Showing posts with label Laurie Berkner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurie Berkner. Show all posts

Sunday, November 26, 2017

WIN an 8 Album Kindie Music Collection #1 ($80 value each/4 winners): Mr. G 2 albums, Laurie Berkner 2 albums, Twinkle, Paper Canoe, Razor & Tie and Mr. Singer & The Sharp Cookies



WIN 8 Album Downloads ($80 approx value) From 6 Top Family Friendly Bands! (4 Winners) 


Got rock tots, little folk, punk kin, or dance divas? Music is the gift that keeps on giving. It's a great clutter busting idea for Hanukkah, stocking stuffers, advent calendar daily count downs, and gift toppers. Here at ChiIL Mama, we've been press sponsors since 2010 of Beat Kitchen's Concerts for Kids in Chicago, a weekly live kindie (kids' indie music) series, and it's been a joy to interview artists, shoot photos and see families dancing together and enjoying the many genres of creative, kid friendly tunes that are out today. We're thrilled to partner up with a number of musicians including Grammy Winners, Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winners, local Chicago favs, and acclaimed multicultural hit makers for our 2017 holiday gift guide. ChiIL Mama's giving away lots of stellar new releases to 4 of our lucky readers here, and we'll be posting another Kindie Collection in a few days as well. Best of all, our readers worldwide can enter! You don't need to be local to enjoy this great giveaway. Share the joy of familiar favorites with your friends and family this holiday, and discover something new for you too. These are some of our favorites:



Two albums:


Mundo Verde/Green World The Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning album, Mundo Verde/Green World, is the follow-up to Mister G’s Latin GRAMMY Award-winning album, Los Animales.  This collection of inspiring bilingual songs is intended to unite people of all ages and ethnicities in support of global conservation and action. The album features collaborations with major figures in the Latin music scene, including the world-renowned Santo Domingo-based merengue band 440, performing an eclectic range of styles, from bomba and samba to reggae and bossa nova. The songs breathe life into the global environmental message from various angles that are accessible and relevant to both children and adults.  While Mundo Verde/Green World was initially conceived as a joyful celebration of the natural world, it now has an expanded mission and sense of urgency due to our new political reality. The album’s message is a timely one that points to collective efforts to ensure that we bequeath a beautiful world to succeeding generations.


The Mitzvah Bus Another Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winning album from Mister G, The Mitzvah Bus is the perfect accompaniment to the Hanukkah season. A multicultural musical journey featuring 14 original songs in English, Hebrew, Spanish, and Yiddish, The Mitzvah Bus spans genres from funk to folk and rock to ska, with lyrics celebrating family, holidays, food, and language. The Mitzvah Bus sparkles with songs like the rollicking “Challah-lalala,” “Latkes for Breakfast” (a funky take on the virtues of potato pancakes), “Tokhes” (a Yiddish take on “Simon Says”), and of course, “Hanukkah,” Mister G’s ska-tinged ode to the Festival of Lights.
Two albums:


Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes -- Take 14 of The Laurie Berkner Band’s most beloved songs for kids, give them a modern-day twist, and remix them into electronic dance songs that all ages will adore. That’s the recipe for legendary children’s musician Laurie Berkner’s new album, Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes. Engineered by three-time GRAMMY winner Dave Darlington, Laurie Berkner: The Dance Remixes presents an exciting new take on songs that have become early childhood cornerstones for an entire generation, now remixed as great dancing tunes for toddlers, tweens, teens, and beyond.  Older kids will fondly recognize the catchy songs they grew up with, like “Victor Vito,” “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz),” and “My Family,” while preschoolers new to Laurie’s music will have great fun boogieing to all the infectious beats .

 


A Laurie Berkner Christmas -- Kick off the holiday season with bestselling, award-winning children’s recording artist Laurie Berkner’s Christmas album, A Laurie Berkner Christmas. The album features fifteen traditional holiday and seasonal songs, such as “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night” (featuring Elizabeth Mitchell), and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” as well as three original tracks: “Santa’s Coming To My House Tonight,” “Candy Cane Jane” and  “Christmas Lights.”   Says Laurie, “Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. I have actually wanted to make this album for a long time, as so many of my memories of being a kid at Christmastime center around music!  All of the songs I chose for this recording remind me of those family times when we shared a lot of playfulness and love through music.  Now that I have my own family, we sing carols together every year.  While there are many holidays that we celebrate, I still get a little thrill when I see the lights go up and we sing our first Christmas song of the season together.”


Just Dance -  Just Dance is an over-the-top-awesome collection of impetuous dance hits for kids and families from the award-winning Peruvian-American kindie music phenomenon known as Twinkle. Described as “like Lady Gaga for kids,” with a super pop sound mixed with a touch of Broadway belt, a sparkling soupçon of hip hop, and plenty of EDM glam, Twinkle has always danced to the beat of her own drum, breaking barriers, sound and otherwise, with both her music and Harajuku-style presentation. Album highlights include Twinkle’s 2015 kindie hit, “Kidz Rock,” featuring the incomparable Mista Cookie Jar, along with eight other original songs the riff on positive themes ranging from dancing through life and living in the moment to making math-time fun-time, sailing through the solar system, and Twinkle’s personal affirmation that good manners rock.
 
Beanstalk Jack - From New York’s critically acclaimed Paper Canoe Company comes Beanstalk Jack, a musical retelling of the classic tale of “Jack and the Beanstalk” adapted as a folk-rock opera for today’s families with the addition of a refreshing girl-meets-boy twist, a tribute to the spirit of optimism, and more than a hint of youthful rebellion.  Featuring Paper Canoe co-founder Tami Stronach, known to millions for her haunting performance as The Childlike Empress in the iconic 1984 film, The Neverending Story, Beanstalk Jack references the American tradition of folk music that embraces a powerful message, and then shifts to include ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s-style pop and rock, seasoned with a laid-back, bluesy element.  In this version of the story, ur intrepid hero, Jack, armed with his six-string guitar, climbs the beanstalk to seek his fortune. At the summit of the towering vegetation, Jack meets the giant’s daughter, Harmony, a bright star just waiting for the right band to come along.  He steals Harmony’s heart, and they run away to follow their dreams and make music together, leaving the greedy giant to languish in the celestial dust. 
 
Lullapop Lullabies - Innovative independent record label Razor & Tie offers a fresh take on bedtime, naptime, or anytime for the littlest music aficionados with Lullapop Lullabies. This irresistible 21-song album is designed with the millennial family in mind, offering enchantingly “lullafied” instrumental versions of current chart-toppers made famous by the likes of Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Adele, Sia, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Drake, and more.  The gentle, elegant orchestrations on Lullapop Lullabies hit just the right note when it comes to helping babies and toddlers drift off to dreamland.  Glockenspiel, harp, and piano blend their sounds, transforming distinctive Top 40 hits like Justin Bieber’s “Despacito,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” Adele’s “Hello,” and DNCE’s “Cake by The Ocean” into serene-and-soothing lullabies for the four-and-under set.



"Going To A Party!"
Chicago’s beloved Mr. Singer plays hundreds of gigs a year, wildly-popular shows at the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Nature Museum, the Beat Kitchen, he’s known anywhere families with young children like to rock out together. Mr. Singer AKA Neil Firstenleit, continues his successful teaching career at his own LeitHaus Studios Chicago named “Best Music School for Kids” by Chicago Magazine.

"Going To A Party!" the new original album by Mr. Singer & the Sharp Cookies is a sure-fire hit for all music lovers regardless of chronological age. The music moves forward at a brisk pace with catchy, uplifting, sing- alongs about our sweet home Chicago, answering the call of the wild and the joys of bike riding. This solid set of upbeat numbers culminates with the audio climax of “Your Sunny Smile”. Created with the incomparable Ralph Covert and featuring Kindie-Rap sensation Mista Cookie Jar, this power-pop gem is destined to become a classic. Put it on, turn it up and rock it out for your family dance party!


ENTER HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN  download codes for ALL of the above 8 albums ($80 approx value each/4 winners)!
Open worldwide! Enter through midnight December 5th. All winners will be e-mailed as well as announced here on our site and via our social media outlets.



GIFT GUIDE 2017: Click image below for more great giveaways, gift codes & ideas for holiday giving!




Disclosure: Thanks to the many musicians who have partnered up with ChiILMama.com and given us complimentary download codes for great family friendly music for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Kindie Land-Chi-IL Ravinia Shows For The Littles and Teens


    Photo Credit:  Ravinia 

Kraft Great Kids Concerts series welcomes Ravinia favorites and new acts

Second annual teen attendance contest includes free pre-concert tent party on July 29


Ravinia is not just for the wine and cheese crowd...   This lovely, outdoor performance space in Highland Park, north of Chicago near the lakefront, is easily accessible by train and hosts a wide variety of musical genres every summer.   Check out some of their family friendly kindie acts featured below, or bring the kids to classical concerts free on the lawn.   BYOB, wine and picnics.   The kindie lineup is very family friendly.   One word of warning:   just beware of the shuuuuushers, at some of the Ravinia pop & rock concerts where you wouldn't expect 'em and at the classical shows for sure.   

The Brie eaters aren't all kid friendly!!  My kids were pretty mellow tots and after a number of bad experiences we quit going to Ravinia in favor of the waaaay more laid back classical series in Millennium Park, because of the intolerant clientele.  They expected ultimate silence and immobility from our toddlers and ruined the concert experience for all the families there with their glares and angry comments directed at every kid that moved a muscle.   It's one thing if kids truly are shrieking or running amok, but really.....   We found the childless adult yelling and shushing and evil eyes much more disruptive than any of the slightly fidgety kids there.

That said....if you're aiming for  Laurie Berkner on July 28 or Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players I think the snooty factor will be at a minimum.

*Ravinia is making a concerted effort to entice back the young, despite the shush brigade.   Kids 15 and younger enjoy free lawn admission for classical concerts; high school and college students with valid student I.D. admitted free to the lawn for classical concerts.

Kid-friendly, in-park activities include Customer Appreciation Day, free family space and kids program book

Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman has included events tailor-made for families, kids and teens as part of the 2012 season, including the annual Kraft Great Kids Concerts series, free kids admissions for classical concerts and activities, and the second annual teen attendance contest featuring a “Cannon Ball” pre-concert event.

“Ravinia is perfectly suited for families,” Kauffman said, “and we’re excited that our mission of reaching young audiences continues to grow this year with even more variety, low prices, and free admission to classical concerts. Creating unique and accessible opportunities for the younger generation to experience music of all kinds is one of Ravinia’s priorities, whether it’s attracting the world’s top young professionals to study and perform through the Steans Music Institute, in the schools through our own *REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs, or creating a fun environment for teens to connect and enjoy classical music together.”

KRAFT GREAT KIDS CONCERTS SERIES

The 2012 Kraft Great Kids Concert series, which comprises family-friendly shows, emulates the festival’s main-stage programming, including the mix of genres and artists, in a kid-friendly environment. This family series has been supported by Kraft Foods since its inception 21 years ago and connects to the festival’s mission of REACH*TEACH*PLAY. 


KRAFT GREAT KIDS CONCERTS

Ravinia welcomes some festival favorites as part of the Kraft Great Kids Concert series. The series, which comprises family-friendly shows, emulates the festival’s main-stage programming, including the mix of genres and artists, in a kid-friendly environment. This family series has been supported by Kraft Foods since its inception 21 years ago and connects to the festival’s mission of REACH*TEACH*PLAY. 

Acts include and Laurie Berkner on July 28; Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players on August 18; River North Dance Chicago on Aug. 21; Ruth Page Civic Ballet on Sept. 8.; and Tom Chapin & Friends on September 9. 

Kraft Great Kids Concerts begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings, with the exception of the 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21 performance. 

We particularly recommend checking out:

Laurie Berkner, known for her appearances on the Nick, Jr. TV Channel, has produced multiple CDs, DVDs, and two picture book-with-CDs to great acclaim, and returns to Ravinia Festival for a special solo performance as part of The You & Me Tour, on July 28.

**Hailed by USA Today as the “Paul McCartney of kids,” Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players were nominated for Best Musical Album for Children at the 2010 Grammy awards. An acclaimed folk-pop singer and songwriter, his 2004 family release, Way Out, was selected as one of Child magazine and Amazon.com’s top-10 family recordings of the year. He appears at Ravinia on Aug. 18.

Named “one of the greatest personalities in contemporary folk music” by The New York Times and “the best family artist around” by Billboard magazine, Tom Chapin has the ability to engage and entertain children and adults alike. Five of his family recordings have received Grammy award nominations for Best Musical Album for Children, including the 2006 release Some Assembly Required. He returns to the festival on Sept. 9.


FREE TEEN CONTEST AND PARTY
In an effort to bring awareness and opportunity of classical music performances to young people, Ravinia teamed with teens last year to create the Ravinia Student Advisory Board, which collaborated on ideas to promote classical music to young listeners. The program consists of three parts: free lawn attendance for high school students with a valid school I.D. at all classical concerts; a summer-long CSO attendance contest in which students can earn points for their school to win a grant; and a special high school night including a pre-concert event and the chance to gain double points for the attendance contest.

The attendance contest spans the duration of the CSO summer residency at Ravinia, from July 4 to August 20. High school students simply show their valid student I.D at the Ravinia Box Office for free lawn admission at any CSO show (excluding the July 21 Gala), and the box office will keep track of the primary high school they attend. The school that has the most student visits at the end of the CSO residency will be awarded a grant from Ravinia Festival.

The festival, along with the Ravinia Student Advisory Board, will also host a special teen night pre-concert event for high school students on Sunday, July 29, before the CSO’s all- Tchaikovsky program including the “1812” Overture featuring live cannons. “Cannon Ball 2012” will include a free tent event complete with food, refreshments, games, prizes and the chance to earn even more points for the attendance contest. Students who attend the event and performance will also receive double points for their high school.

FREE TICKET OPPORTUNITIES/SPECIAL DISCOUNTS
Ravinia announces a continuation of last year’s policy to allow kids free admission to the lawn. Those 15 years old and under will be admitted free to the lawn for all classical concerts, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer residency (excluding the July 21 Gala). High school and college students will be admitted free to the lawn for classical events when they present a current student I.D. at the box office. Reserved-seat upgrades may become available at a reduced price for students.


Ravinia will host a special free family space on the north lawn prior to selected CSO concerts. Families can participate in activities including music-related crafts, storytelling and the “instrument petting zoo,” The family space will be open from 3 to 4:30 p.m. prior to the CSO concerts on July 29 and Aug. 5. The instrument petting zoo will be located in front of the Martin Theatre following the Kraft Great Kids Concert on July 7 featuring the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, beginning at noon.

Ravinia’s Family Fun Guide is a free, special program book designed just for kids, available throughout the entire summer season in kiosks around the park. The program book includes coloring pages, exciting information on music, games, kid-friendly program notes, activities to do in the park or at home and more. Parents can also preserve their child’s concert memories by saving the book and filled-out activities.

KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Be the star that you are—host a birthday party at Ravinia. Kid’s birthday parties can be arranged for groups of 20 or more in conjunction with the Kraft Great Kids Concert series. Each party package includes tent or lawn set-up, pavilion tickets to the show, table and chair rental, a gift for the birthday boy or girl from Ravinia Gifts, and lunch for partygoers featuring a kid-friendly menu including an entrée, cookie and a beverage. Additional perks such as goodie bags, entertainment, face-painting, sweet treats and more are also available, and packages start as low as $23 per person, all-inclusive. Reservations for these birthday party packages can be made by contacting groups@ravinia.org or calling 847-266-5087.

DO NORTH
Make the northern suburbs a destination for yourself and family by planning a trip to four cultural destinations, Ravinia Festival, Kohl Children’s Museum, Writers’ Theatre and Chicago Botanic Garden. This umbrella organization called Do North offers special discounts to each cultural attraction and is looking into opportunities to create pre-planned day trips and weekend getaways for the whole family. For more information, visit www.donorth.org.

Tickets to all Ravinia Festival events are available now at www.ravinia.org or by phone at 847-266-5100. A $7 service fee is added to all ticket orders.

Ravinia Festival is located at Lake Cook and Green Bay roads in Highland Park. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at backstage.ravinia.org, facebook.com (search Ravinia Festival) and twitter.com/raviniafestival. Ravinia Festival is a not- for-profit organization.

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