If there’s a preschooler in your household, the name Laurie Berkner might just as popular as Mom and Dad…well, almost. The rockin’ mom with the unmistakable mop of curls and the kid-friendly vocals puts a face with the name, so to speak, in her compilation of music videos previously seen on Nick Jr. Every favorite Berkner tune, from the tongue-twister “Victor Vito” to the clap-a-long “I’m a Mess,” is on this release narrated by everyone’s favorite preschool TV hosts Moose and Zee.( In fact, these guys make their own musical appearances with Nick Jr. theme songs “Everywhere I Go” and “Music Makes Me.”)
Whether Laurie is counting down on a rocketship run or cloud-watching, her songs offer catchy lyrics that both kids and grown-ups quickly grasp. She knows her audience well and can relate to kids on their own level (check out “Pig on Her Head” to see what we mean). And as we begin gearing up for the Halloween season, see if “The Cat Came Back” doesn’t put you and your kids in the mood. Let’s hear it for The Laurie Berkner Band! will be available on September 28 from Nickelodeon Home Entertainment/Paramount Home Entertainment.
Have a burning question you’re dying to ask Elmo? Now is the time to do it. Sesame Workshop is hosting an Ask Elmo forum on YouTube where parents and kids can write in their best query for everyone’s favorite furry friend. Visit Elmo’s YouTube channel and click on Moderator where you can send in a question or vote for someone else’s question. Elmo will be asking the top questions in a few weeks, so put your thinking caps on and get started!
Elvis Presley is not only the King of pop, he is the king of staying power. From leather jackets to white jumpsuits, silver screen to fatigues, Elvis has got something for everyone. That’s why to this day, his legacy transcends eras and generations. Join in the conversation and tell us, what’s your favorite Elvis era?
Calling all NYC parents looking for an engaging way to entertain the kiddies…. hop on board The Bossy Frog Band tour! Jeffrey Friedberg and The Bossy Frog Band are appearing in the REALLY BIG SHOW, an hour of non-stop fun featuring award-winning music, juggling, jokes and the silly antics of The Bossy Frog. Join Friedberg on banjo and guitar, Alice on hula hoop and fiddle (at the same time), Joe on bass and backup vocals, the big green silly Bossy Frog and comedic juggler Will Shaw for a memorable family event. This totally interactive show will keep kids, ages 2 – 8 years old, dancing in the aisles.
The show will be performed in three different locations throughout New York State:
Monday October 11th – 11am at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Peter Norton Symphony
Space 2537 Broadway at 95th Street
$15-$18
Tickets at Symphonyspace.org
Sunday October 31st – 11am at the Playgroup Theater
One North Broadway, White Plains.
$15
Tickets at www.BossyFrog.com
Thursday December 30th – 11am at BOCES in Nyack.
Tickets at www.artsrock.org
In honor of our newest CD, we’re giving away a Rockabye Baby prize-pack to five lucky fans! Each prize includes Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley and a super cool organic cotton Rockabye Baby onesie (size 6-12 months), plus fun stickers and temporary tattoos.
Here’s how to enter: leave a comment on this post telling us how you became a fan of the King in 100 words or less.
Winners will be chosen at random.
Due to the great comments that people have been submitting, we’ve decided to pick our winners by “cutest” story.
The deadline to enter is September 29 at 12 PM, Pacific time.
Ready, set, start typing! Good luck!
Please feel free to share this contest with your friends!
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Have you noticed how every celebrity likes to put out a children’s book? The latest is Steve Martin’s Late for School, although we have seen past ones from Jamie Lee Curtis, Billy Crystal and Madonna. I’m not saying writing children’s books are easy, but it would be more impressive if these people cut an album specifically for children (especially Madonna).
Then there’s Keller Williams. You might not have heard of him but he’s from Virginia and has been around since the early 90’s. His music is a combination of just about everything, bluegrass, alt rock, folk, electronic and funk. He is sort of his own band all in one since he plays with an Echoplex Record Delay system which allows him to repeat riffs once played and he’s toured with the String Cheese Incident and Umphrey’s McGee.
So why am I bringing him up on this blog? Because on October 26 he’ll be releasing a CD called Kids that is his own version of family music. The press release says that many musicians play FOR kids but Keller plays WITH them. On Kids he takes his bluegrass to warp speed with tracks titled “The Fastest Song in the World”, “Taking a Bath”, and “Because I Said So” (this last one sounds like something I tell my kids often to which they reply “That doesn’t make sense”). So give Keller a chance on October 26, your kids might just discover a whole new appreciation for bluegrass.
I’ve decided that the best way to educate my kids in music is to break down the different genres and give them a lesson by playing them my top five favorite songs from each style. First up is punk music. This should be an easy genre to get the kids interested – it’s fast, rockin’, and the songs usually are pretty short. So take a look at the top punk songs to play for your kids (and please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments).
5) Blink 182 – All The Small Things
These three guys (Tom, Mark and Travis) formed a band that was destined to be enjoyed by children. Their easy going, prankster attitude and catchy pop punk sound makes them a natural for Rockabye. Listen to “All The Small Things”, it’s quick and has a catchy sing-a-long part even if you don’t know the words. Also, the video will have you cracking up.
4) Rancid -Ruby Soho
Not exactly the biggest name in punk, I included this band for one reason only, “Ruby Soho.” It’s a short burst of energy and my older son loves it (maybe because when I play it I let him jump on the couch as he rocks out). It was released back in November 1995 and only charted at #13 on the modern rock chart, but I promise it will get your kids banging their heads. Funny enough, it was produced by Jerry Finn who also produced a lot of Blink 182.
3) Green Day – Welcome to Paradise
So many to choose from with these guys, but I’m taking it back to 1994 off their Dookie album. “Welcome to Paradise” is pure punk. It’s raw, fast and lean. The song is about moving out of your parents’ house (which we’ll all have to deal with someday when the kids get older) and it doesn’t let up. Their more recent songs off American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are great but much more polished than the earlier stuff.
2) The Clash – London Calling
If you’re listing The Clash, you would have to pick something off of London Calling. I’m going with the title track. While the lyrics might refer to bigger ideas that kids won’t catch on to (the Three Mile Island accident, etc.) the song is still a classic. Joe Strummer’s voice is in full force and bleakly honest as he sings the lyrics.
1) The Ramones – Rock n’ Roll High School
Were they really all brothers? Then why did they all have the same last name? The Ramones burst on to the scene in the seventies and although they would never receive the recognition that later bands would bestow on them they were wholly original. Check out “Rock n’ Roll High School” from 1979. It’s fun and campy and the repetition (rock rock rock rock n’ roll high school) will have the kids singing along.
Is “C is for Cookie” your go-to song for banishing temper tantrums? Is “Rubber Ducky” how you get your toddler into the bath? Then, you’ll definitely want to make note of this. The Orchard, a digital music company, is making Sesame Street music available to its fans all over the world with a new catalogue. It includes songs that have been performed on the show by such singers as Celine Dion, R.E.M. and Stevie Wonder.
Classic Sesame Street songs will also be re-mixed to create some one-of-a-kind hits. Favorites such as “People in Your Neighborhood” and “Mah Na Ma Na” are in there, too. Click here to hear your favorite Sesame Street songs in one megamix. Just don’t blame us if you can’t get Elmo’s voice out of your head.
Mark McGrath, who recently welcomed twins to the world, has also discovered Rockabye Baby!
“I never thought that rocking out at 6am in the morning could be so much fun without alcohol! It is such a joy revisiting the rockin’ songs from my youth through my babies’ eyes.”
-Mark McGrath
We are thrilled that the Sugar Ray star and Carin Kingsland are introducing their new bundles of joy to the world of music – and that we can be a part of it. Congrats to the new family!
If your kid doesn’t know his Charlie Parker from his John Coltrane, then get thee to Oran Etkin’s Wake Up, Clarinet! tour. The Brooklyn, NY-based jazz musician, known for his uniquely named Timbalooloo method of teaching kids the fundamentals of music through games, stories and songs, will be in the New York area next weekend to help promote his new CD.
Check him out at one of these venues:
Highline Ballroom
Saturday, September 25, 2010, 12 noon (doors open 11:30 am)
431 W. 16th St. NYC 10011 Tickets: $10 Advance / $12 day of show/ Family 4 pack for $30 Information: http://www.highlineballroom.com, or call the box office at 212-414-5994
Saratoga Springs Public Library Dutcher Community Room
Sunday, September 26, 2010, 2:00 p.m. (doors open 1:30 pm)
49 Henry Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Free admission! Information: call (518) 584-7860 or visit http://www.sspl.org
Oran Etkin also brings his Timbalooloo music to NYC Borders stores on September 19th. Visit www.timbalooloo.com for updates.
