Tag: Music Mondays

Wake Up Clarinet! is a Fun, Fresh Family CD

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I love starting my Mondays reviewing music for Music Mondays, so much so that when we fall in love with a soon-to-be released cd, it plays all day long on repeat.  And that’s exactly the case for Oran Etkin’s newest cd, “Wake Up Clarinet!”

Jazz artist and composer, Oran Etkin, who has a penchant for making jazz music accessible and engaging for families, is set to release Wake Up Clarinet tomorrow, September 14.  His first family release, spotlights his Timbalooloo Method which is described as “conveying sophisticated concepts in a fun musical language that all kids can understand.”  There’s much to be said about introducing young kids to jazz music and the soothing sounds of woodwinds and much more.

While Etkin is the lead vocalist and plays the clarinet and sax, the band adds an flavorful background.  The band features Jason Marsalis on drums, soulful vocals from Charenee Wade, Fabian Almazan on piano, Curtis Fowlkes on trombone and Garth Stevenson.

In the title track, Wake Up Clarinet, Etkin cleverly personifies the clarinet, starting with a soft, soothing intro that crescendos to “Clara’s” awakening.  As his clarinet then sings and echos the rhythmic patterns of his lyrics, it further demonstrates his Timbalooloo method.  With a musically-obsessed kid, I absolutely love the idea of his method, not to mention the super cute story behind the origin of the word.

Over the spring, our family had a chance to check out Etkin at a show at the Scholastic Soho, which promoted his inclusion as one of the featured artists on the Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground cd.  There’s nothing quite like sitting in an auditorium full of kids screaming for soulful sounds and singing along to songs such as “Eh Las Bas,” which is also track six on the Wake Up Clarinet! Many of the kids in the audience knew many of Etkin’s songs because of his popular NYC music classes which are said to be endorsed by celebs such as Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber (whom we saw at the aforementioned show.)

What’s so unique about Etkin’s new cd is that it’s a departure from the blaring sugary kiddie pop music reflected on infomercials and the like.  “Wake Up Clarinet!” has a fresh, fun vibe, complete with soulful vocals and jam worthy songs that can also tastefully reside on mom and dad’s playlist.

The nine-track cd,”Wake Up Clarinet!” from Oran Etkin, debuts on September 14 and features a bonus music video.  Want to hear the new cd? Check it out here.

Make Music with Educo Early Melodies Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For the littlest music lovers, age-appropriate musical instruments are few and far between, but leave it up to Hape’s Educo line to think of a few fun and eco-friendly options for instruments for toddlers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geared to ages one year and up, Educo offers the Early Melodies Slide Whistle and Flute.  Colorful and whimsical alternative to the plastic and sometimes questionable instruments often found on shelves, the Slide Whistle and Flute are made with maple and finished with non-toxic, child-friendly paints and finishes.

These instruments are perfect for promoting hand-eye coordination, appreciation for rhythm and music and sensory perception.  I love the transition from infant to toddlerhood, where curiosity and awareness of surroundings becomes so much more prevalent.  Musical exploration with fun and safe instruments, such as these from Educo, make for a melodic playtime.

Find the Educo Early Melodies Flute and Slide Whistle at Oompa.com.  At just $3.99 a piece, how can you not want both?

Shake, Rattle and Roll with Hohner Kids Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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.

Kindie Rocker Justin Roberts: Relatable and Revered

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

 

 

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

Signing Time on Nick Jr.

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Nick Jr. watchers, perhaps you’ve noticed, but over the past few weeks, there have been some cool new music videos in between shows, particularly videos that feature sign language?  In early December, Nick Jr. introduced Signing Time, an interstitial music series dedicated to teaching sign language to preschoolers.

Rachel Coleman from Nick Jr.'s "Signing Time"

There are three Signing Time videos which feature Emmy-nominated Rachel Coleman, will be in regular rotation on Nick Jr. airing 1-2 times per day in between commercials and regular shows.

The videos that can be seen on Nick Jr. include, “In a House,” which introduces the signs for different family members; “Feelings,” which teaches signs for feelings and “Groove with Me,” which offers signs for activities such as jumping and dancing.

For those who want to catch more Signing Times, there are two additional videos that are exclusive to www.nickjr.com.  “Leah’s Farm,” which presents the signs for animals and “A is for Alex and Alligator,” which teaches kids how to sign the entire alphabet can be accessed any time online.

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Listen up: Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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. wild

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!

Funky Kidz Cd giveaway winner

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Congrats to Stephanie for winning last week’s Music Monday cd giveaway! When you have a chance Steph, can you please email your address to jen [at] nextkidthing [dot] com.
funkymusicgiveaway

Thank you to everyone for participating in the giveaways and for participating on the site.  Becuase of you, I’m able to continue to have FREE giveaways.  Well, free to you, but not always for me.  As a general reminder, I ship most of these giveways out on my own, with very little resources.  I’m just trying to share the great goodies that I get, so, please bear with me on the shipping timeframe.  It could take as little as a few days, but as long as several weeks.  Thanks so much for understanding!

B is for Bob

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

61boxalpirl_sl500_aa240_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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