The Next Kid Thing

Nickelodeon is set to air the much-hyped Mega Music Fest tonight at 8pm—and what a mega fest it is!  Back in May, NKT was onhand at the Brooklyn Academy of music for the taping of the powerhouse kiddie music show which brought the likes of The Roots, Colbie Calliat and Wyclef Jean onstage for a variety of musical performances.

Hosted by John Leguizamo, Nickelodeon’s Mega Music Fest merges together the energy of Nick Jr. characters with the vitality of music, which in turn will make the littlest music fans and big ones alike want to get loud!

If you’re an NKT fan on Facebook, hopefully, you didn’t miss a few of our teasers from the taping.  With so many fun characters onstage and animated, everyone was dancing and smiling throughout all the fun numbers. The aisles were packed with wee ones jumping and dancing; I can’t wait to see how that captured that element of the show on tape.

The Roots played my family’s theme song, “Lovely Family” (and probably many of yours, too!), which made the kid and husband light up and sing every single word.  DJ Lance, Muno, Plex, Toodee, Foofa and Brobee danced and sang along to a few of the songs that we know by heart, but it was, perhaps, the Vegetables that almost stole the show.  If you’re a YGG, I’m sure you know which song they were singing!

One of my favorites of the day, however, had to be Colbie Callait’s version of “Walking on Sunshine.”  The little ones might not know who Colbie is, but if they’re Nick Jr. fan, I’m sure they’d be familiar with her singing partner, none other than Kai Lan!

Throughout the show and in between performances, Leguizamo threaded silly bits about finding his dancing shoes for the party.  Sherri Shepherd even made a few onstage appearances, and kept the crowd smiling as she acted as the stage manager.   In addition to the live characters, there were special appearances onscreen from Dr. Phil and Justin Beiber, who added their own fun flair to the Mega Music Fest. Family favorite, The Laurie Berkner Band contributed to the Mega Music Fest with an on-screen version of “My Family.”

But it was the dancing, singing and music school-going quartet that made my kid’s day.  My guy was dancing with all the other toddlers and preschoolers in the aisles for almost the whole show, but when he saw Shout, Twist, Marina and Kiki appeared, he stepped it up.  The Fresh Beat Band, who had a few issues getting to the party, tied it all in, and as usual, they made it a great day.

As huge Nickelodeon fans and true music junkies, my family thought the Mega Music Fest was a great show, from start to finish.  The last number got everyone up and out of their seats, just like a good concert should!

The fun for us didn’t stop after the last number, either!  We were also invited to attend the amazing afterparty.  And when I say party, I mean PARTY!  Nickelodeon’s Mega Music Fest afterparty was a kid party extraordinaire.  From sweet treats to finger sandwiches (with no crust) to ice cream to french fries to chicken strips, the food selection was like a kid’s dream.

The afterparty had a cool seating area/play area where my kid spent almost the entire afternoon diving headfirst into pillows.  Nickelodeon kept the music theme going at the afterparty: there was a musical instrument creation craft area and a toy area with a variety of kid-sized music-inspired toys.  And really, anything that a kid would love, it was probably there at the afterparty.  Our favorite experience of the day was getting to meet some of our beloved Nickelodeon favorites.  We met and got pictures with Joe from Blues Clues, the Fresh Beat Band and we got to see our YGG friends again.

Nickelodeon’s Mega Music Fest is a fun musical showcase that I can’t wait to relive when it airs tonight at 8pm.  They hit it out of the park with their first Mega Music Fest, and it’s my hope that Nickelodeon makes it an annual event, and perhaps, a live festival that even more families can experience!

Be sure to tune into Nickelodeon at 8 for the Mega Music Fest.  And who knows, maybe you’ll see us in the audience!

Encore presentations of the Mega Music Fest will be shown on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT and on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 1:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tons of great things happening with NKT fave, Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Tour.  The tour, which is set to kick off on August 27 in Bethel, NY, just announced a Cool Tricks contest.  The Cool Tricks contest gives fans a chance to unveil their, well, cool tricks.  Beat boxing, breakdancing, playing the piccolo—be sure to share it to win cool prizes for cool tricks.

Fans can upload a :30-:60 second video demoing their Cool Trick for a chance to win a VIP Family 4 Pack and have their winning video played during intermission at the Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!: There’s a Party in My City show closest to their hometown. Oh, and it doesn’t end there, fellow Gabba friends, all participants are also entered into a sweepstakes where one fan will receive a five night trip for four to the Caribbean or Mexico and a three-month supply of organic snacks and meals from Plum Organics and Revolution Foods.

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After a fabulous weekend, is there a better way to start a new week than with a bang?  In this case, I’m talking about the musical kind of bang.

Hohner Kids manufactures a wide range of musical instruments with the budding rockstars in mind.  The company’s range of musical products, which are specifically tailored to kids, include recorders, harmonicas and a variety of rhythm instruments, among others.  Aside from the cool looking Claves and hand Tom Toms, Hohner Kids also offers a few sets worth checking out.

The Samba Music Party Set includes a cd and traditional Latin percussion instruments, which gives kids a chance to explore musical culture and expression. The set includes a tambourine, castanet, samba whistle, maraca and guiro.  Hohner plastic instruments are all phthalate free and are safe for ages 3 years and up.

And because my kid has been singing Laurie Berkner’s “Shaky Egg” song nonstop for the past few weeks, check out one of Hohner’s newest instruments—the Wooden Animal Shakers.  The Wooden Animal Shakers, which come in cat, horse, fish and elephant designs, are a cute and colorful alternative to shaky eggs, the toddler favorites from music class.

Hohner Kids Musical Instruments can be found at select toy stores, music stores, online at their site or retailers like Amazon.

Photo credit: Justinroberts.org

Justin Roberts had us at Zydeco.

I’m of course referring to the bayou-inspired song the indie musician did on one of our favorite kid shows of all time, Jack’s Big Music Show.

Memorable appearances on kids’ shows aside, Roberts has quite the following, and rightly so.

Roberts, a speaker and performer at Kindiefest, is described as one of the trailblazers for indie rock music geared to kids and family.  Based on his profile in the NY Times and the Time Magazine video, Roberts is the next big thing in kids music and is ready for the mainstream…but from what I’ve read on some of the most insightful kids music blogs, the rest of the world is just now catching up.

As evidenced by the recent press coverage, Roberts has a knack for writing songs with real topics that are relatable for kids and parents.  The Mama is Sad song and anecdote, as described in the NYTimes, struck a chord with me.  Life isn’t all rainbows (which I tweeted about yesterday, in fact) so why not pen a song about the reality and offset it with a little bit of shared Legos?

But its Roberts’ catchy and smart songs with memorable lyrics, complemented with a tour schedule dotted with his signature interactive performances from coast to coast that make him a relevant and well-respected musician, even for those who aren’t familiar with the kindie genre.

Want to see and hear for Justin Roberts for yourself?  Check him out on YouTube.

In addition to his Kindiefest presence around the web and aforementioned articles, Roberts is set to launch another album on June 8. According to his site,  Jungle Gym pays homage to collective memories of childhood.  Via Roberts’ Facebook page, you can download one of the songs for free.

Though I couldn’t attend Kindiefest due to scheduling conflicts, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading  the articles and blogposts following the conference.  While waiting for Roberts’ next album to drop, be sure to head to great sites such as Nugget Island, Zooglobble and OWTK to read great insight on kids music, including fantastic coverage of Kindiefest and the plethora of artists and industry influencers onhand. And don’t forget to check out these great reads and views; I highly suggest watching the Time video.

Time video

Time Magazine

NY Times

Way before tracking trends and kid’s products even became a blip on my radar, I stumbled upon Putumayo Kids music at a local gift store.  A huge advocate for diversity and lover of all things music-related, falling in love with Putumayo Kids was a given.

There are children’s music compilations and then, there is Putumayo Kids.  Putumayo’s various cds, which are geared to entertain, educate and inspire cultural curiosity in children, boast upwards to 3 million cds sold and stands apart from other children’s cds.  The compilations are well-thought out and enjoyable for both kids and adults—a must for our music-loving family.

This fall, Putumayo released A Family Christmas, which I found to be one of the best recent kid-centric Christmas music collections.  Putumayo’s A Family Christmas is a melodic departure from all the character-based songbooks, shows and cds that seem to monopolize the storeshelves, especially this time of year.  The songs on this cd are ones that we know and love, but the artists featured are none that I can recognize aside from Big VooDoo Daddy, (though you might recognize a few) which makes it even more appealing.  Can you think of a better way to enjoy the songs you hear a billion times over during the holidays than with a new fresh take on the classics for kids?

From Johnny Bregar’s acoustic take on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy retro-swing version of Louis Armstrong’s song, “Is Zat You Santa Claus?,” to The Christmas Jug Band featuring Angela Strehli and Maria Muldaur’s “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” Putumayo’s A Family Christmas covers all the music genre on one fun collection.  This compilation truly appeals to music lovers of all ages and from all walks of life!  My only complaint is that I can’t seem to locate Putumayo on iTunes.  Maybe the next one?

My personal favorite on the cd is definitely Mele Kalikimaka by Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine, which I consider a kind reminder and shout out to one of our family’s highlights of the year—our trip to Hawaii this summer to celebrate the kid’s Godmother’s wedding!

Be sure to check out the Putumayo Kid’s site to check out their other award-winning cd collections.  Also, head on over to Amazon to give a listen to A Family Christmas, which is where I sampled this cd myself.  Music is a wonderful gift for everyone, especially cd compilations that have garnered awards like, Parents’ Choice Awards, National Parenting Publications Gold Awards, iParenting Media Award and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

Without a doubt, after I pick up this cd from Barnes and Noble, Putumayo’s A Family Christmas will be blaring from our speakers on our drive back to Virginia for the holidays.  Putumayo is so cool, they’re offering a free MP3 download!  Just sign up here to receive your free download of the song “Jolly Old St. Nick” by Brave Combo from the new Putumayo CD A Family Christmas.

A Family Christmas can be found at retailers like Barnes and Noble, as well as online.

Happy Music Monday, everyone!  It’s a new week and Nickelodeon is rolling out fresh new episodes of the Fresh Beat Band starting today, Monday, October 19 to Thursday, October 22 at noon. As if new episodes aren’t enough, the preschool music series will also feature a new music video every Friday from Oct. 16 through Oct. 30.

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Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic, “Where the Wild Things” continues to create buzz. This time, there’s been some rumblings of the highly anticipated movie’s soundtrack.

Specifically, what caught MY attention is the fact that the Karen O, the frontlady of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is just one of the many rockstars that will be featured on the soundtrack. According to Rolling Stone, the soundtrack will also feature:

Karen O’s YYYs bandmates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner along with Tristan Bechet (Services), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs), Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes), Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), Imaad Wasif (New Folk Implosion, Alaska). An untrained children’s choir contributes to the songs and soundscapes.

The soundtrack will be released on September 29th and first single “All Is Love” will come out August 25th digitally.

Where the Wild Things is gearing up to not only be a movie to be seen, but also to be heard! In case you haven’t seen the trailer, be sure to check it out!

I just love that one of my favorite books ever is being made into a movie by one of my favorite directors and writers! I seriously can’t wait for this one!

What’s up with that fuzzy orange hat, those cool beats and those funky friends, like the green striped monster?  Whatever it is, DJ Lance and his friends from Gabba Gabba Land have captivated legions of fans—parents and kids alike—with the crowds in NYC at last weekend’s SummerStage show to prove it.  In this first installation of the NKT Saturday Special feature, find out who got to fistbump DJ Lance, what was my favorite song of the set and what makes us love a show with songs like, “Party in my Tummy” enough to wait in crazy lines!

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Music will always play a huge part of our lives, and so, as a fan to various genres, including kid music, I’d like to introduce NKT’s very first exclusive feature!

Just in time for the release of their latest CD For Those About to Hop, the Imagination Movers sat down with me and the kid to chat. The Imagination Movers, who hail from the New Orleans area and appeal to the preschool set and their parents, have been captivating kids on their hit Disney show of the same name. The former journalist, firefighter, architect and teacher break it down to the Next Kid Thing and tell us their favorite Police album and offer some insight to parents on getting their kids interested in music.

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His music is said to transcend genres, but with the recent release of B is for Bob, a collection of his most popular songs re-imagined for kids, Bob Marley’s influence is set to transcend even more generations.  The album, which was executive produced by his eldest son, Ziggy Marley, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Kid Audio and Reggae Albums Charts.

In eight of the tracks, including “Three Little Birds,” “Redemption Song,” “Bend Down Low,” “Jamming,” “Small Axe,” “Satisfy My Soul,” “Stir It Up” and “High Tide or Low Tide,” certain instruments were removed while others were added, creating a feeling of hearing these songs for the very first time, yet several other songs were left untouched.

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