Super Why! Meets fun. Guitarist in Battle of Punctuation

(WordGirl to referee.)

OK, not really, but Super Why! and the preschool show's animated team of pint-sized problem-solvers have their first-ever soundtrack courtesy of fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff.  It's (wordily) called the Super Why! You've Got the Power Soundtrack and features 18 tracks from the series, including 10 new tracks written by Antonoff, who also recorded and produced the album.

"We Are Young" apparently was not just a song title, right?

In any case, you can download the title track for free via the widget below.  Lyrically, it's your standard "kids self-empowerment" song, but those families digging the Auto-Tuned poppy sound of fun.'s latest album will want to check it out.

The soundtrack comes out Oct. 30th on Razor & Tie, though the iTunes preorder suggests it'll be out Oct. 2nd.

A Grab-Bag of Songbags

OK, now that you've read Nerissa and Katrina Nields' excellent book about family music-making, All Together Singing in the Kitchen, perhaps you've been inspired to make more music, either by yourself or with others.

Where next?

Well, I've got a number of books filled with notes and words for singing along with.  Except as noted, all songs feature piano notation with chords for the guitarists (and ukulele-ists) among you.  I've listed some Amazon affiliate links for those of you interested in purchasing a copy -- in many cases, only used copies are left as some of these books are currently out of print.

What if you can only get one?  Well, it probably depends on who you are -- i.e., your musical background -- who your audience is (older? younger?) and where you plan to use it (schools? homes?).  Hopefully I've given you enough guidance to help you jump in.

And so we shall.

Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag [Amazon link] was first published in 1927.  Regular readers may be familiar with Dan Zanes' take on the poet's collection of American folk music (indeed, that's how I was first made aware of it).  My collection features an introduction from Garrison Keillor, and feels as much like a textbook as a songbook, thanks in part to its exhaustive 290-song collection and Sandburg's slightly more ethnomusicographical notes compared to the other books here.  In fact, that's probably a problem for most dabbling singers -- its breadth makes it too hard to find a hit on every page.  (One of the joys of the Zanes album is that he mostly shies away from popular songs and instead resurrects the unknown.)  But it's that breadth that can also give you months of discovery as you work your way through the text.

Ruth Crawford Seeger's American Folk Songs for Children [Amazon link] was first published in 1948 and is in many ways the kids' equivalent of Sandburg's collection (indeed, he writes a brief introductory note to the collection).  Seeger was a composer and tireless folklorist, not to mention Pete Seeger's stepmom (so her influence works in many, many ways).  Adults not used to singing with kids may be heartened by Seeger's lengthy preface.  Many of the roughly 70 or so songs are brief, somewhat unfamiliar (the collection is, after all, nearly 65 years old at this point), and designed as much for a school setting as a group setting, but there is beauty here.  (And if you don't believe me, ask Elizabeth Mitchell, who has repeatedly cited this book as a major influence on her work.)

Moving on to yet another era, John Langstaff's Hi! Ho! The Rattlin' Bog and Other Folk Songs for Group Singing [Amazon link] (1969) will be of interest to fans of the Nields because the sisters studied with Langstaff growing up in Washington, DC area.  Langstaff selected 50 songs "especially for their suitability for group singing" for all ages, representing many different types of traditional music.  Given the book's age, some of the songs that may have been familiar in the mid-60s are less so now, but I find the songs well-chosen

Nancy & John Langstaff's Jim Along, Josie [Amazon link] came out a year later, in 1970, as Langstaff and his wife compiled a selection of "folk songs and singing games for young children," as the book's subtitle promises.  The book includes 81 different songs, all definitely targeted at the younger set.  Given the number of songs in the collection, there are a number of songs you'll recognize, though obviously quite a few will be totally new to you as well.

Kathleen Krull's I Hear America Singing: Folk Songs for American Families [Amazon link] (1992) doesn't have the pedigree the previous books have, but it's a pretty decent collection of 62 songs, primarily from the (historical) folk tradition, but with a handful of newer songs (e.g., "Little Boxes" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" -- OK, "newer" is a comparative phrase) thrown in.

Finally, Peter Blood & Annie Patterson's Rise Up Singing [Amazon link] is sort of the graduate work of this program.  With words and chords to 1,200 songs, you won't ever be at a loss for words for singing.  What you may be at a loss for, however, are the melodies.  In order to fit 1,200 songs in less than 300 pages, you'll just see chords.  Which is great if you have a huge musical background, but flip to any random set of 2 pages, and you're likely just to see one song you're familiar with.  The advantage, however, is that there are some more modern songs -- Beatles tunes, etc. -- than what you'll see in the other books.  Its compact size and breadth make it a nice complement to the other books listed here, but it would not be my first choice.

Video: "I'm Thinking of an Animal" - Billy Kelly

Billy Kelly and public television.  Now that's what I'm talkin' about, man!  He's a triple threat -- he sings, he draws, and he's willing to kiss a stuffed-animal giraffe on video.

For this last component, we have public television station WXXI in Rochester, New York to thank for being crazy enough to agree to Kelly's proposal for a series of 1-minute videos based on his song "I'm Thinking of an Animal."  The song, from his 2011 disk The Family Garden, gets chopped up here into four segments -- I'm highlighting my favorite, but you can see all four at the link above.  Can I just say that I love, love, love Kelly Knox's Bucknell University Dancing Dancers?

Billy Kelly - "I'm Thinking of an Animal (that's really tall)" [YouTube]

Interview: Greg Attonito & Shanti Wintergate (Play Date)

It was only last year that one-time Skankin' Pickle member Mike Park released his foray into kids music, the album SMILE.

And now he's got a whole kids music label, Fun Fun Records.  One of the two debut releases from the label is Imagination from the band Play Date.  The band consists of husband-and-wife team Greg Attonito (of punk band The Bouncing Souls) and Shanti Wintergate.  They dipped their toes in creating art for kids with the publication some years back of the book I Went for a Walk.  They took some time last month from their summer touring schedule to talk about laying down under pianos, positive energy, and Imagination's inspiration.

Zooglobble: What are your first musical memories?

 

Greg Attonito: Listening to my Mom playing piano at our house. I would lay down on the floor under the piano keyboard at my Mom's feet and feel the sounds of the piano. I really loved that... and sometimes singing along when my Grandmother would play piano and sing at her house. 

Shanti Wintergate: I've been surrounded by music since I was in the womb.  My musician parents have always been performing and playing music throughout my life, so it's hard to pinpoint a specific moment...it was just always there.  Our whole family was always singing and harmonizing together as long as I can remember.  My brother and I used to lay down by the side of our pool and sing the same note into the water. We would watch the water move and listen to the reverberations and echoes of our voices. We would sometimes do this for hours. 

 

When did you decide you wanted to be a professional musician?

 

I thought it might be possible when I was in high school learning our favorite punk rock songs with friends.  We played shows in our hometown and talked about rock 'n' roll dreams.  Miraculously we made them come true.  It has been an amazing adventure. I have learned so much through the experience of making music with those same high school friends over the course of 23 years.  I'm excited to be bringing all I've learned from being in a rock band into making music for kids.

 

The idea first occurred to me, when I started learning how to play guitar to accompany lyrics and melodies I had always written.  There was a freedom in being a self-contained musical creator.  I was asked to perform one of my songs in a local summer music festival, which I did and I've been hooked ever since.

 

When did you first start thinking about recording an album of family music?  Was it around the time of publication of I Went For a Walk or was it later than that?

 

We had talked about it a bit before that. I think the first time might have been when we played for our nephew's 2nd grade class.. That was the initial spark. We continued talking about it during and after the "I Went For A Walk" tours but we were so busy with pre-existing projects there wasn't time for it. 

 

What was your guiding philosophy in writing the songs for the album?

Our main focus was creating music that parents would enjoy as much as the kids and to infuse some positivity and fun into the world.  We were also really careful about the energy we put into the entire creative process.  We wanted it to feel effortless, and naturally uplifting so we committed to only working on this project when we were in the right frame of mind.  We found that usually just working on this music in and of itself put us in a great mood so it wasn't really a problem.  I know this might sound silly but, our hope is that anyone listening to the record will feel like they had a blast hanging out with us singing songs and getting silly for forty-five minutes or so..... and maybe even feel a little more loved and cared about through the experience.  :)

What has surprised you (positively or negatively) as you wrote/recorded/started to promote and tour the album?

 

I was surprised at how much fun we had recording the record.  I knew it would be fun but it was way more fun than I expected!

I can't think of anything negative, but there have been lots of positives.  I also had a feeling we were going to have fun creating this music, but I hadn't expected the fun to be so contagious.   It seems everyone who has been around or part of the recording process has been influenced positively by the experience.... it's just too fun to resist!  Writing and recording this record, I allowed myself to explore musical boundaries that I didn't even know I had.  We also played all the instruments on this record except drums, so there has been a great satisfaction in that.

 

What's your impression of other music being recorded for kids -- any favorites, or have you tended to stay away?  Has that impression changed at all over time or as you've been recording/finishing the album?

I have just recently had my ears open to the world of kids music so I don't know many of the artists.  I like They Might Be Giants.  Their kids music is really good.  Our friend Kepi's new kids record is great, too. It's called Kepi For Kids and it will also be coming out on Fun Fun Records.

In the past I think it was a little more challenging to find music for kids that wasn't too "dumbed down" and obviously "children's music"... but it seems like today it's becoming easier to find good music for kids. MORE musicians are putting MORE effort into making quality music for kids.  It's so important!!  The music that kids are exposed to early on influence their musical tastes as they grow and there's plenty of evidence of music influencing emotional and mental states.  The importance of music in child development is finally gaining some well deserved ground.  Kids need a wholesome diet for their EARS as well as their BODIES!  

How much touring do you plan to do as Play Date? What have your experiences been playing for kids thus far as compared to playing in the Bouncing Souls or as a duo?

We just did a show last week in Montreal that was a blast! It was the first year the PouzzaFest hosted a kids stage at their big rock festival.  They did a great job and a lot of families came out and had a great time. 

We may do some dates this fall in Southern California. We intend to submit for more festivals with kids stages for next year and we are exchanging ideas right now about setting up a package tour with all of the artists releasing kids music on Fun Fun Records... so that is what is in the works at the moment. 

I have really enjoyed the new experience of playing for the kids in a more family friendly environment. The shows are earlier in the day..HAHA! It's broadening my musical horizons and challenging me to be more free with music in writing and performing.

 

What's next for you (kid-wise or otherwise)?

The Bouncing Souls released a new record on June 12th so I will be on tour in the U.S. all summer supporting that.  Play Date's record is coming out on October 9th.  We are really looking forward to getting the new Play Date record out in the world and supporting its release.  It's going to be really fun to see how it impacts the world.

 

Photo credit: Mike McLaughlin

Video: "Animal Alphabet" - Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke

Yaaay!  A new video and a new song from Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke.  OK, the song's been around for a little while (if not generally available), but the video?  Definitely new.  Yes, the "animals representing the alphabet" thing has been done before, but even Sandra Boynton didn't make a song out of hers.  (And Wilde's illustrations are every bit as cute.)

Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke - "Animal Alphabet" [YouTube]

How I Got Here: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (Midnight Marauders)

Many years ago, I started a series called "How I Got Here," which was my attempt to get kids musicians to talk in their own words about albums that influenced them as musicians.

Well, calling it a series was generous, because it consisted of exactly one entry.

But it's time to make it an actual series, with the next entry (and I promise you won't have to wait another 5 years for the third).  It's from the master of words and beats Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.  I think Skidoo's most recent album Make Believers is the best in his line of excellent albums for kids, and he's working on a live album for possible release this winter.

Here he writes about A Tribe Called Quest's 1993 album Midnight Marauders...

***

The first time I heard hip hop was at a friend's house, somewhere in the late 80's. We'd spent all day skateboarding and riding his 4 wheeler, and then he busted out the boombox and slid in a tape of RUN DMC. When I left that day, it was with a blown mind and a cassette dub of Beastie Boys' License to Ill, which I would wear down till it broke. These first tastes of rap single handedly moved me beyond Metallica territory and solidly into the land of Public Enemy and N.W.A. in which I would stay for years afterwards, and fully infected my brain, laying the groundwork for who I am today. But above all, I think it was A Tribe Called Quest's 3rd album, Midnight Marauders, that might have taught me the most.

Although many intelligent and artistic rappers have laced many funk fried beats before and after that time, something about that tape and when it came into my life made it become the bedrock of my style. I had to go listen to it again to write this, to figure out why it's such a depth charge to my psyche, and it turns out it has everything I love about hip hop in one neat package. The beats are sharp and full of pocket, right in the 93-99 bpm zone that I love best, and they sample dirty funk and jazz, complete with the crackle and pop of old vinyl heard for the 500th time. Lyrically, the 2 rappers, Phife Dawg and Q-Tip aka The Abstract Poetic, encapsulate everything it means to be an M.C. or Master of Ceremonies.

From the first song, "Steve Biko," it's obvious that these cats love rapping, that the act itself is the most fun to them. You can see them rocking a house party with a crappy plastic mic, in the corner busting freestyles endlessly to the party people, with hilarious punchlines, witty wordplay and perfectly in-the-funk-pocket delivery. By the time they get to "Award Tour," they become the prototype for the Super Emcee, globetrotting the whole planet not based on hype or gimmick, but high level, sophisticated, intellectual lyrics over unpredictable, head knocking beats. Then they flesh out their skills further, using "8 Million Stories" and "Midnight" to show mastery of storytelling, some straight day-in-the-life stuff that pulls you right into their world like a 3 minute documentary with a dope soundtrack.

Later in the album, they get serious on social issues and the state of the culture. These guys tackle topics with skill and intelligence, actually thinking things through instead of going with cliches and easy outs. And even though this is one of the deepest and most complex and artistic rap albums at that time, it never stops being fun.

No matter wether I'm creating for kids or grown ups, Party Rocking, Storytelling and Topic Tracks - these are still the 3 basic categories of songwriting for me. The freestyle feel and pocket flow of Q Tip's delivery is like one of my first teachers, and lives on like a funky ghost in my head, and if any of my beats cause me to screw up my mug into a funk face anywhere near as extreme as I do for some of these tracks, I know I've done right.

That was in the golden age of hip hop, when the most popular groups were also the most intelligent, skilled and unique. I miss those days. But it's nice to see that by that description, this must be the golden age of family music!

Photo credit: Mike Belleme