Easter is just around the corner and you know what that means? Jelly beans! Oh man, do I love jelly beans. It’s probably bordering on obsession. If I could have jelly beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner I would! And don’t even get me started on the sneaky and enticing ways Jelly Belly draws you in with their special recipes. But, I’m a grown-up, and I suppose I know better….sometimes.
On the other hand, listening to a song about jelly beans is healthy for everyone, which is why I am very pleased to premiere the latest single by Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips.
Rollin’ in with a candy-bluesy-’lectro-pop ’n’ rock anthem, MCJ and his sensational sidekick Miss Ava Flava save you a trip to the candy store with this delicious, sugar-coated jive for your eardrums.
Flavor with a lotta soul. Nothing like the POW from some candy coated rock ’n’ roll.
So yummy yumaliscious in my tummy-tum-tummy. Kawaii — so cute, like a bunny-bun-bunny. If jelly beans were canines, they’d be a pug-puppy.
‘Nuff said…
“Jelly Beans!” can be purchased through the Bandcamp widget below.
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo’s 2014 Grammy nominated release rode in on the wave of encouraging kids to be themselves. This empowering proposition has been the underpinning of Skidoo’s genesis as a kids’ musician.
Throughout his career, Skidoo has been a staunch advocate of embracing your quirks, standing proud and tall and being who you are. His expressive style of encouraging kids to show their natural, bold colors is complemented well with the tonal choices made by North Carolina-based artist, John Hairston, Jr.
Hairston, jr. is a fine art painter who often captures the juxtaposition of beauty and oddity. The images that appear throughout The Perfect Quirk packaging are unique for a kids’ album cover, and together with the music make a cohesive package. Skidoo is a kid hop artist and pays respect to the hip hop genre by including elements such as his graffiti tagged name, and the third eye of the boy on the back cover.
Emily carried this CD around for weeks completely fascinated by the metamorphic characteristics of the kids, especially the boy with the third eye. She was intrigued and wanted to know what the reasoning was behind the choices made for the cover. Seeing the peculiar images piqued her curiosity and imagination over and over again which ultimately enhance her listening experience.
“The kids and parents all represent a mutation towards higher consciousness. The boy is spiritual, with a 3rd eye representing higher awareness. The girl has antennae, representing alien or intergalactic consciousness. The mother is multi-armed, riffing off Hindu deities and the Dad has angel wings. The race is supposed to be a futuristic mix of all races, when racism has been put down and everybody gets with everybody. The skin color, hairstyle, face and eye shape, etc.” Continue reading →
Vered Benhorinis a musician and music therapist living in Brooklyn. She runs groups with parents and babies on bonding through music. Her album, Good Morning My Love, won the Gold Parents’ Choice Award and the Gold NAPPA award. Vered’s biggest inspiration and fellow songwriters are her two sons, ages 4 and 1. Learn more about Vered at Baby In Tune.
Below Vered shares inspiration and experiences that contribute to her art. You will also find some excellent techniques which you can easily put into play. As you follow these steps, while listening to Vered’s beautiful voice, you will immediately feel and see how it fosters a tender loving bond between you and your little bundle of joy.
Some people feel completely comfortable singing with their babies from day one. I wasn’t one of those people. I remember watching my husband sing tenderly to our first son while cradling him in the middle of the night. It was the idyllic picture I had always imagined I would make with my baby.
As a musician and music therapist, I was sure singing with my son would come naturally. Instead, I found myself constantly nursing, pumping and bottle feeding. I was sleep deprived, in shock and uncomfortable. It took me quite a while to let music seep into my routine with my baby, but when it did, it felt like the sun had finally shone through the clouds.
I realized that when I sang with my son, when we danced and made music together, I felt particularly connected with him. He often smiled at the sound of a song, which in turn made me want to sing more. Eventually, Icombined my professional training and my experience as a parent and began leading groups to help other parents and their babies connect through music.
Here are some of the tips that I have found to be especially helpful to parents who would like to incorporate music but don’t know how or why. Some, like me, just need a little reminder about the power of music and a little nudge to help the inner music flow out.
1. Use music to establish your daily routine. Typically, the toughest challenge for the parents in my groups is creating a routine for their babies. During these rough patches, it is helpful to keep in mind that babies are much like dogs; they are trainable and crave routine. Similar to Pavlov’s dogs, babies respond well to having cues, especially auditory ones, that signal the next event. Try singing or putting on a song to let your baby know that it is morning, bath time, nap time or bedtime. If you are consistent with your use of these songs, your baby will come to associate a song with the action that follows and will be more prepared for the next step in the daily routine. For example, you may find that eventually your baby will start to rub her eyes at the first sound of the familiar lullaby.
2. Repeat! Repeat! I am sure you have already heard that consistency with your baby is key to giving him a sense of security. Singing is an effective way to use repetition because songs organize words and melody in a way that is easily replicated and familiar. This is different from talking, which also involves song-like inflections but usually does not use the same type of repetition. If you sing the same songs over and over with your baby each day, you will probably start to see delight in his or her eyes at the start of these songs. In the baby’s world where everything is new, a well-known song sung by a caretaker gives a sense of control and familiarity.
3. Rhythm is your friend. Babies love rhythm. From the womb they have been moving around to the rhythm of their mother’s steps and hearing her heart beat. Rhythm is a great tool to use for play, and even more so, for soothing. You may have had nights of trying to soothe your baby back to sleep by rocking in the rocking chair, bouncing on the ball or bouncing the baby in your arms. Adding music to the rhythm of your rocking or bouncing will not only lull your baby to sleep more quickly but also will make this process much more interesting for you. Imagine it: You are bouncing, hoping the baby will fall asleep soon and thinking about the sleep you would rather be having. If you add in a song and move to the rhythm, you are not only distracting yourself from these thoughts, but you also may even enjoy these moments with your baby. More important, you will be increasing your stamina for rocking, and by the time you have sung the song twice, your baby might be asleep.
4. Incorporate music with hand gestures and body movements. There is a reason that songs such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” are timeless hits. For babies, the hand gestures that accompany these songs are like puppet shows. Babies begin to associate gestures with the melody and anticipate them. Try incorporating singing, movement and touch when playing with your baby. You will notice your baby’s delight at being moved around.
5. Why say it when you can sing it? Babies have been shown to respond more to the sound of their mother singing than to the sound of her talking. Although researchers are not sure why, they speculate that it may be because singing carries more emotion. Most of us have heard that it is important to talk to babies throughout the day to help them build their language skills. Although you might feel awkward narrating your every move, you might find creating simple songs about what you’re doing to be more enjoyable for both you and your baby. It doesn’t take much thought to begin improvising; just be goofy and sing what comes to the top of your head. If you find that you’re having a hard time opening the musical floodgates, find a music group for you and your baby. Perhaps all you need is a little coaxing.
The most important point is that your baby does not care if you can’t carry a tune. He or she just wants to sing with you, smile, have fun,feel that you are enjoying yourself, too, and feel secure. Just like the baby pictures that your baby will go back to as a grown-up, your baby will also remember the songs that you sang together because they will have had a joyous, bonding and soothing effect. And most likely, someday your baby will sing these songs to his or her baby as well.
EdieCarey & Sarah Sample join forces to bring this gorgeous lullaby album to life. Their hauntingly beautiful harmonies create a soothing atmosphere for new parents and their little ones. The duo’s hushed lullabies are full of emotion that will swell your heart. Each song delivers a special kind of comfort and poignancy that matches the deeply tender expression between the maternal figure and her infant.
The alluring illustration was done by Caitlin Connolly, a Utah-based artist who explores the human experience, with an emphasis on women in different life phases. In this piece, Connolly exhibits thoughtful detail and subtle textures using curves and lines that, together, create an intimate scene and an intensity that is palpable.
In her personal statement, Connolly expresses:
“My work often explores the feminine experience as I attempt to understand myself and all women more fully and view them the way I see them – powerful yet flawed.”
When I first saw the album art, I was flooded with memories, recalling the potent range of emotions I felt as a new mother. However, after hearing Carey and Sample share their raw, personal experiences, I was compelled to look even further at Connolly’s design.
Sample explains,
“I have known Caitlin Connolly for many years and watched her art and drawings evolve over time. She seems to have settled into her artistry in a deep and beautiful way, often drawing women and life phases they are in. I had seen one of her drawings entitled “A Piece of Me” and was immediately struck by the beauty of the image of mother and baby.
The mother in the drawing is wearing a dress that is fractured into many small pieces. The baby is wrapped in her dress, and the mother is tenderly looking down into the face of her child. I identified with the mother in the drawing. I was living in Seattle when I had my first child six years ago, and the transition required to become a parent was rough to say the least. I was enamored with my beautiful baby, and yet I felt like I was falling apart at the same time. Caitlin’s image perfectly captured the fracturing I felt in my own life as a mother, and yet at the same time showed a mother’s love.’
“When Sarah showed me Caitlin’s incredible work, I was immediately taken with it, and it just felt like the perfect image for the soothing, healing, intimate feeling of the record. The mother’s fractured dress spoke to me as it did Sarah of all the difficulty of breaking down the “you” you once were to remake yourself into a mother. It also reminded me of the struggle my husband and I went through to become parents. Infertility has been – and continues to be – the most difficult experience I’ve ever had – and while it brought with it feelings of being broken, it also has made me more grateful than I might have been otherwise to finally have gotten the chance to be a mother – and all the beauty and struggle that comes with that privilege. Caitlin seems to just understand and convey all the complexity of those feelings in her work.
Lisa Mathews, of the kindie band Milkshake, was recently a guest DJ on the Hilltown Family Variety Show, an incredible online network that supports education through community engagement, where she curated a playlist centered around love and social consciousness. Lisa’s music pics featured kindie such as Brady Rymer, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Recess Monkey, as well as adult artists such as The Beatles, Adele, and Sly and the Family Stone. She even features a song written in 1930 from the movie The Moderns, which is one of Emily’s favorites in the bunch!
Altogether, the podcast signifies that love is multi-faceted, and the way we give and receive it impacts how we relate to one another. I really enjoyed listening to Lisa and thought it would be great to hear more of her thoughts on the topic of love in light of the upcoming holiday.
In today’s guest post, Lisa writes about how much she loves Valentine’s Day, creating love songs with her previous band Love Riot, and watching her teenage daughter experience love firsthand. Lisa’s thoughts really resonated with me as a mother and a music lover. I know that Emily will have her own experiences with love in the same way as Lisa’s daughter. But, as Lisa says below, “maybe she’ll write a song about it, and listen to other songs that will help her through.” And I plan to be there listening to the music with her.
Milkshake will be performing a Valentine’s Spectacular show in Maryland with all kinds of fun activities and sweet treats. Plus, if you aren’t familiar with Milkshake’s music, I encourage you to listen to the links below, and check out the band’s music page. Lisa’s voice is bee-u-tee-ful!
Details about the show which will benefit Arts On Stage, a nonprofit that brings arts performances into schools, can be found following the post.
VALENTINE’S DAY MUSING
I love Valentine’s Day. I love all holidays, but having one more reason to tell someone “I Love You” sounds good to me. I love the heart-shaped boxes. And even though I can’t eat chocolate (woe is me), I love gazing at the different chocolate pieces and wondering what’s inside them, how they taste. I love the idea behind all those sweetheart candies, too. I pick out my favorites like “Sweet Love,” “My Love,” “Hug Me” and “Only You.” Nowadays, the candies say things like “Text Me” or “Tweet Me.” Love’s gone digital, for sure.
But perhaps what I love most of all are the love songs. They remind me that love itself is so multi-dimensional. Happy love songs, sad love songs, songs of longing, songs of leaving. Before Milkshake, Mikel and I fronted a band for adults called Love Riot and we wrote nothing but love songs. It was amazing to me how we never seemed to run out of ideas. Maybe it wasn’t so unlimited as the topics we’ve discovered writing songs for kids, but emotionally, there was probably more to our love songs. The songs reflected what I or my friends were going through, and perhaps being in love is more of an adult thing. I wrote “I Love You” as a lullaby for my daughter, but that’s certainly different from romantic love. Now, she’s a beautiful 14-year-old and I see hints of romantic pining. I don’t look forward to her first breakup, which could be a painful thing. But maybe she’ll write a song about it, and listen to other songs that will help her through.
So how will Milkshake – the band that celebrates most holidays with a big show somewhere – celebrate Valentine’s Day when the majority of our songs deal with imagination and play and doing the right thing? Well, we did record “I Love You” and “Enemies” for our Great Day CD, which skews a bit older, listener-wise. And we added a Milkshake version of the classic “Tiptoe Thru the Tulips” on our latest Got a Minute CD. But that’s about it in the love song department. We’ll do all three for sure, tossing rose petals at our little friends. Moo will pass out chocolate kisses and candy hearts, and we’ll all be giving out unlimited hugs after the show.
People can donate their unloved instruments to Music4More, who will find them loving homes at schools and communities. There will be face-painted hearts and cherubs for anyone who wants them, and our friends at Macaroni Kids will make paper valentines with the concert-goers. So while there might not be a lot of love songs, there will certainly be a lot of love. The concert benefits Arts On Stage, a non-profit that lovingly creates art performances for schools. Sounds like a great way to start my Valentine’s Day. After saying “I Love You” to my husband, daughter, cat, dog and life first, of course.
Imagine, for a moment, strolling barefoot through a lush grassy meadow. As the first light hits your face you are instantly caressed by its warmth. The joy that comes from bathing in that moment describes the feeling I get when listening to Suz Slezak sing. Her gentle voice tenderly radiates warmth and peace.
Slezak’s solo debut, Watching the Nighttime Come, was originally written for friends who are also young parents. As a lullaby album it does it’s job of providing soothing ambient sounds that are perfect for, as Suz explains, “anyone that just needs some chilling out in their life.” I can definitely relate to this, and actually found myself mostly playing this album after my daughter was asleep as a way to help me unwind and reflect on my own day.
Watching the Nighttime Come was started while Slezak was pregnant and finished after she had a babe in her arms. As someone who seeks a creative outlet while trying to balance my responsibilities as a mom, I greatly admire Slezak’s dedication to herself as an artist.
The collection of songs on the album present a nice blend of originals and classics, some with vocals and some that are simply instrumental which make for nice, fluid transitions. There are also some cultural songs such as “Caballito Blanco,” a Mexican lullaby which features Slezak’s husband, David Wax, singing in harmony with her. One of my favorites, “Leather Winged Bat,” a well known English Folk Song, is actually an uptempo song, adding some buoyancy to the collection.
Another talent of Slezak’s is the fiddle, which she plays in the acclaimed indie-folk band David Wax Museum. We get to hear a bit of her magic in “Jessie’s Waltz,” an instrumental track showcasing the stringed instrument’s gorgeous and contemplative sounds. “Jessie’s Waltz” echoes the graceful, gliding movement of an actual waltz. I enjoyed taking my daughter’s hands and slowly dancing with her. She loves this song and at times she would close her eyes as she danced like a ballerina, feeling the music. It’s an intimate song that would also be wonderful to hum to a sleepy infant while smoothly sliding around as you cradle them in your arms.
Watching the Nighttime Come is officially released tomorrow, February 10, 2015. You can sample several songs, and get an up close and personal look at their touring van, through Slezak’s Pledge Music site.
In honor of the album’s official release, you can stream “Where Did You Come From,” (the album’s first song) through the Soundcloud widget below. As you listen to this track and experience the remaining 9 tracks on this album, you will quickly discover what a treasure it is, for you, for your family, and for your friends, as its meant to be.
Slezak will be playing a bunch of CD Release shows leading up to Valentine’s Day. For more information, check out the David Wax Museum website and follow Suz Slezak on Facebook.
I love album art! Since I was a child, I have been obsessed with the imagery that accompanies music. Two art forms in one package has always been a source of wonder. Getting a new record, taking in the smell of fresh pressed vinyl, and examining the cover was just as exciting as dropping the needle and hearing the crackle and pop.
LP jackets adorned our walls as though they were installations in a gallery, and with each one I would spend a considerable amount of time examining the art, wondering why a specific image had been chosen, what inspiration and story lay behind it, and how it represented the music within.
As music is increasingly consumed digitally, album art is at risk of becoming an afterthought. There are still many musicians, however, who are taking the time to ensure that their music has a visually distinctive identity. In the children’s genre many kindie artists are preserving the novelty by releasing a complementary LP version of their album while others are beefing up their album packages with informational booklets, and DVDs.
The graphic at the top of this post shows a sampling of albums from 2014 that caught my eye. As you glance at this collection, you’ll immediately notice what a diverse array of artwork it is! I feel so fortunate to be a part of such a talented community of artists and musicians, each working hard to create a lasting multi-sensory impression.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be talking with musicians and artists, gaining and sharing insight into the creative process that led to the final packaging you see today. If you’re a music fan, a fan of art, or simply a collector of interesting artifacts, I hope you’ll join me in learning about the “other half” of the album…. the one you see, but never hear.
Today (January 30, 2015) our family is celebrating a big birthday. Though it’s not the double digit kind, it’s enough of a number to give me a little pit in my stomach as I think about just how big my little girl has gotten. We are officially starting to count birthdays on two hands! At 6-years-old, she is as vibrant, imaginative, and as humorous as ever. She is the reason I started writing about kids’ music and a huge part of what drives me to continue on. She has taught me to look at life from so many different angles, and really listen to its music.
When Em started school this year, it was Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chipswho helped me get through her first day, and now, with perfect timing, they’re back to help us celebrate another special event with their latest single “H.B.D., Dude,” a totally radical “surfalicious-birthday-rock-n-rap for the inner child!”
Imagine you were sitting in a dimly lit cafe at a small round table with a single frosted votive flickering. The stage is but a shadow awaiting its wake up call.
Suddenly, a spotlight’s wide owl eye shines in the center of the curtain, the music strikes up, and out comes the brightest smile you’ve ever seen. Your heart is warmed and you feel your own smile widen as the lovely lady in front of you begins to sing.
Meet Lucy Kalantari, a New York-based singer-songwriter who has a dazzling voice reminiscent of notables like Bessie Smith, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.
Kalantari’s debut children’s EP, Pockets full of Joy, captures the spirit of the Roaring Twenties with 6 ukulele ditties that express the elation and humor found in parenting. Each song reflects an observation or emotion, both from the point of view of a parent and of a child, though the songs could easily stand on their own and be enjoyed with a loved one of any age.
Pockets Full of Joy opens with the title track, which expresses the enchantment you feel when you are around that special someone who melts (or swells) your heart with a smile or warm embrace.
“The Only Thing” enlivens the ecstatic effects of true love with heartfelt lyrics:
Celebrating life with you Grateful for the things you do Falling in your loving arms Greeted by your graceful charm I can’t imagine this life without your magic And I’m the one you chose to woo
In “Wait and See” Kalantari balances out her feelings of adoration with a more contemplative song that daydreams into the future, pondering what the little person in her life will grow up to be. I find myself often wondering the same thing about my daughter, while wanting to stop time and just stay suspended in our special moments together.
Once you become a parent, you are given a fresh sense of the world. So much of what you see is viewed through new lenses. Suddenly the canvas in front of you changes, a new painting appears, vivid and complex. The unexplainable love that one feels is not easily communicated, but Kalantari so beautifully channels what this new identity, new role, feels like. This expression is what I enjoy so much about the album.
Pockets Full of Joy is a wonderful keepsake for new parents, one that can be passed to child(ren) later on, and also be a treasure for you as you revisit those special moments every step of the way.
Check out Lucy Kalantari’s official site where you can download the album, sample songs and sing along with the lyrics. Or, visit her Joy Store where you can purchase a physical signed copy of the album.
Happy New Year! Are you guys back into the swing of things yet? For our family, getting back into a regular routine – getting up early, getting lunch and snack made and to school on time – has taken some extra strength and mind power from reserves that feel depleted. I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of rushing and catching up with very little downtime. Plus, getting into a cold car for the morning commute makes everyone just a little more tense and uncomfortable. Thankfully, there is a solution!
Shortly before the holidays, Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live (ch. 78) started airing Kira Willey’s “Backseat Yoga Breaks” every morning on The Absolutely Mindy Show (7-10 am ET). These short breaks air sporadically throughout the show and offer everyone a chance to relax and get focused. Thankfully, our commute is long enough for us to enjoy these little breaks (which are also somehow nicely timed with the heat kicking in).
Today I am so excited to deliverthree NEW yoga breaks to you! These breaks are so easy and are presented in a fun way with language that kids will be able to relate to and even find playful. I especially love the idea of setting an intention and thinking positively about how we would like our day to go. Kira’s helpful prompts encourage thoughtful conversations, providing a nice pathway to connect with your kids. The car is usually so quiet in the morning as we listen to the radio and work on trying to wake up our faces. Listening to Kira’s gentle voice guide us through setting an intention has helped break the silence. It’s also given my daughter an opportunity to share what’s on her mind, and even seek advice on how to handle certain situations with friends at school. I love it!
Feel free to enjoy these little breaks whenever you need them throughout your day. I use them on my own as well since I am on the computer all day and tend to hold tension in my shoulders and neck.
1- BUNNY BREATH (helps focus/energizes)
Sit up tall, and bring your hands in front of you like bunny paws. Wiggle your bunny nose as you take quick little breaths in, (sniff, sniff, sniff!) and then let it all the way out. Once more, take some bunny breaths in (sniff, sniff, sniff!) and then let it all the way out. Do this a few more times if you like it! Bunny breaths give us energy, and can help us focus. Have a great day!
2 – HOW TO BE A CLOUD (calming/improves self-awareness)
Sit up tall, close your eyes, and imagine you’re outside on a warm day. Now imagine you’re a cloud in the sky. What kind of a cloud are you? Are you a fluffy white cloud, or a dark gray cloud? If you’re a storm cloud, you can let your angry raindrops just fall away. Maybe you’re a sparkly cloud, full of snowflakes. You can be any kind you want. Take a long breath in, let it all the way out, and open your eyes.
3 – SET AN INTENTION (positive thinking)
Close your eyes, think about how you’d like your day to go, and finish this sentence in your mind… “Today, I’m going to be… ” Maybe you finish it with “helpful,” or “friendly!”…There are lots of things we have to do that we don’t have a choice about, but we do have a choice about how we act. So you decide how to finish the sentence, and if you want to, tell your grownup about it. And have a great day!
More about Kira
Kira Willey is a nationally recognized musician and yoga teacher based in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. She is also the creator of Fireflies Musical Yoga for Kids. Kira is passionate about helping children learn relaxation techniques that also help strengthen their minds in a way that leads to better focus and concentration. Kira’s latest release, How To Be A Cloud, contains a full set of 13 songs followed by 9 tracks featuring yoga instruction, and is packaged with a booklet illustrating yoga poses. Kirais also the host of a new yoga-for-kids series of interstitial programs airing on selected PBS TV affiliates which you can check out here. In September 2014, she led sessions with hundreds of teachers at the National Kids Yoga Conference in Washington DC.
Check out the additional tension-relieving yoga breaks below and through this link. Also, make sure to visit Kira’s official page for news, music downloads and events.
These backseat yoga breaks have become like apps for the body and mind. If you find yourself feeling anxious or in need of a brief reprieve, Kira’s got a yoga break for that. Need to reduce the tension in your shoulders, or perhaps, like me, you need a little assistance waking up your face? Kira’s got a yoga break for that, too! They truly are useful for all ages (see additional yoga breaks at the bottom of this post)!
Gentle Neck Stretch Sit up nice and tall, and close your eyes. Gently shake your head like you’re saying no, and then nod your head like you’re saying yes. Slowly and gently let your head fall to the right. Now, bring it down and forward toward your chest, and roll it to the left side. Lean your head back just a little, as if you’re looking up toward the sky, but keep your eyes closed. Now, let’s roll the other way: gently lean your head to the left, roll it down to the front, and lean your head to the right side. Come back to center, take a long breath in, let it all the way out, and open your eyes.
Shoulder squeeze
Sit up tall, and pull your belly in. Squeeze your shoulders up toward your ears, take a big breath in, and let it out as you slowly drop your shoulders back down. Once more, squeeze your shoulders up toward your ears, take a breath in. Let it out as you slowly drop your shoulders back down. Do this a few more times if it feels good.
Full body squeeze
Let’s wake up our bodies by squeezing all of our muscles. Start with scrunching up your toes, then squeeze all the muscles in your legs, make your belly really strong, and squeeze the muscles in your arms. Make your hands into fists, scrunch up your face and squeeze your eyes shut. Take a breath in, and as you let it out, slowly let all those muscles go, and relax your whole body.
Wake Up Your Face <— YES, PLEASE! Kira is awesome!
Kids Can Groove 
