Note: These descriptions of new releases are sent in by the CMN members mentioned, but they may have been edited by Pass It On! staff for style, consistency, or length. The materials have not been reviewed. In addition to the sources listed, many recordings are available at local independent children’s book and record stores.
Paul Reisler
Best Friends
Kid Pan Alley
In celebration of their twentieth anniversary, Kid Pan Alley has released their fifth studio album, Best Friends, which features songs written with kids, for kids—performed by some of the best-known children’s artists in the world. After three years of intercontinental collaboration, Best Friends is proud to boast songs featuring Lisa Loeb, Randy Kaplan, Sonia De Los Santos, Bill Harley, Robbie Schaefer, John McCutcheon, Heather Mae, The Not-Its, Vance Gilbert, Steve Poltz, Lea Morris, and Silly Bus, backed by the rockin’ Kid Pan Alley Band.
Best Friends has something for everybody. It comprises 12 uplifting and insightful songs written with almost 300 kids in 10 schools led by Kid Pan Alley songwriters. In classic Kid Pan Alley style, it’s an album that the parents will love as much as the kids do. To date, several of the songs have received widespread radio support on stations like SiriusXM’s “Kids Place Live.”
There’s a new birthday song sung by John McCutcheon, a song about someone forgetting to charge their phone sung by Lea Morris, and a song called, “Sister for Sale” that’s part of the new Kid Pan Alley musical, The Talented Clementine, sung by Bill Harley.
“We created a collection of songs as diverse as the children who helped write them and as powerful as their vision for the world they want to live in,” says Reisler. “It reminds us, in both English and Spanish, that ‘life is good because we have music—la vida es bella.’ And so, together, we celebrate our 65,000 best cowriting buddies with this new album, Best Friends.” – Paul Reisler, Founder/Artistic Director
Kathy Sherman
Let’s Sing Songs From Around the World!
Kathy Sherman and The Good Folk Collective
This album is a collection of songs made for and with children that gives teachers and students a peek into other cultures and languages. Included are songs from Greece, China, France, Japan, Israel (in both Hebrew and Arabic), the Philippines, Spain/Mexico, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, and the United States, as well as a Native American rattle chant. Kathy searched for songs that everyone can sing, even if they don’t know the language, just to get the chance to taste another language and feel what it’s like to have from those sounds. It’s a marvelous feeling!
Available as CD or USB drive, which includes a songbook with chords in the same keys in which the songs are recorded. Contact Kathy directly at kathysherman99@gmail.com, or through her website, GoodFolkSongs.com.
Carole Stephens
Macaroni Soup
"Miss Carole"
Hello, Hello! Let’s warm-up our voices and bodies. Then sing, dance, and learn with Miss Carole!
This collection has everything musical for children eight and younger—great, steady beat work for early and pre-readers, dances for pattern and sequence practice, and songs for use with manipulatives. Clear vocals include most of the simple directions to engage children from the get-go. Additional liner notes instruct how to use the songs.
Carole is thankful for CMNers Susan Salidor, Margaret Hooten, Brigid Finucane, and Ellen Allard, whose wonderful songwriting contributed to the twenty-six tracks. A shout-out also to Gari Stein, who reminded Carole about “Chop Chop, Chippetty Chop,” which became the base for the title song. CMN continues to be an inspiration, education, and source of friendship without bounds.
CMN members can order directly from Carole. E-mail her at carole@macaronisoup.com.
Ruth Weber
Kokowanda Bay
Ruth and Emilia
Ruth and Emilia, the mother/daughter duo who rock, are back, launching their second album release chock-full of catchy, award-winning tunes for the entire family! In their latest adventure, planet Goopda sends URR the alien back to earth to help Emilia and her friends save beautiful Kokowanda Bay. Soon the two are rocking their way through the three Rs (recycling, reducing, and reusing). Sing and dance along as the duo learns how to heal the world by working together.
Ruth and Emilia have garnered many prestigious awards, including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the Creative Child Magazine’s CD of the Year Award, the NAPPA Award, Grand Prize in the Clouzine International Music Awards, and Grand Prize in the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.