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Showing posts with label kid stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid stuff. Show all posts
Thursday, September 13, 2012
'Finding Nemo' at El Capitan Hollywood Sept. 14-Oct. 1
David Tobocman to perform in Santa Monica Sept. 23
Meet David Tobocman, a composer and performer who is establishing a reputation for smart songwriting for kids. He’s about to release his third album of family music, “Escalator,” a collection of songs that exudes all of the joy and transcendence of childhood without the saccharine quality that turns people off from the genre.
“I’m inspired by kids,” he says. "When you're down on the floor playing with them, you find your spontaneity and humor. That sort of immediacy is the real source of creativity."
Tobocman has had a busy career as a songwriter and composer for various TV and film projects, including the new Nickelodeon show “Robot and Monster” (his other credits include “Family Law,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “That 70s Show,” and the cult classic “Psycho Beach Party"). One reason David’s children’s songwriting sticks so well with kids is that he respects the genre. “It’s pretty demanding. You have to be so taut in your songwriting. Kid songs are easygoing on the surface, but every element has to be distilled and refined.. there is no room at all for license or wafting off into the ether, or you lose your audience. This is songwriting in its most immediate, visceral form.”
Tobocman’s new release, “Escalator,” is inspired by his two young daughters (8 year old Zoe, herself a fiddler and an ASCAP songwriter, contributed to the song “Peace Sign” and her brief “Zoe’s Intro" on Escalator and has collaborated with her Dad on songs on his two previous albums). When he's not performing major concerts around Los Angeles (he and his band played the prestigious Getty Garden Series and Topanga's Theatricum Botanicum in August), David hones his craft with monthly free sing-alongs and will celebrate the new release with a Sunday matinee family concert at McCabe’s Guitar Shop on September 23rd.
David and his wife KC Mancebo also run a children's record label and media company called Clamorhouse Kids. This Culver City home-based business represents some of the top independent children's artists working today, helping them break into the broader market. Their true mom-and-pop operation is a big part of the national trend supporting smart independent, DIY music-making for today’s families and kids.
More about David’s other family music CDs are at www.veryhelpfulsongs.com, and his varied and impressive music career is outlined here: www.DavidTobocman.com.
“I’m inspired by kids,” he says. "When you're down on the floor playing with them, you find your spontaneity and humor. That sort of immediacy is the real source of creativity."
Tobocman has had a busy career as a songwriter and composer for various TV and film projects, including the new Nickelodeon show “Robot and Monster” (his other credits include “Family Law,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “That 70s Show,” and the cult classic “Psycho Beach Party"). One reason David’s children’s songwriting sticks so well with kids is that he respects the genre. “It’s pretty demanding. You have to be so taut in your songwriting. Kid songs are easygoing on the surface, but every element has to be distilled and refined.. there is no room at all for license or wafting off into the ether, or you lose your audience. This is songwriting in its most immediate, visceral form.”
Tobocman’s new release, “Escalator,” is inspired by his two young daughters (8 year old Zoe, herself a fiddler and an ASCAP songwriter, contributed to the song “Peace Sign” and her brief “Zoe’s Intro" on Escalator and has collaborated with her Dad on songs on his two previous albums). When he's not performing major concerts around Los Angeles (he and his band played the prestigious Getty Garden Series and Topanga's Theatricum Botanicum in August), David hones his craft with monthly free sing-alongs and will celebrate the new release with a Sunday matinee family concert at McCabe’s Guitar Shop on September 23rd.
David and his wife KC Mancebo also run a children's record label and media company called Clamorhouse Kids. This Culver City home-based business represents some of the top independent children's artists working today, helping them break into the broader market. Their true mom-and-pop operation is a big part of the national trend supporting smart independent, DIY music-making for today’s families and kids.
More about David’s other family music CDs are at www.veryhelpfulsongs.com, and his varied and impressive music career is outlined here: www.DavidTobocman.com.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Arcadia to offer Family Nature Hike to Hollywood sign Oct. 13
Family Nature Hike!
Saturday October 13
7:30am Sharp!
$15 per person
Bring the family and join us as we hike to the Hollywood Sign on Saturday, October 13th! (Originally was scheduled for Saturday, September 29th)! This nature hike is approximately 4.5 miles roundtrip with a moderate level of difficulty. Participants will meet at the Arcadia Community Center at 7:30am and travel by bus to the Bronson Canyon entrance to Griffith Park in Hollywood. Upon arrival, participants will do some light stretching and then embark on a hike to the world-famous icon, the “Hollywood Sign” and experience an epic view of L.A.’s unique urban sprawl. It is the most famous sign in the world, and was originally erected in 1923, then rebuilt in 1979. Each letter is 50-feet high and 30-feet wide and the full sign spans 450-feet across a summit on Mount Lee. At the end of the hike participants will enjoy a picnic lunch. The $15 fee includes transportation and lunch. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
You can register now, on-line, by mail or in person! To download the registration form, go on-line to the City of Arcadia’s website: www.ci.arcadia.ca.us or stop by the office, 375 Campus Drive. For more information please call 626.574.5113!
Saturday October 13
7:30am Sharp!
$15 per person
Bring the family and join us as we hike to the Hollywood Sign on Saturday, October 13th! (Originally was scheduled for Saturday, September 29th)! This nature hike is approximately 4.5 miles roundtrip with a moderate level of difficulty. Participants will meet at the Arcadia Community Center at 7:30am and travel by bus to the Bronson Canyon entrance to Griffith Park in Hollywood. Upon arrival, participants will do some light stretching and then embark on a hike to the world-famous icon, the “Hollywood Sign” and experience an epic view of L.A.’s unique urban sprawl. It is the most famous sign in the world, and was originally erected in 1923, then rebuilt in 1979. Each letter is 50-feet high and 30-feet wide and the full sign spans 450-feet across a summit on Mount Lee. At the end of the hike participants will enjoy a picnic lunch. The $15 fee includes transportation and lunch. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
You can register now, on-line, by mail or in person! To download the registration form, go on-line to the City of Arcadia’s website: www.ci.arcadia.ca.us or stop by the office, 375 Campus Drive. For more information please call 626.574.5113!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Sleepy Bear Swap at LA Zoo Sept. 15
Local children are getting a free day of fun at the Los Angeles Zoo on Saturday, September 15, 2012, along with new teddy bears and more thanks to “Travelodge’s The Great Sleepy Bear Swap.”
The special one-day event invites children and their families to bring a gently-used stuffed animal to the zoo to donate to charity in exchange for one free kid’s admission and a brand new Sleepy Bear teddy bear.
While free admission is limited to the first 100 children who bring a donation, everyone at the zoo is able to participate in fun-filled activities including face painting and drawing contests along with giveaways such as bear temporary tattoos, National Geographic activity books and Sleepy Bear masks. A keeper from the zoo will also be on hand to educate children about bears and the role they play in the wild.
“For over 75 years, the Travelodge hotel brand has been delivering memorable experiences and giving back to the communities where our hotels are located,” said Mark Young, Travelodge brand senior vice president. “With Travelodge’s The Great Sleepy Bear Swap, we’re continuing both of these great traditions while giving everyone in the Los Angeles area a chance to come out and say hi to Sleepy Bear, our beloved mascot.”
Stuffed animals gathered from the events will be donated to Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (S.A.F.E.), a national organization that cleans and redistributes the toys to children in need. For every stuffed animal donated at the event. In addition, the Travelodge hotel brand will match it with a donation of three brand new Sleepy Bear teddy bears to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, up to 1,500 bears. Starlight is the signature charity of Travelodge and parent company Wyndham Hotel Group.
“For many children, the gift of a stuffed animal is a simple gesture that can help brighten their day, especially when you’re talking about children facing severe illness and other hardships,” said Young. “Starlight and S.A.F.E. are both organizations that do great work with children across the country and we’re delighted to be able to support them through these events.”
Young also announced that the Travelodge brand would make a $10,000 donation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in support of black bear conservation.
This is the third of five events to be hosted by Travelodge at zoos across America, with two more scheduled to take place in Miami and San Francisco by mid-October. Previous locations included The Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Penn. and The Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Additional details, including dates and times for all upcoming events, are available at www.Travelodge.com.
The special one-day event invites children and their families to bring a gently-used stuffed animal to the zoo to donate to charity in exchange for one free kid’s admission and a brand new Sleepy Bear teddy bear.
While free admission is limited to the first 100 children who bring a donation, everyone at the zoo is able to participate in fun-filled activities including face painting and drawing contests along with giveaways such as bear temporary tattoos, National Geographic activity books and Sleepy Bear masks. A keeper from the zoo will also be on hand to educate children about bears and the role they play in the wild.
“For over 75 years, the Travelodge hotel brand has been delivering memorable experiences and giving back to the communities where our hotels are located,” said Mark Young, Travelodge brand senior vice president. “With Travelodge’s The Great Sleepy Bear Swap, we’re continuing both of these great traditions while giving everyone in the Los Angeles area a chance to come out and say hi to Sleepy Bear, our beloved mascot.”
Stuffed animals gathered from the events will be donated to Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (S.A.F.E.), a national organization that cleans and redistributes the toys to children in need. For every stuffed animal donated at the event. In addition, the Travelodge hotel brand will match it with a donation of three brand new Sleepy Bear teddy bears to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, up to 1,500 bears. Starlight is the signature charity of Travelodge and parent company Wyndham Hotel Group.
“For many children, the gift of a stuffed animal is a simple gesture that can help brighten their day, especially when you’re talking about children facing severe illness and other hardships,” said Young. “Starlight and S.A.F.E. are both organizations that do great work with children across the country and we’re delighted to be able to support them through these events.”
Young also announced that the Travelodge brand would make a $10,000 donation through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in support of black bear conservation.
This is the third of five events to be hosted by Travelodge at zoos across America, with two more scheduled to take place in Miami and San Francisco by mid-October. Previous locations included The Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, Penn. and The Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Additional details, including dates and times for all upcoming events, are available at www.Travelodge.com.
Theatre 360 'Spring Awakening' auditions in Pasadena Sept. 22
Theatre 360 in Pasadena, an award-winning children’s theatre company, is having auditions for “Spring Awakening.” They are taking place September 22ndfrom 2pm-5pm. Theatre 360, 75 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena.
WHO: 13 to 19.
WHAT: Auditions for “Spring Awakening”
WHEN: September 22nd from 2pm-5pm
WHERE: Theatre 360, 75 N. Marengo Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
INFORMATION: 626.577.5922 www.theatre360.org
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Music Center seeks SoCal students for Spotlight Program
The Music Center invites Southern California high school students in the performing and visual arts to apply to The Music Center’s Spotlight Program. For 25 years, Spotlight has played an integral role in shaping the future of Southern California’s bright young artists. The program is one of the nation’s premier arts education and scholarship programs for teens, providing arts training by professional artists and awarding over $100,000 in scholarships.
“As we begin our 25th year, we are proud to have served more than 25,000 students through the Spotlight program,” said Mark Slavkin, Music Center Vice President for Education. “We love to see how students learn and grow through the program, whether or not they end up pursuing a career in the arts.” The Music Center Spotlight Program has launched many professional careers, including pop music sensation Adam Lambert, American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland, Broadway’s Erin Mackey and classical musician Liang Wang, principal oboist with the New York Philharmonic. Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and class instructors, eager to give to Spotlight what they received when they were students.
The Music Center’s Spotlight Program is free and open to all students who attend high school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Spotlight is a highly regarded yet accessible program that invites students of all talent levels to apply, and there are no fees to participate. Every student who applies to Spotlight will have the opportunity to learn through professional feedback and gain valuable knowledge to improve their art and audition skills.
Spotlight was developed to offer distinctive learning opportunities to Southern California students at every stage of artistic development. On September 30, The Music Center will host the Spotlight Academy, a free day of workshops inviting students to talk to professionals and university faculty about the program and audition processes in a casual atmosphere. High school students at all levels of prior training are welcome to attend, whether or not they plan to audition in the Spotlight program. According to Jeri Gale, Director of the The Music Center’s Spotlight Program, “Spotlight provides high school students an opportunity to stretch themselves by learning about audition skills, exploring artistry and developing self-confidence; all in a safe and nurturing environment. It’s free, it’s easy and most importantly, it’s fun!”
Applications for Spotlight and information about the Spotlight Academy are now available online at musiccenter.org/spotlight. Performing Arts applications must be received by October 17, 2012, and Visual Arts applications are due by December 1, 2012. Performing Arts categories are ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental, and jazz instrumental. Visual Arts categories are photography and two-dimensional art. Students who are selected by professional judges to advance as semifinalists participate in master classes, compete to perform at The Music Center or exhibit their artwork in a professional art gallery, and receive cash scholarships totaling $100,000. First Grand Prize Finalists in each category receive $5,000 scholarships and runners-up, $4,000. Honorable Mentions receive $250 scholarships and semifinalists receive $100 scholarships.
For more information about the Music Center Spotlight program, visitmusiccenter.org/spotlight or join the conversation onfacebook.com/spotlightawards.
“As we begin our 25th year, we are proud to have served more than 25,000 students through the Spotlight program,” said Mark Slavkin, Music Center Vice President for Education. “We love to see how students learn and grow through the program, whether or not they end up pursuing a career in the arts.” The Music Center Spotlight Program has launched many professional careers, including pop music sensation Adam Lambert, American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland, Broadway’s Erin Mackey and classical musician Liang Wang, principal oboist with the New York Philharmonic. Many alumni return to the program and participate as judges and class instructors, eager to give to Spotlight what they received when they were students.
The Music Center’s Spotlight Program is free and open to all students who attend high school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Spotlight is a highly regarded yet accessible program that invites students of all talent levels to apply, and there are no fees to participate. Every student who applies to Spotlight will have the opportunity to learn through professional feedback and gain valuable knowledge to improve their art and audition skills.
Spotlight was developed to offer distinctive learning opportunities to Southern California students at every stage of artistic development. On September 30, The Music Center will host the Spotlight Academy, a free day of workshops inviting students to talk to professionals and university faculty about the program and audition processes in a casual atmosphere. High school students at all levels of prior training are welcome to attend, whether or not they plan to audition in the Spotlight program. According to Jeri Gale, Director of the The Music Center’s Spotlight Program, “Spotlight provides high school students an opportunity to stretch themselves by learning about audition skills, exploring artistry and developing self-confidence; all in a safe and nurturing environment. It’s free, it’s easy and most importantly, it’s fun!”
Applications for Spotlight and information about the Spotlight Academy are now available online at musiccenter.org/spotlight. Performing Arts applications must be received by October 17, 2012, and Visual Arts applications are due by December 1, 2012. Performing Arts categories are ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental, and jazz instrumental. Visual Arts categories are photography and two-dimensional art. Students who are selected by professional judges to advance as semifinalists participate in master classes, compete to perform at The Music Center or exhibit their artwork in a professional art gallery, and receive cash scholarships totaling $100,000. First Grand Prize Finalists in each category receive $5,000 scholarships and runners-up, $4,000. Honorable Mentions receive $250 scholarships and semifinalists receive $100 scholarships.
For more information about the Music Center Spotlight program, visitmusiccenter.org/spotlight or join the conversation onfacebook.com/spotlightawards.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Charity & the JAMband to release new kids album
San Francisco’s award-winning tribe of family musicians, Charity and the JAMband, take lovingkindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, patience, understanding, generosity, community, intention, non-harming, gratitude, respect, mindfulness, waking up, truth, and peace for ALL, and wrap them in a powerful musical package with the October 9 release of their fourth studio CD, Family Values. (Raindrop Records, $14.99, for ages 3 - 9, run time 48 minutes).
Charity and the JAMband are known for their funky and unforgettable grooves, stick-in-your-head melodies, and lyrics that talk up to kids. Cool Mom Picks’ Christina Refford enthused about the band’s 2010 release, Party Like a Twinkle Star, “Sure it’s for kids, but it is strong stuff for anyone to resist.”
The “family” part of Family Values includes all of us, and the values are a description of precisely how we all want our children to be. But the artistic integrity of the music is what brings the compelling message to a level that allows Charity and the JAMband to shine as never before, giving full rein to their astonishing ability to span everything from heartfelt contemplation to full on, raging rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s dramatic scope and unity of design make it seem more like the soundtrack to a hit musical than just another kids’ CD.
Family Values is a celebration of coming together as one big family, united by common basic needs set against the backdrop of rich cultural textures and expressed by song, dance, and love. Musically, the album takes listeners on a thrilling journey through in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll epics, optimistic acoustic anthems of mutual aid, gentle ballads, and joyful sing-alongs. Philosophically, Family Values seeks to communicate to children that the challenges confronting our world at this time are of vast proportion. However, the precepts employed never cross the border to become preachy or commonplace. Throughout, Charity and the JAMband achieve a remarkable balance between the music’s urgent message and its playful, magical exuberance and joy.
Charity Kahn has a degree in math from Stanford, has co-authored a book on math and music, and used to be a software engineer in the technology industry. Becoming a mom opened the door to a new life of musical devotion and creation and allowed her to live her real passion. Since 2004, Charity and the JAMband have been bringing the rock ‘n’ roll experience to families, touching the hearts and inspiring the dancing feet of this generation’s breed of family music lovers.
Charity and the JAMband recordings include Party Like a Twinkle Star (2010, NAPPA Gold Award, Parents’ Choice® Silver Honor Award), Rock Your Socks Off (2006, Parents’ Choice® Gold Award, Children’s Music Web Gold Award, Fids & Kamily Award), and Peanut Butter and JAM (2004, Parents’ Choice® Approved Award).
FAMILY VALUES TRACK LIST:
Peace Pledge
Family Values
Lovingkindness
Lemonade
Bike
Love Is Here
Ice Cream
Valentine
Flower Power
Green Beans Everywhere
Grateful
We Are the Ones,
You Are My Sunshine
Charity and the JAMband are known for their funky and unforgettable grooves, stick-in-your-head melodies, and lyrics that talk up to kids. Cool Mom Picks’ Christina Refford enthused about the band’s 2010 release, Party Like a Twinkle Star, “Sure it’s for kids, but it is strong stuff for anyone to resist.”
The “family” part of Family Values includes all of us, and the values are a description of precisely how we all want our children to be. But the artistic integrity of the music is what brings the compelling message to a level that allows Charity and the JAMband to shine as never before, giving full rein to their astonishing ability to span everything from heartfelt contemplation to full on, raging rock ‘n’ roll. The album’s dramatic scope and unity of design make it seem more like the soundtrack to a hit musical than just another kids’ CD.
Family Values is a celebration of coming together as one big family, united by common basic needs set against the backdrop of rich cultural textures and expressed by song, dance, and love. Musically, the album takes listeners on a thrilling journey through in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll epics, optimistic acoustic anthems of mutual aid, gentle ballads, and joyful sing-alongs. Philosophically, Family Values seeks to communicate to children that the challenges confronting our world at this time are of vast proportion. However, the precepts employed never cross the border to become preachy or commonplace. Throughout, Charity and the JAMband achieve a remarkable balance between the music’s urgent message and its playful, magical exuberance and joy.
Charity Kahn has a degree in math from Stanford, has co-authored a book on math and music, and used to be a software engineer in the technology industry. Becoming a mom opened the door to a new life of musical devotion and creation and allowed her to live her real passion. Since 2004, Charity and the JAMband have been bringing the rock ‘n’ roll experience to families, touching the hearts and inspiring the dancing feet of this generation’s breed of family music lovers.
Charity and the JAMband recordings include Party Like a Twinkle Star (2010, NAPPA Gold Award, Parents’ Choice® Silver Honor Award), Rock Your Socks Off (2006, Parents’ Choice® Gold Award, Children’s Music Web Gold Award, Fids & Kamily Award), and Peanut Butter and JAM (2004, Parents’ Choice® Approved Award).
FAMILY VALUES TRACK LIST:
Peace Pledge
Family Values
Lovingkindness
Lemonade
Bike
Love Is Here
Ice Cream
Valentine
Flower Power
Green Beans Everywhere
Grateful
We Are the Ones,
You Are My Sunshine
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Vanessa Trien & the Jumping Monkeys release new kids album
Honored with FIVE national awards and adored by a legion of families in the greater Boston area, Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys are poised to firmly plant themselves on the national scene with the October 2 release of Vanessa's third studio CD, Bubble Ride (VeeTree Records, $14.98, run time 47 minutes, for ages 1 - 8).
Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys have captured the vibrant effervescence of the band's tremendously popular live concerts to showcase a sound honed and refined over the course of the past two years, a sound notable for its energized spontaneity, rich harmonies, and primarily acoustic instrumentation.
Bubble Ride kicks off with "Moomooheehawbaabaaneigh," a sort of barnyard onomatopoetic Afrobeat song that takes a break in the middle to feature a hilarious rap about animal conversations. A delightful feature of many of the songs on Bubble Ride is the way they "open up" to create the image of a richly textured, large vocal ensemble. Listening to these singers harmonize makes it clear that they love what they're doing! This is especially apparent when Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys revisit an iconic anthem of the early '70s, "Free to Be You and Me."
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Trien has been crisscrossing musical borders for as long as she can remember. While grounded in the acoustic folk genre, Vanessa has assimilated her own style, shifting effortlessly through an eclectic bag of influences: folk, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz standards, Latin, Caribbean, and '70s and '80s pop.
Expanding her horizons to include kid-friendly music came naturally when Vanessa became a parent. Indeed, her debut kids' album, Hot Air Balloon (2006), gestated right along with her first child. Both baby Ellis and the CD were deemed first-rate at birth. Vanessa's second kids' CD, Carnival Day (2009), accompanied baby Laila into the world. Vanessa Trien's first two albums have been honored with two Parents' Choice® Awards, a NAPPA Award, and two iParenting Media Awards.
As a complement to her career as a professional musician, Vanessa Trien, who holds a master's degree in education from Harvard University, has made a point of sharing her love of music through teaching preschool, primary, and elementary school-aged children in both New York City and Boston. Vanessa has taught early childhood music classes for more than seven years in the Boston area.
BUBBLE RIDE
TRACK LIST:
Moomooheehawbaabaaneigh
Peacock Walk
Spinning Around
Tickle Monster
One Fine Day
Train Dance
Bubble Ride
Yo-Yo Song
Hey Ho
Mama Dada Blues
Deep in the Jungle,
What Am I To Do?
Free to Be You and Me
Bye Bye Song
Laila's Rainbow Colors
Check out Vanessa's website at www.vanessatrien.com
Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys have captured the vibrant effervescence of the band's tremendously popular live concerts to showcase a sound honed and refined over the course of the past two years, a sound notable for its energized spontaneity, rich harmonies, and primarily acoustic instrumentation.
Bubble Ride kicks off with "Moomooheehawbaabaaneigh," a sort of barnyard onomatopoetic Afrobeat song that takes a break in the middle to feature a hilarious rap about animal conversations. A delightful feature of many of the songs on Bubble Ride is the way they "open up" to create the image of a richly textured, large vocal ensemble. Listening to these singers harmonize makes it clear that they love what they're doing! This is especially apparent when Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys revisit an iconic anthem of the early '70s, "Free to Be You and Me."
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Trien has been crisscrossing musical borders for as long as she can remember. While grounded in the acoustic folk genre, Vanessa has assimilated her own style, shifting effortlessly through an eclectic bag of influences: folk, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz standards, Latin, Caribbean, and '70s and '80s pop.
Expanding her horizons to include kid-friendly music came naturally when Vanessa became a parent. Indeed, her debut kids' album, Hot Air Balloon (2006), gestated right along with her first child. Both baby Ellis and the CD were deemed first-rate at birth. Vanessa's second kids' CD, Carnival Day (2009), accompanied baby Laila into the world. Vanessa Trien's first two albums have been honored with two Parents' Choice® Awards, a NAPPA Award, and two iParenting Media Awards.
As a complement to her career as a professional musician, Vanessa Trien, who holds a master's degree in education from Harvard University, has made a point of sharing her love of music through teaching preschool, primary, and elementary school-aged children in both New York City and Boston. Vanessa has taught early childhood music classes for more than seven years in the Boston area.
BUBBLE RIDE
TRACK LIST:
Moomooheehawbaabaaneigh
Peacock Walk
Spinning Around
Tickle Monster
One Fine Day
Train Dance
Bubble Ride
Yo-Yo Song
Hey Ho
Mama Dada Blues
Deep in the Jungle,
What Am I To Do?
Free to Be You and Me
Bye Bye Song
Laila's Rainbow Colors
Check out Vanessa's website at www.vanessatrien.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
myKaZooTV kids' music videos now on Ameba
myKaZooTV is happy to announce that kids’ music videos from its repertoire were just added to the lineup on Ameba (http://www.amebatv.com ), a multi-platform frontrunner in the exploding children’s streaming TV market.
Ameba delivers to subscribers an extensive library of engaging, age-appropriate children's TV shows and videos, online and across a wide and always-expanding variety of platforms, including Google TV, Roku and LG Smart TV. Ameba TV's rich library of award-winning educational and music themed shows and videos are designed to spark children’s curiosity, and empower them to explore and develop skills that will prepare them for school and for life.
myKaZootv (http://www.mykazootv.com ) is an always-on, interactive multi-channel video platform, broadcasting music videos for children ages 2 to 9, with features that make it better than television. The free online channel features hundreds of music videos of original songs by top kid-centric artists. Some videos are animated, some are live concert videos, and all are targeted for kids ages 2 to 9. The channel is also accessible via handheld devices (phone and tablet platforms) and cable television. myKaZooTV offers parents and kids a safe, focused environment showing hundreds of entertaining music videos by top artists, kid hosts and humorous educational interstitials, all organized by topic and artist and easily selected by young viewers.
“We’re excited to work with Ameba and to provide some of the best artist-driven music content created just for young children,” says Richard Ellis, a former label executive and music marketing expert who co-founded myKaZoo last year with Rick Dobbis. “We like the way Ameba delivers content to families in such an effortless way. It’s a great way to introduce myKaZooTV content to more kids and parents.”
“Together, MyKaZooTV alongside Ameba are working to shape the children's video-on-demand landscape by delivering fun, truly engaging children's music videos to kids across today's most popular viewing platforms," says Ameba founder and CEO Tony Havelka."So, no matter where children choose to watch their videos – TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet – today's most positive and upbeat kids' music videos will be at their fingertips wherever they go."
The Ameba TV launch is just the latest in myKaZoo’s ongoing mission to explore new avenues to reach audiences for family music. myKaZootv has also forged partnerships with MobiTV and Kabillion TV on Demand, each of which reaches millions of digital households. Kidtoon Films, Cinedigm’s matinee program that brings kid-friendly content to movie-going families every month at more than 100 theatre locations nationwide, has also partnered with MyKaZooTV to include music videos this summer.
Meanwhile, sister company myKaZoo Music (a label of Universal Music Enterprises) continues to build its roster of top family music artists. The label’s first release is Farmer Jason’s CD-DVD Nature Jams. New CDs from Randy Kaplan (Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie) and Barry G and the Dream Jam Kids (Huh-uh) were released this summer, and a new release,“The Barber of the Beasts” by Zak Morgan, is coming in October. For more information, visit www.mykazootv.com and www.mykazoomusic.com.
Ameba delivers to subscribers an extensive library of engaging, age-appropriate children's TV shows and videos, online and across a wide and always-expanding variety of platforms, including Google TV, Roku and LG Smart TV. Ameba TV's rich library of award-winning educational and music themed shows and videos are designed to spark children’s curiosity, and empower them to explore and develop skills that will prepare them for school and for life.
myKaZootv (http://www.mykazootv.com ) is an always-on, interactive multi-channel video platform, broadcasting music videos for children ages 2 to 9, with features that make it better than television. The free online channel features hundreds of music videos of original songs by top kid-centric artists. Some videos are animated, some are live concert videos, and all are targeted for kids ages 2 to 9. The channel is also accessible via handheld devices (phone and tablet platforms) and cable television. myKaZooTV offers parents and kids a safe, focused environment showing hundreds of entertaining music videos by top artists, kid hosts and humorous educational interstitials, all organized by topic and artist and easily selected by young viewers.
“We’re excited to work with Ameba and to provide some of the best artist-driven music content created just for young children,” says Richard Ellis, a former label executive and music marketing expert who co-founded myKaZoo last year with Rick Dobbis. “We like the way Ameba delivers content to families in such an effortless way. It’s a great way to introduce myKaZooTV content to more kids and parents.”
“Together, MyKaZooTV alongside Ameba are working to shape the children's video-on-demand landscape by delivering fun, truly engaging children's music videos to kids across today's most popular viewing platforms," says Ameba founder and CEO Tony Havelka."So, no matter where children choose to watch their videos – TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet – today's most positive and upbeat kids' music videos will be at their fingertips wherever they go."
The Ameba TV launch is just the latest in myKaZoo’s ongoing mission to explore new avenues to reach audiences for family music. myKaZootv has also forged partnerships with MobiTV and Kabillion TV on Demand, each of which reaches millions of digital households. Kidtoon Films, Cinedigm’s matinee program that brings kid-friendly content to movie-going families every month at more than 100 theatre locations nationwide, has also partnered with MyKaZooTV to include music videos this summer.
Meanwhile, sister company myKaZoo Music (a label of Universal Music Enterprises) continues to build its roster of top family music artists. The label’s first release is Farmer Jason’s CD-DVD Nature Jams. New CDs from Randy Kaplan (Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie) and Barry G and the Dream Jam Kids (Huh-uh) were released this summer, and a new release,“The Barber of the Beasts” by Zak Morgan, is coming in October. For more information, visit www.mykazootv.com and www.mykazoomusic.com.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Pasadena Oct. 7
On October 7th, 2012 Pacific Asia Museum presents a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival as the grand finale to the 2012 Free Chinese Culture Sundays presented by MetLife Foundation. This day-long event includes performances, crafts and activities, and complimentary refreshments in partnership with the Chinese Culture Development Center. Admission to Pacific Asia Museum is free all day on October 7, and all activities are included.
Ongoing activities will include family-friendly crafts and dress-up photo opportunities. A food truck will have refreshments for sale outside the museum, and inside the courtyard Pacific Asia Museum will give away free mooncakes and other snacks while supplies last. Throughout the afternoon visitors will enjoy a variety of performances, including traditional dance, music, calligraphy and a tea ceremony. The full schedule will be available on the Pacific Asia Museum website closer to the event date.
Pacific Asia Museum's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is 2012's final Free Chinese Culture Sunday. This new event series highlights the rich traditions of Chinese cultural heritage and will be free and open to the public. Previous Free Chinese Culture Sundays include "Be A Chinese Scholar For A Day" and "A Day With Kung Fu Masters," each drawing hundreds of visitors. These programs, held in the historic Chinese-style building and courtyard of Pacific Asia Museum, give the community an opportunity to explore Chinese art and culture through workshops, performances and presentations and the Pacific Asia Museum galleries completely free of charge. Free Chinese Culture Sundays are made possible by MetLife Foundation.
About Pacific Asia Museum
Pacific Asia Museum is among the few institutions in the United States dedicated exclusively to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. The museum's mission is to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Since 1971, Pacific Asia Museum has served a broad audience of students, families, adults, and scholars through its exhibitions and programs.
Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is $9 general, $7 students/seniors, and free for museum members and children under 12. Admission is free every 4th Friday of the month. For more information visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org or call (626) 449-2742.
Ongoing activities will include family-friendly crafts and dress-up photo opportunities. A food truck will have refreshments for sale outside the museum, and inside the courtyard Pacific Asia Museum will give away free mooncakes and other snacks while supplies last. Throughout the afternoon visitors will enjoy a variety of performances, including traditional dance, music, calligraphy and a tea ceremony. The full schedule will be available on the Pacific Asia Museum website closer to the event date.
Pacific Asia Museum's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is 2012's final Free Chinese Culture Sunday. This new event series highlights the rich traditions of Chinese cultural heritage and will be free and open to the public. Previous Free Chinese Culture Sundays include "Be A Chinese Scholar For A Day" and "A Day With Kung Fu Masters," each drawing hundreds of visitors. These programs, held in the historic Chinese-style building and courtyard of Pacific Asia Museum, give the community an opportunity to explore Chinese art and culture through workshops, performances and presentations and the Pacific Asia Museum galleries completely free of charge. Free Chinese Culture Sundays are made possible by MetLife Foundation.
About Pacific Asia Museum
Pacific Asia Museum is among the few institutions in the United States dedicated exclusively to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. The museum's mission is to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Since 1971, Pacific Asia Museum has served a broad audience of students, families, adults, and scholars through its exhibitions and programs.
Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is $9 general, $7 students/seniors, and free for museum members and children under 12. Admission is free every 4th Friday of the month. For more information visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org or call (626) 449-2742.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Melissa Green and Hullabaloo in Topanga Sept. 9
One of L.A.'s best-loved kids'/family musicians, Melissa Green, will join forces with "free-range, organic folk" San Diego-based Hullabaloo for a rollicking show for families at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 9 at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA . This show is part of Theatricum Botanicum's "Family Fundays" series of concerts and performances for young children and their families to enjoy together.
First up will be Hullabaloo, with an array of fan favorites from the band's nine award-winning albums, including"Blah, Blah, Blah, "Little Bird," and "Sippy Cup," in addition to great new songs from their upcoming release, Raise a Ruckus and an assortment of traditional tunes. Says Hullabaloo's Steve Denyes, "I'll mix in plenty of familiar, traditional kids' songs to keep everyone singing, dancing, and stomping their feet, and I promise we'll laugh a lot. At the end of the show there'll be stickers for every child who promises not to eat theirs, along with free Raise a Ruckus posters."
Kids and their grownups should come to Melissa Green's Sing Loud! portion of the show prepared to do just that! Singing along (loudly!) will be the order of the day as Melissa and her band play new songs from Sing Loud! along with such "Melissa must-sings" as "The Seahorse Song" and "Do Re Mi." Melissa wants everyone to be up on their feet and dancing, playing games like "Freeze Dance" and participating in such action songs as "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Everyone will have a chance to meet Melissa and the band after the show.
With ten major national awards in their hip pocket and an eight-year track record of glowing critical acclaim, Hullabaloo has pulled out all the stops for their 10th studio CD, Raise a Ruckus. Produced by GRAMMY® nominee Tor Hyams, Raise a Ruckus takes Hullabaloo's down-home, good-times musical ebullience to a new level, with guest artists Grammy® winner Buck Howdy, Grammy® winner Marcy Marxer, Molly Ledford of Lunch Money, and the extraordinary multi-instrumentalist Dennis Caplinger bringing their considerable talents to a kick-up-your-heels party with the duo that's been described as a blend of Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, and Mr. Rogers.
Known for her distinctive, warm, "wide open" vocal style, Melissa Green has been writing and performing music for families for nearly a decade. Her fourth album, Sing Loud!, celebrates having confidence, being who you are, and empowering yourself with the knowledge that you can do anything you truly set your mind to. Sing Loud! conveys the message "Stand tall, be proud, have fun, and get up and dance!" Songs run the gamut from invigorating kid anthems like "Heyo," "Sing Loud!" and "Get Up" (which features a chorus from Eminem's "Lose Yourself") and rockabilly tracks like "Aboard That Train" to a cover of the Go Go's poppy "We Got the Beat" featuring guest artist Brooke Shields.
WHAT: HULLABALOO AND MELISSA GREEN TOGETHER!
WHERE: Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290
WHEN: Sunday, September 9. 11:00 a.m.
TICKETS: $9. Kids under age two free. Discounted tickets for groups of 7 or more.
INFO: 310-455-3723. http://theatricum.com/familyfundays.htm
Check out Melissa's website at www.melissagreenmusic.com
Check out the Hullabaloo website at www.hullabalooband.com
First up will be Hullabaloo, with an array of fan favorites from the band's nine award-winning albums, including"Blah, Blah, Blah, "Little Bird," and "Sippy Cup," in addition to great new songs from their upcoming release, Raise a Ruckus and an assortment of traditional tunes. Says Hullabaloo's Steve Denyes, "I'll mix in plenty of familiar, traditional kids' songs to keep everyone singing, dancing, and stomping their feet, and I promise we'll laugh a lot. At the end of the show there'll be stickers for every child who promises not to eat theirs, along with free Raise a Ruckus posters."
Kids and their grownups should come to Melissa Green's Sing Loud! portion of the show prepared to do just that! Singing along (loudly!) will be the order of the day as Melissa and her band play new songs from Sing Loud! along with such "Melissa must-sings" as "The Seahorse Song" and "Do Re Mi." Melissa wants everyone to be up on their feet and dancing, playing games like "Freeze Dance" and participating in such action songs as "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Everyone will have a chance to meet Melissa and the band after the show.
With ten major national awards in their hip pocket and an eight-year track record of glowing critical acclaim, Hullabaloo has pulled out all the stops for their 10th studio CD, Raise a Ruckus. Produced by GRAMMY® nominee Tor Hyams, Raise a Ruckus takes Hullabaloo's down-home, good-times musical ebullience to a new level, with guest artists Grammy® winner Buck Howdy, Grammy® winner Marcy Marxer, Molly Ledford of Lunch Money, and the extraordinary multi-instrumentalist Dennis Caplinger bringing their considerable talents to a kick-up-your-heels party with the duo that's been described as a blend of Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, and Mr. Rogers.
Known for her distinctive, warm, "wide open" vocal style, Melissa Green has been writing and performing music for families for nearly a decade. Her fourth album, Sing Loud!, celebrates having confidence, being who you are, and empowering yourself with the knowledge that you can do anything you truly set your mind to. Sing Loud! conveys the message "Stand tall, be proud, have fun, and get up and dance!" Songs run the gamut from invigorating kid anthems like "Heyo," "Sing Loud!" and "Get Up" (which features a chorus from Eminem's "Lose Yourself") and rockabilly tracks like "Aboard That Train" to a cover of the Go Go's poppy "We Got the Beat" featuring guest artist Brooke Shields.
WHAT: HULLABALOO AND MELISSA GREEN TOGETHER!
WHERE: Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290
WHEN: Sunday, September 9. 11:00 a.m.
TICKETS: $9. Kids under age two free. Discounted tickets for groups of 7 or more.
INFO: 310-455-3723. http://theatricum.com/familyfundays.htm
Check out Melissa's website at www.melissagreenmusic.com
Check out the Hullabaloo website at www.hullabalooband.com
Friday, August 3, 2012
Earthworm Ensemble in Topanga Canyon Sept. 2
Earthworm Ensemble, the kid's music band for the whole family, performs at
Peter Alsop's Kids Koncerts at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
Sunday, September 2, 11 a.m.
www.theatricum.com
$9
1419 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Topanga Canyon, CA 90290
(310) 455-2322
"Earthworm Ensemble toes the line between traditional children’s music with all the simplicities and rhymes that define that genre. What I found most interesting about the band however, was that the other side of that line is a folk band full of depth. They run the gambit of bluegrass, folk and some new age elements while reinforcing a very eco-friendly message. The eco-friendly message is very indirect in some parts, but quite clear in other parts such as the song “Bear and Dog” where they exclaim “we’ve come to help you save your little planet… we’re going to clean this planet up!” I especially like the old timey feel to some of the tracks, similar to the songs on the soundtrack from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
"The band is a combination of several Californian artists, including I See Hawks In L.A., The Chapin Sisters and Mike Stinson. Even the Discovery Science Channel host and country rapper Zachariah shows up rapping about making a “Pizza Moon.” The song composition is heartfelt and earthy. Each track feels like the musicians put a great deal of effort and thought into the project, which is probably true since the project started out as a collection of songs for their own children. If you like folk music with a positive message and that doesn’t sound like a dysfunctional clown with a studio backing band, then you and your kids should enjoy this album."
-- Curtis Silver, WIRED MAGAZINE
Peter Alsop's Kids Koncerts at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
Sunday, September 2, 11 a.m.
www.theatricum.com
$9
1419 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Topanga Canyon, CA 90290
(310) 455-2322
"Earthworm Ensemble toes the line between traditional children’s music with all the simplicities and rhymes that define that genre. What I found most interesting about the band however, was that the other side of that line is a folk band full of depth. They run the gambit of bluegrass, folk and some new age elements while reinforcing a very eco-friendly message. The eco-friendly message is very indirect in some parts, but quite clear in other parts such as the song “Bear and Dog” where they exclaim “we’ve come to help you save your little planet… we’re going to clean this planet up!” I especially like the old timey feel to some of the tracks, similar to the songs on the soundtrack from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
"The band is a combination of several Californian artists, including I See Hawks In L.A., The Chapin Sisters and Mike Stinson. Even the Discovery Science Channel host and country rapper Zachariah shows up rapping about making a “Pizza Moon.” The song composition is heartfelt and earthy. Each track feels like the musicians put a great deal of effort and thought into the project, which is probably true since the project started out as a collection of songs for their own children. If you like folk music with a positive message and that doesn’t sound like a dysfunctional clown with a studio backing band, then you and your kids should enjoy this album."
-- Curtis Silver, WIRED MAGAZINE
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Children's Festival of the Arts in Hollywood Aug. 12
The Hollywood Arts Council (HAC) will pull out all the stops this year at their 27th Annual Children’s Festival of the Arts as they celebrate and honor Paramount Pictures’ 100th Birthday in show business. Performers for this year’s Festival will include: Plaza de la Raza Folklorico; Stunt Kids of Hollywood; Russian Entertainment Unlimited; Jim Gamble Puppets; Korean Classical Music and Dance Company; and Nu Pan Groove, steel drum combo.
Workshop Artists at this year’s Festival will include: Jenny Nissenson, “Puppet Workshop;” Kids Art, “Drawing Tutorials;” Patty Sue Jones, “Japanese Wind Socks;” Gayle Gale, “Fruit and Veggie Masks;” Howard Marshall, “Styrofoam Block Printing,” Nicola Vruwink, “Paper Pinwheels;” Imani Afi, “Dream Catchers;” and Quan Yen Trang, “Pet Butterflies.”
WHAT: The Hollywood Arts Council’s 27th Annual Children’s Festival of the Arts. As a special treat this year, there will be cake-decorating contest honoring Paramount Pictures’ 100th Birthday Celebration!
WHERE: Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Avenue (between Van Ness Street and Gower Street), Hollywood, CA 90038.
WHEN: Sunday, August 12, 2012 from 12-Noon – 4:30 p.m.
HOW: Food and drinks will be available for sale. Enter at Bronson Gate, where there will be ample free parking on site. For more information, call 323-871-2787 or visit online at www.hollywoodartscouncil.org.
Workshop Artists at this year’s Festival will include: Jenny Nissenson, “Puppet Workshop;” Kids Art, “Drawing Tutorials;” Patty Sue Jones, “Japanese Wind Socks;” Gayle Gale, “Fruit and Veggie Masks;” Howard Marshall, “Styrofoam Block Printing,” Nicola Vruwink, “Paper Pinwheels;” Imani Afi, “Dream Catchers;” and Quan Yen Trang, “Pet Butterflies.”
WHAT: The Hollywood Arts Council’s 27th Annual Children’s Festival of the Arts. As a special treat this year, there will be cake-decorating contest honoring Paramount Pictures’ 100th Birthday Celebration!
WHERE: Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Avenue (between Van Ness Street and Gower Street), Hollywood, CA 90038.
WHEN: Sunday, August 12, 2012 from 12-Noon – 4:30 p.m.
HOW: Food and drinks will be available for sale. Enter at Bronson Gate, where there will be ample free parking on site. For more information, call 323-871-2787 or visit online at www.hollywoodartscouncil.org.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Concerts for Kids at the Getty in August
The Getty’s Garden Concerts for Kids series returns this August with a line-up of some of the nation’s most popular children’s musical artists. Families can delight in the imaginative and whimsical tunes of award-winning musicians as they perform on the lawn of the Getty Center’s Central Garden. Best of all, Garden Concerts are free!
“Children’s music is much more than the classic standards parents have grown up with,” explains Laurel Kishi, public programs manager at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “These musicians are driven to create innovative approaches to children’s education and entertainment that the whole family can appreciate.”
On August 4 and 5, see Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players in his only Los Angeles appearance this year. Named the #2 children’s musician by Time Out New York Kids, Roberts returns to the Getty with tunes from his latest Grammy Award-nominated album, Jungle Gym. Giant pounding drums, vintage electric guitars, fanciful time changes, soaring vocals, and elegant French horns conquer the heights of Jungle Gym. NPR raves, "Roberts continues to craft masterpieces in miniature, equivalent to A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh or Kevin Henkes's stories for children. Like those books, Roberts's songs are likely to reach across and through generations." Our advice: grab your parents, grandparents, and real and imaginary friends for a perfect summertime playdate.
On August 11 and 12, Randy Kaplan fingerpicks and strums his way through American roots and Delta blues with the ease of an inner tube floating down a lazy river. Randy’s newest CD, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, is chock-full of country, blues, and ragtime numbers from the early 20th century, including songs by the likes of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more. Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Tobocman and his band join Randy onstage to share some "Very Helpful Songs" to make a feel-good family music jam.
On August 18 and 19, two-time Grammy Award winner and "troubadour extraordinaire" Bill Harley concludes the summer series. Harley is a prolific author and recording artist, using song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, school, and family life. Bill's work spans the generation gap with collections such as Monsters in the Bathroom, 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother, and Dad Threw the TV Out the Window, to name a few. Heartfelt and witty, Bill's tales engage kids like no other and send adults on a trip down their own past. Are these stories true? Harley says, "The more I tell them, the truer they get."
Garden Concerts for Kids 2012 Schedule
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Check out the hilarious video for "Obsessed by Trucks" from Jungle Gym, or listen to the summery tune “Pop Fly.”
Randy Kaplan with David Tobocman and Friends
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
The "Ladybug without Spots" is a bluesy lesson on being true to yourself.
Bill Harley
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Bill Harley sings "He Got Up Again" on SiriusXMs Kids Place Live.
Visiting the Getty Center
From June 1–September 21, 2012, the Getty Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 per car, but reduced to $10 after 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and for evening events throughout the week. No reservation is required for parking or general admission. Reservations are required for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call (310) 440-7300 (English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is (310) 440-7305. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California.
Additional information is available at www.getty.edu.
“Children’s music is much more than the classic standards parents have grown up with,” explains Laurel Kishi, public programs manager at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “These musicians are driven to create innovative approaches to children’s education and entertainment that the whole family can appreciate.”
On August 4 and 5, see Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players in his only Los Angeles appearance this year. Named the #2 children’s musician by Time Out New York Kids, Roberts returns to the Getty with tunes from his latest Grammy Award-nominated album, Jungle Gym. Giant pounding drums, vintage electric guitars, fanciful time changes, soaring vocals, and elegant French horns conquer the heights of Jungle Gym. NPR raves, "Roberts continues to craft masterpieces in miniature, equivalent to A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh or Kevin Henkes's stories for children. Like those books, Roberts's songs are likely to reach across and through generations." Our advice: grab your parents, grandparents, and real and imaginary friends for a perfect summertime playdate.
On August 11 and 12, Randy Kaplan fingerpicks and strums his way through American roots and Delta blues with the ease of an inner tube floating down a lazy river. Randy’s newest CD, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, is chock-full of country, blues, and ragtime numbers from the early 20th century, including songs by the likes of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more. Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Tobocman and his band join Randy onstage to share some "Very Helpful Songs" to make a feel-good family music jam.
On August 18 and 19, two-time Grammy Award winner and "troubadour extraordinaire" Bill Harley concludes the summer series. Harley is a prolific author and recording artist, using song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, school, and family life. Bill's work spans the generation gap with collections such as Monsters in the Bathroom, 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother, and Dad Threw the TV Out the Window, to name a few. Heartfelt and witty, Bill's tales engage kids like no other and send adults on a trip down their own past. Are these stories true? Harley says, "The more I tell them, the truer they get."
Garden Concerts for Kids 2012 Schedule
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Check out the hilarious video for "Obsessed by Trucks" from Jungle Gym, or listen to the summery tune “Pop Fly.”
Randy Kaplan with David Tobocman and Friends
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
The "Ladybug without Spots" is a bluesy lesson on being true to yourself.
Bill Harley
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Bill Harley sings "He Got Up Again" on SiriusXMs Kids Place Live.
Visiting the Getty Center
From June 1–September 21, 2012, the Getty Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 per car, but reduced to $10 after 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and for evening events throughout the week. No reservation is required for parking or general admission. Reservations are required for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call (310) 440-7300 (English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is (310) 440-7305. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California.
Additional information is available at www.getty.edu.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
KlabLab to release educational music album
KlabLab, the company leading the education revolution one song at a time, today announced the upcoming release of its first album, “One Night in Cell City,” debuting on iTunes Aug. 21. The seven-song album features educational songs related to astronomy, geology, biology and physics. The first single, “Newton’s Laws,” covering Sir Isaac Newton’s three laws of motion, is available on iTunes now for 99 cents. Learning about the solar system, cellular structure or the scientific method can be fun and easy when singing along to KlabLab’s original rock, pop and hip-hop tracks.
“Setting complex concepts to music makes it easier for students to grasp and remember them, but educational music often sounds outdated and cheesy,” said Doug Allen, KlabLab co-founder and “One Night in Cell City” producer. “At KlabLab, we’ve seen the power of incorporating musical styles that kids really enjoy with lyrics that help them learn. ‘One Night in Cell City’ is educational, but it’s also cool music that’s fun to listen to. These songs sound like music you hear on the radio – it’s catchy enough that kids, parents and teachers can all enjoy learning while they sing along.”
“One Night in Cell City” was produced by Allen, a professional musician and producer who’s a former member of Nural and has produced albums for bands including The Relay Company and Normal Like You. Allen wrote the album with KlabLab co-founder Dave Haberman, a musician and educator. KlabLab launched in April, with Allen and Haberman conducting a Sound of Knowledge tour in California schools. During the seven-week tour, the KlabLab team visited 86 classrooms in 10 schools, where they collaborated with 32 teachers and more than 3,000 students to create educational songs about the content they were studying.
“One Night in Cell City” will include the following science-themed tracks:
Cell City – cellular structure and function
Solar System – planets in Earth’s system
Taxonomy – identifying groups of organisms
The Scientific Method – steps in the scientific method
Newton’s Laws – Newton’s three laws of motion
Eclipses – planetary movement
Slow Drifting –Earth’s tectonic plates
KlabLab’s first album focuses on concepts commonly covered in 5th-8th-grade science classes. Plans for future albums include collections of songs about mathematics, social studies and English. The KlabLab team is currently planning a national school performance tour for fall 2012. Please contact Joe O’Loughlin – joe@klablab.com - for more information or to schedule a stop in your district.
“One Night in Cell City” will be available on iTunes Aug. 21 for an estimated price of $7. “Newton’s Laws” is available now for 99 cents at http://bit.ly/MZiqaD.
About KlabLab
KlabLab is leading an education revolution…one song at a time. Through collaborative learning and a powerful mashup of educational content and contemporary music, classroom experience and online engagement, KlabLab creates a new way to inspire today’s hyper-connected, super social students. KlabLab engages students to actively learn, create new educational content, share it with their peers and get rewarded for their efforts. The angel-funded startup is located in Pleasanton, Calif. and on the Web at http://www.klablab.com . Follow them @KlabLab.
“Setting complex concepts to music makes it easier for students to grasp and remember them, but educational music often sounds outdated and cheesy,” said Doug Allen, KlabLab co-founder and “One Night in Cell City” producer. “At KlabLab, we’ve seen the power of incorporating musical styles that kids really enjoy with lyrics that help them learn. ‘One Night in Cell City’ is educational, but it’s also cool music that’s fun to listen to. These songs sound like music you hear on the radio – it’s catchy enough that kids, parents and teachers can all enjoy learning while they sing along.”
“One Night in Cell City” was produced by Allen, a professional musician and producer who’s a former member of Nural and has produced albums for bands including The Relay Company and Normal Like You. Allen wrote the album with KlabLab co-founder Dave Haberman, a musician and educator. KlabLab launched in April, with Allen and Haberman conducting a Sound of Knowledge tour in California schools. During the seven-week tour, the KlabLab team visited 86 classrooms in 10 schools, where they collaborated with 32 teachers and more than 3,000 students to create educational songs about the content they were studying.
“One Night in Cell City” will include the following science-themed tracks:
Cell City – cellular structure and function
Solar System – planets in Earth’s system
Taxonomy – identifying groups of organisms
The Scientific Method – steps in the scientific method
Newton’s Laws – Newton’s three laws of motion
Eclipses – planetary movement
Slow Drifting –Earth’s tectonic plates
KlabLab’s first album focuses on concepts commonly covered in 5th-8th-grade science classes. Plans for future albums include collections of songs about mathematics, social studies and English. The KlabLab team is currently planning a national school performance tour for fall 2012. Please contact Joe O’Loughlin – joe@klablab.com - for more information or to schedule a stop in your district.
“One Night in Cell City” will be available on iTunes Aug. 21 for an estimated price of $7. “Newton’s Laws” is available now for 99 cents at http://bit.ly/MZiqaD.
About KlabLab
KlabLab is leading an education revolution…one song at a time. Through collaborative learning and a powerful mashup of educational content and contemporary music, classroom experience and online engagement, KlabLab creates a new way to inspire today’s hyper-connected, super social students. KlabLab engages students to actively learn, create new educational content, share it with their peers and get rewarded for their efforts. The angel-funded startup is located in Pleasanton, Calif. and on the Web at http://www.klablab.com . Follow them @KlabLab.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Culver City Public Theatres launches free family friendly shows July 14
Culver City Public Theatre (CCPT) opens its 14th season of free family friendly summer shows July 14th in Dr. Paul Carlson Park. All performances are open to the public. Founded in 1998, CCPT (a donation and grant supported 501c3 non-profit) is a member of the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT).
CCPT’s 2012 summer-season opens July 14th at 12:00pm with the world premiere adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, THE ODYSSEY. Written and directed by six-year CCPT veteran and LA Weekly Award Nominee Blake Anthony Edwards, THE ODYSSEY, tells the tale of Odysseus’ ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.
This is the second show Mr. Edwards has penned for CCPT’s Children’s Popcorn Theatre, the annual CCPT production designed for young audiences; he also wrote last year’s Big Bad Wolf Tales. Park regulars will also recognize him from roles in King Midas, The Good Doctor, Slue-Foot Sue and Pecos Bill, and She Stoops to Conquer, or outside productions of Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Good Smoke, and In on It, for which he received an LA Weekly award nomination.
Cast includes Paul Ellis as Odysseus, James Egan as Dumbocles, Heather Roberts as Narrator, Dean Figone as Zeus, Polyphemus & others, Jake Pitkow as Poseidon, Tiresias & others, Victoria Martinez as Lotus-Eater, Calypso & others, Micah Delhauer as Aeolus, Hermes & others, and Angela Blake as Circe, Helios & others.
A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS opens July 14th at 2:00pm. Ron Geren makes his CCPT directorial debut with A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS. A graduate of San Francisco State and American Conservatory Theatre he recently co-starred alongside Paul Sorvino in the feature film "Greetings from the Shore" and is best known for his recurring role as "Quentin" in the "Drew Carey Show."
Carlo Goldoni wrote the first version of his Commedia dell’arte comedy A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS in 1743, with large sections left for improvisation. It was revised a decade later, to a more scripted form which is the version used today. Relying on a cast of stock Commedia characters, the story follows Beatrice, who disguises herself as her deceased brother to collect the dowry from the father of her brother’s betrothed. She does this to free her own lover who was her brother’s murderer. Meanwhile, her servant Truffaldino takes on a second master to feed his overwhelming appetite but not before falling in love.
Cast includes James Clark as Truffaldino, Christine Breihan as Beatrice, Faith Streng as Smeraldina/Waiter, Jessica Plotin as Clarice, Stephen Steelman as Silvio/2nd Waiter,
Michael Hovance as Florindo. Dean Figone as Dr. Lombardi/1st Waiter, Eric Billitzer as Pantaloon/1st Porter, and Carol Vandergrift as Brighella/2nd Porter.
Alex Wells returns to direct his seventh play with CCPT, THE MATCHMAKER. You may know Mr. Wells from directing CCPT’s “She Stoops to Conquer,” or his 2008 LA Weekly Award win for Best Male Comedy Performance in John Clancy’s “Fatboy” at Need Theatre. In 2011 he directed a reading of “The Wild Duck” by Henrik Ibsen for the Classical Theatre Lab in West Hollywood and he recently appeared as the King in Ionesco’s “Exit the King.”
Pulitzer Prize winner Thornton Wilder adapted THE MATCHMAKER from Johann Nestroy's Einen Jux will er sich Machen, which itself was an adaptation of John Oxenford’s one-act farce A Day Well Spent. After a successful 1955 Broadway run THE MATCHMAKER, was adapted to a 1958 film. In 1964 David Merrick based the musical Hello Dolly! on THE MATCHMAKER and that too was adapted to a movie in 1969.
The story follows the widower Horace Vandergelder who seeks the services of a matchmaker, Dolly Gallagher Levi, to match him to a new wife. While Dolly tries to match herself to Vandergelder, and convince him to allow his niece to marry her artist love Ambrose Kemper, she must keep Vandergelder from proposing to Irene Molloy.
Cast includes Clyde FT Small as Vandergelder, Madison Brightwell as Mrs. Levi, Michael Hanna as Cornelius, Jason Rector as Barnaby, Erin McIntosh as Minnie, Stephanie Pinnock as Mrs. Molloy, Natalia Barzilai as Ermengarde, Laura Boccaletti as Miss Van Huysen, Alon Dina as Ambrose, David Narloch as Malachi, Jake Pitkow as August, Derek Meacham as Rudolph, Bill Quade as Joe Scanlon/Cabman, and Melelani Satsuma as Gertrude/Cook.
The Odyssey
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only July 14-August 19
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
A Servant to Two Masters
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only July 14-July 29
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
The Matchmaker
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only August 4-August 19
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
Information Line: 310-712-5482, info@ccpt.org
Performances
Saturday 7/14 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/14 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/15 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/15 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 7/21 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/21 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/22 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/22 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 7/28 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/28 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/29 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/29 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 8/4 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/4 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/5 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/5 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Saturday 8/11 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/11 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/12 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/12 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Saturday 8/18 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/18 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/19 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/19 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
CCPT’s 2012 summer-season opens July 14th at 12:00pm with the world premiere adaptation of Homer’s epic poem, THE ODYSSEY. Written and directed by six-year CCPT veteran and LA Weekly Award Nominee Blake Anthony Edwards, THE ODYSSEY, tells the tale of Odysseus’ ten-year journey home from the Trojan War.
This is the second show Mr. Edwards has penned for CCPT’s Children’s Popcorn Theatre, the annual CCPT production designed for young audiences; he also wrote last year’s Big Bad Wolf Tales. Park regulars will also recognize him from roles in King Midas, The Good Doctor, Slue-Foot Sue and Pecos Bill, and She Stoops to Conquer, or outside productions of Othello, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Good Smoke, and In on It, for which he received an LA Weekly award nomination.
Cast includes Paul Ellis as Odysseus, James Egan as Dumbocles, Heather Roberts as Narrator, Dean Figone as Zeus, Polyphemus & others, Jake Pitkow as Poseidon, Tiresias & others, Victoria Martinez as Lotus-Eater, Calypso & others, Micah Delhauer as Aeolus, Hermes & others, and Angela Blake as Circe, Helios & others.
A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS opens July 14th at 2:00pm. Ron Geren makes his CCPT directorial debut with A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS. A graduate of San Francisco State and American Conservatory Theatre he recently co-starred alongside Paul Sorvino in the feature film "Greetings from the Shore" and is best known for his recurring role as "Quentin" in the "Drew Carey Show."
Carlo Goldoni wrote the first version of his Commedia dell’arte comedy A SERVANT TO TWO MASTERS in 1743, with large sections left for improvisation. It was revised a decade later, to a more scripted form which is the version used today. Relying on a cast of stock Commedia characters, the story follows Beatrice, who disguises herself as her deceased brother to collect the dowry from the father of her brother’s betrothed. She does this to free her own lover who was her brother’s murderer. Meanwhile, her servant Truffaldino takes on a second master to feed his overwhelming appetite but not before falling in love.
Cast includes James Clark as Truffaldino, Christine Breihan as Beatrice, Faith Streng as Smeraldina/Waiter, Jessica Plotin as Clarice, Stephen Steelman as Silvio/2nd Waiter,
Michael Hovance as Florindo. Dean Figone as Dr. Lombardi/1st Waiter, Eric Billitzer as Pantaloon/1st Porter, and Carol Vandergrift as Brighella/2nd Porter.
Alex Wells returns to direct his seventh play with CCPT, THE MATCHMAKER. You may know Mr. Wells from directing CCPT’s “She Stoops to Conquer,” or his 2008 LA Weekly Award win for Best Male Comedy Performance in John Clancy’s “Fatboy” at Need Theatre. In 2011 he directed a reading of “The Wild Duck” by Henrik Ibsen for the Classical Theatre Lab in West Hollywood and he recently appeared as the King in Ionesco’s “Exit the King.”
Pulitzer Prize winner Thornton Wilder adapted THE MATCHMAKER from Johann Nestroy's Einen Jux will er sich Machen, which itself was an adaptation of John Oxenford’s one-act farce A Day Well Spent. After a successful 1955 Broadway run THE MATCHMAKER, was adapted to a 1958 film. In 1964 David Merrick based the musical Hello Dolly! on THE MATCHMAKER and that too was adapted to a movie in 1969.
The story follows the widower Horace Vandergelder who seeks the services of a matchmaker, Dolly Gallagher Levi, to match him to a new wife. While Dolly tries to match herself to Vandergelder, and convince him to allow his niece to marry her artist love Ambrose Kemper, she must keep Vandergelder from proposing to Irene Molloy.
Cast includes Clyde FT Small as Vandergelder, Madison Brightwell as Mrs. Levi, Michael Hanna as Cornelius, Jason Rector as Barnaby, Erin McIntosh as Minnie, Stephanie Pinnock as Mrs. Molloy, Natalia Barzilai as Ermengarde, Laura Boccaletti as Miss Van Huysen, Alon Dina as Ambrose, David Narloch as Malachi, Jake Pitkow as August, Derek Meacham as Rudolph, Bill Quade as Joe Scanlon/Cabman, and Melelani Satsuma as Gertrude/Cook.
The Odyssey
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only July 14-August 19
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
A Servant to Two Masters
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only July 14-July 29
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
The Matchmaker
Dates: Saturdays & Sundays only August 4-August 19
Time: 2:00pm
Location: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
(The corner of Motor and Braddock)
10420 Park Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Tickets: No Tickets necessary. Performances are free/donation only,
and open to the public.
Information Line: 310-712-5482, info@ccpt.org
Performances
Saturday 7/14 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/14 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/15 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/15 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 7/21 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/21 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/22 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/22 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 7/28 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 7/28 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Sunday 7/29 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 7/29 at 2:00pm A Servant to Two Masters
Saturday 8/4 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/4 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/5 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/5 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Saturday 8/11 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/11 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/12 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/12 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Saturday 8/18 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Saturday 8/18 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Sunday 8/19 at 12:00pm The Odyssey
Sunday 8/19 at 2:00pm The Matchmaker
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
PBS Kids Rocks! album to be released
PBS KIDS today announced the release of “PBS KIDS ROCKS!” – its first music album featuring 15 new songs from Grammy Award winners Ozomatli and They Might Be Giants, The Weepies and Parent’s Choice Gold Award-winning music sensation SteveSongs, known as Mr. Steve, cohost of the PBS KIDS preschool destination. Each of the songs is designed to help kids learn about a variety of topics to bolster their reading and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills. Song themes range from pronouns to camouflage to opposable thumbs.
“Music has been proven to be a highly effective tool to foster learning and deepen children’s understanding and comprehension,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “‘PBS KIDS ROCKS!’ provides a fun mix of entertaining and original songs that kids will recognize from watching PBS and that families can enjoy together at home or on-the-go.”
Tunes from the album, set to relevant clips from THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, CURIOUS GEORGE, DINOSAUR TRAIN, and SUPER WHY and original animation from KARPTOONS, a boutique design and animation studio, also air during the preschool programming block weekdays on PBS KIDS. Opposable Thumbs, Pronouns, Navigation, Nocturnal, Diurnal and Gravity Always Brings Me Down are also available on PBSKIDS.org and the PBS YouTube channel.
Available on Amazon.com and iTunes, the proceeds from “PBS KIDS ROCKS!” will support PBS KIDS educational programming.
“PBS KIDS ROCKS!” is part of PBS KIDS’ ongoing commitment to providing educational content for kids wherever they live, learn and play - on TV, online, on mobile devices, in the classroom, and through a new line of educational toys and music.
Music artists on “PBS KIDS ROCKS!” album:
Ozomatli
In their fifteen years together as a band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers Ozomatli have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world. Their music — a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga— has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A. Ozomatli has won four Grammy Awards.
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is a band from New York City founded by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. TMBG writes, records and tours continuously, has been involved in numerous television and film projects, and has an on-going podcast. They have won two Grammy Awards. They Might Be Giants recently released a brand new album entitled “Join Us” and the rarities collection “Album Raises New and Troubling Questions.”
The Weepies
Indie duo The Weepies have sold more than a million singles and half a million albums; their simple, direct songwriting has sent them to the top of the folk charts in a dozen countries. Deb Talan and Steve Tannen began writing together the night they first met and soon formed The Weepies.
SteveSongs
Steve Roslonek of SteveSongs has been writing and performing his award-winning music for kids and families for the past twelve years. Steve blends participatory songs, clever stories and great melodies to create what the Boston Globe called "not just a musical journey but an entertaining, interactive and educational one." He’s won numerous prestigious awards, including 2 Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, a Nappa Honor, 2 iParenting Media Awards, and 2 Children’s Music Web Awards.
“Music has been proven to be a highly effective tool to foster learning and deepen children’s understanding and comprehension,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “‘PBS KIDS ROCKS!’ provides a fun mix of entertaining and original songs that kids will recognize from watching PBS and that families can enjoy together at home or on-the-go.”
Tunes from the album, set to relevant clips from THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, CURIOUS GEORGE, DINOSAUR TRAIN, and SUPER WHY and original animation from KARPTOONS, a boutique design and animation studio, also air during the preschool programming block weekdays on PBS KIDS. Opposable Thumbs, Pronouns, Navigation, Nocturnal, Diurnal and Gravity Always Brings Me Down are also available on PBSKIDS.org and the PBS YouTube channel.
Available on Amazon.com and iTunes, the proceeds from “PBS KIDS ROCKS!” will support PBS KIDS educational programming.
“PBS KIDS ROCKS!” is part of PBS KIDS’ ongoing commitment to providing educational content for kids wherever they live, learn and play - on TV, online, on mobile devices, in the classroom, and through a new line of educational toys and music.
Music artists on “PBS KIDS ROCKS!” album:
Ozomatli
In their fifteen years together as a band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers Ozomatli have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world. Their music — a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga— has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A. Ozomatli has won four Grammy Awards.
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is a band from New York City founded by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. TMBG writes, records and tours continuously, has been involved in numerous television and film projects, and has an on-going podcast. They have won two Grammy Awards. They Might Be Giants recently released a brand new album entitled “Join Us” and the rarities collection “Album Raises New and Troubling Questions.”
The Weepies
Indie duo The Weepies have sold more than a million singles and half a million albums; their simple, direct songwriting has sent them to the top of the folk charts in a dozen countries. Deb Talan and Steve Tannen began writing together the night they first met and soon formed The Weepies.
SteveSongs
Steve Roslonek of SteveSongs has been writing and performing his award-winning music for kids and families for the past twelve years. Steve blends participatory songs, clever stories and great melodies to create what the Boston Globe called "not just a musical journey but an entertaining, interactive and educational one." He’s won numerous prestigious awards, including 2 Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, a Nappa Honor, 2 iParenting Media Awards, and 2 Children’s Music Web Awards.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Concerts for kids at the Getty in August
The Getty’s Garden Concerts for Kids series returns this August with a line-up of some of the nation’s most popular children’s musical artists. Families can delight in the imaginative and whimsical tunes of award-winning musicians as they perform on the lawn of the Getty Center’s Central Garden. Best of all, Garden Concerts are free!
“Children’s music is much more than the classic standards parents have grown up with,” explains Laurel Kishi, public programs manager at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “These musicians are driven to create innovative approaches to children’s education and entertainment that the whole family can appreciate.”
On August 4 and 5, see Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players in his only Los Angeles appearance this year. Named the #2 children’s musician by Time Out New York Kids, Roberts returns to the Getty with tunes from his latest Grammy Award-nominated album, Jungle Gym. Giant pounding drums, vintage electric guitars, fanciful time changes, soaring vocals, and elegant French horns conquer the heights of Jungle Gym. NPR raves, "Roberts continues to craft masterpieces in miniature, equivalent to A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh or Kevin Henkes's stories for children. Like those books, Roberts's songs are likely to reach across and through generations." Our advice: grab your parents, grandparents, and real and imaginary friends for a perfect summertime playdate.
On August 11 and 12, Randy Kaplan fingerpicks and strums his way through American roots and Delta blues with the ease of an inner tube floating down a lazy river. Randy’s newest CD, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, is chock-full of country, blues, and ragtime numbers from the early 20th century, including songs by the likes of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more. Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Tobocman and his band join Randy onstage to share some "Very Helpful Songs" to make a feel-good family music jam.
On August 18 and 19, two-time Grammy Award winner and "troubadour extraordinaire" Bill Harley concludes the summer series. Harley is a prolific author and recording artist, using song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, school, and family life. Bill's work spans the generation gap with collections such as Monsters in the Bathroom, 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother, and Dad Threw the TV Out the Window, to name a few. Heartfelt and witty, Bill's tales engage kids like no other and send adults on a trip down their own past. Are these stories true? Harley says, "The more I tell them, the truer they get."
Garden Concerts for Kids 2012 Schedule
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Check out the hilarious video for "Obsessed by Trucks" from Jungle Gym, or listen to the summery tune “Pop Fly.”
Randy Kaplan with David Tobocman and Friends
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
The "Ladybug without Spots" is a bluesy lesson on being true to yourself.
Bill Harley
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Bill Harley sings "He Got Up Again" on SiriusXMs Kids Place Live.
Visiting the Getty Center
From June 1–September 21, 2012, the Getty Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 per car, but reduced to $10 after 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and for evening events throughout the week. No reservation is required for parking or general admission. Reservations are required for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call (310) 440-7300 (English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is (310) 440-7305. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California.
Additional information is available at www.getty.edu.
“Children’s music is much more than the classic standards parents have grown up with,” explains Laurel Kishi, public programs manager at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “These musicians are driven to create innovative approaches to children’s education and entertainment that the whole family can appreciate.”
On August 4 and 5, see Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players in his only Los Angeles appearance this year. Named the #2 children’s musician by Time Out New York Kids, Roberts returns to the Getty with tunes from his latest Grammy Award-nominated album, Jungle Gym. Giant pounding drums, vintage electric guitars, fanciful time changes, soaring vocals, and elegant French horns conquer the heights of Jungle Gym. NPR raves, "Roberts continues to craft masterpieces in miniature, equivalent to A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh or Kevin Henkes's stories for children. Like those books, Roberts's songs are likely to reach across and through generations." Our advice: grab your parents, grandparents, and real and imaginary friends for a perfect summertime playdate.
On August 11 and 12, Randy Kaplan fingerpicks and strums his way through American roots and Delta blues with the ease of an inner tube floating down a lazy river. Randy’s newest CD, Mr. Diddie Wah Diddie, is chock-full of country, blues, and ragtime numbers from the early 20th century, including songs by the likes of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more. Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Tobocman and his band join Randy onstage to share some "Very Helpful Songs" to make a feel-good family music jam.
On August 18 and 19, two-time Grammy Award winner and "troubadour extraordinaire" Bill Harley concludes the summer series. Harley is a prolific author and recording artist, using song and story to paint a vibrant and hilarious picture of growing up, school, and family life. Bill's work spans the generation gap with collections such as Monsters in the Bathroom, 50 Ways to Fool Your Mother, and Dad Threw the TV Out the Window, to name a few. Heartfelt and witty, Bill's tales engage kids like no other and send adults on a trip down their own past. Are these stories true? Harley says, "The more I tell them, the truer they get."
Garden Concerts for Kids 2012 Schedule
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Check out the hilarious video for "Obsessed by Trucks" from Jungle Gym, or listen to the summery tune “Pop Fly.”
Randy Kaplan with David Tobocman and Friends
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
The "Ladybug without Spots" is a bluesy lesson on being true to yourself.
Bill Harley
Date: Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, 2012
Time: 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Bill Harley sings "He Got Up Again" on SiriusXMs Kids Place Live.
Visiting the Getty Center
From June 1–September 21, 2012, the Getty Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Monday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Center is always free. Parking is $15 per car, but reduced to $10 after 5 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and for evening events throughout the week. No reservation is required for parking or general admission. Reservations are required for event seating and groups of 15 or more. Please call (310) 440-7300 (English or Spanish) for reservations and information. The TTY line for callers who are deaf or hearing impaired is (310) 440-7305. The Getty Center is at 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California.
Additional information is available at www.getty.edu.
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Funky Punks in La Mirada July 22
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts closes its 2011-12 Programs for Young Audiences series with Troubador Theater Company’s The Funky Punks, a high energy, interactive, circus arts, clown extravaganza. Performances are on Sunday, July 22, 2012 at 1pm and 3:30pm.
A ‘Funky Punk’ is a super silly, extra zany, always adventurous reflection of you and me. A ‘Funky Punk’ is a spunky, quirky, deliciously rambunctious clown. Young at heart with imagination to spare, these childlike fools burst out of the box and will dance and tumble their way into your hearts. Get ready for non-stop, knee slapping, belly laughing as The Funky Punks share their delightful world of wonder and whimsy. Be amazed by puppetry, stilt-walkers, jugglers, dancers, trampoline tricksters, super slippery table sliders, the human body and even a plunger! At times, lucky audience members even have the chance to hop on stage and join in the show. ‘Funky Punks’ put the “Fun” in “Funky.” They are unreal, unstoppable and unbelievable. Bring your kids and celebrate your own inner child as you come undone with the Funky Punks!
The Funky Punks is the children's entertainment brand offered to the young and young at heart by critically acclaimed Troubadour Theater Company. A Not-for-Profit organization, Troubadour Theater Company is one of five arts organizations selected to program youth entertainment at the Miles Memorial Playhouse located in the city of Santa Monica. The ‘Punks’ are ambassadors of goodwill performing for charitable causes including: animal conservation, California Literacy Night for LAUSD, Children with Autism and other local and statewide youth programs. The Troubies have received numerous accolades including the Ovation Award for Best Season in 2011 for their productions of The First Jo-el, Fleetwood Macbeth and A Wither’s Tale. A Wither’s Tale also won Ovation awards for Best Director (Matt Walker), Acting Ensemble (entire cast) and Featured Actor and Actress (Matt Walker and Beth Kennedy). For more information on the Troubies, please visit www.troubie.com.
La Mirada Theatre’s Programs for Young Audiences is designed to give children exposure to a diverse mix of national and international touring stage acts while enriching their lives.
All seats are $8 for children and $12 for adults. Tickets are available online at www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. The theatre is located at 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada, CA. Parking is free. Wheelchair access and Hearing Assist devices available.
A ‘Funky Punk’ is a super silly, extra zany, always adventurous reflection of you and me. A ‘Funky Punk’ is a spunky, quirky, deliciously rambunctious clown. Young at heart with imagination to spare, these childlike fools burst out of the box and will dance and tumble their way into your hearts. Get ready for non-stop, knee slapping, belly laughing as The Funky Punks share their delightful world of wonder and whimsy. Be amazed by puppetry, stilt-walkers, jugglers, dancers, trampoline tricksters, super slippery table sliders, the human body and even a plunger! At times, lucky audience members even have the chance to hop on stage and join in the show. ‘Funky Punks’ put the “Fun” in “Funky.” They are unreal, unstoppable and unbelievable. Bring your kids and celebrate your own inner child as you come undone with the Funky Punks!
The Funky Punks is the children's entertainment brand offered to the young and young at heart by critically acclaimed Troubadour Theater Company. A Not-for-Profit organization, Troubadour Theater Company is one of five arts organizations selected to program youth entertainment at the Miles Memorial Playhouse located in the city of Santa Monica. The ‘Punks’ are ambassadors of goodwill performing for charitable causes including: animal conservation, California Literacy Night for LAUSD, Children with Autism and other local and statewide youth programs. The Troubies have received numerous accolades including the Ovation Award for Best Season in 2011 for their productions of The First Jo-el, Fleetwood Macbeth and A Wither’s Tale. A Wither’s Tale also won Ovation awards for Best Director (Matt Walker), Acting Ensemble (entire cast) and Featured Actor and Actress (Matt Walker and Beth Kennedy). For more information on the Troubies, please visit www.troubie.com.
La Mirada Theatre’s Programs for Young Audiences is designed to give children exposure to a diverse mix of national and international touring stage acts while enriching their lives.
All seats are $8 for children and $12 for adults. Tickets are available online at www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. The theatre is located at 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada, CA. Parking is free. Wheelchair access and Hearing Assist devices available.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
ZhuZhu Pets meet The Beatles
Get ready to twist and shout with the ZhuZhu Pets® when the world’s most beloved hamsters pay homage to the lads from Liverpool on their new CD, ZhuZhu Pets Meet The Beatles. It’s in stores here, there and everywhere Tuesday July 31. The family entertainment label, In The Zone Entertainment, is distributing the CD through INgrooves Fontana/Universal.
Children and grown-ups alike will want to sing along eight days a week as the Furry Four, Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Num Nums and Chunk, sing the songs from the Fab Four’s first LP Meet The Beatles. Tracks include “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “All My Loving,” “Little Child,” “Hold Me Tight,” and more plus the bonus “ZhuZhu Pets Beatles Medley.”
The medley featuring snippets of “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “It Won’t Be Long,” “All My Loving,” “Little Child,” “Hold Me Tight,” and “I Wanna Be Your Man,” as performed by the ZhuZhus is the first single and will be available for digital download at iTunes, and all digital retailers (SRP $.99) on June 19.
With a little help from their friends and producer Ken Stacey, the ZhuZhus bring a touch of whimsy to the unmistakable Beatles sound -- the arrangements, the harmonies and those instantly recognizable melodies that took the world by storm in 1964.
Mr. Stacey, an in-demand vocalist who coached several seasons of American Idol hopefuls and toured the world as a background singer with Michael Jackson and Elton John, worked closely with Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Num Nums, Chunk and their musicians to faithfully recreate the classic collection.
“They were wonderful to work with,” Stacey said of the studio experience. “Sure, they enjoyed their playtime scampering around the floor and squealing happily, but when it came time to lay down these tracks, the ZhuZhus put down their carrots and really came to life and sang with all the joy in their hearts. They LOVE to sing!”
“We are excited to be the musical home of the ZhuZhu Pets, who have had a tremendous impact around the world,” commented In The Zone Managing Directors Chuck Gullo and Craig Sussman. “As music fans ourselves, it was important that this record stay true to the musicianship and overall quality and feel of the Beatles, while making it fun and engaging for kids. We know the ZhuZhu fans will be delighted with ZhuZhu Pets Meet The Beatles and grown-ups will love it, too.”
ZhuZhu fans of all ages will be able to keep up with the latest ZhuZhu Pets Music News, plus find creative activities and contests at:
Children and grown-ups alike will want to sing along eight days a week as the Furry Four, Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Num Nums and Chunk, sing the songs from the Fab Four’s first LP Meet The Beatles. Tracks include “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “All My Loving,” “Little Child,” “Hold Me Tight,” and more plus the bonus “ZhuZhu Pets Beatles Medley.”
The medley featuring snippets of “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “It Won’t Be Long,” “All My Loving,” “Little Child,” “Hold Me Tight,” and “I Wanna Be Your Man,” as performed by the ZhuZhus is the first single and will be available for digital download at iTunes, and all digital retailers (SRP $.99) on June 19.
With a little help from their friends and producer Ken Stacey, the ZhuZhus bring a touch of whimsy to the unmistakable Beatles sound -- the arrangements, the harmonies and those instantly recognizable melodies that took the world by storm in 1964.
Mr. Stacey, an in-demand vocalist who coached several seasons of American Idol hopefuls and toured the world as a background singer with Michael Jackson and Elton John, worked closely with Mr. Squiggles, Pipsqueak, Num Nums, Chunk and their musicians to faithfully recreate the classic collection.
“They were wonderful to work with,” Stacey said of the studio experience. “Sure, they enjoyed their playtime scampering around the floor and squealing happily, but when it came time to lay down these tracks, the ZhuZhus put down their carrots and really came to life and sang with all the joy in their hearts. They LOVE to sing!”
“We are excited to be the musical home of the ZhuZhu Pets, who have had a tremendous impact around the world,” commented In The Zone Managing Directors Chuck Gullo and Craig Sussman. “As music fans ourselves, it was important that this record stay true to the musicianship and overall quality and feel of the Beatles, while making it fun and engaging for kids. We know the ZhuZhu fans will be delighted with ZhuZhu Pets Meet The Beatles and grown-ups will love it, too.”
ZhuZhu fans of all ages will be able to keep up with the latest ZhuZhu Pets Music News, plus find creative activities and contests at:
Facebook: ZhuZhu Pets Music
Twitter: @ZhuZhuPetsMusic
Pinterest: ZhuZhu Pets Music
Or visit the Furry Four, at their official headquarters, the Zhu-niverse!
Official: http://www.zhuniverse.com/
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