Hey, Daddy-o Eric Herman!

Cool tunes for kids by a cool, & according to at least one child ...a "goofy" daddy-o, Eric Herman:

1) How many kids do you have? Ages?

Hi, Yosi. Happy Father's Day to you!

Two girls, Evee, who is 3 and Becca, who is 5.

2) Best thing about being a dad?

Getting to know these two wonderful people and discovering their personalities and talents and sharing and experiencing life with them.

3) How does being a dad influence your music?

There are always the in-the-moment inspirations, where something happens related to being a parent, or something that your kids say, where you think, hmm, that could be a good song. That has led to a number of songs including "Hide and Go Seek with the Moon", "In the Box", "Bounce and Flap and Twist" and "Come Play" (which will be on my next album). Also, just being a part of their lives and experiencing the world from their point of view can be a great way to connect with a kids' perspective in terms of the kind of material you create for them.

4) Best &/or worst Father's Day gift:

Best: hugs, songs ("I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" and Frances England's "Daddy-O" are favorites in that vein) Worst: a tiara, liverwurst, a smelly sock (I've never received those things for Father's Day, but I imagine it wouldn't be very much fun to receive them.)

5) How are you spending this Father's Day?

We're on the road now, so we'll be going to church somewhere in the Baton Rouge area, then we'll probably hang out in the motorhome and watch a movie with popcorn and play some games together.

6) Words of wisdom to dads:

Like Lou Reed said about becoming a father, "It's the beginning of a great adventure." Buckle in and say "wheee!" through the twists and turns. Enjoy them, appreciate them, learn from them, let them be silly, recognize that they're all individuals (what works for one may not work the same for another), and try to give them tools that will help them be strong and independent and happy with who they are throughout their lives. Think of how big of an influence your parents were on you, for better or worse, and what incredible importance they had in your life... your kids will observe and usually reflect who you are and what you do, to some extent... so be kind and be careful about who you are and what you do.

7) (For your kids only)...walk out of the room Eric...is your dad (Eric) cool or goofy?

My wife interviewed my girls and apparently this is what they had to say...

Becca (age 5): "What is Daddy like?" Daddy is a boy. He has glasses to help him see. Daddy is good and nice... "Is he cool, or goofy?" He's cool and goofy. "Anything else?" I love Daddy! I will give Daddy a hug for Father's Day.

Evee (age 3): "What is Daddy like?" Nice and cute. He likes to play on his computer. "Is he cool, or goofy?" Daddy is cool and silly both... but he's not really really super cool.
(Follow up...) "Who IS super cool?" Me and Becca."Anything else?" He loves me a lot and he gives a lot a lot of good really big hugs. Daddy! I'm makin' a map for you.

Happy Father's Day, Eric!
http://www.EricHermanMusic.com

- Cool Tunes for Kids -

Hey, Daddy-o Scribble Jim!

Scribble Jim is the scribbliest Daddy-o of ScribbleMonster scribble fame. He is downright scribbleful & scribblerific. We think he's just smurfy...err scribbley.

1) How many kids do you have? Ages?
We have three really cool kids: Jameson- 15, Elaina & Cooper- 9

2) Best thing about being a dad?
Seeing the world from the perspective of my children and discovering all the things I had missed or forgotten about. Their unfettered creativity awes and inspires me. As they grow, every year I keep finding myself thinking, “This is a fun age.”

3) How does being a dad influence your music?
My kids are my muse. They inspire songs from things they say (Don’t Cry, Dance!, My Imaginary Friend) and do (Candy for Breakfast, Oh Well). As a parent, I use music as a tool to celebrate positives (I Like the Way You Share, Hooray), turn negatives into positives (Scrub-A-Dub, The Bedtime March) and just to play around (I’m a… (Anything I Like), Play the Table). There’s a song for everything; ask my kids. An awful lot of ScribbleMonster’s songs existed in our house before there was any thought of sharing – the public has been spared from many.

4) Best &/or worst Father's Day gift:
Best: Visiting with family and friends; playing games, music, sharing stories and eating good food.

5) How are you spending this Father's Day?
Visiting with family and friends; playing games, music, sharing stories and eating good food.

6) Words of wisdom to dads:
“No Good Can Ever Come of a Sleepover”, “Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child”, “Why Must Everyone Talk at Once?” and other pearls of musical parental wisdom will be available this summer on our new disc, Songs with No Character.

7) (For your kids only)...walk out of the room Jim...is your dad (Jim) cool or goofy?
Jameson: “Cool and goofy. Do I have to do this? You’re ruining my life!”
Elaina: “Both – he’s an amazing dad which makes him cool, but sometimes he likes to goof off.”
Cooper: “Goofy. Like when he tells me stories as Barney.”

Happy Father's Day, Scribble Jim!

See ScribbleMonster

Hey, Daddy-o!

We, Yosi and The Superdads, salute all the hard-working, caring & often goofy dads out there in the world of children. We know first hand what it takes to be a dad. We appreciate all you do on a daily basis for your kids & household. And so... we thought it would be great to talk to some super musical dads.

Enjoy the following interviews!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy-o's!!

Best,

Yosi and The Superdads

Daddy A Go Go Interview

Rockin' Daddy-o, Daddy A Go Go (John Boydston), has released his 6th CD, Rock of All Ages. Father's Day is just around the corner, so let's catch up with this papa John & see what's shakin':

1) You've been performing & recording kids music for many years. How did you get started & keep it up so long?

It was 10-years ago today - that I was busy working on my first CD release, and I realized then I was insane to be doing it, but I didn't care. I had been entertaining my kids with my little ditties for a couple of years (as a stay-at-home dad, I had time for this sort of thing, thanks to preschool), and after I brought my guitar and a boombox to school to entertain my son's kindergarten class, his teacher suggested I make a CD, and it sounded just crazy enough for me to think 'yeah, that sounds fun.' It was truly a labor of love and I was cool with that. I figured if I sold 100 copies to 100 future best friends, it would be worth the effort cause I had too much fun making the recording...in my basement, one track at a time, doing everything but the drums. You have to be crazy to do that at age 40 without an iota of real recording or writing experience. Then one day I woke up and found my CD "Cool Songs for Cool Kids" on Amazon.com's Top 10 BEST KIDS CD'S OF THE YEAR LIST (1999). So that was very encouraging....to say the least. 4 OF MY first 5 CD's ended up on that list, so that has been very encouraging. I still do everything with my CD's, writing, engineering, producing, recording, playing, literally everything but the art work and layout, which I hire and supervise artists to do. new - I finally starting having a guy, Jeff Bakos, mix my songs starting with my 3rd CD. He's very good and we work very well together.

Now Ten Years After, and I've just released my 6th CD, and I still think there's a bit of insanity involved in doing this. The CD's aren't any easier to make, cause its still basically me in the basement, going track by track, and the technology is harder to get my arms around, but it is still every bit as fun. I love the creative process and having an outlet to express myself that way. It has been said 'you gotta write about something you love' so following that advice and playing the music I love to play, has kept me going.

2) What are your thoughts on the growing independent children's music world?

To be honest, I don't know what has changed the most, the indie kids music scene or just my awareness of it. When I started out (1998) I was oblivious to any of it, and was slow to learn about it. I thought I had an original idea - to make family oriented rock and roll (guitar-bass-drums) music for kids that didn't sound like kids music at least on first listen. Music that if you took away the lyrics you wouldn't think it was kids music. Then about a year or two after my first release, the Dan Zanes tidal wave hit, and everyone's doing it which was great, and you had a much wider acceptance of all kinds of kids music.
But lately I've noticed a broader regressive trend back to two types of kids music, either toddler-oriented stuff, something that I have never tried to do, or music for 'tweens.' It seems like increasingly what gets all attention these days are either Wiggle's type acts or Naked Brothers band wanna bees. Have you've noticed XMKids playlist lately? They used to play a whole range of kids music....indies and all. But recently they've gone 90-percent toddler music. That next to their Disney Channel and they've got those two bases covered, Tots & Tweens. I guess that is what's selling in massive quantities, but what about the 3 -10 year olds? Check out the front page of kids section at iTunes. Every week they feature a preponderance of tots & tweens artists, most of them from Nick & Disney TV shows. And those are the supposed critics choices there, not paid placements. There's automatic acceptance by the deciders there of anything with a TV show behind it. Come to think of it, I guess I noticed this trend back in 2004 when I wrote a song called "Radio Dizzy" for my 4th CD. The lyrics are on my website, check it out. I tried to make it a funny song, but the song is based on this observation.
(Speaking of Naked Brothers Band, for the record I just want to say I wrote a song called "I Don't Wanna Go to School" back in 2004. It was the lead off song from my 4th CD, "Mojo A Go Go," for which I earned my 2nd Parents Choice Award. The NB's are much cuter than me, but I was first with that title. So nana nana boo boo.)

3) Seems you're quite a rock fan...with ACDC, Ramones & many influences. Do you enjoy any guilty pleasure music? (You know the kind you hum in the shower when no one's around.)

To be honest, I've never been a huge ACDC fan, but I heard my kids playing that song "For Those About to Rock"...and that inspired the title I ended up using "For Those About To Walk (We Salute You). A year later I wrote and recorded the song. That's why the song I did rocks hard, but doesn't sound like the ACDC song, I wasn't trying to parody them, just the title. My bigger influences on my guitar playing and the music I like to make, are people like Dave Edmunds and Rockpile, The Replacements, earlier Beatles & Stones. Creedence. The Long Ryders in the 80's. Earlier REM. Even 60' s era psychedelia, like the Nuggets Box Sets I & II I just got, I love that stuff. My iPod is a history of rock and roll, with a bunch of new bands my kids keep introducing to me that I really like. But when I start to write songs, those artists I mentioned are the styles that motivate me.
The guilty pleasure question is easy - Frank Sinatra and people of that era. I love lounge music. You spend 3 hours with headphones on trying to record a song with a guitar in your hands, and your brain and ears are toast. I set my iPod to Easy Listening, and its loaded up with Frank, Babs, old jazz, the complete Capital Records Lounge Series CD's, and my brain is on mellow and I love it. That is usually what I have on around the house. Now my kids know who all those artists are as well. We'll be in a restaurant or somewhere and one of my kids will say "Dad, that's Frank Sinatra." I love that.

4) My kids love the School Bus Driver song...especially the stops. They also dig The Root Beer Song...is that based on an actual experience? (some comparable experiences?)

Glad to hear you like those tunes, thanks. I just shot what could be the first Daddy A Go Go Video, of the School Bus Driver song. Waiting to hear back from the editors how it turned out. That song I just made up on the spot with a drummer, and was listening to it later and just said - this song is about the stops, so the Bus Driver idea was born. The Root Beer song - kids say the darnedest things and the scoundrels in the crowd always strive to say the words they think they aren't supposed to say like "Beer" in root beer, or the Dam in Hoover Dam. Kids always do that and it has always cracked me up....and I heard a kid say at some point - "I drink beer...(long pause waiting for someone to notice...)...yeah, Root Beer." It made me laugh so I thought it would be a funny song...

5) Do your boys get allowance for being in the band or do they really dig it, & think you're the hippest dad ever?

In lieu of payment for being in the band, they get to see their favorite bands when we go do shows like SXSW & Austin City Limits Festival, with an artists' pass on their wrists, so its backstage access...they love that. At ACL they were backstage for The Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs, at SXSW they were front and center for Kings of Leon, Iggy Pop, Pete Townsend. Such a life.
It's funny, 10-years ago my kids thought I was a rock god cause I made CD's and did shows and gave interviews and stuff. Then about 5 years ago, it was "dad, can you not mention the kids music thing when my friends are around?" And I was cool with that, cause I knew they'd aged out of the kids music program, just like aging out of little league baseball. But now that they are teenagers and pretty good musicians - they are like to their friends 'my dad's got a guitar like that, or...my dad's on iTunes, or my dad played Lollopalooza...and to me they are like 'can I play that guitar,' 'dad my amp isn't working, can I use one of yours,' and 'heck yeah we'll learn more songs if it means going to back to Austin.' It's gone full circle, and I'm glad. I was persona non-grata for a while, which I suspect every dad goes through. Especially us more goofball-inclined dads.

What do you say boys? (Leave the room dad.)

Yosi, the kids are sleeping....I'll ask them to fill in these blanks later, but honestly doubt you'll get much of a reaction. Music has become an amazing device for me to still be a big part of their lives....we can relate on every level, either as fans, players, guitar lovers, etc. Course they wouldn't tell you all this, mainly cause they're still asleep. To me its amazing that I started doing this for them, documenting their lives in songs, etc. Now 10-years later they are still motivating me, not as children, but as players. They bring a lot of energy into the live stage mix, and they make good suggestions on arrangements and things. Its very interactive.

Max: zzzzz

Jake:zzzzzz

6) Throughout your CD's I've noticed a pattern of plenty of puns, silly jokes, & nods to rock legends. Do the kids get it? How about the parents?

I throw that stuff in cause it makes me laugh, and my hope is it makes others laugh too. If the kids don't get it, then having the parent explain it to them kind of makes it interactive between the two age groups listening. I am always explaining things to my kids when something has flown over their heads on TV, or on a record, or in a movie. Good family entertaining has always had the element of 'something for the grown-ups the kids might not get', like The Lion King, or "Toy Story." Or the Muppets. Kids loved em cause they were cute and funny, The writers always threw stuff in for the grown-ups. And kids are so smart today. When I think of the wherewithal my 8th grade son has today compared to me when I was in 8th grade, its fairly mind-boggling. So I try and play up to kids that way, not play down to them. But don't get me wrong, I do like silly. And the kids do get it. I got an email from a mom telling me I was the funniest guy in the world to her two kids because of the false endings at the end of "The Guy Who Couldn't Make a Rhyme" which closes the CD. She was kind of groaning about having to hear it so often, but her kids were amused, which of course was the point. It was nice of her to share.

7) What do you get on Father's Day?

I spoiled myself this Father's Day (came early this year) by getting a Bill Nash T63 Western Cowboy guitar. It's so retro looking and such a fine playing guitar I still can't get over it. It's like a Fender Nocaster with a big fat neck, a leather Tele pickguard, stars burned on the front of the guitar, and horseshoes burned onto the back. (guess I'll have to learn to play a solo with my teeth to show off the back of it sometime.) I'm going to put a pic of this on my website its that cool.

8) Any advice for dads?

Far be it from me to give advice to any dad, cause I feel like I've been the luckiest dad in the world by having the opportunity to be a full-time parent. I just loved it from the gitgo....there was a period of adjustment and not every day was sunshine and pixie-sticks, but it was all good. I used to be a TV news producer, and when given the chance I figured being a hands-on parent would be much more rewarding and important way to spend my time. As for future dads - just make sure you want to be a dad before you become a father. Cause you only get one shot at it, and kids need a dad, and if you have the chance to be one, be the best you can, and the saddest things to me is when someone looks back on their life and says something to the effect of 'I wish I had been a better dad.' I'm glad I waited til I was 30 or so to start having kids. I was much readier and that much more mature, which are big bonuses in the parenting department.

9) What's next for Daddy A go Go? A 7th disc? World tour?

I don't know about a 7th CD - I'm on the 2-year plan so far, and while I'm lucky enough to get good reviews on my CD's, I never get enough publicity to carry me over to the next release and I have to kind of reintroduce myself to the CD-buying kids audience. It's not easy. I might do a best of volume or two for release in 2009, then ponder a 7th disc for 2010. As for world tours, I really don't do that many live shows. I'm more of a studio creature,I love coming up with new riffs, & songs, and trying to make them sound good. And with my kids in the band, trying to schedule an event around 3 teenagers schedules is almost impossible. (Our drummer is Jonathon Paz, a family friend who is also 16, and the only person I'll ever know to have played onstage with a Beatle.) When we were rehearsing for SXSW last year, I had to cancel a practice cause everyone else in the band had strep-throat. I said 'Oi Vey, this could only happen to me...'

10) What's one of the coolest things to come from the whole Daddy A Go Go Experience?

Having Rick Derringer do a cover of one of my songs. Its a long story as to how it happened, but this guy is a living rock legend in my book and I was a big fan when I was my kids ages...and since.
The song was "Pink Floyd Saves Hugh Manatee" one of my quirkier tunes, and it was great hearing what a producer and player like Rick D did with it.

Thanks John!

Happy Father's Day!

Check out the new disc at Daddy A Go Go.

Bill Harley's Dirty Joe the Pirate

On our way to Philly last week I popped in Bill Harley's "Blah, Blah, Blah." disc. I had a feeling my three active boys would take a shine to it, but didn't expect they'd be completely attentive for THE ENTIRE TRIP! Yes, indeed there was family harmony & QUIET for an hour. Back at home my 5 yr old insisted I read "Dirty Joe the Pirate" again to him. So, I had a few questions for the Grammy Award winning Bill Harley

1) Is this story autobiographical? What was your inspiration?

Nope – I don’t have sisters – I have a brother older and younger. And really, when I started writing the poem, I didn’t know where it was going. When it was time for something to happen, Stinky Annie showed up.

2) Often in your stories siblings are big pests. How were your brothers?

My little brother was a pest, but really not horribly- I do remember enjoying getting him mad at me. My older brother was always very kind, and hardly ever teased me.

3) How did you manage to have girl pirates swipe boys underwear & keep it rated G?

Living as close as I can to what’s not allowed, but not going completely over the edge – that’s my job. And remember, I just use words – you make the pictures in your head, and I don’t have control over those. That’s what’s great about stories.

4) Speaking of rated ARRRGH, I think I found Barbie's Head. How much is it worth to ya?

Well, I’ve been offered more than one Barbie’s head – there seem to be a lot disconnected from the body. This is a little troubling to me, but I think there is a life cycle to all Barbies, and the unattached head is one of the final stages.

5) Do we have another book or CD to look forward to? What's on the drawing board?

Yep. Just finished a dvd and cd of a live performance which will be out later in the summer. I’ve got a new book, Night of the Spadefoot Toads, coming out this fall, and am working on recording of songs for the grownups, due out in November. Then I plan to do nothing.

6) Where can folks see you?

I know where I am only for tomorrow, but if you look at my schedule on my website, you can see.

Thanks Bill!

Check out the site: http://www.billharley.com/

Oh...don't miss out on the "Dirty Joe the Pirate" Poetry Contest: http://www.billharley.com/dirtyjoethepirate.htm

Thanks, Cory!

That crazy PIC.
That incredible story.
Best of all, the Fishy Wishy song: Exclusive Song Demo


Happy April Fools, everyone!

Doctor Noize a/k/a Cory, The new Wiggle!

News flash!

The Wiggles have chosen ...Doctor Noize a/k/a Cory!

Press release:

Wow, do I have some big news for you this month! Here are this month's Top Five Noizy Thingz...

1) Doctor Noize Joining The Wiggles!
I wanted the Noizemakers to be the first to know of the amazing career development that has just been presented to me: I am joining The Wiggles. It has all happened very quickly and unexpectedly, and I am as shocked as you are by all this, so let me explain...

2) The Inside Story! (Noizemakers Exclusive)
To thank you all for your support over the year(s), I have been given permission by the legal team to give you the exclusive inside scoop on all this before the official announcement in May. So here it is: Those in the know know (is writing "know know" a "no no"?) that things have been a bit squiggly in the Wiggly world for the last several months. This is because, quite simply, a creative rift occurred between the founding members of the band.

3) Murray's Choice
Hip parents know Murray. He's the Wiggle who plays an instrument. Anxious for a new creative direction after 16 years on the road with The Wiggles, Murray wanted to go in more of a "wiggly wiggly wip wop" direction to urbanize the sound and appeal more to kids in the big city streets whose parents never buy children's music. But the other three members held firm and wanted to honor their time-tested "wiggly wiggly woo hoo" style. And being a band of four white guys from Australia who can't dance, the "woo hoo's'" won out. So after this tour, Murray is bidding farewell to the band he co-founded to start his own band, which has a working title of "The Booty Cuties." Needless to say, Murray is this month's Noizemaker Of The Month, for messing up a good gig and opening the door for me to step into the block-colored shirt. Here's to you, mate!

4) My New Persona!
This is where I come in. In privately assessing a host of possible replacements, the Wiggles Management Team ascertained that I had made a quick splash on the scene but that my career was still relatively in its infancy. In other words, I was market tested, but had a small enough share of the market that nobody would really care if I stopped. So I guess you could say the stars were aligned and it was my lucky day. They rung me up and the rest is history. In marketing meetings down under, we’ve already determined my Wiggles personality: I’m gonna be Cory, the rebel American Wiggle with the Miami Vice stubble beard. Also, sometimes I will wear a striped shirt instead of a block color. Because I just can’t be contained. Exclusive for Noizemakers, here's a sneek peek of an early promo picture. Note that I'm takin' over the red shirt, but I'm takin' it in a new direction: My own!

5) My New Artistic Direction!
I realize one or two of you will be disappointed that the next Phineas CD will never be released, which means you'll never learn the end of the story (that's part of my contractual agreement). But I'm sure you'll understand that I have to do what's best for my family, which is to make a bunch of money and be off on tour most of the year meeting "Woupies" (Wiggle groupies). And the music I contribute to The Wiggles will be more geared toward the average mass market listener -- you know, the ones whose favourite classical composer is Andrew Lloyd Webber. Click here for an Exclusive Song Demo featuring some characters I'm developing for the Wiggles canon -- The Fishy Wishies, a multicultural and politically correct group of Five Fin-tastic Fishies who sing about proper behavior. I hope you love it!
More soon, I promise. Thanks for yer support from yer buddy for life,
Doctor Noize a/k/a Cory "The American"

Catching up with The Hipwaders

Pop-power trio, The Hipwaders have released two truly great children's discs. But what are they up to now? Let's catch up with frontman Tito Uquillas to see.

1) Are you hip? Waiters? Or do you wade up to your hips while waiting? How did your name come about?

Decidedly unhip, I was attempting to come up with a name that had double-meaning like "Beatles" with the word "beat". I thought "hip" something would be cool as the word "hip" has connotations of the 1960's - my favorite musical era where it seems every genre of music from soul to rock was at a peak.

2) What kind of music did you enjoy as a kid? Does it influence your songwriting?

Of course I enjoyed kid t.v. shows and loved the music. The Beatles cartoon series, Banana Splits and the Archies were all huge in my book. My sister, who's a year older than I, used to love to switch channels to watch American Bandstand and Soul Train to watch the "big kids" dance which we found hilariously funny. Of course, I loved the music I heard on those shows also. When I was 8 years old I caught "Help!" on t.v. and right then and there I became a Beatlemaniac and would save my lunch money instead of eating to buy Beatles albums. I became the huge fanatic the same year they broke up and would then purchase all of their solo albums as they came out. Of course, The Beatles would be my primary songwriting and arranging influence. I love a good, catchy melody. I also love vocal harmonies, (soul music-influenced) moving bass lines and jangly guitars. It's a recipe that's served me well!

3.) Both your albums got a kid wide-mouthed on the cover. Is this some oral fixation?

Nope. While we appreciate the work of La Leche League, we merely have an aural fixation. The first album has a photo of me getting my teeth brushed by my mother - much to my chagrin. Our "Educated Kid" album art was done by the amazing Garth Kauffman without any input by us other than payment made up entirely of blow pops.

4) "Educated Kid" is one of my kids fave songs. What was your inspiration?

Our friend, Kelly the Clown, had attended one of our rehearsals and suggested we write a song about how kids don't necessarily have to go the traditional 4 year college route in order to get educated. I quickly had to give her props by stating in the first line, "Clown college, trucking college...." Also, I had a new tremolo guitar effects pedal and that gave me the riff idea. I've always love Bo Diddley songs with the heavy tremoloed guitar sounds and wanted to do something like that.

5) When not rockin' the kids world what do you do?

I've been a paramedic for the past 20-odd years, drummer Nick Baca is an art instructor at a local high school and new bassist, DJ Kinville is a "numbers guy" (accounting/bookkeeping).

6) What are your plans for 2008?

More rocking! We just want to continue performing for the kids and working on new material. As always, I want to hone our band into a very tight-sounding unit that flows easily between song and banter with the audience that I always appreciate in my favorite live musical performers. Also, I'd love the meet more of our fellow "kids music" performers. We've had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of the SF Bay Area artists (e.g. Abby & the Pipsqueaks, Andy Z, Charity Kahn, Frances England, Mr. David, The Sippy Cups). A very diverse bunch of artists with common interests we're trying to unify the scene. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of venues catering to music for kids and families like other areas. We're all trying to get a kid music festival together but so far it's been very difficult.

Thanks for the interview Tito!

Check out the great tunes & upcoming concerts: The Hipwaders

Oh, my!

Has it really been 6 months since the last post?! Oh, good lord & gravy! Sheesh! To say things have been busy would be a bit of an overstatement. I mean, 6 months. Who'd believe that? No, I haven't forgotten about the blog. No, I'm not just sitting around eating Doritos watching The Flintstones. Although that might be fun. There have been some cool Kindie discs I've been listening to. Stuff like The Jimmies, Peter Himmelman, & I've especially been taken by Putumayo's Brazilian Playground. I just love to cook to those cool rhythms.

So, without further excuses, I think I'll blog again. Just because it's fun to share my thoughts about CD's & talk to artists.

Cod Liver Oil Music (CLOM)

Important music with a capital "I." Mozart. Miles Davis. Sonic Youth. It's music that's good for you. Expands your auditory palette & intelligence. Enhances your cultural aptitude. However, like the essential omega-3 fatty acid, it's kinda hard to swallow at first. I hear Cod Liver Oil does wonders for kids too. But, kids tend to like the sugary, easy-to-swallow-whole, rockin' music. So, how does a parent get their youngster to listen to the likes of the funky organ/drum duo Sugar Free Allstars? I've tried. Dos Ninos has got some great grooves & sounds like nothing ANYONE else is doing in kids music today. But, my kids aint diggin' it. "It's weird, Dad," they say. "It's different, cool, interesting," I retort. "Check this track out." They're not having it. Is this kids music for parents too hip for kids? I'm enjoying it. Why aren't the kids? I think it will help them appreciate other forms of music. It's a gateway sound to Jazz, Electronica, etc. That's when I remembered my first experiences with self-imposed "Cod Liver Oil Music" (CLOM)...a term my friend coined back in the mid-80's.

See, I got a copy of "Bringing Home The Bait" by Live Skull, a NY No Wave band more edgy than Sonic Youth. I've been reading about the sound, plus the graphics were pretty wild. I was determined to love it. I was going to be hip! I was going to get into this whole No Wave sound. Well, like an 8 yr old getting a first sip of beer from dads mug it was a bit off putting to the system. Damn it, everyone else who I consider cool likes this stuff! What's wrong with me? It took a few listens to catch the nuances, & the feel for the music. Then something clicked. CLOM had an effect. I no longer just tolerated this stuff. I looked forward to it. I was hooked. It was definitely a gateway to other such Avant-garde music, newer & older. Now, I could really appreciate the wide array of hues & flavors the likes of Laurie Anderson, Pere Ubu, Einstürzende Neubauten, Big Black , Lydia Lunch, & Swans.

So, maybe I ought to sneak it in to their daily music diet. Kinda like crushing a pill & blending it in with chocolate pudding. They'll thank me for it someday. I'm sure of it.

Maybe you can do the same: Sugar Free Allstars

Interview: Doctor Noize

Cory Cullinan, AKA Doctor Noize, is the freshest new face & sound in kindie rock today...but don't let the rookie status fool you. His first release, The Ballad of Phineas McBoof , is no flavor of the week. It's a musical & narrative rock opera that is surprisingly one of the best children's CD's of 2007!

(Mind you, I don't make that sort of claim lightly. Last year I said Justin Robert's Meltdown was one of the best CD's of 2006, & boy, was it ever!...also many others "seemed to" agree.)

How did he do it? Let's find out...

1) Are you a real doctor? A noisy doctor? Or a Doc of Noize?

Phineas is the one who named me Doctor Noize. So I am a real Doctor without a Doctorate. I would not recommend hiring me to perform surgery on you. I cannot fill prescriptions, so please don't ask, although I will tell you that fruit is very, very yummy and can, in fact, solve many physical, mental and emotional ills. I do not have an advanced degree. However, I am an expert of sorts in music, and yes, I am very, very noizy. Also, make sure you drink lots of water. It makes you pee a lot, but it's worth it.

2) My kids & I love the story. I was amazed at how it kept them quiet in the car for the entire disc. How did you come up with the story? Did it come to you in a dream?

First of all, I'd like to say that you and your kids are obviously insane, which is perfect, because that is precisely my demographic. Second of all, you shouldn't leave your kids in the car like that when you go shopping, even if they do like the disc. And thirdly, the story is 100% true, so I really consider myself more of a historian/documentarian than a traditional storyteller. Okay, fine, maybe it's not 100% true -- for example, truth be told I have never actually met a bass playing hippo. Like most of us, I have met many fine hippo flautists, but never one that played the bass. So I admit there was a little creative leeway with Bottomus The Hip Popotamus. But most of the other stuff is true, except for the stuff that isn't. And yes, I dream about the International Band Of Misunderstood Geniuses all the time -- for example, I have a nightmare that Bottomus mistakes me for a chair.

3) What was the inspiration for the song "Banana"?

Phineas McBoof composed the art song, "Banana," as an ode to his true love -- which is, not coincidentally, the common banana. Phineas is, in fact, a master chef of banana delicacies, creating new and unique dishes featuring all forms of the great banana, including the Common Yellow Banana, the Ridiculously Ripe Green Bananas Of Melamango, and the Pink Flaming Bananas Of Mars.

4) Phineas: How did you learn to play the guitar & sing?

Phineas here... I taught myself how to play guitar. I was assisted by a bright yellow book called "Playing Guitar For Munkies." Like most hairy musicians, initially I learned guitar to impress the lady monkeys. Then I started impressing myself, which was scary. And eventually I became more interested in the music than the monkettes, which was even scarier. How did that happen? I don't know.

5) How can one join The International Band of Misunderstood Geniuses? Is there a waiting list? Do you have to send an essay in triplicate?

If you have some sort of misunderstood genius -- and let's face it, most of us creative types do -- than you are already an honorary member of The International Band Of Misunderstood Geniuses. I played my CD launch show last Saturday, and I was shocked at how many honorary band members were out there in the audience. They really know how to sing and shake their booties. In order to officially join the band, you gotta be there when the band passes through your kingdom, and you gotta be ready to perform when the opportunity arises. And you're up for it. Sometimes Phineas and I invite new members to join -- new members are generally people who are totally dedicated to their art and talent, even when those around them just don't understand the greatness of what they do. Phineas is great at spotting unheralded talent, and you got it, baby, you got it. Concerning your other excellent questions... There is no official waiting list, and the essays actually have to be written in Sanskrit. So, needless to say, we don't get many essay submissions, and the ones we get, we can't read.

6) What can one expect at a live show?

If the full band shows up -- especially Bottomus and the monsters -- you can expect a show performed by a band consisting of more tonnage than other bands you've seen. At my solo shows, you can expect to see me singing, dancing, and shaking my booty like a funkomatic maniac. You can also expect to see me performing songs from my CD and playing keyboards, guitars, percussion, saxophone, and kazoo. And you can count on one or two songs being arranged and recorded live on the spot using some totally boffo wowza technology that Riley The Robot developed for me. Kids get to come up onstage and contribute their own vocals to the mix. The next day, kids, parents, teachers, old ladies and robots alike can download the song(s) we created together from the Doctor Noize website. But above all else, there is one stone cold rule at Doctor Noize shows, and that is that there will be absolutely no silliness or fun having. Music is a serious business, and these are serious times. Hey -- somebody get that rubber chicken out of my office! Sorry, I got distracted there, what were we talking about?...

7) This disc is part 1 of two(?) or a trilogy(?). What can we look forward to in the next disc?

Okay Yosi, I am going to spill the beans a little bit here, because I know we are both fellow family musicians, we take what we do very seriously, we are adherents of the Secret Family Musician Codes Of Secrecy, and you would never, ever post this private conversation between the two of us on your web for all to read, for example, on your blog. So I will now reveal to you Three Top Secret Thingz that occur in the next recording and book:
(1) We learn how I became Doctor Noize and joined The International Band Of Misunderstood Geniuses. It is not a flattering story, but it must be told.
(2) We are properly introduced to Sidney The Beak (the rapping songbird) and I Tre Tenori (Luciano Frogerati, José The Ferret, and Placido Flamingo), who, they themselves cannot help but admit, are the world's greatest singers.
(3) Spoiler Alert!!!... We finally get to hear The World's Greatest Song, recorded live at its debut performance, which the band spent countless hours and months composing together. The song makes most listeners go crazy with excitement, which causes its own set of problems...

Thanks, Cory...err Doctor Noize, for a great disc & interview. Here's wishing you success.

Enjoy folks...http://www.doctornoize.com/

Interview: Rob Reid

“I truly believe I’ve listened to more children’s musical recordings than anyone in the history of mankind.” - Children’s librarian, teacher, senior lecturer, presenter & humorist, Robert Reid.

Two of his books have just been simultaneously published by the American Library Association: Children’s Jukebox,2nd edition, is an updated version of Reid’s first book. It is a subject index of children’s recorded music and, as a reference tool, is aimed at libraries and schools. Something Musical Happened at the Library incorporates music with children’s literature with practical suggestions and is aimed for librarians, teachers, and parents.

INTERVIEW:

1) Did you really listen to over 500 recordings? How? Do you ever sleep?

I actually listened to about 650 children's recordings. Because of book length restrictions, I couldn't include all 650. Children's Jukebox contains listings for 547 children's recordings.

How did I listen to them all? I was on the Newbery Award Committee the year before I worked on this project and I found myself reading every single free minute of the day - between eating breakfast and brushing my teeth, between pulling up in the driveway after work and kissing my wife, and so on. OK, I'm exaggerating, but I truly had no social life that year. Nor the following year when I spent every free minute listening intently to children's music. My family was very patient and understanding.

I state in the Introduction to Children's Jukebox that I'm confident I have listened to more children's music than anyone in the history of humankind.

2) During your research did you get feedback from kids or friends & family about the music?

Definitely. I was constantly telling friends and family members of all ages to give me feedback on a variety of recordings. A lot of the recordings were kid-tested.

3) What type of criteria do you follow in making decisions about what gets printed?

I got a lot of feedback from folks when the first edition of Children's Jukebox came out. They were having trouble purchasing the various recordings because no one source handles all of the recordings I had listed. For this edition, I made sure that each recording could be ordered online, either through a jobber or the artist's personal website. The recordings also had to be available in CD format. There were a few recordings I wanted to list in the books but didn't because the artists either took mail-only orders or the older recordings hadn't been converted to CDs.

Otherwise, I was looking for solid recording production, topics that kids could relate to, pleasant vocals/instrumentation. I was aware of several major artists and found other artists from reviewing recordings for School Library Journal and Booklist, and from awards, such as Parents Choice Awards and the American Library Association's Notable Recordings listings to name a few.

4) Why is children's music important for libraries & literacy?

I don't have any stats or studies to share, but I intuitively see how kids react to music and books together through my years as a children's librarian and children's performer. Many librarians and classroom teachers overlook children's musical recordings as a primary resource for great ideas, so I wanted to spread the word. For example, when I heard a children's song while indexing it, I often thought of a specific picture book to go along with it. I have a section of these pairings in Something Musical Happened at the Library.

Another practical function of using music comes from the fact that many teachers use cumulative pattern stories as a reading readiness activity. I listed several cumulative songs that perform a similar function.

5) Are there certain artists or music trends that stand out for you personally?

It's nice to see a richness of songs about diversity out there. I have subject listings of songs sung in different languages and also songs related to different geographic regions around the world. These subject headings are certainly more extensive than in the first edition of Children's Jukebox. I also see several artists writing intelligent songs that aren't dumbed down in content and production quality. Adults and children can enjoy them together.

Out of the 547 recordings I indexed for Children's Jukebox, I listed 46 recordings as a recommended Core Collection (since few individuals or organizations can afford to buy all 547 recordings). In the book, I state Eric Nagler's Improvise with Eric Nagler is my all-time favorite children's recording. I must admit Billy Jonas's What Kind of Cat Are You is sneaking up as #1. I also have a listing of my favorite children's original songs (as opposed to traditional songs like "Old MacDonald" - it's not fair to compare the two categories). My all-time favorite children's song is "Walk a Mile" written by Jan Nigro for his group Vitamin L.

BUT - picking favorite artists/recordings is almost like picking your favorite child. There are SO many great artists out there.
For example - you YOSI are so much fun to listen to and I'm glad I found you for the book projects. Your song "Goodbye" is featured in Something Musical Happened at the Library !

6) I understand that you do some entertaining at schools & libraries. What kind of performance do you do?

I teach full-time at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire - mostly Children's Literature and Literature for Adolescents. When I can work around my class schedules, I like to visit schools and libraries. I bill myself as a Children's Humorist and tell stories, poetry and wordplay, and musical activities. I'm known in some circles as Rappin' Rob because of my library/reading raps.

7) Will you be making any appearances where educators, librarians, etc. can hear & meet you?

In addition to kid shows, I travel all over the United States and Canada to conduct workshops for teachers and librarians on the topic of Making Literature Come Alive for Children and I pull material from my 8 books that I've published with ALA Editions and Upstart Books plus my magazine columns in LibrarySparks and Book Links. LibrarySparks has upcoming tours in Texas and New Jersey this summer. I will be one of three authors on this "Road Show." Check it out at http://www.librarysparks.com/. Otherwise, I'm usually hired by organizations to speak at conferences or to conduct workshops.

8) How can someone get copies of these titles?

Children's Jukebox and Something Musical Happened at the Library are both available from ALA Editions at the ALA Bookstore: http://www.alastore.ala.org/

Thanks Rob!

Have a fun tour this summer.

Interview: Joe McDermott

"The Maestro of Imagination" Joe McDermott rocks on his latest disc Everybody Plays Air Guitar, where he actually plays a REAL guitar...or so it's rumored. We got to talkin' (via e-mail) & Joe shared some insights on Zombies, Trains & Hollywood

1) Does EVERYBODY play air guitar? I seem to recall my grandma playing air-balalaika. Does that count?

Was your grandmother one of the Skomorokhs ? It only counts if she was a card-carrying Skomorokh. And no, not everyone plays air guitar. I actually tried many variations - air oboe, air euphonium and air accordion, but air guitar just seemed to resonate more in our focus groups.

2) I think the vocals really shine when you sing a cappella . How many parts did you sing on "Working on the railroad"?

Thanks Yosi. I'm not really sure how many parts I sang. I usually do a pretty standard barber shop quartet to start with (standard in everything but actually knowing how to write one) and then fill in with funny stuff and sound FX vocals wherever possible. It took a really long time. I don't consider myself a great singer by any stretch, so I do lots of takes until I have the ones I can live with. After all my work was finished I had a few gospel singers come in and REALLY sing. To me that's what makes the track. I really did have a job on the railroad once though-and loved it. My dad worked for the railroad his whole life, so it's really in my blood. I grew up around a lot of trains.

3) I understand you're a father of 4(?)...(like me)...how do you make time to write, record, & perform?

Actually, I'm the father of three boys. I have morning insomnia and get up really early and work. fortunately, it's my full-time job so I basically have to do it and have to make the time for it. On days that I perform, I'm often finished at 11:00 or so which leaves the rest of the day to write and record. And also, I'm a bit of a workaholic.


4) What are your kids fave tunes? (on your CD's)

I think the general consensus around our house is that "Come To Hawaii" from "Great Big World" is one of our favorite songs and recordings. It's between that and "Great Big World" from the same album. But really, as far as the kids are concerned, their favorite songs of all are the songs from a Super Nintendo game that I did the soundtrack for in the 90s. It's called "Zombies Ate My Neighbors." It's apparently become sort of a cult following thing. I still get emails from nerds all over the world telling me how much they like it. Weird.

5) Where do you get your song ideas? Especially "Baby Kangaroo."

I have no idea really-especially that song. I found this cool ping-pong ball sound FX and looped it and played it in my car. The song just kind of popped into my head one day. Funny though-it was the last cut on that album that I worked on and I thought it might be too obnoxious-yes, even for a children's recording. I almost left it off.

6) I know you are based in Texas. Will folks be able to catch you live on the East or West coasts?


I'll be playing at Borders in San Francisco July 7th, Steamboat Springs Colorado July 17th and Washington DC at Jamin Java July 28th. for specifics, our web site is joemcdermottmusic.com


7) What's next on the drawing board? A cd? DVD? Full-feature film?


Yes, probably a full-feature Hollywood blockbuster-type film featuring all of today's hottest stars. That's what I'm thinking for now anyway. (Do you have any Hollywood connections Yosi?) Actually, I'm gearing up for playing more shows with symphony orchestras. I've done a few so far and love it. I'm also doing music for a cool company called Team Baby Entertainment. I really need to do a DVD and probably will in the next few years. In the meantime, I'm starting to write for the next album.



Thanks, Joe.
I'll have Al Pacino give you a ring.
We'll do lunch.

Get your air guitars on & check out: joemcdermottmusic.com

Interview: Jarrett's Punk Farm + more!

Author/illustrator, Jarrett J. Krosoczka , is a talented young fella with five bios! I kid you not. Some say he's an international super spy. Others say he's found sitcom fame. My kids & I love his books, especially Punk Farm.

Who is Jarrett & what is he up to? He was kind enough to spare a momment from his untiring schedule to give the following interview:

1) Are you a Farmer or a Punk? Or are you a Punk Farmer?

Hmmm. Well I've always been a fan of punk music and the attitude behind it, but I wouldn't really consider myself fully punk. I've lived in a city all of my life, so I've never been a farmer. But that's sort of changing as my soon-to-be wife and I are moving to Northampton, MA. Now I drive by a farm with cows and horses, but by the time I get to downtown I see parents with mohawks and kids with individual style hanging around. So I guess now I officially live in a town that is farm/punkish.

2) Did you always want to be an author/illustrator of children's books? How did that happen?

In a sense I did. I always wanted to tell stories with pictures. When I was a kid, I made my own little books and made my own comics. By the time I got to high school, I was all about comics and animation. I took classes at the Worcester Art Museum and there, we published our own underground comics and animated little shorts on 8 MM cameras. By the time I got to college and especially by my sophomore year, my attention focused on making picture books. Which in the end, really isn't too different from anything I had done all of my life - telling the story visually.

3) What was the inspiration for Punk Farm?

I had been trying to crack a story I had going for a few years. It started out about a kid who grew up to be a rock star, then it was a kid who daydreamed on being a rock star... But I was never satisfied where the story was going. Then, I had been volunteering at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and my campers pretended to be rock stars when I played music at the start of the day. Eventually, they took on the personas of rock stars for the duration of the session, living out their daily lives as a famous rock band. I returned home to realize that this story I had going on kept falling short because it was about one kid and a group would offer far more entertaining possibilities. Shortly after that, I was leafing through old sketches and paintings and came across another unrealized story - one about a pig and a chicken. And then it all happened. I had an "A-HA!" moment and my rock star book became a book about a band, not an individual and farm animals, not humans.

4) Is there a "Punk Farm" song on a CD or available on iTunes?

There is a song and it is available as a free download from punkfarm.com.

5) My 5 y.o. son enjoyed My Buddy, Slug. He's a fan of bugs & critters. I love the messages of tolerance, friendship, making amends & forgiveness. Is there a story behind this story?

Not specifically. When I wrote the book, I didn't have any one personal situation in mind. I knew that I had been in plenty of situations where I was Slug and plenty where I was Alex. But when I look back at my childhood and my life, the acts of forgiveness and making amends have both played major roles. I was raised by my grandparents and for many years I held animosity towards my mother, which I was eventually able to move past. She has always been a big part of my life and when I was a kid, she always encouraged me to draw. She's an incredibly gifted artist and as a kid, I always looked up to her for that. Slug was always one of my mother's favorite books and even after the early rejections in my literary career, she constantly encouraged me to get the book published.

6) What's your favorite color? I guess ...orange.

My favorite color is red. But I do love the combination of dark green and orange...

7) How can folks meet you?

Well, I'm out on the road a lot, reading and signing at book festivals and book store events. The best way to keep tabs would be to check in to my events page - www.studiojjk.com/events.html.

8) Is there another book or new project in the works?

Punk Farm on Tour will be out on October 9, 2007. The band packs up a van and travels the country. I finished the art for that book last November (Yes, it takes that long for a picture book to be released!) and I'm really proud of this book. I really pushed myself here. After that, I am currently working on a bunch of new books, but next to be published will be Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. It will be the first graphic novel in a series about a lunch lady who fights crime, knows karate, and uses her unassuming lunch lady tools as spy equipment.

Thanks, Jarrett.

We're looking forward to Punk Farm on Tour.

Check out Jarrett's books, sketches, games, etc. at: http://studiojjk.com/

Danny Adlerman and Friends: Listen UP!

Danny & his pals (mostly Jim Babjak of The Smithereens, The Grip Weeds Kurt Reil and Kevin Kammeraad of The Tomato Collection) rock on Danny's sophomore disc, Listen UP! When I say rock I'm talkin' classic rock ala Kinks, Stones & Beatles. The rollicking opener, "When I Grow Up" will get you groovin & set for fun for the whole family. Other rockers include "In The Future" & "Too Much Pizza Blues" in which our pals gleefully gorge upon slices & slices to the point of absurd gastric agony. Now that's the way to write a kickin' kids blues tune. Danny flexes his lyrical muscle in (my fave) "The Dozsins" a cumulative sonic build-up song full of playful homonyms. "Sweet Pea Emily" is a welcomed syncopated transplant from Kevin Kammeraad's Tomato Collection which is getting some decent airplay on XM Kids these days. If you enjoyed Danny's One Size Fits All you're sure to love Listen UP!

First PICs

Thanks to Rebecca Frezza (or perhaps more accurately, her hubby, Bob) for these first PICs of the Brooklyn Spare the Rock/Audra Rox event!

1. Jordan, Steve, Katie & Rebecca.
2. Yosi & Rebecca.
3. Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck
   
   
   

Lots more PICs & a recap offered by Gwyneth of Gooney Bird Kids:

http://www.butera.org/blog/str-070324.html

No! Sleep! (in) Brooklyn!

'Twas a late night for kiddies & kindie rockers at the Brooklyn recording of Spare the Rock.

Lots of acts...a couple 'o dozen very talented acts crammed into the delightful Jalopy.

It was great to catch up with old friends & meet new folks I've heard of or read about, & put the faces to name &/or legend. One such person was THE Lovely Mrs. Davis who only lived up to the first part of her name (lovely), but disappointingly not the second "Tells You What to Think" part. I was SO hoping to be told what to think. Although Bill did let me think I was going on at 3:00am. Left to our own thoughts & devices the crowd dined on delicious middle eastern vegetarian food (pitas, stuffed grape leaves, hummus & more) as we enjoyed each other's music. To say there were highlights would be an understatement, but to number them would be burdensome.

I'll tell ya what stuck in my head:
1) Randy Kaplan's Shampoo Me! Thanks for the humor & beautiful playin' Randy. I had to play that for my twins when I got home & they got a real good chuckle out of it.
2) Lunch Money. These folks are so cool. Love their Silly Reflection disc. Reminds me of VU, & it just makes me smile every time I hear it.
3) Scribble Jim. Sorry your kids got all tuckered out & couldn't stay. Who could blame them...(Jim went on after me & I was on at 11:30pm!) Jim's "I Love Life...I Love You" original was warm, funny, smart & then, of course, it was (electric) Chocolate Milk time.

4) Ella forgot to bring all of her teeth.

There was lots & lots more really great stuff...but I leave that to the other bloggers. How did ya'll enjoy this shin dig?

Anyone got some PICs?
We can post them here.

Warmly,
Yosi

Interview: Bernie Siegel, MD

Dr.Bernie Siegel, prefers to be called Bernie, not Dr. Siegel. He's the author of many mind-body-spirit medicine books including the best seller, Love, Medicine & Miracles. Recently his attention has shifted to parenting & children with two new books: The children's illustrated story, Smudge Bunny, as well as, Love, Magic & Mudpies, a book full of practical advice about raising your child to feel loved, be kind & make a difference. I've had the pleasure of interviewing Bernie several years ago on the radio, & I'm very pleased to have his ear (& voice) again.

1) You've written & spoke about treatment of cancer patients, as well as the science of mind-body-spirit medicine. Your two latest titles are focused on kids. What prompted this new path?

I was prompted to write these because of the damage I see inflicted upon our support group members and the general population by unhealthy or abusive parenting. A loved child who has self worth and esteem uses information to care for him or herself while an unloved child does not develop a normal nervous system and becomes the addict seeking feelings never received in a healthy way and uses aggression in a violent and destructive, not constructive way such as work or sports. If every child was raised with love our planet would be free of problems in one generation. Our planetary suicidal path is an example of why we need to care for our children. We need to love the children even if we do not like what they do. And not say, "There's something wrong with you" but "I love you but I do not like what you are doing."

2) In Smudge Bunny you tell about courage & a momma bunny's advice that "some good will come of this." Are these words you grew up with?

Yes, I grew up with mottoes to live by and not mottoes to die by. Remember up to the age of six a child's brain wave patterns resemble those of a hypnotized person. So the messages are embedded in the brain and hard to eliminate and abandon when one gets older and conscious of them. I heard things like ; Do what will make you happy; when decisions had to be made. When troubles occurred they were God's redirections from which something good will come and material things were to make life easier for people. Success was not about making more money but about being happy through contributing meaningfully to the welfare of the world. The unloved say they grow up with mottoes to die by because of the negative comments from their parents and other authorities. To quote one woman, "My mother's words were eating away at me and maybe gave me cancer." She has rebirthed and reparented herself due to cancer.

3) In Love, Magic & Mudpies there are short segments & practical advice about various subjects. Two of my favorite subjects were humor & dealing with "failure." What can parents do to bring more humor to their lives & change the perception of failure?

Just don't let the child in you die. I am a multiple personality and the kid in me comes out all the time. Yes, I embarrass our children and grandchildren but my behavior allows them to lighten up, enjoy life and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about them. I volunteered to serve lunch at our grandchildren's school. The first time I showed up in a rainbow colored wig and the second time with a badge and officer's cap and examined lunch boxes to be sure there were no explosives in them. Sometimes I said I had to sample the cookies and other desserts to make sure they were not contaminated. Boy, did I get a reaction.
Our children often come home and thank me because when they do something silly at work or school people say, "Well you know who his father is."
As I mentioned let your kids know that when they are happy they are a success. Accumulating money may get people to label your children a success but they won't be happy because of it. I meet the children of millionaires who are miserable. As one said, "My father ruined my life when I was 21. He gave me a million dollars so I had to be a success." What if he had started a charity would his father have criticized him? Our children have given money they inherited away to help their friends and others do things, like go to college, that they couldn't have afforded to do otherwise.
Remind your kids to not be afraid to fail until they fail up. As the movie Harold and Maude teaches, "Reach out, take a chance, get hurt even, play as well as you can. Go team go. Give me an L, give me an I, give me a V, give me an E, LIVE. Otherwise you've got nothing to talk about in the locker room." Tell them to follow their hearts and do not impose upon them the profession or life you would choose and cause them to lose their life.

4) Parents & families are very busy these days. There seems to be little quality time with the kids. What are your prescriptions for living fully as a family?

Make time. When our children complained about my being on call as a doctor when other dads weren't I reminded them they went out evenings I was home to do things they enjoyed. So we each have the right to do what makes us happy and we also set evenings aside to do things as a family. I always enjoyed our roller skating night. Vacations also were special as we went to stay on farms, or a weekend in a New York hotel and other places where we could enjoy things together from museums to horse back rides. Also you can take one child at a time for a special treat with their parents when it is their birthday month.
As a gentleman with cancer learned, remember we are all here for a limited amount of time, and when you accept that fact you realize time isn't money it is everything and spend more time with the people you love and less with the people you don't live or who don't love you. My new word is "liove." Live and love and teach that to your children.

5) Will you be making appearances & speaking about the subject of parenting & families? If so, is there a schedule?

I go where ever I am invited. My web site has my speaking schedule. Most of the events are health oriented and not exclusively about parenting. I also write articles and speak at many schools in our area. If you go to http://www.berniesiegelmd.com/ and click on the ECaP (exceptional cancer patients) symbol you will go to cite where my speaking schedule is listed and people can email me through the first web site too.

6) Thank you for your time, Bernie. (I want the reader to know that you want folks to address you by your first name, & I find that warm & welcoming.) Are there new books you are working on, or another future project you can let us in on?

I am always writing to share meaningful aspects of life. Getting things published is the hard part. I want people to know how their body speaks to them through their dreams and drawings and feelings. Also help children and adults deal with loss and death and understand the nature of life and that a perfect world is meaningless. If every parent were perfect and every child loved and life free of troubles we would all go nuts and our actions would mean nothing. So get out in the world and reparent the wounded. You can become a CD or CM; or Chosen Dad and Chosen Mom and save a suicidal's child through your love. I know this from experience. When the child is inspired the information becomes useful and meaningful. Self destruction is not caused by ignorance.

http://www.berniesiegelmd.com/

Telling The Story: A Passover Haggadah

Is your old Haggadah getting a bit stale?

Ours is so archaic we need a ye olde dictionary.

My mouth gets so exhausted reading aloud all the "thoust" & shouldst" that I can barely chomp on my Haroset...(somehow I manage).

Barry Louis Polisar has re-told the Passover story in this brand new Haggadah that not only tells the story, but gives the background on the spiritual origins of the holiday traditions. Explaining each ritual in a simple and straight-forward way, this Haggadah includes both the English, Hebrew and phonetic pronunciations of the holiday prayers, so that everyone gathered around the table can participate in the Seder; a welcoming and inclusive adaptation that captures the spirit of the holiday without compromising tradition. This book features original full-color illustrations by Barry's daughter, Sierra.

Telling The Story

A Passover Haggadah Explained
Adapted by Barry Louis Polisar
$7.95, 32 p. paperback illustrated by Sierra Hannah Polisar
ISBN# 0-938663-51-8

Interview: Paula (Almond Joy) of The Candy band

The Candy Band rocks!! Their latest disc, Calling All Kids, has driving punk vocals, guitars & beats. Here's what guitarist, Paula (AKA Almond Joy), had to say:

1) How did the candy band form?

THE BAND FORMED AFTER I HAD MY SECOND CHILD AND REALIZED THAT KIDS MUSIC JUST DIDN'T ROCK - I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO I FOUND SOME OTHER STAY AT HOME MOMS THAT FELT THE SAME WAY. I ALSO THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN PLAYDATES FOR THE KIDS - YA KNOW - BAND PRACTICE, SNACKS AND SIPPY CUPS!!

2) How do kids respond to punk? Do the younger ones get scared or feel it's too loud?

THE KIDS LOVE LOUD! PROBABLY ONE OUT OF 100 WILL PLUG THEIR EARS - BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT DON'T LIKE LOUD ANYTHING.

3) You covered Raffi's "Down By The Bay" in punk fashion. Of all kids songs why that one?

IT IS HAS A CLASSIC PUNK VIBE!!

4) What are your musical influences?

IGGY POP, THE RAMONES, MC5 AND BLACK SABBATH (OH YEAH, AND LED ZEPPLIN TOO!!)

5) How often do you perform & where?

WE SOMETIMES PERFORM 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER. WE PLAY LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN THE PARK, LOLLAPALOOZA, BARS, FESTIVALS AND FAIRS.

6) How are folks reacting to your Clash (Elvis Presley) album cover redo?

EVERYONE LOVES IT SO FAR. PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS OUR BEST CD YET.

7) Are you moms? What do you do when not playing in the band?

WE ARE ALL MOMS. STARBURST (TAMMY) IS A PILATES AND AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR, SKITTLES (DANIELA) HELPS HER HUSBAND RUN HIS TRUCKING BUSINESS AND WORKS SOMETIMES AT A CANDLE MAKING SHOP, ALMOND JOY (PAULA - ME) TEACHES GUITAR LESSONS, AND KIT KAT (ANITA) IS A YOGA ENTHUSIAST.

8) What's next for the Candy Band?

MORE RECORDS AND MORE CONCERTS!!!

www.candyband.com