Let's Make it a Tradition!

I am writing today, the day after a very successful concert at my mother's school, The Congregational Church Nursery School. This has been the second year in a row that I have been able to play a winter break concert for my mother's school, and it's now on my list of favorite holiday traditions.

I was blessed to share the stage with my wife Tracey and Mom too! Here is a brief clip of "Hang With Me":

During "The Otter Song," the children were moved by the spirit to "swim" around on the ground which was the first time I've seen that happen. It was very cute, and as my mother commented, a free floor cleaning for the church! The concert could not have been possible without the kind support of the French family and David French Music in Westborough. Thanks again for the P.A. equipment and for supporting a fellow indie artist. Kudos to David French Music for providing access to quality musical instruments for budding musicians in Central MA for over 20 years!

First Night Family Fun Update:

I was forwarded a Boston Herald article about Ellis Paul, a folk artist and fellow kids' musician, by a friend of mine. The article is a great read for any struggling musicians out there trying to make it in the music industry. He will be playing a family concert during the Boston First Night Celebration at the Hynes Convention Center between 3:30 and 4:45pm. Any families who are planning to be in downtown Boston for New Year's Eve should check it out!

p.s. The interweb went down here at the AppleGlen Inn last night so this is a bit of an 11th hour suggestion... sorry. Stay warm and stay safe this New Year's Eve.

Kid's Quote of the Day: (before the concert) "You know, my dad is named Nick!" (after the concert) "Did you know my dad's named Nick?" ~ Anonymous Fan (age 4-5)

On The Third Day of Christmas...

Greetings, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Despite my best intentions to post a new, Christmas edition of Singing in the Bathtub, I am just now finding a spare moment to sit, reflect and write.

The lead up to our escape from Miami and return to MA for the Holidays has been something of a wild ride. As some of you may know the Arts Academy of Hollywood has fallen upon hard times. Before the winter break it was unclear what the future would hold for the school, it's students and it's teachers and staff. Fortunately, the school was granted a temporary reprieve by the property owner, the town is trying to come up with a way to find funding, and generous donors are stepping in to help keep AAOH afloat. I hear there is going to be an article in the Miami Herald this Sunday, so the press is also pitching in to bring attention to the issue. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.


Now, on to the Mistletoe and Merriment! It has been a joy to share this holiday season with family and friends. Tracey and I are blessed to have both our immediate families in same general geographic location. We missed Alison, Eric and the Wee Miles (who traveled to Cleveland this year), but were grateful to spend Christmas with Tracey's Aunt Sally and Grandma Ruth who made the trip up from D.C. We were also blessed to see brother David (Li'l D.) on break from the Circus which is now enjoying a stint in Montreal, the circus capital of the world. Cheers Birdhouse Factory!


One great joy this year has been the music that we have shared. The Freitags attended the yearly sing-along in Potomac MD with piano virtuoso Silvard. His ephemeral tones (from his new Holiday CD) have been dancing through the house ever since. At the Deysher residence, my mother has been wearing out her copy of Yo-Yo Ma's latest offering, Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Songs of Joy and Peace. My personal pick for Christmas soundtrack is the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas by jazz piano legend Vince Guaraldi, followed closely by, A Christmas Together: John Denver and the Muppets. You can't top the classics!


One favorite memory from Christmas day was our sing-along around the piano after dinner. Ruth and I shared the piano playing, and by the end we had almost everyone chiming in. My New Year's resolution... to practice some Christmas Carols so I can be a better accompanist!





Kid Quote of the Day: "Who is that guy?" ~ Cousin Jonathan (age 9), "I'm your cousin Nick."

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I guess in the hectic Fall season of performances and events, this Chicago Tribune story passed me by unnoticed:

'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood' won't be shown on many PBS channels starting Monday [September 1st]

What a heart-breaking, but inevitable shame!

Kid Quote of the Day:

The Festival of Lights

It's been a while since I've been able to review a new kids' music album here at Singing in the Bathtub, which is why I am excited to announce this Special, Holiday, Double Album Review!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by not one, but two Jewish kids' singer/songwriters with new Chanukah albums on the market.

Mama Doni

and ShirLaLa (a.k.a. Shira Kline)

We listened to both CD's in class this week, and here is what the students had to say:

Cover Art

We looked at Mama Doni's I Love Herring and I Love Chanukah first. The general consensus was that cover art "stands out," as one 9 year old described. I was told by most of the girls that Mama Doni is, "very pretty." There was general amazement in her transformation from the front cover to the back, "She doesn't look like the same person," one 10 year old girl commented. As for the inside of the CD, the general comment was, "Don't make me hungry!" Mama Doni got high marks in the art department or, "I think this is the best one ever." as one 8 year old puts it.

For ShirLaLa, the colorful painting on the cover made an impression. For those students familiar with Chanukah, the menorah was immediately recognized, "I love menorahs, and the pretty colors of the candles look great against the red." one 11 year old girl wrote. Not everyone made the connection, "It looks like a birthday cake at first," her 11 year old classmate remarked. Shira's hip, two-tone hairdo got noticed. Shira's cover art was also well received. "I think the cover art is awesome, and I also think it is very traditional," a quote from one 9 year old which sums it up nicely.

Lyrics

Again, for the Jewish students and those who were familiar with Chanukah, it was easier to grasp what both singers presented in their lyrics. I was a little disappointed that many students wrote, "I don't understand," and ended the conversation there. We talked about most of the references (avoiding some of the more scriptural music in ShirLaLa's album due to the secular nature of the classroom). For those who did pay attention to what was being sung, Mama Doni was most often described as "funny," and "cool." As for ShirLaLa, "She is very creative with lyrics themed around Chanukah." on 11 year old girl wrote.

Music

When I put on Mama Doni I saw a lot of heads bobbing, especially to "Funky Gold Menorah." I even saw some air turntable spinning. "It rocks," or "It's funky," were popular refrains. Some pointed out the different musical genres, "What I like is the Caribbean beat." one 8 year old girl remarked. "It's a mixture of different kinds [of music]," another 8 year old added. The Jewish Cowgirl was by far the most popular track. "I love the Jewish Cowgirl! This rocks!" one 10 year old wrote.

There was also a good deal of bopping in chairs when I put on ShirLaLa. I wasn't surprised that some of my South Florida students commented, "It sounds like Spanish," upon hearing "Chanukah Bamba." One 10 year old girl wrote, "I like how you put different music and added the kids to show your music." The "ShirLaLa Singers" were noted often. The same student went on to say, "I liked how you put two voices at the same time." after hearing "Hayom Chanukah."

Influences?

Let's start with Mama Doni. We ended on Jewish Cowgirl, so I got a lot of comments about country music, and horses, and hillbillies, and hobos (yes hillbillies and hobos!). "It reminds me of Hannah Montana (but you make better songs than Hannah Montana)," a 9 year old girl commented. 

With ShirLaLa, some of the older boys made reference to Barney (though, as a friend of Barney I don't agree). The ubiquitous "Beatles" reference came up, and one that I was surprised to hear was "The Blues Brothers." 

Age Range

In general the range for both performers was 5 and up. I heard the word "teen," come up a lot when talking about Mama Doni. With ShirLaLa, there were more "all ages" comments. 

The Mike Brady Wrap-Up:

It was a little wild being contacted by two Jewish performers in the same week, both promoting Chanukah albums. At first glance, one might group these two kids' musicians together, but the great thing is that each singer represents a unique aspect of the Jewish experience. Momi Doni sings primarily in Yiddish (when not singing in English), while ShirLaLa sings primarily in Hebrew as a second language. 

Mama Doni's persona is playful and humorous. In some ways I Love Herring is a comedy album. ShirLaLa comes across as soulful and free-spirited. Chanukah! as an album is more focused on education, celebration and religion.

Musically, again we see a divergence. Mama Doni's music, from a production standpoint, is almost entirely electronic. I would prefer some more acoustic instruments. I think producer Adam Nelson's skills and Mama Doni's sound are at their peak on I Love Chanukah. The vocals are well done, though some of the harmonies seem like an after thought rather than part of the composition. The album's humor outshines the music unfortunately.

With ShirLaLa, it is almost the exact opposite. There are very few electrified or synthesized tracks (even down to the string bass which is always great to hear). Here's where it gets a bit strange... Producer Josh Nelson (are they related?), creates a nice, live feel on the album. The band is great and the kids' voices are a nice touch.

I think all those Jewish families who are bombarded by Christmas carols every year, would enjoy either of these albums. So if you're searching for something other than "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel," to sing this year during Chanukah, check out Mama Doni and/or ShirLaLa.

Kid Quote of the Day: "[This reminds me of] a night at home, eating matza ball soup with my family." ~Hailey (age 11)

Thankgiving in for Sharing

Greetings all, and happy Thanksgiving. Tracey and I packed up the car (and the dog), and drove up to Atlanta to share Thanksgiving with our new nephew and family. It's been a fun trip, and it's amazing to see how Miles has grown and changed since we were here in August.



This morning we had a little impromptu sing along before a wonderful meal, and currently we're rubbing our tummies and feeling full and satisfied.

Wishing you a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving from Singing in the Bathtub!

Kid Quote of the Day: "Brrr, mmmbah." Miles (age 6 months)

Running Off to Join the Circus

Greetings fellow bathtub-singers! I am writing today from the basement of the New Victory Theatre in New York City. For the past two days I have been doing sound design and music mastering for a wonderful circus  company called "Cirque Mechanics." Their latest production called "The Birdhouse Factory," is set to open in Time Square this Thursday. Anyone who lives in the NYC area should come and check it out! It's a great, all ages performance.

By amazing coincidence Dan Zanes and Friends will be loading in after the show wraps the weekend of December 13-14. I met the crew (and my Brother-in-Law Dave) in Pittsburgh and helped them get ready sonically for their show yesterday at Penn State. It's been a busy few days of travel with little sleep, but it will be sad to head back to Miami to resume my usual life as a teacher/musician.

Update:

On an unrelated note, I played a concert for the Funtastic Friday event in Hollywood before leaving on my trip. After the show I was approached by a woman who runs a talent agency that focuses on the kids' b-day market called "All About Entertainment." This is really an answer to years of prayers for some help in the booking department.

Additionally, I'll continue playing the Funtastic Friday shows every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. I also have some shows coming up on the main stage in Hollywood's Young Circle Arts Park so stay tuned!

Circus Quote of the Day: "Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!" ~ P.T. Barnum

Happy Halloween

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I would begin planning my costume for the next year on Nov. 1st. It's a bit different being on the adult end; dealing with the kids on a sugar high (or subsequent low), managing costumes that include weapons, calming children who are scared or over stimulated, and worrying about the neighborhood kids vandalizing your property. Despite all that, it hasn't lost any of the magic for me.

Today, I wanted to share some great Halloween ideas as well as some fun Halloween songs. These have all been passed down to me from my earliest memories of Halloweens past to my years in the classroom:

The Halloween Store:

There was a really great family I met my first year teaching. They had three girls between 2-6 years old, and the couple were both friendly and skilled parents. To combat the problem of bags full of candy rotting their kids' teeth and filling them with junk, they opened the Halloween Store. An exchange rate was worked out so that the girls could trade in pieces of candy for prizes like books, pencils, erasers, small toys and costume jewelry. (The parents admitted that at the end of the night, they wind up eating all the candy themselves).

The Ooky Spooky:

I have a vague memory of hearing someone sing this variation on the Hokey Pokey, but I can't remember who. Regardless, if you change the words "Hokey Pokey" to "Ooky Spooky," and pause after "that's what it's all about," for the kids to shout "BOO!" you've got the Ooky Spooky.

The Grand Old Spook of York:

The original, Grand Old Duke of York is one of my favorite action songs to sing with children. For this Halloween variation, I just substituted some of the words and imagine that the "Spook" is chasing us up and down the hill as you slowly speed up the tempo upon repeating.

The Grand Old Spook of York,

He had 10,000 men,

He scared them up to the top of the hill,

And scared them down again,

Oh when you're up you're up,

And when you're down you're down,

And when you're only halfway up, you're neither up nor down.

(They can also shout "BOO!" here too)

Witches' Brew

I remember my sister learning this song right at the age when I was getting too old for silly songs, so I couldn't remember the melody when I planned to add this song to my repertoire. Fortunately, my wife Tracey had sung it in church choir growing up, and helped me figure it out. Here's a link to Hap Palmer's own introduction, explanation and lyrics.

Witches' Brew

I've been having a great time singing this one with the kids, and hearing what they come up with to add to the brew.

Kid Quote of the day: "I'm going to be a white fairy-princess, but I'm keeping it a surprise." Amelie (age 3)