The Juno Awards is Canada’s premier music event, much like the Grammy’s here in the US. I did a quick post back in February when the Nominees were announced. Here is a follow-up post on the results of the Juno Awards 2012, and some video footage of the presentation of Children’s Album of the year, which went to Charlie Hope. Congratulations to Charlie, and all the Nominees for their achievements. (We hope to feature them and their music soon).
A little about Charlie Hope. Charlie Hope was raised in the Toronto area until the age of 11, when her family moved to Massachusetts.
Although not a mom, Hope’s music stems from years of working with children, both in preschools and privately as a nanny. “Music is an integral part of a child’s well-being,” says Hope, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy with Children from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
As part of her acceptance speech Charlie Hope affirmed her love for children and hope that her respect for them comes through in her music.
Charlie Hope currently resides in Seattle, WA.
(Note: Charlie Hope is a sponsor of KidsMusicConnection.com)
Steve Elci and friends celebrate their new release “Crayons in a Box” The CD addresses issues such as diversity, the environment, bullying and more!
The title track “Crayons in a Box” has already captured some international attention by placing second in the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest session II.
Steve Elci’s love for catchy hooks in his musings and soaring vocal style has won him acclaim from fans and critics alike. “Steve Elci is a songwriting machine with the chops and creativity to comfortably establish his own hooks” – Rick Koster, Arts Columnist/Reporter for The Day Paper. “Hey, Didn’t the Beatles Sing About a Submarine” William Yardley – The New York Times.
Additional band members include Casey O’Neill, Michele O’Neill, and John Van Ness.
Crayons in a box is scheduled to be released May 21st, but why wait? You can hear the title track here today!
Locally produced children’s TV builds momentum in the Twin Cities and regionally
Introducing “The Choo Choo Bob Show,” coming soon to a TV station near you. The live-action television show, based in the Twin Cities, will debut regionally on broadcast television this spring, hearkening back to whole-family-friendly children’s television programming like “The Muppets” or “Yo Gabba Gabba.” Watch the trailer below.
The first season features the main character, Choo Choo Bob, hanging out at his clubhouse with his best friend Richard W. Kornbelt and other pals, talking about trains and having all kinds of adventures. In each episode, there are trips to Tinyland, visits to real working railroads across the United States, questions from kids, musical guests and mischievous puppets. Twenty-six shows have already been produced for broadcast.
While the TV Choo Choo Bob and his friends are played by local actors, there is a real Bob behind it all, Bob Medcraft, the show’s producer and owner of St. Paul, Minn. retail store Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store.
“Our show is about friendship and social learning. But it’s also educational and fun. Trains are so much a part of our country’s history — it’s great to introduce this generation to them,” says Bob Medcraft. “What people like about ‘The Choo Choo Bob Show’ is that it’s simple, and demonstrates good values. It’s the live action fun many of us enjoyed when we were small. Everyone on our show’s nice, not cynical or rude. And sadly, that’s unusual to find on TV in this day and age.”
The show grew from the popularity of the original Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store, a St. Paul, Minn. landmark for kids and their parents. “It dawned on me that the train thing was popular. Model train sets inspire nostalgia in many people, and media —Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Casey Jones—mythologizes the railroad for young children who may have never touched or even seen an actual train,” adds Medcraft. “So I created a place to introduce the World’s Greatest Hobby to younger generations in a different way—by letting them touch and play with train engines and cars. And it’s grown from there.”
“The Choo Choo Bob Show” will also tour a live show around the region, beginning this year. The live performances, first created for and staged at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair, will include the Choo Choo Bob cast performing original music, dance and vignettes from the series.
“The Choo-Choo Bob Show” is a production of Birdhouse Holdings, LLC, founded by Bob Medcraft, owner of St. Paul, Minn. train mecca, Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store. For more information about where to see the show both on television and live, how to visit the store, and for other news, visit choochoobobs.com.
The nominees for the 11th Annual Independent Music Awards have been announced. The nominees for Best Children’s Album are:
Charlie Hope: Songs, Stories & Friends
Charlie Hope’s third album, Songs, Stories and Friends: Let’s Go Play! is full of fun and adventures, with a story thread throughout. Come along with me and my friends to the park! We’ll go on a journey with songs, verses, and the spoken word. You’ll recognize some songs (join in if you like!) and learn some new ones as well. So, bring your lunch, your imagination, your friends, and Let’s Go Play!
Ella Jenkins: A Life of Song
In A Life of Song, Ella Jenkins, “The First Lady of Children’s Music,” offers stories and songs that speak to her youthful years as an African American child in a multi-cultural world. Her career of more than a half century earned her the first Lifetime Achievement Grammy award for a children’s music artist, and her more than thirty recordings teach us to learn from one another while taking pride in our own heritage. This African American Legacy recording of Ella singing with children from the Cool Classics after-school program spotlights her own heritage while showing her delight for the traditions of others. 36 minutes, lyrics, photos, 28-page booklet.
Kira Willey: Kings & Queens of the Forest
Kings & Queens of the Forest is a unique, two-in-one album that blends upbeat, danceable music with get-up-and-move yoga inspiration. The collection of 13 joyful folk/pop originals also features 13 bonus yoga tracks with my instructional voiceovers. Included in the album is a lyric booklet that guides parents with illustrations of my kid-friendly yoga routines.
Miss Melodee: Dancing with Miss Melodee
The songs on the album take kids through an entire dance class from warm-up to finish! The CD combined with the curriculum booklet offers pre-school teachers, childcare givers, and dance instructors, the tools to run an entire dance class or dance party.
“Dancing With Miss Melodee” is designed to not only be a tool for dance studios, but also for parents. The album and booklet give parents all they need to offer a fun, educational way to exercise at home.
Once Upon An Opera: Little Red Riding Hood
Once Upon An Opera, is dedicated to igniting a passion for classical music in kids of all ages. The intent is to get children to love music by involving them. Each of the operas produced by Once Upon An Opera (OUAO) have a “sing-a-long” feel to them (and classical music has some of the best and most memorable melodies in existence!) and according to OUAO, “once we have people singing ‘I like Karate’ to the tune of Waltz of the Flowers, its pretty much a done deal.” They explain further “This is a ‘pastiche’ opera, meaning I took classical music in the public domain, pulled out the main musical themes, arranged it to meet my needs, set it to adaptations of the classical fairy tale, changed the keys, and voila! Red Riding Hood (aka Secret of the Ninja)!
The juried winner will be announced soon (no date given), and the Vox Populi winners (fans choice) will be announced in the summer. Want to vote for your favorite? Click here! (then after you sign up go to “Album Nominees” – “Children’s Music”…vote, then go to “Song Nominees” – “Children’s Music” and vote.
This is a belated congratulations going out to all the artists and East Coast Recording Company’s team of five producers that put in so much time and effort to make this year’s Grammy winning children’s album All About Bullies Big and Small.
It’s selections weave like a story in a unique mix of stories and songs at a playground we all know. Visit this host of characters from cyber bullies, kids with humorous courage, to kids viewing their lives through bicycles. You’ll notice right away that this recording has one interesting twist… each kid finds a way to act differently or to accept other children for who they are (often in a fun way).
The team edged out of over 130 other children’s albums, as the nominees were narrowed down to just five. The album entitled “All About Bullies…Big and Small” is a 37 track compilation CD featuring national and international recording artists, contributing poems,spoken word and a variety of songs. This CD is one-of-a-kind because not only does it give advice to those children that are being bullied, but it gives advice to the bully, even going so far as to helping to find the root cause of bullying, yet in a fun and positive way.
This CD was done on a fully volunteer basis and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the CD go to the National Center for Bullying Prevention (PACER – pacerkidsagainstbullying.org ). This is a nonprofit organization which assists schools in drawing awareness to the bullying epidemic, while helping children cope with the stresses of being victimized. This is the second GRAMMY Nominated CD to come out in as many years, produced by Warminster’s own East Coast Recording Company and Cool Beans Music.
The volunteer team of producers consists of Steve Pullara, Jim Cravero, Pat Robinson, Kevin Mackie and Gloria Domina. The CD’s roster of artists run the gamut from members of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, to a member of Philadelphia’s own Hooters, to international recording artists, and coming full circle rounding it out with several local Philadelphia radio personalities. Some of these artists featured on this CD are: Steve Van Zandt, Eric Bazilian, Heidi Swedberg, Peter Alsop, Blue October, May Pang, Vini MADDOG Lopez, Keith Grimwood, Barry Louis Polisar, Frances England, Steve Pullara and His Cool Beans Band, Marla Lewis, John Flynn, Sugar Free Allstars & Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Debbie and Friends, The Battersby Duo, Oran Etkin,Eric Ode, Judy Pancoast, Dave Kinnoin, Helen Bruner & Terry Jones, Giorgio Onorato Aquilani, Jonathan Sprout, Pat Robinson, Ken Cowle, Les Julian, Bill Pere, Miss Amy, Bob Miles, Sunny Sauceda, Whitney Peyton with Only Human, Grover Silcox, Debbi Calton, Jim Cravero, Cyndy Drue, Michael Brant DeMaria, Nancy Schimmel, Skip Denenberg, Paula Lizzi and many, many more…
Gary Storm’s much loved album, Songs For Children, was for many years heard only by his family and those within his circle of friends. It is now available to the world on Amazon.com. The whole recording consists entirely of Gary’s melodious voice and his acoustic guitar. His singing and strumming are warm, ageless, and reassuring to all. Samples can be heard on http://kidssongs.biz/wp/.
Gary’s music inspires children to sing and dance. Kids laugh at the chorus of “The Teddy Bear Song,” and always beg to hear it again. They leap up and dance to the “Winter Solstice Song” and quietly dream to “Heartbeat,” a mother’s lullaby. Adults find pleasure in the sophisticated simplicity of the songs that celebrate innocence, and they smile knowingly to the “Diaper Changing Song” and the “Teething Song,” which are written from a parent’s perspective.
The full CD is 35 minutes long, and includes a booklet of lyrics and charming illustrations by Gary’s four children. Each song is also available as an MP3 download. Most of the songs on the album are by Gary, created for and co-written by his children. Gary sings about subjects that matter to kids: princesses, princes, wishes, magic, jokes, bathrooms, lollipops, and teddy bears. Among the collection of songs is a sing along version of Ella Jenkins’ “Mary Mack,” a nostalgic adaptation of “Bicycle Built for Two,” and a magical mashup of traditional songs like “Bah Bah Black Sheep” and “Twinkle.”
Gary Storm follows the spirit of great children’s performers like Burl Ives, Roger Whittaker, Raffi, and Fred Penner. He has a Ph.D. in English and a law degree. He plays viola and guitar and is a member of the rock band “Wes Studi’s Firecat of Discord.” Gary’s wife, Linda Storm, is an artist and a Montessori teacher (www.lindastormart.com). Gary and Linda were married live on the radio on WUWU-FM in Buffalo in 1983. They have four beautiful accomplished children, April, Nathan, Cadance, and Juniper.
Many parents and teachers are concerned about finding great spots for kids to enjoy on the internet and how to avoid colorful or inappropriate content.
One award-winning children’s performer, and frequent contributor to the Kids Music Connection blog, DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou) has created a great space dedicated to world music called Multicultural Kids Music Videos (http://multikidsmusicvids.com ). It’s a family-friendly place to experience world cultures through music, dance, instruments and related high quality animations and videos. In addition, viewers are invited to suggest videos and win a free multicultural children’s music cd if their choice is selected as an “Add”.
Created by 5 time award-winning children’s performer DARIA (Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou), this site now has videos from a variety of sources in over 20 languages and adds new ones approximately every two weeks. From popular bilingual songs in Spanish and English to animations of children’s rhymes from India, travel videos of Africa, Turkish lullabyes and a series of silly gummy bear videos, the site shares a rainbow of world cultures as expressed through their music and cultural traditions. In addition, there are generally one inspiring or silly video per new installment and “how-to” videos about instruments that can be found around the world or kids who have created or perform on instruments in new or unique ways.
I’ll tell you a little secret. More often than not, my children tend to be a little slow to jump to their feet and dance, yet Suzi managed to get them swinging and dancing early in the performance.
Want to take a peek? You can watch a little video I made of the concert.
Charlie Hope’s recently released third album, Songs, Stories and Friends: Let’s Go Play! is full of fun and adventures, with a story thread throughout.
Cool Mom Picks says “this would be my new go-to CD gift for little ones. I can just see my preschool niece grabbing another tiny fist to dance in circles to the happy-pop of Best Friends or listening intently to the clever short spoken-word pieces like Tiny Tim, about a soap-bubble eating turtle.” Read more at Cool Mom Picks.
Tiny Tim is my daughter’s favorite too. In fact, she was repeating it after hearing it only 2-3 times!
Join Charlie Hope and her friends to the park! You’ll go on a journey with songs, verses, and the spoken word. You’ll recognize some songs (join in if you like!) and learn some new songs as well.
So, bring your lunch, your imagination, your friends, and Let’s Go Play!
Just when you thought nothing new was happening in the indie family music scene, you are rocked by Jeremy Plays Guitar! Combining rock, pop and jazz music with kid-inspired lyrics, Jeremy Plays Guitar has created an innovative and fun way to reach kids through music. Who says an inspired groove can’t also help kids learn? Not Jeremy Zmuda. According to Jeremy, “All children are musical and kids’ natural fascination with singing and dancing is an amazing tool that has not been fully utilized–until now.”
Jeremy Zmuda was born into a family of children’s educators in Long Beach, Indiana where he began his love affair with Hendrix, cruising to public radio, and the guitar. He cut his teeth at Chicago’s Columbia College, developing his taste for Jazz guitar. In 1993, he was awarded a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated with honors in Jazz performance and music education. After accepting a coveted teaching position at Berklee College of Music and performing in Boston for several years, he decided to make the move to NYC in 2004. Immediately his musical world “grew beyond his imagination.”
At this time, Jeremy began developing music for early childhood education programs including The Maple Street School in Brooklyn, the Roosevelt Island Nursery School, his own theme based music camps in Brooklyn, and as a consultant for Sesame Street. Additionally, he created an original music program for young children and their parents entitled ‘Music Time Kids’ to enhance children’s inherent musical abilities. Though Jeremy continued to perform and write music for adults including earning the prestigious grand prize award in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for his composition, “On Standby,” he continued to be drawn to writing and performing music for children. Inspired by the many children that he worked with through preschool programs and privately, he collaborated with Clare Manchon (Clare and The Reasons) to create the critically acclaimed album, Songs in the Key of New York. This thoughtful CD met with rave reviews both for the music and the lyrics. It successfully celebrates the five boroughs in a “cool, jazzy poise” that also gives the kids of NYC a way to talk, learn and sing about their environment. The result is a catchy, melodious and original collection that speaks to kids and adults alike.
From there, Jeremy could no longer deny his gift for creating a magical musical experience that secretly teaches kids how to negotiate their environment through singing and dancing. He teamed up with early childhood specialist Lizzie Bicknell to form Jeremy Plays Guitar and has collaborated with musicians from diverse musical roots to create his newest album, Use Your Words, focusing on giving children language and strategies to navigate the everyday challenges of childhood in today’s world.
The Juno Awards is Canada’s premier music event, much like the Grammy’s here in the US. I did a quick post back in February when the Nominees were announced. Here is a follow-up post on the results of the Juno Awards 2012, and some video footage of the presentation of Children’s Album of the year, which went to Charlie Hope. Congratulations to Charlie, and all the Nominees for their achievements. (We hope to feature them and their music soon).
at Amazon, and other fine retailers!
