Musical Notes: Music industry news and releases for children and teens

‘PlayingGuitar’ by Petr Kratochvil

Welcome to another edition of “Musical Notes.” This week’s post covers news of super star Mary J. Blige’s recording for Dreamworks upcoming feature film, THE  HELP; live events and performances in Florida and California and the latest release from award-winning musician Joanie Leeds. Also featured are adorable music videos to share with your child from Princess Katie & Racer Steve, and a special Flag Day Celebration from Didipop.

NEWS

Super star Mary J. Blige records original song for upcoming feature ‘The Help’

DreamWorks Pictures and Geffen Records announced that multiple Grammy® Award–winning recording artist Mary J. Blige wrote and recorded an original song for the soundtrack of DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media’s THE HELP, a film based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name, opening in theaters August 12, 2011.

“The Help” soundtrack - music from the motion picture, will feature the original song from Mary J Blige “The Living Proof.”  The soundtrack, from Interscope Records, will be available Tuesday, July 26 at select Starbucks locations.

The song, “The Living Proof,” was written and recorded by Blige especially for THE HELP after she saw a screening of the film, which takes place in 1960s-era Mississippi and chronicles the journey of three very different women who come together and embark on a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. “The beautiful thing about these women is that they were very smart,” says Blige. “They chose to walk in love and forgiveness.”

The film celebrates the courage to inspire change; “To speak to so many women with this song means a lot to me” says Blige. “I wanted to be involved with this film, because I think we need to encourage each other more, we are here to tell a story.”

Blige has received 9 Grammy® Awards and four American Music Awards as well as recorded eight multi-platinum albums. Mary J. Blige has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and her next album "My Life Too....The Journey Continues" will be released Sept 20, 2011. 

In the video below, Mary J. Blige discusses her recording “The Living Proof.”

LIVE PERFORMANCES AND ENTERTAINING EVENTS

Baby Loves Disco

Baby Loves Disco

Friday, June 10, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.
Don Cesar Beach Resort, A Loews Hotel
3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, Florida 33706
$15 per person or 4 for $50

Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.
Seminole Towne Center
200 Towne Center Circle, Sanford, Florida 32771

FREE*

Sunday, June 12, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Loews Miami Beach
1601 Collins Avenue, Miami, Florida 33139
$20 per person or 4 for $60

EVENT NOTES:

“Families are invited to join the Baby Loves Disco Nation, to dance, play, savor healthy snacks and generally enjoy good times with family and friends. Parents and kids are invited to dress up as their favorite superheroes, or come just as they are. For daily updates on the Tour, visit Baby Loves Disco's pages on Facebook and Twitter.  

Each event of the tour rocks with special guest superhero DJs and MCs, dance instruction, big video screens, super contests and surprises at every turn.  At its core, each event retains the patented mix of Baby Loves Disco magic that has helped connect a worldwide community of moms, dads and kids of all nations, of all colors and all walks of life, all in the name of dance (and fun!).”

For more information or to purchase tickets, please follow this link.

Pasta: A Pop-Ups Musical Adventure

Electric Lodge Performance Space
1416 Electric Ave., Venice, California , 90291

Wednesday, June 15 through Thursday, June 30, 2011

Performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays are at 11:00 a.m.
 

Friday, June 17 through Sunday, July 3, 2011

Performances on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are at 11:00 a.m. and at 3:00 p.m.

Admission: $15.00 per person

EVENT NOTES:

Join kids’ rockers Jacob Stein and Jason Rabinowitz as they treat young audiences (ages 2 and up) to an educational and comic musical adventure, taking children through the magical land of Brooklyn - with the audience's help. The Pop Ups will search for the ingredients to make the best locally sourced pasta sauce ever, so prepare for a high-energy live act involving life-drawing, dance-beats, colorful puppets, animals, trains, guitar riffs, mermaids, gardens, instruments, vegetables, sparkles, and rocking interactive dance numbers that will catapult kids out of their seats guaranteeing a good time for everyone. You’ll be entertained with their rocking music from their critically acclaimed CD “Outside Voices.”

For more information phone 1-800-838-3006 or visit this link to purchase tickets/

CD’s

JOANIE LEEDS & THE NIGHTLIGHTS: WHAT A ZOO!

   WITH GUEST ARTIST SECRET AGENT 23 SKIDOO

Joanie Leeds, 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award-winner for her hit album I’m a Rock Star, offers a solid line-up of kid and parent-pleasing songs in her newest album release: What a Zoo!
 
A delightful musical menagerie of rockin’ tunes, expertly sung , covering a wide variety of animal critters, from mosquitoes to clams, blue whale to ‘Tofurky;’ all with clever lyrics - some embedded with important messages like remembering to look both ways when you cross the street.

Leeds is expertly joined with her band, The Nightlights, and guest artist Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.

The 37-minute CD, offers ten originals compositions and four cover tunes, including time –tested favorites, “Wimoweh” and “Froggy Went A Courtin.”

What a Zoo! is available online through the artist’s website, where you can listen to sound samples, and is also avaiable through amazon.com, cdbaby.com, and at specialty toy and bookstores across the country.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Here’s a music video to make you and your child smile, “Sand in My Sandwich” – from Princess Katie & Racer Steve’s CD, Tiny Cool!

Katie says, “We certainly had a lot of laughs making it and hope kids get a kick out of it.”

And now another treat to share with the child in your life, a music video that salutes Flag Day from Deborah Poppink a/k/a Didipop.

Deborah says, “I've always liked Flag Day, so I created this music video to explain the history of June 14th. Happy Birthday Old Glory!”