Kindie Land: New Releases--Someone Else's Shoes by Recess Music

RECESS MUSIC HELPS KIDS TAKE A WALK IN

'SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES'

A NEW “BEST FOOT FORWARD” CD

As if the concept of an esteem and compassion building CD isn't cool enough, this one rocks a colorful, funky monster cover as well.   What's not to love.    

We're still waiting for our review copy, to give you our first hand report on the actual tunes, but in the meantime, we can say this CD's got some big shoes to fill, being third in the "Best Foot Forward" series.   This baby's got award winning big sibs and some powerful talent on the creative end of things.  Some of today's most gifted kids' musicians, including two-time GRAMMY®winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, four-time Emmy® winning composer/performer Jamie Broza, and Parents' Choice® and NAPPA winner Swingset Mamas all had a hand in "Someone Else's Shoes.   We'll keep you posted when we get a chance to check it out.

“Any album that encourages children to be wise, fair, and generous hearted is a welcomed addition, and U R SOME 1 does so with style, high production values and quality music that respects the intelligence and good musical taste of bothchildren and their parents.”   –2012 Parents' Choice® Award review of Recess Music’s U R SOME 1

    “These 15 songs are perfect to use when starting discussions about bullies.  They promote self-esteem and polite actions, often offering positive and constructive choices to deal with the problem … a first choice for parents and educators to use when dealing with the issue of bullies and bullying.” – School Library Journal Starred Review of Recess Music’s Big Bully
 

Recess Music, a company dedicated to helping kids value a world that is wise, fair, and generous hearted, looks forward to the July 31 release of Someone Else’s Shoes, the third in its “Best Foot Forward”series of CDs.  Other titles in the “Best Foot Forward” series include Recess Music’s Big Bully and U R SOME 1.

All the songs on Someone Else's Shoes highlight empathy as a key ingredient for living in harmony with others.  The album features 15 tracks that showcase contributions by a sampling of some of today's most gifted kids' musicians, including two-time GRAMMY®winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, four-time Emmy® winning composer/performer Jamie Broza, and Parents' Choice® and NAPPA winner Swingset Mamas.

Someone Else’s Shoes opens with a feel-good beat and terrific vocals by Swingset Mamas on “Take A Walk In Someone Else’s Shoes.” Compelling rhythms also underscore important messages about respect, appreciation, and  empathy on The Uncle Brothers’ “Team Work” and Troubadour’s “You Hurt My Feelings.”  Other album highlights include the Appalachian folk sounds of “Give A Little Love Away” by Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer,  Cliff Tetle’s retro vocal stylings on “Everyone Can See A Different Me,” and Jamie Broza’s exceptionally sweet ballad, “Be Nice To Old People.” Kids are sure to enjoy the rhymes on The Hill Brothers’ “There’s No Place For Bullies In Our School,” Jamie Barnett’s guitar picking on “Being With You,” the hand-clapping, happy beat underpinning The Happy Crowd’s “Say Something Nice About Someone,” the sheer musical variety within Jim Papoulis’ “Feel The World Dancing,” and Cosima’s “What A Difference,” featuring blues harp and vocals that have more than a hint of Emmylou Harris.  Rounding out Someone Else’s Shoes are offerings from Kelsey Friday & The Rest of the Week, Mike Soloway, Dan Dan Doodlebug, and Mr. KimWebster.

Recess Music’s “Best Foot Forward” series could be thought of as the musical component to a hip, up-to-date, and entirely relevant “course in manners” that reinforces a profound subtext, which points to how to survive life together and encourages kids to conduct their lives on an elevated plane.  Almost all children really want to have friends and be good playmates, but to achieve these objectives they must learn key social structures and conventions, such as how to say, “I know how you feel” or how to live by the rule of “no put-downs” toward others. Recess Music’s founder/producer Nancy Doan explains that she decided to focus on social empathy with Someone Else’s Shoes because, “When children learn to ‘walk in someone else’s shoes,’ they become better people, more understanding, more helpful to those who are in distress, and better able to celebrate other people’s triumphs, as well as their own.”  Nancy hopes that the Recess Music “Best Foot Forward” trilogy of Big Bully, U R SOME 1, and Someone Else’s Shoes will help to encourage discussion among parents, children, and educators about caring, understanding, social justice, and global peace, as well as the particular challenges caused by the unfortunate presence of intimidation and bullying behavior on our social landscape.

Recess Music’s Wild Child was featured in USA Today as one of kids’ music superstar Laurie Berkner’s  “Eight Greats for 2011.”

Scholastic Parent & Child highlighted Wild Child in its November 2011 issue and includes La Bella Stella in its June 2012 issue. 

Parents Magazine featured Wild Child and Big Bully in its January 2012 iPad/Tablet edition and La Bella Stella in its April 2012 iPad/Tablet edition.  

Recess Music’s Ocean Motion received both a Parents’ Choice® Award and a NAPPA Rising Star honor in 2011, and Big Bully and Wild Child likewise won Parents’ Choice® Awards.  

Big Bully was also honored by WXPN’s Kathy O’Connell in MetroKids magazine as one of the “Top Ten Family CDs of 2011” and was one of only six albums included in a DailyCandy Kids “Best Kids Music of 2011” feature, which praised Big Bully as “uplifting folk-pop performed by an all-star cast.”

Someone Else's Shoes will be available online at www.recessmusic.com, amazon.com and its international affiliates, iTunes, and brick and mortar retailers throughout the U.S.       


CD Details: SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES
For ages 4 - 11.
Label: Big Round Records
SRP: $12.99
Run time: 46 minutes.

Check out Recess Music's Main Site here for more info.

Kindie Land: New Releases--'SING LOUD!' MELISSA GREEN AND SPECIAL GUEST BROOKE SHIELDS

“Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Melissa Green taught preschool in New York City for two years before embarking on a musical career.  Her voice recalls '90s songstresses Juliana Hatfield and Lisa Loeb.”
– Time Out New York Kids

“Melissa has a knack for blending catchy melodies with playful lyrics about seahorses, wagon rides, and 'Chocolate Ice Cream.' As if her originals weren't enough, she also breathes new life into old favorites.”
– Los Angeles Daily News
ChiIL Mama's been running our kindie (kids' indie) press releases on our Facebook Page and Twitter recently and saving the full blown blog posts for original content--ie:  our video interviews with bands, live original concert footage & photos and our own reviews.   However, FB and Twitter features are difficult to share with friends as links, or search back for later, so we're going to return to our old school approach of running those here as well as on our page and twitter feed.   

We'll also go back and repost our recent FB/Twitter kindie favorites here, so they'll be more search n share friendly via our side bar search.   Summer time is music time...road trip tune time...music fest time.   And we can point you in the right direction for some rockin' family friendly releases that will rock your world.


First up on ChiIL Mama's Kindie Land-

Award winning children's musician Melissa Green looks ahead with pride to the July 31 release of her fourth studio CD, Sing Loud!   
Featuring two duets that mark the kids' music debut of guest artist Brooke Shields, Sing Loud! celebrates the art of having confidence, being who you are, and empowering yourself with the knowledge that you can do anything you truly set your mind to!

Known for her distinctive, warm, "wide open" vocal style, Melissa Green has been writing and performing music for families for nearly a decade.  Sing Loud! builds upon her previous work with a new depth of focus that emphasizes individuality, courage, and pride.  With the help of producers Lisa Parade and Bob Marlette (Wilson Phillios, Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, Lynyrd Skynyrd), Melissa Green has created a kids' /family album that musically documents her eclectic range of listening favorites: blues, ska, Nashville country, '50s rock 'n' roll, and today's pop, invoking such influences as Johnny Cash, The Noisettes, Indigo Girls, The Romantics, Bob Marley, Ani DiFrancio, the Dixie Chicks, Mumford and Sons, and Eminem.
Sing Loud! conveys the message "Stand tall, be proud, have fun, and get up and dance!"  Songs run the gamut from invigorating kid anthems like "Heyo,""Sing Loud!" and "Get Up" (which features a chorus from Eminem's "Lose Yourself") and rockabilly tracks like "Aboard That Train" to covers of the Go Go's poppy "We Got the Beat" featuring Brooke Shields and the '70s classic "Free to Be … You and Me."

When asked about her collaboration with Brooke Shields, Melissa Green explains, "We met six years ago and have been friendly since then.  I knew that Brooke had performed in Broadway musicals (Chicago and The Addams Family), so when I was thinking about a duet partner for Sing Loud!, she came instantly to mind.  Brooke said 'yes' right away, and I have to say she is so kind and sweet that recording with her didn't seem at all like work!  She came to our sessions rehearsed and ready to go.  She was up for everything, singing the songs any way we asked.  Brooke has achieved so much in her lifetime, and she's stayed true to herself.  I admire her very much, and it was an  honor to work with her."

While teaching at Beginnings Nursery School in NYC in 2003, Melissa Green began singing with kids.  Encouraged by her success, she honed her guitar skills and ultimately became the school's music and movement specialist.  Wishing to make her teaching more meaningful for the students, Melissa began writing and recording songs that grew out of their shared experiences.  Now living in Los Angeles, Melissa manages to teach music classes and workshops while also maintaining an active national touring schedule. 

Melissa Green's previous albums include Sweet Little One (2011), Round and Round (2008), and Here We Go (2006).  In 2008 she released a DVD, Clap, Shake and Roll, and a song-turned-book, The Seahorse Song. Her music is featured on Putumayo's Rock & Roll Playground (2010), and she was a John Lennon Songwriting Contest finalist for "The Seahorse Song" from Here We Go. 
 
CD Details: SING LOUD!
For ages 0 - 9
Label: Green Circle Music
SRP: $12.99
Run time: 34 minutes.
Check out Melissa Greeen's main site right here for more details.