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These reviews by Fred Koch appeared in the February, 2002 issue of "Chicago Parent Magazine."
Reviewed in this column:
I Can Be Me - Jennifer Armstrong
Celebrate Kids - Craig Taubman
Mind Games - Chuck Webb
These reviews by Fred Koch appeared in the February, 2002 issue of "Chicago Parent Magazine." Reviewed in this column:
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| The Armstrong family was one of the first local musical families I became
aware of when I moved to Chicago. With their Celtic-American roots, George
and Gerry Armstrong collected and shared the folk music they loved so dearly,
and their daughters, Rebecca and Jennifer, often performed together. I've
been a fan of theirs since then.
Jennifer Armstrong, an accomplished musician and storyteller, recently released a wonderful children's music CD, I Can Be Me, (HearthSong Studio, 2001). Her voice is crystal clear, smooth and inviting, and her musicianship is outstanding as she effortlessly goes from playing the banjo to the fiddle, guitar and Scottish bagpipes. The musical production also is exceptional; some of the arrangements are sparse and intimate, while others are orchestrated with a full array of musicians. Armstrong's terrific song choices make it obvious that she is spending lots of time performing for and working with young children. The recording is a mix of her original songs along with age-appropriate, traditional pieces--some familiar, some more obscure--that she has collected over the years. She starts out with a welcoming "Hello" song that invites listeners to sing along. Next is the title track, "I Can Be Me," a somewhat shopworn theme that nonetheless sounds fresh and sincere. One of my favorite tunes is "Cornish Floral Dance," a fanciful piece that Armstrong learned from her parents when she was a child. The song spotlights a variety of musical instruments. She wrote two new verses and is accompanied by some great musicians playing the cornet, clarinet, flute, trombone, euphonium, cello, bass drum, bassoon and contra bassoon. Armstrong sings and plays the fiddle. My 1st-graders love her jazzy version of "Head and Shoulders Baby, 1-2-3," a song popularized by Ella Jenkins, which Armstrong sings to the lone accompaniment of a walking acoustic bass. Armstrong's creativity shines in her clever crafting of several nice medleys, my favorite of which is "(Put Your) Finger In The Air/One Day One Foot." There are 17 eclectic folk-inspired songs on this CD geared for 3- to 7-year-olds. Let's hope for another collection from Jennifer Armstrong soon. For purchasing information, visit www.jenniferarmstrong.com or call 800-943-7664. Go Back to Top One of my favorite children's music veterans is Craig Taubman. He has just released the fourth CD in his Celebrate series, Celebrate Kids (Craig 'n Co., 2001). The new release is a compilation of 14 songs from popular Jewish musicians including Jon Nelson, Debbie Friedman, Julie Silver, Rick Recht, Taubman and others. The purpose of the Celebrate series is to create a music library of great Jewish songs for the entire family and to share Jewish values and traditions. Other Celebrate titles include Celebrate Hanukkah, Celebrate Shabbat and Celebrate Passover. The strength of all these compilations lies in the quality of the artists Taubman chooses and the values their songs convey. One song on Celebrate Kids, "A Vision We Share," will go a long way to help the CD gain a wider audience. It is performed by Visions, a young and very talented female vocal trio. Set to a funky pop groove, the singers' tight harmonies shine as they sing: "There's a vision, a vision we share/ In our hearts, in our prayers/ Do you say 'good morning' when you're on your way?/ Do you smile and think about all the nice things you can do each day?/ Are you in love with love and all life has to give?/ This is what we think about: the way we want to live." It's a wonderful message for children. The song also has all the ingredients of a pop hit: a catchy and memorable melody, strong lyrics and a danceable pop beat. I plan to share this song with my 4th grade music students soon. Other mainstream artists contribute delightful songs, too. Standouts include "Shalom" performed by Nelsongs, "Aleph Bet Boogie" by Rabbi Joe Black, and Taubman's "Piece of the Dream." Celebrate Kids is an all-ages recording that is as entertaining as it is educational--another hit for Taubman. For more information, visit www.celebrateseries.com or call 818-760-1077. Go Back to Top Mind Games (Earth Tone Enterprises, 2001), produced by Chicagoan Chuck Webb, is an exciting new CD with what Webb calls an "educational hip hop" approach. He has taken the musical styles kids like best--pop and hip hop--and hired some of the freshest new singers and rappers to perform songs that help reinforce classroom subjects. In addition to being a composer, musician, producer and performer, Webb is also a husband and father of three young children. Having spent two years homeschooling his own children, he became increasingly aware of the need for innovative and fun educational materials for 6- to 12-year-olds. While commercial radio features more and more pop and rap music glamorizing drug use, sex, violence and materialism, Webb seeks to provide pop and hip-hop music that will inspire and educate children. Presented with the same emotion and intensity as the music your children are hearing on the radio, Mind Games brings the funk to "The Homonym Game," "The Continents," "Verbs," "Punctuation," "Adjectives," "Funky Fractions" and "The Metric System." There is also a song for Internet surfers, "Rock The Net," as well as the inspirational "Open The Door," designed to encourage kids to study and feel good about their academic excellence. Webb has also developed an activity workbook for parents and teachers, which can be ordered separately. The workbook includes crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank activities, word matches, group activities and helpful ideas about how to use the Mind Games CD as a teaching tool. If you are having trouble relating to your child's interest in rappers and their hip-hop style, Mind Games just might become your common ground. For more information about Chuck Webb and Mind Games, visit www.etemusic.com or call 773-363-0105. Go Back to Top Thanks for reading and be sure to let me know your thoughts about my reviews. My e-mail address is fred@bestchildrensmusic.com. Fred Koch is an award-winning music educator and a nationally recognized children's musician. His new children's music website, www.BestChildrensMusic.com, provides recommendations and information about selecting quality children's music, as well as access to past Chicago Parent reviews. Koch lives in Lake Bluff with his wife and son. Go Back to Top |