Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience

The first song on Natalie Merchant's album Leave Your Sleep is Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience, by Charles Causley, a title evocative of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience. I'm abashed that this song is my introduction to Causley's poetry. I don't know how to write about poetry in a way that isn't choked with cliches. I'd rather just read it, think about it, and appreciate it anew when it's set to music. However, if I had to choose one word to describe Causley's poetry, it would be the German sehnzucht, which roughly translates to yearning and longing. Here is a video of Merchant performing "Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience."



This essay by Dana Gioia mentions Walter de la Mare as an influence. Yes. Causleys' work immediately reminded me of Mare's work, whose poems appear at first as if they are meant for children, but resonate with adults as well.

Whatever you lose (like a you or a me)

Here is a video of "Maggie and Milly and Molly and May," performed by Natalie Merchant and based upon the poem by E.E. Cummings. It's off of the album, "Leave Your Sleep." I read the poem aloud to my daughter, and then she wanted more Cummings poems. I realized that I was going to have to search for awhile in my Complete Poems collection for the ones appropriate for her, so I decided to switch to Carl Sandburg's collection for children called Wind Song. Has anyone set Sandburg's poems to music?

Capsule Review: The Brian Waite Band

I have a stack of children’s music CDs to review. I’m chagrined to say that by now, none of them are new releases. Still, maybe I can do some good by writing capsule reviews.

I’ll start off with The Brian Waite Band's concept album, 20,000 Volts Under the Sea. The songs chart the story of the band’s journey to Atlantis City to play at the Neptune Theater, but are almost foiled by the machinations of Disco Don. The album itself is a homage to the seventies and early eighties music of various power-guitar rock bands, plus reggae, funk, disco, blues, and the requisite Elvis tribute. Much of the humor has arch references that mainly grownups who grew up in those decades will understand, especially in the “audiobook” at the end (with a narrator’s voice that sounds suspiciously like an impersonation of Greg Paige of The Wiggles. I initially wondered about the CD’s accessibility for children, but the more I listen to it, the more both my daughter and I enjoy it. We both agree that the songs are well-written and fun to listen to, but don’t care for the surfeit of silly voices. Favorite songs include the Queen-esque “Get Down,” and the hair-band anthem “Tidal Pool Party.” Warning: regardless of how you feel about the song “Disco Don,” it’s an earworm that will follow you and haunt your dreams.

Who I’d recommend this album to: fans of Eric Herman, Recess Monkey, plus my guitar teacher and my younger brother (who doesn't have a website). I'd recommend the album to El Jope Magnifico too, but I wonder if that's just a ploy of mine to get him to bring his daughter to the concert next Tuesday, July 20, at the Douglas-Truth Branch of The Seattle Public Library. It's on a workday morning, but rock and roll often plays at unruly hours.

More reviews to come....

Bill Harley in Washington State

I'm so pleased that musical storyteller Bill Harley is coming to this part of the country. On Saturday, February 20, Harley will play a free concert at the Hilton Hotel in Bellevue, Washington as part of the 2010 Pacific Northwest District Assembly. I first heard Harley tell stories at King County Library System's StoryFest in August 2000. I remember thinking, "That's great that he uses the guitar with his storytelling. I wish I could do that."

Jack Frost song

I uploaded the Jack Frost song yesterday on A Storytelling of Crows. You might wonder why I don't simply post these songs on this blog. However, I like to have a separate site with a specific focus of audio-visual resources for storytelling and music.

That's How a Pumpkin Grows

Musician and early-childhood music educator Brian Vogan has a new video out for his song That's How a Pumpkin Grows from his debut album "Little Songs". Last year, I gave his album a mini-review, which you can read here. Not long after, my family enjoyed one of his performances in a parking-lot outside of a children's shop in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.

The video manages to be both literal and surreal at the same time. I enjoyed the backgrounds more than the "paper-doll people" (as my daughter called them). You can hear the full song, at any rate. My family continues to enjoy the album and looks forward to hearing what Vogan comes up with next.

Eric Herman on Boing Boing

Eric Herman, children's musician and blogger of Cool Tunes for Kids, made the front page of Boing Boing. Congratulations, Eric!

The Moon in Her Pajamas

Eric Herman has a new video called "The Tale of the Sun and the Moon." It's a lullaby off of Herman's last album, "Snail's Pace," with lyrics from a poem by Ken Nesbitt. You can find the complete lyrics here, and the video right here:

Song of the Week: Octopus aka "Slippery Fish"

I've had Charlotte Diamond's "Octopus" song (aka "Slippery Fish") going through my head the past few days. You can find the lyrics here. The song itslf is on Charlotte Diamond's album 10 Carrot Diamond.

Here is a YouTube video of the song with flip-board visuals:
Slippery Fish

And here it is in Spanish:
Una Sardina

I've got family in town, so posting will be light this week. However, I'll have a chance to catch up on your blog posts!

We love our shoes

To my readers: I wrote this piece purely for your amusement. In no way is it meant to diminish the gravity of world events. Sometimes, when I have a lot on my mind, I deal with it by putting on puppet-shows and writing about small things.

Dear Dan Zanes,

I love your work. You've had many a mention on my blog even before you won the Grammy. Therefore, please understand that I have all our best interests at heart when I ask you please to stop talking about how you aren't interested in singing songs about tying your shoes or using a fork. Here are some examples of theme and variation:

*Dan Zanes is the big daddy of family music, by Chad Berndtson, Taunton Daily Gazette (exact quote also found in a Washington Post article) :

“It’s great to be able to do what I love and get attention for it,” Zanes said. “The landscape has definitely changed since I started doing this around 2000. I remember, there were a number of people who actually felt sorry for me singing songs about using a fork and learning to tie your shoes and stuff like that.”

*Dan Zanes wants parents to get with the music, by Stephanie Dunnewind, Seattle Times:

"I've been eating with a fork for almost 40 years now, so it's not something I'm going to become emotional about," [Zanes] said. "And it's not easy for kids to relate to romantic love. But somewhere in between learning to tie your shoes and songs about my old girlfriend is a huge range of subject matter. Almost anything is fair game once you get away from the two extremes."

*All in the family: Dan Zanes makes music for young and old, by Greg Glasgow, Daily Camera:

"I wanted songs that I could connect to emotionally and that my daughter would be excited about," says Zanes, 45, who started playing family music 12 years ago, when his daughter was born. "Songs about learning to tie your shoes or eat with a fork didn't really fit into that, because I've been eating with a fork for a long time. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

*Dan Zanes rocks for little kids, by By Maja Beckstrom, Portsmouth Herald

"I didn’t realize the world of children’s entertainment would be as segregated as it is," he says. "Kids can’t understand adult music because it’s largely about romance or sexual love, and grown-ups can’t understand kids’ music because they’ve already learned to use their fork and tie their shoes."

Mr. Zanes, you make it sound as if there is an abundance of songs about the subjects you eschew. I figured some preliminary research was in order. As I was looking through my music collection for songs about shoes, I came up with a few: "Blue Suede Shoes," written by Carl Perkins and performed by Elvis Presley, "Boogie Shoes" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (yes, I own the "Staying Alive" soundtrack), Cyndi Lauper's "Put on Your Green Shoes" (which is about saving the environment), and "I Love My Shoes," by Eric Ode. Yes, Ode's song is geared for children, but we know very well that some grownups kvell over footwear, and if you tell them to hold back on shoe-purchases, they will get emotional.

So... I couldn't find any songs in my music library that covered tying shoes (although here's a nifty link if you're looking for rhymes) or using a fork.* That doesn't mean they don't exist, but I do listen to a lot of music. So, with all due respect, Mr. Zanes, it's time to put to rest your quotes about the two subjects you don't find interesting, because hardly anyone else is singing about them anyway.**

Thank you.

*Did you know that over 2/3 of the world uses either fingers or chopsticks when eating? Verify this fact and more in the book What You Never Knew About Fingers, Forks and Chopsticks, by Patricia Lauber.

**("Yeah, Alkelda, but what about this musician?" Fine, Smarty! You've got me there.)

The Biggest Everything in the World

Sometime after I interviewed librarian and performer Joel Caithamer for this blog, Joel kindly sent me a copy of his new album, The Biggest Everything in the World.* While it’s easy to fall back onto the usual comparisons with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, there’s no denying that infectious rockabilly sound. Whether the songs are about midnight munchies (“Chicken Sandwich”) or changing into a robot (“Feeling Science Fiction”) Joel Caithamer’s lyrics have child-appeal served up with lots of electric guitar and backbeat. My favorite songs are "Strange Foodstuff" and the punchy “Mekong Catfish”:

Lost an eye in a fight with a cousin from Japan
Got a fishing hook collection and a mug to beat the band
Someone grabbed his tail on a tourist expedition
But he tipped the pontoon over when he made a split decision

It's pure coincidence that the last song, "Under the Bed," was released the same year as "Under My Bed," by Recess Monkey. They are two very different songs (both good!) employing one of the enduring themes of childhood.** As Eric Herman pointed out to me last summer, how many different musicians have sung about "ants in your pants?"

Here is the link to listen to song snippets at CDBaby: The Biggest Everything in the World

I’ve decided that a double-billed concert of Joel Caithamer and Johnny Bregar is definitely on my wish-list. Then again, I’d like to see an entire weekend festival concert series made up of really good but not overly-famous performers for children. Does anyone have any ideas of what to call this festival? Please exclude the prefixes/suffixes “Fest” “Looza” and “Stock” from your answers. (Yes, I know I just ruined someone’s fun.)

*Disclaimer: I only review CDs I like.

**Unfortunately, it's also a continual theme of adulthood, what with those scary, scary dust-bunnies and wretched "presents" the cats leave behind.

Why Elbow reminds me of Ms. Ciccone

A band named Elbow wants to make an album of children's music. Here is a quote from the article:

"We initially thought that it would be great to make music for children because the lads in the band have got kids and they were saying how little really decent music for children there is. The more that we thought about, it the more that we liked the idea," frontman Guy Garvey tells Billboard.com. "We've quite often been up for having songs on children's animated films, but we thought that it would be great to actually be at the starting point for that process."

I share this with you, not in outrage, but in amusement. At least, I thought Eric Herman of Cool Tunes for Kids would be amused. This statement reminds me of when pop-star Ms. Ciccone said she wanted to write children's books because she was incredulous over all of the vapid and vacant books for young readers, and then went on to write a few vapid and vacant books herself. Maybe Elbow will do better....

Story and Song: three blurbs

*This past week, I received emails from two different performers who are doing good work on the local level: "Miss Maggie" of Miss Maggie Sings! in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and Mr. Seley in Birmingham, Michigan. Both of their sites have videos that showcase a little of what they do.

*On September 23, Eric Wolf of The Art of Storytelling With Children hosts Thomas Reese speaking on the topic Why Tell Children Scary Stories? I for one will be listening in. I rarely tell scary stories more nail-biting than Betty Lehrman's "The Graveyard Voice" (which you can hear her tell on her CD called Tales for the Telling. You can get it here. In fact, whenever I've succumbed to the pleas to tell another scary story, I've gotten into trouble: the story ended up being too scary for my audience. Obviously, I need to find a happy medium between tingly and creepy.

*You may have read already about the death of storyteller Colleen Salley. I got to meet her once, when my library supervisor invited my husband and me over for dinner shortly before my daughter was born. Queen Colleen signed a copy of Epossumandus to the "Peppercorn" (my daughter's nickname before she was born). Like so many of these meetings, I don't remember what Colleen Salley said specifically, but I do remember how lively and warm she was.

Little Songs, by Brian Vogan

A recent email from Red Tricycle brought my attention to “Little Songs,” the first CD released by Seattle early childhood-music educator Brian Vogan. We just received our copy from CD Baby, and have listened to the album a number of times already. Favorite songs include the elegant and poetic “That’s How a Pumpkin Grows,” “Animal ABCs” and “Racecar.” Most of the songs have a quiet, vibrant energy that invite the listener both to reflect thoughtfully and dance around the room. When listening to “Little Songs,” I was reminded of Woody Guthrie, not in terms of genre or voice, but in the delivery of deceptively simple, memorable melodies that sound new and familiar at the same time. I appreciated the lyrics to “Animal ABCs”, too: there are a number of standard and unusual animals in the lineup, but when he gets to X, Vogan sings, “X doesn’t have one” rather than being arch and trying to fit the x-ray fish or xiaosaurus (a teeny-tiny dinosaur) into the list.

Here are other reviews:
Kids' Music That Rocks
Out With the Kids

Elizabeth Mitchell in Seattle

It's not too late to get your tickets to see Elizabeth Mitchell in concert in Seattle, Washington at Town Hall. There are two shows, and children under twelve are free (but you still need to get them tickets). I just found out that Recess Monkey is going to make a guest appearance, too. I think I can count on one hand the local folks who read this blog, but hey, local folks, pass along the news to those you think might be interested. The House of Glee will be at the 11 am show.

My Sunday Kicks

Head on over to Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to read everyone's weekly kicks as they roll in. Here are mine, written on Saturday night:

1) Thursday, we attended a wedding on the beach of the Golden Gardens, and then partook of a potluck dinner afterward. Years before I met Bede, I thought that if I ever got married, the Mennonite in me thought a potluck for the reception was a grand idea. Bede and I didn’t go that route, but I still think it’s a good way to go.

2) Friday, the House of Glee met up with Eric Herman and family for dinner, and then headed to Magnuson Park for a Recess Monkey concert. The three girls got to play with each other and I enjoyed watching them holding hands while they jumped up and down in the Recess Monkey mosh-pit. I’d love to see an Eric Herman/Recess Monkey double-billing show someday, or have even more local children’s musicians get together for an all-day festival. I didn't bring my camera, so if Eric posts photos, I'll add the link later. Update: here is the link.

3) At the recommendation of Eric Herman and other friends, I finally checked out the Arlo Guthrie-esque Randy Kaplan’s children’s music albums, “Five Cent Piece” and “Loquat Rooftop.” They’re new hits in our household. Lucia’s favorite song is “Shampoo Me,” a story-song about a shark that pops up in the bathtub and wants to get clean. My favorite lyrics:

I said, “Why can’t you shampoo yourself?"
He said, “I got no fingers, only fins
They’re second stringers…”

You can listen to “Shampoo Me” and other songs on the Randy Kaplan “junior” MySpace Page.

4) I’ve finally started my voice lessons. Right now, my homework is a series of stretching and vocal exercises plus steaming my respiratory system (towel over the head with the face above a steaming bowl of water) twice a day. I’m working up to the twice a day part, but I’m starting to notice a difference in my immunities at least. Knock on wood, I’ve not had a sore throat in weeks.

5) My sewing project, a two piece dress with a pattern I ended up creating and modifying, worked out rather well. The last dress I sewed ended up being a tent with princess seams. I'm wearing the dress in the above picture.

6) I’m not sure if this is a kick or not, but I’ve agreed to be a co-class parent this year for my daughter’s kindergarten. It’s a job that can seem like herding cats at times, but I’m hoping that I can implement my new motto, “As painless as possible,” for the tasks ahead.


Mary Poppins umbrella (the one that belonged to P.L. Travers) and other memorabilia on display at the Donnell Library Central Children's Room in 2006


7) I’m reading aloud Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers to my daughter, and we are both enjoying it very much. I read the books years ago (with the original version of the infamous “Bad Tuesday” chapter, later rewritten by Travers herself). I showed Lucia the movie this summer, and while certain aspects of the film are firmly rooted in her brain, she has gone on in her imaginative play to incorporate the baby twins, John and Barbara, and adventures that didn’t make it into the film. Lucia is fascinated by how Mary Poppins always sniffs with disapproval. We just read aloud one of my favorite chapters, “John and Barbara’s Story,” where the twins can’t comprehend why grownups don’t seem to understand the speech of the sun, wind, and birds or the twins themselves. When they find out that everyone starts out understanding but soon forgets after their teeth come in, the twins are determined that they won’t. Of course, there is one grownup who has never forgotten....

Eric Herman's Cool Bug Tunes for Kids

The House of Glee attended Eric Herman's Cool Bug Tunes for Kids concert as part of King County Library System's summer reading program, "Catch the Reading Bug!" Bede took photos for Eric, and I got to judge the dance contest for the compact disc giveaway. Afterward, we had dinner at the food court and caught up on music, gaming and storytelling gab. Here's a photo:



And here's a video I put together and then ran by Eric before posting on YouTube:



One of the songs that's not in the video because it ha yet been released is the funny, catchy "Stink Bug" ditty, due to be released on Eric's next album. Ever since the concert, Lucia has been singing the chorus. Once you hear it, you will too. "Stink Bug" is definitely an earworm.

Children's Bands on Tour

Recess Monkey is going on a cross-country tour!

More good news: Elizabeth Mitchell is finally coming to the West Coast in August and September.

Eric Herman has been on tour for a few months now. We plan to see him and visit with his family in August when he comes to Bellevue, Washington, but in the meantime, if you live in certain parts of Missouri, Kansas, Montana, Colorado, Utah, or Idaho, you will have a chance to see him in concert.

Are you excited about any upcoming children's music concerts in your area? Please feel welcome to kvell in the comments section....

Dan Zanes Interview on PlumTV

This is a pretty good interview with Dan Zanes on PlumTV, intersperced with recent concert footage:




You'll note the part in the Dan Zanes interview where DZ recommends you don't invite a stranger into your house to perform for your kids' birthdays, but have friends work on three songs and perform them at the party as a birthday present. In general, that's good advice. Specifically, though, that might put me out of a job, so please, take his words with a grain of salt (or a savory spice). In other words, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain on the tv!"

We've seen a real revival in children's music, and music that appeals to children. While there is still a lot of drek out there for children and grownups, the time has come to stop qualifying our children's music lists as "songs adults won't hate" or "music that won't make grownups sick." These days, you don't have to look hard for good children's music beyond Pete Seeger, Ella Jenkins, and Woody Guthrie. Cool Tunes for Kids, Children's Music That Rocks, and Zooglobble are three reputable children's music resources on the internet. Want more? Check out their blogrolls.

Nancy Stewart: Two Videos

Today I'm sharing with you two videos taken from Nancy Stewart's concert at the Crossroads Shopping Center last night. The first one is Bee-Boppin' Bugs:



The second one is Sadie the Slimy Slug: