A quick reminder that Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton join Ziggy Marley on the Tonight Show, er, tonight (March 15). They'll be helping out with "I Love You Too" from Marley's Grammy-winning album Family Time. It's not the song that Mitchell helped out with on the album, but it'll do. Here's another version of the track to get you in the mood...
Ziggy Marley - "I Love You Too" [YouTube]
Why I'm Going to Kindiefest 2010
When I mentioned previously that registration for Kindiefest was open, I wasn't 100% sure that I was going myself. I mean, I had lots of fun last year, and this year promises to be even better (more panels, a keynote, a chance to hear 14 different artists playing live). But it's a really long flight from Phoenix, and a weekend away from the family essentially working.
Having said all that, I'm going. And now the panel I was asked to moderate is starting to take shape, I might've been willing to go to Brooklyn for that experience alone. The panel "Old School Meets New School," will talk about the generations of family musicians -- those who've been doing it for 3 years and those who've been doing it for 30 -- and their perspectives on making music for families in today's world. At the moment, the panel includes Elizabeth Mitchell, Suni Paz, and Bill Harley. Not to mention Kids Corner's Kathy O'Connell. (And I don't think the panel's quite complete.)
Yeah. You read that right. My chief goal in being moderator will be shutting up and not getting in the way.
Anyway, earlybird registration for the conference ends next Monday, so if you haven't seen the burgeoning list of speakers and artists, I encourage you to do so. See you in Brooklyn.
New Elizabeth Mitchell Video "Little Bird, Little Bird" = Cute Overload. (Plus, New Album Title.)
OK, you know those parenting magazines you skim through at the pediatricians' office (when all you you'd really like to read is a nice Entertainment Weekly or Economist?) that have pictures of cupcakes which make you want to scream "oooooh!"? This is like the kids music video equivalent. Don't click on the picture -- go here to watch "Little Bird, Little Bird" from Elizabeth Mitchell's You Are My Little Bird.
More importantly, Mitchell's next album (mastered and mixed, I believe), has a title. Sunny Day. Not You Are My Sunny Day, just Sunny Day. Look for a 2010 release.
Update: Now on YouTube, though not in the highest quality...
Elizabeth Mitchell - "Little Bird, Little Bird" [YouTube]
You Are My Great Deal: Elizabeth Mitchell's Sunshine Just $2.99. Such A Deal.
Tomorrow, Elizabeth Mitchell's fabulous You Are My Sunshine goes where only Dan Zanes has gone before, kids-music-wise (I think), and that's Amazon's mp3 Deal of the Day. That's right, on Wednesday, December 10, you can download the entire mp3 album for just $2.99. Here's my original review (posted 4+ years ago, and written well before that, so forgive me the phrase "one of those albums you may find yourself putting on even when your kids aren't around." Even though it's still true.)
So if you don't have the album, hop to it. Tomorrow, anyway.Listen To This: "London Bridge" / "Hickory Dickory Dock" - Elizabeth Mitchell
It says a lot about the two new ("quite old, but new to you!") tracks from Elizabeth Mitchell that they take two of the most repetitive sing-song melodies and turn them into nearly 2 minutes of very listenable songs. Don't get me wrong, singing "London Bridge" or "Hickory Dickory Dock" with your kid is great, but after two minutes of that I'm usually more than ready to move on. These two tracks, especially the toy piano-accompanied mellow "Bridge," pass the test. I suspect these tracks won't appear on Mitchell's new Smithsonian Folkways album, which'll come out sometime in 2010, but they're nice nonetheless. Listen at her Myspace page for a limited time...
Mike Seeger: Further Thoughts
This weekend I wrote a few words in memory of Mike Seeger, who died on Friday at the age of 75. I wrote it -- quickly, probably too quickly -- from the perspective of a listener, not a musician, with an attempt to place him in the broad context on children's music. Elizabeth Mitchell took issue with my description of his influence on children's music:
"I have to disagree with you though about his contribution to children's music. For me, personally, his work is enormously significant. The two collections that he made along with his family are definitive and essential. They bring Ruth Crawford Seeger's [his mother's] exquisite arrangements to life in extraordinary ways."And what I've noticed since then is that the strongest, most moving words from folks in the wake of his passing have come from musicians. Witness Bob Dylan's comments -- written in 2004:
"Sometimes you know things have to change... Somebody holds the mirror up, unlocks the door, and your head has to go into a different place. Mike Seeger had that effect on me. He played on all the various planes, the full index of the old-time styles, [and] he played these songs as good as it was possible to play them. What I had to work at, Mike already had in his genes."And now Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer have weighed in with their own thoughts:
"In the past ten or so years, our casual friendship through folk festivals and jam sessions became a deeper one. Longer visits, longer talks, more music. Mike introduced Marcy to the cello banjo of the 1910’s and it was a life-changer. He enjoyed hearing her take the old instrument to new places that honor tradition and stretch it as far as it will go. He gave credibility to our Old Time Banjo Festival with brilliant performances, all the while, listening to and appreciating every note and song played by the other musicians."What's clear is that while casual fans might have appreciated him, it's the musicians who revered him the most, regardless of whether they play for 2-year-olds or 82-year-olds (or occasionally both simultaneously). Once again, my condolences to his family and wide circle of friends... Mike Seeger, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer & Adam Hurt - "Aint Gonna Work Tomorrow" [YouTube]
