Maryann "Mar." Harman is a music educator with a Bachelors Degree in Music and a Masters in Education, with an emphasis in Early Childhood. These dual degrees contribute to her ability to write songs that are musically and educationally sound for children as well as fun and easy to use for teachers and parents. She founded the nationally enjoyed Music with Mar. Brain Research Based program. She's sharing two new songs with us this time: Watch The Monkey That Moves and Hokey Pokey. You'll find them on the Music M-N page.
Marla Lewis has been singing all her life (including an appearance on a national radio talent show at age 3!), started piano lessons at age 5 and wrote her first song at age 12. With such a rich musical childhood, it's no wonder that she's so heavily invested in music for children. She's brought us FIVE songs this time from her first two albums, and you're going to love them. Check out Jackson Avenue, Mighty Jackie The Strikeout Queen, My Room's A Mess, Sambas Swaying in the Trees and We All Laugh in the Same Language. They're all found on the Music I-L page.
M. Ryan Taylor has a little gift for children who observe Halloween with four fun, spooky tunes from his album Thirteen For Halloween. Check out Five Little Pumpkins and Welcome Said The Spider. You'll find all those on the Music T page.
Chuck Brown & The Chuckleberries has just made a major move: They've just made their ENTIRE first album available for free download, plus added an additional free song. To download those, you'll need to visit their website. But, to celebrate, they've brought us a very cute song to share with you. It's called Galapagos...and it's the story of someone who decided to vacation on the remote island...when they were rather better suited to a nearby theme park. Funny stuff...and you'll find it on the Music C-D page.
Conductor Jack is the kids music persona of Jack Norton, and he's brought us a couple of delightful bluegrass pieces: Old MacDonald Had A Band and Uncle Noah's Ark...from his album Toot! Toot! All Aboard. Find those on the Music C-D page as well.
Didi Pop is a character created by Deborah Poppink, who was a music teacher in Los Angeles for 15 years. From her album, DiDi PoP, she's brought us 3 great songs to share with you: Feed The Pet, Look At Yourself in the Mirror and Yellow Car. You'll find all 3 also on the Music C-D page.
Rock Daddy Rock's debut album celebrates the everyday life of kids and their funny, gross and wonderful behaviors. Life lessons give each song an educational purpose or (as one mom said) "the chance to ponder behavioral issues without sounding moralistic". From their first album Silly Short Songs for Silly Short People, they've brought us The Lecture, When You Grow Up and Your Room's A Mess. Find all 3 on the Music O-R page.
We decided to try something a little different this time. We were approached by the folks at Melodies About Me. They create personalized CDs for kids...you know, they kind where you get your child's name sung as part of every song on the album. Unlike a lot of the customized stuff we've heard in the past, we enjoyed some of these songs a lot, like Dooby Dooby and especially Purple Sock Blues...and they liked the idea of giving away a couple of their songs. So you can take the poor-man's route and just SING your child's name every time the recorded name on the CD comes up...or you can visit their site and order your own customized CD. Fun! Find both songs on the Music M-N page.
Next up, Stevie rolls in with 3 energetic tunes from his album, I Like Being A Kid: I Like Being a Kid, Candy Apples and Let's Get Funky. You'll find all 3 on the (very popular) Music S page.
The Blankies is a cartoon band with songs for Pre-K and Kindergarden ages and their parents (or teachers) that like more sophisticated sounding children's music. Four different singers and an eclectic variety of music styles keep the albums from being redundant. They've offered us 3 songs for download: Be Nice, Five Senses and Robot. Find them on the Music A-B page.
Kat Vellos has created Musiplication...dedicated to helping children who struggle with certain types of learning by employing other familiar tools, such as rhythm and music. She's brought 2 songs: 5 on 5 and Double Dutch. Find them on the Music U-Z page.
Here's the story of Tot-a-Doodle-Do: co-producer Heidi Niehart had an idea for a television show that would incorporate follow-along activities for children and their parents. She approached her friend Penny L. Cohen, Speech & Language Pathologist who has worked with children for many years to see if she would be interested in co-producing the program. The two set out to develop a show that would entertain and educate toddlers and pre-schoolers. They've brought us two songs: Animals Everywhere and Transportation. You can find them on the Music T page.
Maria Alley has created a music program for young children called Do Re Me and Maria. She's brought us 3 songs: Calypso Chill, Imagine Nation and My Great Dane Puppy from her latest album, Nature's Lullaby. You'll find them on the Music A-B page.
Great music becomes at least part of the reason to move with Dancercise Kids. Check out their song Wonder. You'll find it on the Music C-D page.
Gunnar Madsen is a hoot...this guy must be a lot of fun at parties! Awhile back, he brought us his song Ants in My Pants, which we loved...but, just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, he's here again with Mozart and I'm Growing...both from this new album I'm Growing. It's smart, sophisticated, vocally-adventurous music for kids. It's simply impossible to groove with this stuff and complain about how lame kids music is in the same breath! You'll find Gunnar's music on the Artists M-N page.
Jeff Hunter has spent a life time writing singing and composing his original songs while mastering the acoustic guitar. Best known for his years with The Previously Lost Dogs playing their original folk fusion and producing five albums...and in Fourteen Strings with world-class violinist Denis English and renowned bass player Jack Grosse. But what bring him here is the release of his first children’s album called Elemenope (L-M-N-O-P). He's sharing two songs with us: The Animal Train and Insects Are Everywhere. You'll find Jeff's music on the Artists E-H page.
The folk music of his native Canada, especially of the maritime provinces, made a strong impression on Owen Duggan at an early age. He loved the jaunty rhythms and lively tunes of Newfoundlander songs. He began singing and playing multiple instruments before he was 10. By the age of 12 he had recorded two long-playing albums of popular songs of folksingers like Burl Ives, the Irish Rovers and Tom Paxton. Later formal studies led Owen to a career in music education and church music and he currently resides in San Antonio, TX with his wife and two kids. His album An Elephant Never Forgets contains a really fun version of The Ants (Go Marching), which he's brought to share with us this time. You find Owen's music on the Artists C-D page.
The Dino 5 is a creation of the folks at Baby Loves Hip Hop. Hall-of-fame hip-hop producer Prince Paul has teamed with other successful MCs (Chali Tuna of Jurassic 5, Wordsworth, Lady Bug Mecca of Digable Planets and Scratch of Roots Crew). This funky musical journey tells the story of five best dino friends who come together to teach key life lessons and, of course, have a little fun! From their new album, they've brought us a sweet little groove called What About 10? You'll find the music of Dino 5 on the Artists C-D page.
Mr. Steve (Steve Piperno) & Miss Katie (Katie Burtnick) hail from New Jersey...where he's a professional musician and she teaches music at an elementary school. From their new album, Are You Ready? Here We Go!, they've brought to us a paean to politeness, Please and Thank You. And it looks like they are practicing what they preach. It appears that Mr. Steve has asked Miss Katie to "please" become Mrs. Katie (or Mrs. Steve...or something like that!) in the near future. You'll find Steve & Katie's music on the Artists M-N page.
Maureen Conlin is an early childhood music entertainer/educator from Phoenix. She's a writier, lyricist and composer who is inspired by her young audiences. She encourages children through her music to create, explore, experience and have fun. She's the owner of Happy Notes Music and has recorded four CDs, is a monthly contributor to Kids Celebrate Magazine and provides workshops for early childhood educators. From her album, Nature Notes, she's sharing her song Ugly Buglies with us. You'll find Maureen's music on the Artists C-D page.
And...lastly, but certainly not leastly...we present something a bit different. We'll call it "baby rock" for the moment. Matt Clark is father to a boy named Rowan. And he's been inspired by his experiences in raising this lttle fella to write some songs which we found very catchy. They're not slickly produced or anything...rather, they're all fairly short and all well worth the time to download and listen. We'll present two of them here (Top of the Stairs and Too Busy), but you'll need to visit his website to check out the rest. Matt's music can be found on the Artists C-D page.
Meet...the Boogers (yeah, I didn't pick the name, either!). These Chicago-based rockers are big fan of The Ramones...so they bring an energetic punkish sensibility to their music. Their energy is undeniable, and they've brought us two songs from their album Real Rock and Roll for Kids: I Don't Need to Be Worried and This Song's About Transportation. You'll find both songs on the Music A-B page.
Dave Taylor got started early, putting on musical/theatrical shows with his older brother Rick, utilizing Legos and household items as props. At 8, he started guitar lessons, but eventually drifted away from playing music until high school. Then, Dave and Rick reunited musically to collaborate once again. They formed a heavy metal outfit consisting of friends from school. In college, he played bass guitar in his brother’s Christian death metal band...but focused mainly on writing comedic songs. In his late 20s, he realized how much he loved playing music for kids...his nephews and nieces in particular. This was also when Dave realized that in a way, he had been writing and performing kids’ music all along. His new album is called Big Kids Up Front, and he's sharing his song Big Brown Package with us. You'll find it on the Music T page.
Mr Chris and The Gassy Bubbles are a children's/family rock & roll group from Toronto, Canada. Over the years, Mr Chris began to realize that more and more parents weren't relating to the music their children were listening to. Many parents began complaining that their children's music was 'too cheesy' to listen to on a regular basis...so he, as a children’s educator, decided that something had to be done. Along with the Gassy Bubbles, Mr Chris decided to create a different kind of children's album...one that both parents and children could equally enjoy. The album is called Dance, Shake, Rattle & Roll, and they're sharing Spider Song with us. You'll find it on the Music M-N page.
Mr. Willy (aka Willy Welch) is a children's entertainer, picture book author and recording artist who brings his songs and stories (and sometimes puppets) to schools, churches, child care centers, preschools, hospitals, arts festivals, birthday parties, bookstores and store openings. He has written over 35 songs for Barney and Friends to sing, and is a songwriter for the new "Boz the Green Bear Next Door" DVD series. A graduate of the Boston University School for the Arts, Willy is probably best known for penning "Playing Right Field," the heart-warming tale of an inept little-leaguer, which has been recorded and performed by over a dozen recording artists, most notably Peter, Paul & Mary...who recorded it for the third time in 1998. Willy's new CD is called My Backyard, and he's brought us his song It Comes Naturally. You'll find it on the Music M-N page as well.
The Musical Zoo hails from Chicago, and offers interactive music & dance classes for boys and girls aged 18 months to 7 years. They also celebrate birthdays and produce music and apparel for children. So, for today's "show and tell" time in class...they've brought us the delightful Musical Zoo Theme from their Musical Zoo EP. You'll find it on the Music M-N page as well (a very popular page this at the moment!).
Last, but certainly not least...children's singer/songwriter Shad Weathersby and children's book author/illustrator Mike Artell have created a wonderful new album of music based around the rich traditions of Mardi Gras. They started writing songs for this project a couple years back, but then a lady named Katrina came to New Orleans and knocked things off track for a bit. Finally, last summer, they made it back to the studio to finish it up. The album is called Calling All Children to the Mardi Gras, and they're sharing with us the title song and King Cake. You'll find them both on the Music U-Z page.
Sonia Hardie is the creative force behind YellowKat. She's been musically-inclined most of her life and began writing songs while studying for her degree in Primary Education at Sydney University. After the birth of her son Linten, she found music becoming one of her favorite ways of relating to him...and teamed up with her brother Matt to release her first CD of songs for children, called Clap Your Hands. She's brought us the delightful tune, "Ants in the Kitchen". You'll find it on the Music U-Z page.
Debbie and Friends have brought us another of their delightful songs. "Opposite" is from their forthcoming album, Story Songs and Sing Alongs. Find that one on the Music C-D page.
Oren Pfefferman holds a doctorate in child psychology, and he incorporates current research about the way kids learn in his songwriting. He's the leader of a California-based band called Oren and the Hiccups, and this time they share with us the energetic title song from their new album, Turn Around The Sun. Find it the Music O-R page.
David Rovics is a folkie...normally singing to adult audiences about passion and his politics. But he's also written a bunch of easily-digestable songs for kids in a collection called Pirate Songs for Kids, and he's made them all available for free download from his web site. We're sharing three of them here this time: "If I Was a Dog", "Roller Coaster Train" and "Tired of Sitting in the Car". You'll find those on the Music O-R page as well.
Dennis "D. Jay" King works as a public school special ed teacher in New Jersey, and has a unique take on melody and especially harmonies. He's sharing with us the title song from his album Buggy Baloo. You'll find that one on the Music C-D page.
And finally, Adam and The Couch Potatoes have a song for us that will (trust me!)...I say WILL get stuck in your head. It's called "Never Gonna Be Bored!", and it's from their new album, Live at Centennial Pre-School. You'll find that one on the Music A-B page.
Meet the lovely Jen Gould. She's been a performer most of her life...and in recent years has taken on some new roles: mom, educator and now, children's music artist. She's sharing two songs with us: "Gina Meana" and "Yummy in my Tummy". You'll find 'em on the Music E-H page.
Next up? Eric Herman returns with his amazing Invisible Band. He's freshened up the recording of "There's a Monster in My House" and added "No Big Deal" and "The Monkeys". You'll find him on the Music E-H page as well.
Debbie Cavalier has been involved with kids music for over 20 years...first as a classroom music teacher, and more recently as the leader of Debbie and Friends, where she writes, performs and records for children and their families. She's brought us "Three Pigs and a Wolf", from her album, due this summer. Find her song on our Music C-D page.
Michael McKinnon is the driving force behind Jam Toast. He's a longtime punk music fan who believes that punk can deliver important messages for kids, like "think for yourself" and "stand up for what you believe in". He's written and produced a CD (with the help of his two young boys), and is sharing two songs with us: "ABC" and "Make Some Noise". Find them on the Music I-L page.
And finally, we have a cute song from Jordan Cooper. He's not a children's music artist, per se...but when his sister had a baby and was in the process of moving to the other side of the world, he sat down and wrote a bunch of songs and produced an album for the baby to grow up with. You'll enjoy the gentle groove of "Things We Do". And you'll find it on the Music C-D page as well. |
