Now Available on CD -- Sofia the First Soundtrack #Giveaway w/ 3 winners

SOFIA THE FIRST SOUNDTRACK MAKES ITS ROYAL DEBUT ON WALT DISNEY RECORDS FEBRUARY 12, 2013

 Buy now from Amazon for only $8.99.

"Walt Disney Records announces the Sofia the First soundtrack now available for pre-order on Amazon. The soundtrack features 11 songs from the hit Disney Junior animated television series “Sofia The First,” which premiered in January 2013 and became the #1 preschool series launch in cable TV history in Girls 2-5, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49, plus 2 bonus tracks from the Disney Junior ‘s record-breaking animated television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess.”  Ariel Winter ("Modern Family") brings the newest princess to life in each song. The album also includes songs performed by Wayne Brady (Clover), Sabrina Carpenter (Vivian) and Darcy Rose Byrnes (Amber).  Sofia the First is now available nationwide."

Sofia the First soundtrack track listing:

1. “Sofia the First Main Title Theme” – Sofia 

2. “Anything” – Sofia

3. “Princess Things” – Cast

4. “Make Some Noise” – Sofia and the Trolls

5. “Cedric the Great” – Cedric

6. “Royal Fun” – Sofia

7. “Perfect Slumber Party” – Sofia and Amber 

8. “All You Need” – Sofia and Vivian

9. “Blue Ribbon Bunny” – Clover

10. “I Belong” – Sofia

11. “The Goldenwing Circus” – Cast

Bonus Tracks

12. “True Sisters” – Sofia and Cinderella

13. “Rise and Shine” – Sofia

  

ABOUT SOFIA THE FIRST

Created for kids 2-7 and their parents/caregivers, "Sofia the First" tells the story of Princess Sofia, an adventurous little girl who is learning how to adjust to royal life after her mom marries the king and she becomes a princess overnight.  Along the way, Sofia discovers that looking like a princess isn't all that difficult, but possessing the characteristics of a true princess – honesty, loyalty, courage, independence, compassion and grace – is what makes one truly royal.  Helping her in her journey are the three headmistresses of Royal Prep Academy - Fauna, Flora and Merryweather (the beloved fairies seen in Disney's classic "Sleeping Beauty"); the royal steward, Baileywick; and a group of cute woodland creatures led by a wise-talking rabbit named Clover.  Classic Disney Princesses Ariel, Aurora, Belle and Jasmine make special appearances in event episodes to offer Sofia words of wisdom – princess to princess.

The series talented voice cast includes Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) as Sofia, Sara Ramirez (“Grey's Anatomy”) as Queen Miranda, Wayne Brady (“Let's Make a Deal”) as Clover and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) as Baileywick. 

Sofia the First soundtrack is available wherever music is sold on February 12, 2013.  For more information on Walt Disney Records’ releases, please visit Disney.com/music, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic."

---GIVEAWAY---

Three (3) lucky readers will win a copy of this new Sofia the First CD to enjoy with their little princesses, thanks to the folks at Disney Music Group.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post.  Disney Music Group is sponsoring this giveaway and sending prize out to each winner.  I am merely hosting the giveaway on my site.

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Keep Kids Active this Winter - Get Moving with Ella Jenkins (Review and Giveaway)

"Who fed the chickens... on this fine day?

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Releases

Get Moving with Ella Jenkins

 

Available on January 29th

 

Listen here now

 

"Ella Jenkins is a pioneering music educator and children's performer who wears the title given to her by her many fans, "The First Lady of Children's Music." Now in her 9th decade, she is still going strong with her 33rd title from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.   Get Moving with Ella Jenkins is a collection of 15 recordings, including 3 previously unreleased on CD, featuring Ella's core principals: rhythmic movement, careful listening, singing and improvisation. She has been instrumental in integrating these developmentally important skills into early childhood education in her nearly 60  year career. For example, the activities featured in these songs help children reach the 60 minutes of play recommended by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her "Let's Move" program to prevent childhood obesity. This week, the Chicago Metro Association for the Education of Young Children (Chicago Metro AEYC) will honor Ella Jenkins with a Lifetime Achievement Opening Minds Award for her contributions to and advocacy in music education for children.   Get Moving with Ella Jenkins features classics such as “London Bridge Is Falling Down” and “Who Fed the Chickens?” and counting games like “And One and Two” and “One Potato, Two Potato.”   The new CD ( $11.99 SRP) will be available in stores, digital music outlets and from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings on January 29th."

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My Thoughts:

Before our house got hit by the stomach bug, which lasted the past two weeks, my daughters, Savannah and Arabella, were enjoying moving and grooving to Ella Jenkins' upcoming CD release, Get Moving with Ella Jenkins, that I was recently sent to review.   Even though Ella Jenkins has been around for years, and was many many awards during her long career, this was the first time I had the pleasure of listening to her music.  Now, both my girls and I are hooked, and will definitely be purchasing and listening to some of her past CD releases, as well as keeping an eye out on future ones.  

This upcoming CD release is jam packed with 15 tracks that are bound to get your little ones (and yourself) up of the couch and dancing around the living room.  I was surprised to see a handful of familiar songs that I have been singing to the girls including Head and Shoulder, Follow the Leader, Teddy Bear, One Potato, Two Potato and London Bridge is Falling Down.  Ella Jenkins did a better job at singing these :-), as the girls were able to sing along to these familiar favorites.  Even the the CD has a running time of 46 minutes, we always found ourself hitting replay on a few of our favorite songs, and dancing in excess of an hour.  What a great way to introduce children to music and rhythm, as they get up on their feet and dance and move around.  This is definitely a CD worth checking out, and sharing with your little ones. I even lent it to a friend who used it during a recent snow day to get her children to shake and move, and not rely on the television for entertainment. She, too, loved all 15 tracks, and said her children asked for the same songs my did, to be replayed. With this CD releasing on Jan. 29th, make sure you pre-order a copy for your family today, so you all can Get Moving with Ella Jenkins.

 

---GIVEAWAY---

One lucky reader will win a copy of Ella Jenkins' new CD.  To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

More About Ella Jenkins:

Chicago-based Ella Jenkins has received many awards over her long career, including a 2004 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005, ‘cELLAbration,’ an album of Ella’s songs performed by Sweet Honey In The Rock, Riders in the Sky, Tom Paxton, Cathy & Marcy, Pete Seeger, Tom Chapin and others, won the 2005 GRAMMY for best children’s album. She was the first woman and first children’s musician to receive the ASCAP Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and in 2009 earned a United States Artists award. She is believed to be one of the first African American women to have a TV show, when in the 1950s she hosted “The Totem Club,” a weekly children’s program broadcast in Chicago. Her “Me Too Series” films were featured numerous times on “Sesame Street,” and she has also appeared on “Barney and Friends” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Her 1966 album ‘You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song’ is the best-selling title in the history of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and is part of the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

Parenting magazine has said that Jenkins’ “simple but irresistible songs, poems, and mini-language lessons... reflect the beauty of diverse cultures.” And Dan Zanes says, “Ella Jenkins is a constant source of inspiration and a bottomless well of songs, ideas, and spirit. She is by far the most worldly performer that children’s music has ever known.” 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this CD from the vendor in order to review and share my honest thoughts.  The views above are mine and mine above.

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Now Available on CD -- Maestro Classics: Carnival of the Animals (Review)

Over 50 National Awards ...

 

A "Stories in Music" CD for Narrator, Soloists, and Orchestra 

Featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra 

Stephen Simon, Conductor 

"Maestro Classics, winner of over 50 prestigious awards for its Stories In Music CD series, proudly announces the release of the company's tenth CD for family listening, a sparkling, child-friendly rendition of Camille Saint-Saëns' famous,whimsical masterpiece for narrator, soloists, and orchestra, Carnival of the Animals. (Maestro Classics, $16.98, for ages 3+ and families, run time 70 minutes).

Lions roar, elephants dance, roosters crow at clucking hens, kangaroos leap, fish swim, wild donkeys race, xylophones clatter like fossils, clarinets cuckoo, virtuosic flutes imitate sounds of the aviary, the cello plays its famous swan song, and the tortoise does the world's slowest can-can in Saint-Saëns' musical picture gallery of the animal kingdom that also includes pianists practicing scales and some animals with long ears who are rumored to be music critics.

The Maestro Classics recording of Carnival of the Animals features the droll verse that Ogden Nash wrote for each of the work's fourteen movements, recited here by Maestro Classics' beloved narrator, Yadu (a.k.a. Dr. Konrad Czynski).

With eminent conductor Stephen Simon directing the London Philharmonic Orchestra, stellar contributions by pianists Wendy Chen and Donna Kwong, a lovely interpretation of the French folk song "Au Clair de la Lune" by soprano Rachel Barham, and intriguing observations by Stephen Simon and "elucidator" Bonnie Ward Simon, in addition to a French/English interactive singing project and activities offered in a beautifully illustrated, 24-page program booklet, this recording of Carnival of the Animals will be treasured forever by children and adults alike.

Notes Bonnie Ward Simon, "The story goes that in 1950, America's pioneer pops conductor, André Kostelanetz, noticed that no one in the audience was smiling when he performed Carnival of the Animals.  They thought that all classical music should be serious!  He was so taken aback that he personally commissioned Ogden Nash to write verses to go with the music so that audiences would understand that Saint-Saëns intended the music to be funny.  Generations of children now remember the pianos roaring like lions and couplets like 'Elephants are useful friends, Equipped with handles at both ends,' as part of a wonderful childhood experience with music."


Check out the Maestro Classics website , which contains a wealth of advice and activities designed to help families incorporate classical music into their lives, at www.maestroclassics.com."

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My Thoughts:

I have been a fan of classical music since being introduced to it by my science teacher in middle school.  She would play this music while we took exams, as a way to help us relax and concentrate better.  I couldn't believe how well it worked to calm you in stressful situations like exam taking.  And, as I continued through middle and high school, and then through college, I made sure to have a collection of CDs on hand to listen to when studying, or as a wind to unwind.  I have found over the years that classical music can be enjoyed by both children and adults, as I would play my CDs when babysitting my nephew or friend's children.  If they were fussy, I knew I had a magic trick up my sleeve.  And, once I began playing the classical music, they would quiet down and listen along with me.

So, when I heard that Maestro Classics was releasing a new classical music CD entitled Carnival of the Animals, I couldn't wait to pick up a copy and share with my daughters.  I have a handful of their other CDs, which the girls love.  And, when we are not listening to them together, I find myself putting them on in the evening to relax, as I sip a glass of wine or hot tea.  Now, I can't say this for other kid-friendly music, which after 1-2 tracks, I am all set with it.  What makes this new release from Maestro Classics so great is that it not only introduces little ears to classical music, but does so in a fun way.  With this CD, children listen and meet the animals of the Animal Kingdom, like elephants, lions, kangaroos and even wild donkeys.  When all these animals get together, it makes for beautiful music.   Click here to listen to a sampling of what I am talking about -- http://www.maestroclassics.com/.  You will have to click on the Carnival of the Animals album cover to listen to the mp3 sample.  But, I have a feeling that after you listen to it, you will want to pick up a copy to share with your children.  :-)  Children will love listening to this new release in the car, and will have some wonderful facts about the animals of the wild to share with Grandma and Grandpa, after they are done listening to the Carnival of the Animals.  My nephew couldn't stop talking about the elephant and how his teeth were outside his mouth and upside down. :-)  I wonder what your little ones will find fascinating after listening to this CD. And, with the holidays right around the corner, this and other Maestro Classics CDs would make for great stocking stuffers, or to have on hand for those long car rides to visit the relatives.  Both parents and children will enjoy listening to this entertaining collection of classical music. You can choose to listen to the title track with or without narration, which is great when you are looking for quiet, yet soothing way to put children to sleep. :-) Click here to visit the Maestro Classics website and browse their collection of music available for purchase online -- http://www.maestroclassics.com/. Disclosure:  I was sent a sample of this CD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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Now Available on CD -- Secret Agen 23 Skidoo's Make Believers

 

"The Undisputed King of Kid Hop" (Time Out NY Kids)

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Releases

Make Believers

Available Now!

Listen Now!

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, which Time Out New York Kids magazine just named one of America's top 10 Best Bands for Kids, has just released Make Believers. The new disc, which features 39 guest artists including 10 year old MC Fireworks, is available now from Underground Playground Records, iTunes, Amazon.com and many other retailers.    The critics are raving Wired’s GeekMom reviewer says her daughter cried when she tried to turn off the music. DailyCandy premiered the new video for “Gotta Be You” and picked these songs for their “Carpool Playlist” today. PopDose’s Dadnabbit just posted an interview with Skidoo subtitled, “The undisputed King of Kid-Hop is back with arguably his strongest album to date: Make Believers is a genre-bending retro radio party.” About.com notes Skidoo’s “all encompassing message of self confidence, imagination, brain power and reaching one's potential.”  Zooglobble, the go-to source for children's music news, sparks about Skidoo's expressive "star quality." Mountain Xpress in Skidoo's hometown of Asheville, NC, featured the Make Believers CD release event and video taping last weekend, saying, "His music is about respect and self-respect and letting kids know that what they may consider their weirdness is probably something to be proud of." As these critics realize, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo turns the typical kiddie story-song on its head by employing a level of musical and lyrical complexity rarely seen in the family genre. Make Believers opens with an energetic adaptation of the classic Jack in the Beanstalk fairytale, “Magic Beans,” in which young Jack ignores the negativity around him to forge ahead with his dreams. Other original songs offer endless encouragement for kids to use their innate intelligence (“Brainstorm”), bravery (“Hi-5 for the High Dive” and “Hot Sauce”), and imagination (“Make the Future”).   Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s albums have previously garnered acclaim in Time, People, USA Today, and from Stefan Shepherd on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” His original track “Cooperate” is featured on the 2012 Grammy award-winning children’s album All About Bullies… Big and Small. 23 Skidoo has rocked sets at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits,The Winnipeg Folk Festival, Irving Plaza, Legoland and The Smithsonian Institution. More summer and fall performances will be announced soon.

Upcoming  concerts

Get updates at www.secretagent23skidoo.com

June 12 - Tulsa Children's Library, Tulsa, OK

June 30 - Indy Parks and Rec Family series, Indianapolis

July 14 - Toubab Krewe Festival, Asheville, NC

August 2 and 3 - NYC Parks

August 4 - Jammin Java, Vienna, VA

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this CD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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Children's Music CD Review -- High Dive by Bill Harley

 

Two-time Grammy winner Bill takes us back to his boyhood with stories about summer at the community pool, field trips to the state house and a Valentine's Day disaster. Heartfelt and witty, Harley’s tales engage kids like no other and send adults on a trip to their own past. Are these stories true? Bill says, “The more I tell them, the truer they get...”

“High Dive gets High Five!” Boutique Café
“...hormonal hilarity...” Kid Independent

“...totally engrossing...” LA Parent

“Superb.” Mothering Magazine

"No one can tell a story like him, he’s really tapped into what it’s like being a kid.”  USA Today

“Hilarious, simply hilarious.” Out With the Kids

My Thoughts:

This is the 3rd Bill Harley CD I have listened to, and just like the previous two CD's, love it.  I can see why Bill Harley has won two Grammy's.  Bill is able to turn stories into music, which make you think as a parent about them, then reminisce about your childhood, and then laugh along, all in one song.  I haven't found another children's musician who can move both a child and adult with their music.  Even though many children will find his stories playful and funny, in time, they too will be able to relate to them, like us parents do.  Have you ever tried to impress a crush?  Well, Bill share his personal story as a nine-year old boy, trying to get the attention of his crush, Kristi, while at the community pool.  Don't expect a smooth talking nine-year old.  Instead, Bill's hormones get the best of him, as this story plays out, making you laugh and think about your past childhood crushes and encounters.

Bill have done it again with this recent release.  Even though there are only 4 stories on this CD, they will keep you entertained over and over again, and make for a great CD to pop into the car CD player, during your next day trip.  This will surely get you talking with you children about your childhood and how you can relate to Bill.

Click here to listen to snippets from this CD.  And, you can buy this CD directly from Bill website, for only $15.00 for the full album, or order each track individually.

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this CD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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