Pokey Pup Super Summer Giveaways!

Come one, come all to The Pokey Pup Super Summer of Giveaways Contest Extravaganza-palooza!! Bryan Townsend and the rest of the folks over at Pokey Pup, a favorite online site for everything that is hip in the Children's Music world, have announced a great series of kids' music giveaways, including prize packs, free music, and autographed CDs.

The first round included autographed Frances England CDs, and the current drawing is for a chance to win one of three Here Come the 123s CD/DVDs by They Might Be Giants. Future giveaways include a Gustafer Yellowgold prize pack, autographed Recess Monkey CDs, autographed Jellydots CDs, and ... well, you'll just have to tune in to find out!

Hop on over to The Pokey Pup and see what they have to offer, and enter for your chance to win. And drop Bryan a line thanking him for continuing to offer The Pokey Pup's eclectic, interesting, and entertaining selection of music for kids and their families!

Friday Free-for-All # 15

Karen Potje, Can't Help But Love You, Baby

Ontario native Karen Potje performs her jazzy pop with a sprinkle of sophisticated country. No surprise, because Potje's background includes a stint in Texas digging local country & western music while performing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Potje's lyrical, witty tunes for and about children are inspired by her own kids, and backed by an all star collection of Montreal musicians, including Rob Fahie, Philip Hornsey, Joshua Lebofsky, and Jordan Officer.



The Hobo Nickels, Cooper County

Americana from Denver, CO. All the songs describe sights around fictional Cooper County, like ""The Kearney Barn," "The Picket Fence in Pilot Knob," and "The Excelsior Springs Water Tower." One of the catchiest and funniest is "The Weaubleau Well," which hilariously describes what can be found at the bottom of said well. Lots of accordion, ukulele, harmonica, kazoo, guitar, and upright bass ... and fun!




Jonathan Sprout, More American Heroes

Kids' music veteran Jonathan Sprout follows up 1996's American Heroes with this second collection of musical biographies. Flawless production and an Adult Contemporary style (think Phil Collins or Lionel Ritchie) help describe the lives of historical luminaries from Sojourner Truth to Neil Armstrong. Perfect for 3rd - 5th-Grade classrooms, where students can pick apart Sprout's detailed lyrics and use them in conjunction with textbook info. This resident of Morrisville, PA, has scheduled the release of a third American Heroes CD for sometime in 2008.

Universal Music Family series

Here's a pretty cool series from Universal, featuring original songs by original artists. Now, I'm not sure I would include ABC's "The Look of Love" (from Totally '80s for Kids) on a children's compilation, or what exactly makes The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (from Songs for the Car) suitable for a road trip CD. But the series does include one of the most fun Christmas compilations ever, and you can't beat an album of Ella Fitzgerald gems for kids!

Table for two

I've talked a lot lately about what it means to be "in the moment" with your children. I have always believed strongly in this, but I suppose the number of deaths in my family recently has made me see the importance of this more keenly than before. As I was reading It Takes Two to Talk the other day, I ran across the three "A"s to being a responsive parent.

• Allow your child to lead


• Adapt what your doing in order to share in the moment


• Add language and experience to the activity

These are so simple, yet I have to think about them often. My busy day often wants to dictate the type or length of the activity I do with my children. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying we are bad parents if we don't drop everything and play all day. What I am saying is that when I spend time playing with my children, I should have the freedom to wholeheartedly immerse myself in whatever it is that they are interested in without feeling guilty about it. As I let them lead in the activity, we are working on social, emotional, language, and a host of other skills. What better way to teach them friendship, than to lead by my example? It doesn't have to be a huge project. It might be reading a book together or going for a walk. Whatever it is, enjoy every minute of it!

***The Jellydots***

I love to connect everything musical to the Beatles, thus the following analogy: Doug Snyder's first CD as The Jellydots could be considered his A Hard Day's Night, and his latest, Changing Skies, his Revolver.

Snyder's 2006 debut, "Hey You Kids!", is giddy to the point of, well, if you had a vinyl copy the needle would laugh itself off the record. The lyrics and music on Changing Skies, though, aren't afraid to explore and express deeper, even darker, feelings. People grow up. Kids grow up. Little fans of "Hey You Kids!" aged a couple of years since that release, and Doug's songs have matured accordingly.

Sure, there are tunes like "Sunshine" (a rock and roll ode to the sun's healing rays) and "San Diego" (a fuzz bass-powered suggestion to make a new start in a new town) that are reminiscent of the Jellydots' first disc. But dig the message behind "Mountain" (taking chances in life) and the wry humor and in-jokes of "Art School Girl." And I love the incomprehensible lyrics of the superpoppy "Solo Echo" (about a lost alien?).

"Big Swingset" recalls fond memories of a favorite piece of playground equipment, while the Radiohead-like grind of "Sad Robot" tells a truly sad tale of a forgotten and out-of-commission robot who longs to contact the stars or even his Uncle Voyager, knowing that he's probably gonna be pulled apart and used to make a coffee table or a "high-tech ottoman."

The final five tunes on Changing Skies beautifully describe the emotional push and pull of loneliness, lost friendships, and enduring love. From the complete adoration of "Beautiful as You" to the sadness of "Remember Me," from the "have guitar will travel" melancholy of "Travelin' Man" to the soul mate sentiments of "When You were Born," to the gorgeous closing lullaby "Pretty Little Baby," the album is worth the last half alone.

Snyder stays at the top of the Kids' Music heap with Changing Skies by offering up a CD that everyone sitting around the stereo can dig, from preteens to grandparents. It's really cool that artists are thinking outside the "children's music" box; let's hope The Jellydots remain at the forefront of that movement.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I read this quote the other day and really liked it. I think it speaks of being "in the moment" with your children and being able to truly share your thoughts and feelings together. I constantly marvel at the things they think of and are able to communicate to me.

"For a child to talk, he must have: something to say, the opportunity to say it, and the encouragement and satisfaction to make the effort worthwhile."

-It Takes Two To Talk

http://www.hanen.org/

Family Time

It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stuff when raising a family. There's so much to do! Yet, one of the most important and, in my opinion, the most fun is being in the moment with your children. It's playing with them and getting caught up in their fun. It not only shows them that they are important to you, but also gives them a great opportunity to share with you verbally and emotionally. My youngest daughter and I had a chance to do just that while on vacation. We attended a street festival where there was live bluegrass music and square dancing. I have never really square danced before. They were happy to show us, and we had a great time together. Daddy and my older daughter watched from the "safety" of the crowd. I guess they were happy to share in their own moment snapping pictures! :-) Have you shared any great moments lately?

Carroll Park Kids' Concert Series in Brooklyn

The summer fun continues in Carroll Park! Check out the schedule for July and August:

Wednesday, July 9 @ 4:00pm - Lloyd Miller (of the Deedle Deedle Dees) & the Brooklyn Phone Book

Lloyd Miller, from The Deedle Deedle Dees, a Brooklyn-based rock band for kids (and parents too), is well known to Brooklyn neighborhood families from his popular appearances at the Tea Lounge. The Brooklyn Phonebook is Lloyd Miller's back-up band of local kids.

Wednesday, July 23 @ 4:00pm - Randy Kaplan
Randy Kaplan is a Brooklyn-based songwriter known for his incisive lyrics and songs that blend American roots, folk, alternative, and pop. Randy has released six CDs, the most recent being the children's record Five Cent Piece. The CD features classics like "Over the Rainbow" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and original songs too. Kaplan has been praised and recommended by New York Magazine, TONY Kids, Cookie Magazine, Parenting Magazine, and others.

Wednesday, August 6 @ 4:00pm - Uncle Rock
Uncle Rock is singer-songwriter, actor, teacher, former globe-trotting bassist, and erstwhile stay-at-home dad Robert Burke Warren. His "Rock Of All Ages" songs, featured on three critically acclaimed CDs, draw inspiration from Maurice Sendak, Woody Guthrie, Shel Silverstein and the Beatles, to name a few. He’s also a featured artist on Sirius Satellite Radio's channel 116 Kids Stuff. Uncle Rock is an interactive, joyous, adult-friendly musical experience.

Wednesday, August 20 @ 4:00pm - Bari Koral Family Band
Award winning singer/songwriter Bari Koral has joined forces with some of the best players on the downtown NYC music scene to bring you the Bari Koral Family Band — rock songs for kids that parents dig. "Dad's New Car," from their highly acclaimed debut CD, is a Children's Music Award Finalist and "A Day at the Beach" spent 4 months on XM KIDS' top 10 list.

You can check out photos of the series' first concert, Audra Rox, at this link. Thanks to Lynn Melnick for all the info!