting 100% of the profits of his CDs to Harvard University Research to stop Muscular Dystrophy.

On Sunday, April 25th, the Milkshake Band will do a free performance in Camden Yards for the annual March of Dimes March for Babies walk.  Over the next few months, Lisa and Mikel will do private concerts for Casey Cares, visiting hospitals and playing music with and for kids who are critically ill. On Sunday, May 23rd Lisa and her daughter, Jesse, will also take part in Kami’s Jamies, a fashion show hosted by the organization. Casey Cares provides a variety of programs to help brighten the day of a critically ill child.

Kid’s Music Connection echoes this call to action, whether you are an artist, parent, educator, or otherwise.   What are you doing to make a difference in the life of a child?  How are you bringing art & music into their lives?  Are you supporting or volunteering in programs that benefit children?  Do you know about some great programs for children that need recognition?

Leave a comment, or send us a note.  We want to know about it.