“Rockin' for the kids: The Laurie Berkner Band has its roots in the pre-school classroom - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette” plus 1 more |
| Posted: 26 Jan 2011 09:28 PM PST Rockin' for the kids: The Laurie Berkner Band has its roots in the pre-school classroom Long before Laurie Berkner became the celebrated kids music maven who could sell countless records and sell out concert halls, she was a singer and guitarist in her mid-20s trying to survive a class of preschoolers in New York City. "I was in a room with 20 kids, and they had a desire to move," she says. "I had to communicate to them and have a shared experience, [but] they had their own language I didn't understand. I took me a while to really understand what was going on." Ms. Berkner, 41, soon realized that singing about things that connected to the pre-schoolers' imagination was just, if not more, as effective as trotting out ye old nursery rhymes. One of her early successes involved, not surprisingly, dinosaurs. " 'We are the Dinosaurs' came out of that," she says. This song about dinos stomping around got the children to spend energy. But when she first started improvising it, the children eventually started "roaring and scratching each other." Ms. Berkner's quick solution? The oddball lyric "We stop and eat our food, when we are in the mood" set to quieter music to calm the kiddoes down. "All I could think about was, let's grab for our food," she recalls with a gentle laugh. Forged in this crucible of children, Ms. Berkner cultivated the ability to capture the attention of youngsters by appealing to their love of the goofy and unexpected. And she managed this all without talking down to them or offering cliched music. "I remember thinking ['We are the Dinosaurs'] is so silly!" says the Princeton native. "The point was to not consciously think about it. We make really loud noises, that was all that mattered." As, too, did conveying to the school children that it is OK to feel angry, be loud and dance furiously as long as they lead to calmness and, maybe, resolution. "That was a great time when I would walk in and say, 'What do you want to sing about today?' And we would make up songs." Ms. Berkner put "We are the Dinosaurs" and a few others first on a cassette and, in 1997, on the CD, "Whaddaya Think of That," on her label Two Tomatoes. Her mix of acoustic guitar-based folk and pop/indie sensibilities gained acclaim in the kids music market, as well as appealing to parents. Two discs later (and following another winner in the 1998 album "Buzz Buzz"), she joined with her husband, bassist Brian Mueller, and keyboardist Susie Lampert to form the Laurie Berkner Band. In 1999, the band's first album, "Victor Vito," gained critical plaudits galore, which led to a national TV debut on the "Today Show" in 2001 and eventually awards such as a National Parenting Publications Gold Award (for the 2002 CD "Under a Shady Tree"), a spot on Nick Jr. as part of the network's "Move to the Music" series and "Jack's Big Music Show." More hit makers for kids Parents and kids have a lot more choices right now than Barney and the Wiggles. There are a number of seasoned rockers who have turned into kids' musicians or who flip back and forth. Here's a look at some of the hot ones:
Ever since, her discs have spent substantial time on Billboard's charts, especially Top Internet Album Sales and Top Kid Audio. Bolstered by placement in Starbucks, her DVD "We Are ... The Laurie Berkner Band" entered Billboard's Music Video Chart at No. 1 in 2006. But the biggest change in Ms. Berkner's career came with the birth of her daughter, Lucy, now 6. Or did it? Ms. Berkner actually doesn't think motherhood changed the way she wrote music, but Lucy did become the major inspiration for new songs. " 'Balance Beam' came out of hours of walking with Lucy on curbs at Columbia University," she said. "I was afraid of losing the child's-eye view, because I really do feel I owe it to the kids." A few years ago, Ms. Berkner added live shows to her repertoire. She and her band (now in a new lineup after Mr. Mueller left to keep their personal and professional life separate) now perform about 20 concerts a year. The band rolls into Heinz Hall this weekend for a "Birthday Party Concert." The audience is encouraged to bring new or gently used kids shoes to be donated to Soles4Souls. That is, in addition to bringing their energy. "The whole idea is to sing with us and move their bodies," she says of the show. "It isn't just a bunch of songs." But so far, it's that "bunch of songs" that has mesmerized children everywhere and made Ms. Berkner a kids music star with a "Twinkle, Twinkle" all her own. Andrew Druckenbrod: adruckenbrod@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1750. Blog: Classical Musings at post-gazette.com/music. Follow him at http://twitter.com/druckenbrod. First published on January 27, 2011 at 12:00 am This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Posted: 27 Jan 2011 08:55 AM PST PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 27, 2011 – Humble, Texas. Team registration is now underway for the "IncrediBowl Kids" Bowling Tournament and Fundraiser and everyone is invited to participate. Individual and corporate sponsors are encouraged to participate in this event. "It's a "win-win" for everyone, especially the kids," said Hayes. Teams may be comprised of any four individuals in one of three categories: adult, teen and youth. The $150 team fee entitles all four team members to breakfast and two games, including shoes. Will's Kids welcomes groups, clubs and organizations to put their own teams together to come out and participate and help a great cause! The day will start with a complimentary breakfast provided by Rico's Grill for all who participate. Following breakfast will be two games of 10 frames each. The highlight of this event will be the pin art exhibition and silent auction. Students from Kingwood High School and Kingwood Park High School have been busy creating art masterpieces from used bowling pins to be auctioned off during the games. We are looking forward to showcasing the art of these very talented high school students! Teams are allowed to choose a team name and wear team shirts, but this is not a requirement. If your team doesn't currently have shirts and is interested in purchasing them, please contact Dana Lindeneau at 832-445-0211, ext. 1#. She will be glad to supply you with pricing, as well as assist you with your design free of charge (no set up or design fees). Will's Kids will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales of these shirts. What a fun way to show team spirit in a good, clean and friendly competition! Will's Kids is a pay-it-forward 501(c)(3) organization that assists with the ongoing lessons and activities of children whose families are experiencing financial hardship. "We provide the kids with a sense of continuity, keeping them focused and involved while their parents tackle the more pressing needs of the family," said executive director Janet Hayes. Game sponsorships for this event are available for $500, or a company may wish to present the event with a title sponsorship. For those who want to be involved without a team, they can choose a banner ad in black & white for $20 or in color for $30 to hang above the lanes at the event. In-kind donations are also requested for use in the onsite silent auction. All sponsorships and donations are tax deductible. "Will's Kids currently has 14 kids on a waiting list," said Hayes. "Good participation in this event could potentially fund them all and then some." Every team registering for IncrediBowl Kids will support the ongoing activities of two children in need of help. Will's Kids especially seeks to form partnerships at this time with businesses relating to Basketball, Gymnastics, Dance, Art, Baseball, Music Instruction (Percussion) , and Soccer. We have kids on our waiting list in all of these categories. If you know of a business that would be interested in sponsoring our IncrediBowl Kids event, please contact Janet Hayes with Will's Kids at jhayes@WillsKids.org. "The overall emphasis of our IncrediBowl Kids event is pure entertainment," said Hayes. "We just want everyone to have fun, and lots of it." Time is short and space is limited. "We encourage everyone to register now as we only room for about 10 more teams," said Hayes. With the start of a New Year...what better way to get some exercise while having a "ton of fun" amongst friends! For more information, visit www.WillsKids.org or contact Janet Hayes at jhayes@WillsKids.org. Lindeneau & Associates, LLC specializes in Promotional Products, Multimedia Presentations, Video, Public Relations, Grant & Sponsorship Proposals, Social Network Marketing and Press Releases for businesses and organizations. We are located in the Houston, Texas area. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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