Written by music industry veteran David Weiser for his five-year-old son, The Boy Who Wanted to Rock takes readers on a musical journey that encourages children to learn the ropes...and swing from the ceiling! Guided by a cast of helpful and unlikely creatures, a young boy discovers that his inner monster is the key to learning – and enjoying – music.
David Weiser has worked as a keyboard programmer with numerous Broadway, West End, touring and televised musicals, including NBC’s 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Les Misérables His credits also include work with artists like David Bowie, The Who, and Brian Wilson.
This month we feature Peter Alsop, a longtime CMN Member and NEW Silver Business Sponsor. Peter is a nationally known singer/songwriter, lecturer and humorist with a Ph.D. in educational psychology. His family albums consistently win “Best Children’s Album” of the year awards and his songs are used by thousands of parents, doctors, educators and other human service professionals to help families discuss sensitive issues such as sexual abuse, disabilities, loss and grief, codependency, self-worth, chemical dependency and family violence. His popular “Songs To Chew” podcast began with the column he wrote for CMN’s “Pass It On!” Magazine. www.peteralsop.com
Joanie Calem has been leading concerts and classes for all ages, including inter-generational singalongs, around the US and Israel for over 30 years. Joanie's concerts are full of dancing, singing, storytelling with audience participation and puppet shows, all bringing the message of joyous appreciation of our world, of nature, of one another, and of ways to help heal the world. Joanie is also a disability awareness advocate, training parents, teachers and counselors in inclusion strategies.
Joanie has published 7 CDs, 5 for children and 2 for adults, and 4 picture books for children. On her latest CD, Rainbow of Color, Joanie takes listeners on a journey of fun, humor, hope, persistence and joy: the daily tools for making our way through our complex world. For more information about Joanie, please visit: www.joaniecalem.com or email her at joaniecalem@gmail.com.
An award-winning husband-wife duo, Two of a Kind presents concerts for families and children of all ages, including songs, puppets, movement, and stories - all with an emphasis on interaction and participation. Two of a Kind is David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans, a husband & wife duo who have been making music for kids and families for over 28 years. Themes of songs and stories range from reading & books, friendship and animals to social issues such as the environment, conflict resolution and diversity. Two of a Kind helps audiences of all ages feel that they can create music and that they can make a difference in the world. David & Jenny have released 9 CDs & 1 DVD for kids, garnering over 20 national awards. They wrote a musical for kids in 2017, entitled "The World is Not Your Garbage Can." Visit www.twoofakind.com to learn more!
An award-winning husband-wife duo, Two of a Kind presents concerts for families and children of all ages, including songs, puppets, movement, and stories - all with an emphasis on interaction and participation. Two of a Kind is David & Jenny Heitler-Klevans, a husband & wife duo who have been making music for kids and families for over 28 years. Themes of songs and stories range from reading & books, friendship and animals to social issues such as the environment, conflict resolution and diversity. Two of a Kind helps audiences of all ages feel that they can create music and that they can make a difference in the world. David & Jenny have released 9 CDs & 1 DVD for kids, garnering over 20 national awards. They wrote a musical for kids in 2017, entitled "The World is Not Your Garbage Can." www.twoofakind.com
Pam Donkin is an award-winning children's artist on the children's record label A Gentle Wind, and has appeared nationally. Her three recordings, Music is Magic, Friendship Stew and A Hop, Skip, and a Jump, inspire all kinds of activity and are perfect for babies as well as preK to grade 2 classrooms. Her popular website, www.plantingseedsoflove.com has free songs and lesson plans available for download! Pam is also Director of Peninsula Music Together, running about 60 classes per week with six teachers. Listen and learn at www.pamdonkin.com.
Gil Klein is a 93 year old WWII veteran who parlayed his love of the arts into a post retirement career. His talent at writing children's songs led him to X-15 Recording a professional audio/visual studio where along with producer/engineer Ru Davis and singer/songwriter Valerie Favale, he has brought several of his compositions to life. As president of Via Grande LLC, his mission is to create simple catchy easy to grasp music for children of all ages. In addition to lyric writing, Gil shares an enthusiasm for play-writing and poetry. Though Children's music is his specialty, Gil has written comparable songs for styles as diverse as Country, Rock, and Dance. As interest in his catalog has developed, Gil recent launched Via Grande LLC ASCAP to handle his publishing.
Babies & Grands Music was founded by Jenny Murphy to engage families of young children with elders in Residential Senior Communities through early childhood music and movement, fostering community and friendship since 2012. www.babiesandgrands.com
Alina Celeste is a Singer, Songwriter and Performer who specializes in music for children and families. She has a popular YouTube channel and tours nationally. She is available for programs in schools, libraries and museums, as well as for media projects. Find out more at www.alinaceleste.com.
“I believe everything is educational, in that it says something about how one looks at the world. Children learn from context. They learn vocabulary and language not from a dictionary or worksheet, but from conversation, they learn songs not from reading music, but from singing with someone who loves to sing, and they learn hope and kindness and cooperation not from being told to have them, but by experiencing them.” – Bill Harley
Since 2000, Janet at Bear Paw Creek has been creating movement props, instrument cases, and storage bags. Our best selling props include stretchy bands, bean bags, streamers, balloon balls, and scarves. Bags include Qchord cases, drawstring bags, tote bags, and zipper bags. Janet is passionate about customer care and loves to collaborate on new product ideas.
Sing, Play, Grow…dance and laugh too! Singer, songwriter, and storyteller Philip Alexander performs lively original music at schools, libraries, and festivals. Featuring live guitar, harmonica, ukulele, dulcimer, ocarina, and boomwhackers, Philip’s shows and classes are full of songs and stories that educate, entertain, and enchant! VISIT: Sing Play Grow
Music Monkey Jungle is very excited to announce the opening of our music, movement and dance studio in the Bella Vista Neighborhood of Philadelphia. Our original songs, dances, games and programs now have a home. CMNers, we’ll be looking for your amazing talents and brands of children’s music in time to come. Please keep an eye out for the all calla and to learn more, please visit www.musicmonkeyjungle.com.
Music Monkey Jungle, Philadelphia, PA's GREATEST interactive music group, strives to provide high-quality and affordable programming for little music monkeys and the primates who love them. We focus on bringing communities of all ages, abilities, shapes and sizes together through original songs, dances and games, with a strong emphasis on amazingly catchy lyrics. To learn more about the jungle, please visit www.musicmonkeyjungle.com.
Multiple Parent’s Choice award-winning singer/songwriter and 2017 NAPPA winner Stacey Peasley has long been delivering catchy melodies to the children’s music scene. Celebrating the success of her third album, “RSVP” Stacey and her band combine exceptional musicianship with laughter and dancing to relatable songs about siblings, the family babysitter, fun with friends, getting into trouble, and growing up for an unforgettable family concert experience. Stacey’s catchy tunes (inspired by her own family) fuse a wide array of pop and soul music guaranteed to please the entire family. She regularly visits preschools and centers in the Boston area and is the founder and teacher of Lucky Day Music Class - an original parent/child music class ages infant through 4. www.staceypeasley.com
Folksinger Anna Stange brings a world of songs and culture, featuring traditional folk songs, stories, and instruments, to audiences all across the United States. From ballads to singalongs, Anna's performances feature old favorites from the American folk tradition, newer songs she's written, and some gathered along her travels through the US and beyond. A former elementary school teacher and longtime music teacher, Anna now travels and performs throughout the year. www.AnnaStange.com
Beatin' Path Productions is a friendly, low cost, no frills, publishing house dedicated to high quality music for teachers trained in Orff Schulwerk as well as classroom, choral and general music teachers. Each publication is backed by years of hands-on, in-the-classroom experience, and has thoroughly proven its worth as valuable material for elementary and middle school children, at home, in church and at school. Check out beatinpathproductions.com or email Brent Hall.
“With pleasant, sunny appeal, and a gentle pop vibe, singer-songwriter Tim Seston celebrates music and rhythm, encourages physical play and prompts young listeners to exercise their imaginations within a musical framework of family and friendship.” – Lynne Heffley, ©2015 Parents' Choice. Check out his CDs and performance calendar at frompagetoplay.com
For children, FiddleQuest is an island of community and fun in a sea of competition and perfectionism. For adults, it is a cloud-based violin curriculum and site developed to get more kids playing music and keep them playing. Developed by, and for, teachers, it uses music from fiddle and violin traditions around the world, builds skills like improvisation, and offers kid-friendly technology to help students practice more effectively between lessons. fiddlequest.com
Music For Minors II’s mission is to nurture the love and literacy of music in children’s classrooms and lives through singing/signing songs, rhythmic movement/dance, instrumentation, listening appreciation and performance opportunities at school sites and in the East Bay communities that it serves. MFMII recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers who serve almost 5,000 children weekly with 1/2 hour music enrichment lessons throughout the school year. www.musicforminors2.org
Nearly 70 music videos from KidzMusicians — many of whom are CMNers, too — appear on the Kids First! channel of Xerb.tv. Look for more to be added soon. And, for those Kidz who have not yet had the pleasure of podcasting with John Wood and Dan Crow, you may be getting a call soon . . . they’re ba-a-a-ck . . . . This year KidzMusic partnered with the non-profit organization TAFFY to provide artists for performances at hospitals and special-needs schools, as well as helping them get the word out about the good work they do. We wish all our friends at CMN a happy and prosperous 2020! www.kidzmusic.com
The Confetti Park podcast and radio program, hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. It showcases songs that kids love, songs created for kids, and songs created by kids. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!
Pacific Kid offers the best line of high quality felt children's products, whose superior tactile-stimulating properties encourage discovery play and learning. Unlike many mass market lines, our products are made under "Fair Trade" circumstances. pacifickid.net
Jump for Joy Music encourages schools, businesses, and families through music. Joy is a central spark in learning, loving, and living. Jump for Joy Music makes learning fun, and makes fun a learning experience. jumpforjoymusic.com
Stufffed Animals by Chris D'Alessio is a children's music album with interactive activities built in. There are songs for counting quantities, connecting images, identifying and developing word knowledge, plus social emotional learning songs that emphasize helping, feeling, and belonging. While the kids are thinking and learning the parents are rocking too. There are progressive songs right next to lullabies with a little something for everyone in listening distance. Best of all, it's free. Just go to TeachersPayTeachers.com, download and enjoy!
Susan Salidor is an award-winning children's music composer and performer with the heart of a teacher. Her newest recording, Come and Make a Circle 3: Even More Terrific Tunes for Children and Those Who Love Them, is the third in the Circle series and was recently honored with a Parents' Choice Award. Visit her site and enjoy!
Children learn through music – even science! Lyrical Life Science and Lyrical Earth Science are organized and systematic presentations of concepts, vocabulary, and definitions. Lyrical Learning uses music and lyrics to teach scientific concepts and information that stays long after the lesson is over. Success comes by providing a rigorous structure of information in a humorous way that involves everyone in the fun. www.lyricallearning.com
Nibbles Promotional Solutions: Business and Booking Services for Children's Performers. NPS gives you the ability to focus on your craft while we take care of the busy work of running a business. We specialize in working with Children's Performers so we can focus on your very unique business needs. nibblesps.com
Liz Buchanan’s music is filled with fun and excitement for young children! Early childhood teachers, parents and music specialists love Liz’s blog on music and literacy. Find finger plays, literacy activities and songs from world cultures! Here’s a a South African song Liz taught her students. Find more videos on her Youtube channel and visit her at www.antelopedance.com
GROWING SOUND is a multi-award winning children's music publisher that creates positive, powerful and exciting songs to help kids get ready for school and ready for life! Using the latest research in social and emotional development, Growing Sound songs focus on topics such as optimism, resilience, self-control, mindfulness, motivation, acceptance, empathy, responsibility and more.
www.growing-sound.com
Song Wizard Records and its affiliate, Loose Tooth Music, write and produce songs and other music product on assignment for Disney, Henson, DreamWorks, and dozens of other companies. Recording artist Dave Kinnoin has released eight children's music CDs which have won many national awards, including Parents' Choice Gold.
Grin Brigade is back with All I Do Is Hop, their second eclectic and unpredictable mix of 29 (not a typo!) songs covering a delightfully dizzying number of topics as the production effortlessly moves through kid funk, blues, pop, rock, country, anthem and ballad. “…a remarkable capacity to tap into youthful creativity, playfulness and mirth.” Tillywig Awards “…this excellent album is like its own mixtape!” NAPPA Awards
Dave Kinnoin is a Gold Sponsor of The Children's Music Network songwizard.com/grinbigrade
Crazy with Happiness by Grin Brigade.
A wild jumble of songs about a whole mess of things to make you happy, make you think, make you feel, make you laugh. Filled to the brim with 13 musical styles performed, written, and produced by a whole flock of talented people. The latest from Dave Kinnoin and Song Wizard Records. www.songwizard.com
Randy Sharp & Dave Kinnoin are back and flying high with their second release, jam packed with songs featuring clever, cheeky lyrics that are laugh-out-loud funny paired with outstanding music. Randy is a little bit country, Dave is a little bit rock 'n’ roll and together they add some jazz and blues for a sound all their own. Peel away the layers of each song and listeners uncover something new every time they hear it. Winner of 5 awards! www.songwizard.com
Music with Mar. is a company dedicated to bringing quality, brain based music to children, families and teachers. The philosophy is to use music to teach, getting children ready for skills they need for a successful, happy life. The company is supported by award winning music composed by Maryann "Mar." Harman and has grown from Mar. teaching classes in Pinellas County, FL into an international company that trains people all over the world. www.musicwithmar.com
Katherine Dines and her “Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Music for growing families”, has been part of the Children's Music Network family since 1994. Currently, she has 11 award-winning CD's and offers live concerts for all ages (solo or with her Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta band); in service workshops for educators; songwriting, movement and instrument-making workshops for children ages K-5; and fun educational concerts targeted to parents of babies and toddlers. www.hunktabunkta.com
Kathy Byers is an accomplished singer-songwriter who has been recording children’s albums and performing throughout the Northeast for more than 15 years, bringing music programs to libraries, schools, festivals, and private events. She has been a Music Teacher for grades Pre-K – 5 in several local private schools and teaches elementary guitar, flute and ukulele. Kathy’s recording albums, Do You Wish You Could Fly, One Earth So Green and Round, and Round the Campfire have earned national recognition for excellence in children’s recordings. In 2012, she was listed as one of Hudson Valley Magazine’s Best Kids Performers. As a member of the Children’s Music Network, Folk Alliance, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Kathy’s goal is to share music with children and help them grow their music appreciation. More on Kathy can be found on her website: kathybyers.com
Kathy Byers’ mission is to continue to write songs and create music from the perspective young artists, ultimately inspiring them to compose and confidently express themselves in their formative years. She began writing songs for children when her son Matthew, now in college, was five years old. Kathy has worked as an independent singer-songwriter/recording artist performing at schools, The Public Libraries of Brooklyn, festivals such as The International Child Art Foundation on The Mall in Washington D.C., Greenfest in Boston and Cape Cod, Borders Bookstores, and venues from Maine to Memphis, and currently teaches music part-time at private schools in Northern New Jersey, and offer songwriting workshops, beginner/intermediate guitar and flute lessons. kathybyers.com
Hey Over There! here at The Fuzzy Beard Show, Our slogan is first their ears: then their hearts. We incorporate music with puppetry and animation in order to teach, prepare & heal our viewers through life experience. A true one stop shop for fun, fitness & education.
Spud! is the commercial-free music video network for families, kids and the artists who entertain them. Spud! makes life easier for kids and families by delivering blocks of carefully selected music videos, commercial-free to any connected device. For artists, Spud! helps them connect with their fans and grow their audience. Look for our launch, soon!
Vivi, Poppy, CC, and Goober—a group of fun and good music! From happy songs about bunnies to bluesy songs about bacon, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The CD What Fun is available online.
Music for Aardvarks and Other Mammals is a groovy alternative to the traditional music class for young families. The music is innovative, intelligent, and irresistibly appealing to both kids and their parents.
Original song collections, with influences of rock, the blues, ballads, folk, and pop, uniquely reflect and celebrate the lives of children today. Raved by media and celebrities and aired daily on national TV on Nick Jr.
Watch this Offbeat, Upbeat and just plain great video about starting your own classes in your area.
Susie Tallman & Rock Me Baby Records create quality music that enriches children at each stage of their childhood development. There are lullabies for sleepy babes (and their exhausted parents), nursery rhymes for little learners and updated classics for the whole family. There's even a DVD to watch and sing along. susietallman.com
Introducing Susie Tallman. After graduating UCLA with a music degree, Susie Tallman started her career on the production side as one of the founding employees of Interscope Records. After working with a wide range of artists from NIN to Snoop Dogg in 1999 she decided to open her own label to record children’s music. Since then, she’s released 10 children’s CDs, a DVD that is on PBS and sang on a Grammy winning San Francisco Symphony Album. Susie’s music can be found on all of the usual streaming sites and recently added to a podcast helping families manage anxiety. Susie still teaches to elementary kids virtually and has been busy adding new videos to You Tube including a brand new Thanksgiving video, featuring her very own Albuquerque turkey. She balances her music with the best job of all, being a mom to twin fifth grade boys and a daughter that just started high school. susietallman.com
Stretch your body, tune your mind, and lift your spirit!!!
Musical Yoga Adventures is a program for children of all abilities that combines the abundant benefits of music and yoga. Offering original songs and coordinated yoga sequences to make learning succcessful and lots of fun!
Merit School of Music is a non-profit community music school in Chicago's West Loop providing high-quality onsite and in-school early childhood, classical, and jazz music education to 6,000 Chicago-area students, from newborns to age 18.
Founded in 1979, Merit seeks to help young people achieve their full musical potential, to remove economic barriers to participation, and to stimulate personal and educational growth through music. Its esteemed faculty teaches a continuum of vocal and instrumental programs leading to the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-free Conservatory for the most advanced and motivated young musicians. www.meritmusic.org
Kathy Byers and Lydia Adams Davis are candid entertainers and award-winning recording artists. Between them they have five music CDs to their credit. They have pooled their talents to co-write an educational environmental album. Listen now.
MUSE (Musicians United to Sustain the Environment), founded by the late Walkin' Jim Stoltz, has created two web radio stations for the web of life. Weboflife.fm features eco music specially programmed for the young at heart. Earthday.fm presents a wide variety of genres and topics with songs spanning six-decades and many countries. Please join us in tuning in to the earth through these free and commercial free web radio stations, available 24x7 to listeners worldwide. To see our Green Music List and learn more, visit www.earthdayradio.org.
Music Together is an internationally recognized music and movement program for very young children and the grownups who love them. Founded in 1987, the curriculum is now taught in family classes and school settings in over 2000 communities around the world. Find out more about class offerings and teacher trainings at www.musictogether.com.
The Uncle Devin Show is a live, interactive musical experience for children by renowned drummer and percussionist Devin Walker. It cultivates the minds of children through percussion instruments and is a dynamic cross between Fat Albert and Schoolhouse Rock.
Founded in 1971 by legendary musician and educator John Langstaff, Revels celebrates cultural traditions from around the world through staged performances such as Revels RiverSing and The Christmas Revels, seasonal workshop and music-filled educational programs for children and teachers, an award-winning line of recordings and songbooks, and unique opportunities for participation by all. www.revels.org
Marsha's Music offers the internationally known Music Together program in Chicago. Music Together is a research-based program built upon the recognition that all children are musical and can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat and enjoy a lifetime of musical expression. Our classes are geared to children birth through 5 years, and incorporate singing, musical instrument-play, and movement that is fun for the whole family! Learn More
Ventriloquist Val Smalkin, presents a fast-paced, humorous 40-minute musical treat with puppets, dancing, singing, and 100% audience participation. From the Pink Flamingo Can-Can, to Love Bug, Val's shows are guaranteed to delight tots, tweens, teens, and the timeworn, as well! Children delight to Silly Goose’s mixture of naughtiness and innocence, Val’s adult muddlement, and irresistible sing-along and dance-along songs. sillygooseandval.com and smalkinmusic.com
Since 1996, Great Lakes Media Technology has assisted educators, entertainers, musicians, marketers, individuals and Fortune 500 companies by bringing life to their unique message in our ever-changing digital world. We're experts at taking your content-rich project and delivering it across multiple platforms to achieve maximum impact.
Ms. Janis Music 4 Me is a music program, featuring original soundtracks, for preschool-aged and younger children. Throughout this program children are taught about the world around them by using engaging musical selections and creative movement. The program is based on music through movement, which means fully captivated, happy, and active participants!
Ms. Janis Music launched its new website in January.
Check it out! Receive 3 free music downloads when you visit the website and join their mailing list.
Rainbow Songs Inc. offers exciting interactive music programs for children from birth to 5 years old. Our methodology focuses on the musical development of your child. Our 40 minute classes are taught in a fun, non-competitive and inclusive environment that encourages the participation of children and adults alike. www.rainbowsongs.com
Songs for Teaching, the largest online seller of children's educational music, is proud be a Silver Business Sponsor of the Children's Music Network. Creative teachers, parents, librarians and music lovers can use songs to teach content across the curriculum to students of all ages. Music is conveniently categorized by educational topic. We offer thousands of children's songs, lyrics, sheet music and teaching resources as well as suggestions for most any content area. Check out our new radio apps for iPhone and Androids! Many CMN artists offer their music through www.SongsForTeaching.com!