Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and NORAD is tracking his every move

'Santa Claus' CC.2.0

For more than 50 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its predecessor, Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa Claus on his Christmas Eve flight, providing Santa, his reindeer, and sleigh, safe and unimpeded air space over North America and Canada, while sharing information with children about Santa’s minute-by-minute progress around the globe.

 

NORAD is staffed by the good folks who keep our skies safe, 24 hours a day, seven days week with radar and intercept aircraft, and this time of year they also invite you to their NORAD Tracks Santa web site where you can keep an eye on Santa’s Christmas flight right along with them in real time.

At the NORAD site, children, parents and caregivers will see video images from the “Santa Cams” that have been pre-positioned around the world to catch glimpses of Santa, the reindeer and his sleigh.

You’ll also track Santa by downloading a free application of Google Earth, available from the NORAD web site, as well as following Santa's progress on NORAD’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

NORAD provides some fun and games during the countdown at "Santa’s Village," where you click on any shop in the village, and find an interesting activity that is inside each of the different buildings.

There are also special pages where you’ll see and hear Santa read the Night Before Christmas in a pre-recorded video, and learn lots of interesting facts about the big guy in red, everything from his sleigh’s technical data to how he gets down a chimney.

For Santa skeptics there is even a page where you can listen to the reading of a real letter, which was written to a newspaper in 1897 by eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, questioning the existence of Santa, and hear the newspaper editor’s touching and thoughtful reply.

Information about appropriate “Santa Snacks” to leave out for the main man, and pages about NORAD – "why" they track Santa and details on how the tracking is actually done are available.

The NORAD Tracks Santa website is a non-profit organization funded solely through corporate donations, and is fully staffed by an all-volunteer crew who love children, Christmas, and honor the memory of Colonel Harry Shoup, (Retired) USAF, who by serendipity in 1955, became NORAD’s very first Santa Tracker.

While you and your little one are waiting for Santa, below is this year’s adorable video pick, “Santa and Baby (Santa’s Little Helper Song)” by award-winning songwriter, performer and educator, Debbie Cavalier and her band Debbie and Friends.

Cavalier’s YouTube channel explains: "Baby" is a little dog with big dreams! She wants to be Santa's little helper and her friend "Lady" helps make that dream come true.

The groove is inspired by the Spin Doctors (Yeah!) ! The story is inspired by one of the cutest dogs we've ever met named Baby. And, the message for this Christmas song is about giving, helping friends, and taking steps to make your dreams come true.”

Since 2009, this post, which originally appeared in my column on Examiner.com, has become a tradition with my readers, and it was once again my pleasure to bring it you, dusting it off a bit and providing some updates along with this year’s very special cartoon video from Debbie and Friends. 

It is my hope that this is shared with the child or children who are important in your life. 

With very best wishes for the happiest of holidays and a New Year filled with many blessings to you and yours. 

I will be back in the first week of the New Year with a very special announcement.

Debbie and Friends Presents: ‘Learning to Play Piano for the Very Young’

'Learning to Play the Piano for the Very Young'

Debbie Cavalier is one of those rare multi-talented music industry hyphenates: Her performances with her award-winning kids/family band Debbie and Friends rank her as one of the top children’s music artists in the nation; she is an educator and Dean of Continuing Education at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston; a seasoned producer of DVDs, and a prolific author who has penned more than one hundred music education publications and arrangements. Cavalier’s latest project, Learning to Play Music for the Very Young is a wonderful and entertaining method for introducing the joys of music making to a child.

Geared to be the perfect pre-primer for preschoolers, Cavalier created Learning to Play Piano for the Very Young with her grandfather, noted arranger/composer Marty Gold, who was an A & R man for RCA in the ‘50s and ‘60s and recorded dozens of records with the Marty Gold Orchestra. Gold was also Cavalier’s first music teacher when taught her how to play piano.

Cavalier says, “Learning To Play Piano is a readiness method for the parent and child to experience together. It prepares kids for further study with a piano teacher using any of the commercially-available methods.”

The pre-primer method book is filled with active participatory activities: writing in note names, tracing hands, writing in finger numbers, clapping, singing and playing melodies.

There is a pullout “Keyboard Tent” that is included, which provides a fun visual reference to associate notes on the page to keys on the piano.

Children learn to play familiar melodies such as “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Jingle Bells” with their right hand and gain the readiness skills needed to graduate to any commercially available piano method.

The full-color book is filled with words of encouragement and praise from familiar Debbie and Friends cartoon characters.

Cavalier says, “The melodies are familiar, so there’s immediate satisfaction as kids learn to play songs they know.” She adds, “Parents don’t have to be trained musicians to enjoy working through the material with their child from start to finish.” 

Learning To Play Piano for the Very Young is available from  Debbie and Friends Music ($9.95) and from various retailers.

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

‘PlayingGuitar’ by Petr Kratochvil

This week’s "Musical Notes" covers some of the best live performances available for the Father’s Day holiday weekend, along with introducing you to some really fun music on CD, DVD and online video.

LIVE PERFORMANCES AND ENTERTAINING EVENTS

THE DIRTY SOCK FUNTIME BAND: Kraft Great Kids Hoopla at Ravina

Your kids have loved their performances on Nick Jr. channel’s Jack’s Big Music Show, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band makes a return visit to The Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois as part of the Kraft Great Kid Series.

Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.
200 Ravinia Park Road., Highland Park, Illinois.
Gates open at 11:00 a.m. for pre-concert activities with Kraft’s cultural partners from the Chicagoland area.

ENTRANCE TO THE PARK IS FREE
With FREE Lawn seating for the performance (limit 6 per household).- OR- $10 reserved Pavilion seating for the performance only.

EVENT NOTES:
“Known as the highest energy kids’ rock band ever to break out of NYC, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band was voted “Best Kids’ Band” by readers of Time Out NY Kids.”

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band’s show offers families a big helping of energizing musical interactive fun that includes instrumentals, singing, dancing and lots of comedy – all designed to literally pull you into the action.


 “According to MTV’s Evan James, the DSFB plays “some of the most innovative and exciting children’s music EVER.”  CNN described them as “distinguished by rocking beats combined with silly, visual lyrics (think Muppets take MTV).”

For more information phone 847-266-5100 or follow this link.

The band has also released a CD, Sock-A-Delic, and their first DVD, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, which provides as much fun for kids as their live performances. 

Both CD and DVD are perfect for children ages 2 to 8 and are filled with smart lyrics, energizing rock-solid music, performed effortlessly in styles that range from rock to funk and even country and western.

“Their DVD also includes live action comedy, animated videos, and puppetry, plus interactive dance-a-longs and sing-a-longs, to capture and maintain kids’ interest. The DVD is filled with a stunning array of music videos and also includes three pilot episodes for The Dirty Sock Funtime Band TV series.”

The CD, Sock-A-Delic is now online at the artists' website, and through amazon.com, and iTunes, where you can sound sample all tracks from this 39-minute album. Suggested retail price is $9.99.

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band DVD carries a suggested retail price $15.00 and is packaged with bonus 7-song EP, Missing Socks. The DVD is available exclusively through the artists' website.

To give you an idea as to why Dirty Sock is called a “Funtime Band,” take a look at their video clip titled “Baby Spies.” It’s not only fun – it’s adorable.

Clearwater's Great Hudson River Festival Revival

Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, 19, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $60.00 per person to $140.00 for a weekend pass. Children under 12 are FREE.

EVENT NOTES:
“The Great Hudson River Revival (Clearwater Festival) - founded by Pete Seeger, is Clearwater's annual music and environmental festival and fundraiser - features a wide spectrum of family-fun activities: world-renowned musical artists over multiple stages; superb storytellers and entertainers; a World Dance Tent; a Green Living Expo; a working waterfront complete with rides on tall ships and small boats, including the historic sloop Clearwater; a juried crafts fair, market place, and food court; and a Circle of Song open to audience participation, all taking place in a beautiful riverfront park with wheelchair accessibility and staffed by American Sign Language interpreters.”

A wonderful lineup of artists on the Family Stage includes such favorites as: Elizabeth Mitchell; Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion; Pete Seeger; Bari Koral and more. 

For additional information and tickets, please follow this link.


Miss Amy and Her Big Kids Band at the Firefly Festival

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Festival runs from - 4:00 p.m. to -9:00 p.m.

Terhune Orchards

330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08540

Performances at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

FREE

EVENT NOTES:

“Fireflies are an "electrifying" part of summer. To celebrate this exciting event, enjoy an evening of nature, music, wagon rides, outdoor fun and, of course, the whole farm for firefly hunting! Our education coordinator Elaine Madigan and other staff will talk about firflies, using hands on materials, crafts activities, and games. There will be $5.00 charge for crafts activities. Schafer's Gymnastics demonstrate the "Art of Flying" techniques and help children through a mini obstacle course. Firefly story time will be held in the barn throughout the festival. Musical entertainment by Miss Amy and her Big Kids Band. 

Hungry? You'll find lots of goodies available at Pam's Firefly Tent: grilled chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, pie, apple cider, donuts, cookies, apples and more! Pony rides and wagon rides through the farm and orchards will be available all evening. Evryone wear your wings! Come and enjoy a flickering, flying, fun evening on the farm.”

For more information, 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/

Baby Loves Disco – The Tour Continues

Saturday June 18, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.
Tucson Mall – Center Court

4500 North Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona 85705

(520) 293-7330

FREE


 
Sunday June 19, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
7000 North Resort Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85750
$15.00 per person or 4 for $50.00

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.

FREE AND FUN

All rights reserved by Debbie and Friends

Children’s favorite, Debbie Cavalier, noted for her engaging live performances, award-winning CDs and rib-ticking animated story-songs DVDs, has just a released another Debbie and Friends cartoon – a “Manga/anime flavored addition” – “Wendell” by Debbie and Friends. Be sure to share the fun with your child.