If music is the fruit of life, here's food for thought - our parents are the only doctors we need - Jon Samson

Jon Samson of CoCreative Music is a friend of mine that I admire.  He is a fellow kindie artist as well as a music therapist. He is witty, creative and very enthusiastic about his job; all three qualities that are top on my list.  Since I am also a teacher for young children,  I am curious about his music therapy background.  I recently sat down with him to ask him some questions about his chosen career, his music for kids, and his upcoming show at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

Me:
So, I just heard that you and your band are performing at BAM as part of their very prestigious kids film festival on Saturday, February 5th.  This is so exciting! How does it make you feel?

Jon:
Fantaculous! Wonderiffic!

What do you hope will happen at the show?
 

Musical alchemy! Connection- Participation - Active Listening - Singing - Dancing - And perhaps kids (or grown ups) scribbling on a napkin because they just got a new idea!! 

 

How long have you been creating and performing music for kids?

This MLK day marks the start of my 3rd year performing for kids.
In late 2008, when I was in the crux of building my music therapy practice, I became inspired to create my first kids album.  When it was almost done, I sent out en email blast to say I had started a myspace page – Susan Fox (Park Slope Parents) happened to be on my email list, and invited me to perform at MLK day show at The Old Reformed Church in Park Slope. That was my big debut:)

 

What is your favorite part about performing in front of a live audience?

I love seeing the effect music has on people- especially when it comes to children dancing - it's practically involuntary for them...so completely natural.
In addition, I get to see parents relating to their kids THROUGH my songs, which is something I suspect all "family" performers cherish.

Do you feel like you can make a living as a kindie artist?

I feel like I could make a living doing anything – because it still involves making a connection with people. I really cherish being able to put on different hats at different times in order to meet the needs of the moment. That means I get to give professional lectures at a college, or I get to be a complete goofball at a kids’ birthday party.  I also get to help a child hold a drumstick while infusing music therapy goals.

Can you give me a brief description of music therapy?

At the risk of sounding generic, music therapy is the clinical application of music to address goals and objectives of the client.  One of the most wonderful things about music therapy is that you can address many if not all of the goals of occupational, physical and speech therapy within a medium which children are naturally drawn to – they don’t have the fear that something is wrong with them – Music is the universal language.
Another thing to think about, is how musical dynamics are a symbolic vehicle for experiences that may not be physically possible for some - like going high then low, fast, then slow, loud and quiet - all these facets of music are connected to motion and emotion and have the capacity to reach a person on many levels.

Do you incorporate music therapy in your recorded music? If so, how?
 

Yes. Absolutely!
When I first had the idea of making a kids album – I thought it would be easy – but then when I realized what the songs could mean- it became a responsibility to incorporate every bit of artistic, educative, and therapeutic integrity I could muster. While I produce my songs to be fun enough to play in the car, I use those same songs for developing speech, movement and other developmental goals. Of course, the songs are more general on the CD's, but can be adapted.

How can the average parent incorporate music therapy in their kid’s daily diet?
 

If music is the fruit of life, here's food for thought- our parents are the only doctors we need (this statement is not approved by the FDA).

Can you give me an example of how I, as a music and movement teacher, can incorporate music therapy into my classes?

Let's be clear, the healing and therapeutic effects of music are far more established and ancient than the term “music therapy.”  It’s almost redundant to use the term music therapy because music IS therapy.
The number one jewel a teacher can offer is being fully present, open and caring - Not a challenge for you Suzi:)

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years I will have the most impeccable answer to the question you just asked.

My ultimate goal is to just to keep sharing my music and approach with those who feel drawn to it.

It’s been so great hanging out with you Jon, and I wish you all the best at your upcoming show at BAM on February 5th!

www.bam.org/kidsfilmfest

Saturday, Feb 5th  12pm & 2pm

BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building

30 Lafayette Ave. 

Brooklyn, NY  11217

For more info on Jon Samson and CoCreative music - 
please visit his website
www.cocreativemusic.com
or his check out his facebook page and become a fan!
Jon Samson

Make sure you share this video with your kids.  Emma loves it!

Youtube - The Alarm Clock is Mean

PS - Jon and I are both performing as part of a wonderful fundraiser hosted by Bob from Sesame Street for Kids Need a Melody coming up on Saturday, Jan 29^th at Crash Mansion in NYC.  

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky. Buddha

Reflecting on this past year brings me a sense of both satisfaction and unease.  I am satisfied with things that I have accomplished and things that my family has accomplished, and also I am starting to feel a familiar flutter of panic at all of the things that lie ahead.  All of things that I have left undone, only to try to "wrap up" in the coming year.   I guess I have always been like this.  Never truly able to sit and appreciate what has been once a struggle and a challenge and a problem keeping me up at night, to now being ordinary and "perfect."

A resolution of mine is to realize how perfect everything is. There is good in everything.  There is purpose in all of it.  There is laughter.  There is love.  

For today, I am choosing to be satisfied with it all.  It won't be easy.  I will only try to allow positive thoughts to enter my head and I will strive to be truly present with my family for the entire day.  We are heading into the city to go ice skating and then coming home to watch the ball drop.  There will be struggles.  Kids will be crabby and hungry and not able to stand up on the ice and my back will break.  It will probably be crowded and we will have to wait in line and we will spend too much money.  I will be tested and have to bite my tongue more than once, I am sure.  I will also laugh a lot today.

And, I am so grateful that I have my family with me to do this.  They crack me up.  They amaze me.  They complete me and make me feel whole.   For this, I am pretty fortunate.  There is no measure of money that can compare to this amount of satisfaction.  So, here we go.... time to tilt my head back.  

Happy New Year!

The Emma Project - Helping To Get Music into PS 230 in Brooklyn, NY

Do you ever wonder if small things really make a difference?   This past fall, I asked some fellow children's musicians to do something that would make a HUGE difference in the lives of many, many children in one elementary school in Brooklyn, NY.

Soon after the start of the school year, I was having a conversation with Emma about her new first grade class.  I asked the usual questions, "Do you like your new teacher? Who are some of your new friends this year?," and "Do you like your music class?"

"No," she said, casually.  "We don't have music this year."

 Shock and panic.

"Are you sure, Honey?" "Maybe you just haven't started it yet?" I said, hopefully.

"No," she said.  "My teacher said we only have art.  No music and no dance this year."

She was right.  Soon after this conversation,  I got an email from the PS 230 PTA saying that they have had enormous budget cuts to their programs in the amount of $500, 000.  FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!

I started to plan out how I could get into the school and play music for them as much as possible, and thought that if they could just play my CD's during school hours, the kids could at least get up and move for a few minutes during the day.  I could also use some music from my previous band, Imagination Workshop Band.  Then I had an idea.  I would see if I could get some of my fellow kids' musicians to donate a song and I would make a mix CD for Emma's teacher that she could share with the rest of the first grade classes. I asked Dave what he thought?  He thought it was a good idea, and hey, what did we have to lose?

So I went on Sprockster and sent a message out to everyone on my friend list which basically told them that my daughter Emma's school had huge budget cuts, no music, no dance, and would they please donate a song for a mix CD?   I also reached out to a few personal friends via email.  I was hoping for about 10 people to donate a song or two. 

About 30 minutes later, I got my first response from my friend Mike Messer of The Dirty Sock Funtime Band.

"Hey Suzi! Hows it going? We'd love to contribute to the CD, we have a bunch of dance songs, we'll send them all to you... I just wanna talk with the band and see which songs would be best. Talk to you soon!"  Peace, Love and Music, Mike Messer and the Dirty Sock Funtime Band

I was so happy.  I yelled to Dave from my computer that I got my first response already, and it was from one of Emma's favorite bands.  She would be so excited.  

Then, I got a similar message from three other artists in a row.  Then I got about 10 more, and my blackberry kept making that weird buzzing noise the whole night, and every single day for about a month I got more and more responses and songs coming in for Emma's school that my mix CD turned into a 4 disc box set with over 79 submissions!  Amazing.  I could barely keep track of them all.  In addition to the songs, I was connecting with so many people who were sympathetic to our situation and incredibly supportive of the project.   I loved it.

I recruited both Emma and Sebastian to help me weed through all of the songs, and we chose at least one song from each artist.  It wasn't easy, there were so many great choices!  We then arranged the songs according to style on 4 separate discs so that the teachers would have an easier time selecting.  This process took quite a while.  The kids loved hearing all of the songs, and so did I.  It was a pretty awesome day.

Emma would periodically ask, "They gave these songs to me, Mama?"

"Yes, Emma, they did.  They gave them to you and all of your friends at school."

I had also received an email from Jon Samson at CoCreative Music donating a few of his songs and offering his engineering services to normalize all of the songs so that they are all heard at a similar volume.  I told him there were over 70 songs... did he realize what he was getting into?  Nevertheless, he agreed.  We are still in the process of doing this and it is a real treat to work with him.   Jon told me in an email,  "These are also the most terrific kids songs I've heard!" 

I totally agree.

I had hoped to present the CD package by Thanksgiving, but due to some time restraints, I have decided to wait until this month.  I can't wait until this project, which I fondly call "The Emma Project" can be officially presented to her class.  What better time then this holiday season?

I am truly humbled by this outpouring of support and generosity, and look forward to hearing feedback from the students and teachers of Emma's school once these amazing songs start circulating around the classrooms.

To my fellow musicians, I thank you.  By doing something small and donating just a single song, you have given us over 3.4 hours of music for these kids to sing and dance their hearts out in the New Year!

I wanted to share the list of all of the artists (in alphabetical order) who donated to this project, along with links to their websites.  Please check them out, and help support their awesome music for kids (and grownups) as we are.  Happy Holidays!
Love,
Suzi ;)

A. Mifflin Lowe, African Treehouse, AudraRox, The Baby Grands, Barry Louis Polisar, Baze And His Silly Friends, Ben Rudnick and Friends, Bobs And Lolo,  The Boogers, Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could,  Caspar Babypants, Charlie Hope, Debbie and Friends,  Dennis Caraher, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, The Fuzzy Lemons, Gillygaloo, Groovy David, Hans Mayer, The Hipwaders, Imagination Workshop Band, Jim Cosgrove, Joanie Leeds, Jon Samson,  Julie K, Justin Roberts, Alex and The Kaleidoscope Band, Karen Banks-Lubicz, King Pajama, Kira Willey, Laura Doherty, Laurie Berkner Band, Lisa Loeb, Little Miss Ann,  Lou Gallo, Lou Rawls, Meg Russell, Meredith Wright, Miss Nina,  Miss Sherri, Mister Felipe, Sho, Mo and The Monkey Bunch, Mr. Singer & the Sharp Cookies, Mr. Whit,  Music with Brian,  The MusiGo Kids,  The Okee Dokee Brothers, Princess Katie & Racer Steve, Ralph and Ralph,  Randy Sauer, Readeez, Recess Monkey,  Rolie Polie Guacamole, Spanglish Wrangler, Stacey Peasley, Starfish, Steve Blunt,  SteveSongs, Sukey Molloy, They Might Be Giants, Todd Wees, Tor Hyams, Tracey Singer, Treehouse 10, Wendy Gelsanliter, Zev Haber and The Zinghoppers.

To Be Only Who You Are

A couple of weeks ago, continuing on my quest of Super Momdom, I decided to do something positive for myself to gear up for a busy fall of Momhood and this Fall Tour that I am starting.   I treated myself to a weekend-long meditation.  I left the kids in the capable hands of their Dads, and headed into my journey.  I'll admit, I was nervous.  Having some time to myself is a luxury, but also having too much time to think can be a bit scary.  I found myself immersed in thoughts of self doubt and frustration, only to release and discover that my life was going just the way it was supposed to go, and all was well.  I mean, who is in charge of my life anyway? Me.  And in all of my efforts to be the ultimate Super Mom, the best way for me to raise my kids in a positive way AND to have a successful marriage and career is to be only who I am. Only who I am.  
It is not easy for me.  It takes a lot of work and a lot of patience with myself to be able to be this open about life, but it is really the only way.  And I believe.
I recently saw the interview between Oprah and J.K. Rowling (the creator and author of The Harry Potter Series) and I must say that I was riveted.  Joe (J.K) was so articulate and honest about her journey and it was really great for me to hear her story.  She struggled first with depression as a single Mom and then struggled with many obstacles to get her first Harry Potter book published with the right people (the ones who believed as she did that her story could change the world).  And it worked.  She believed.  Her persistence and commitment to be herself was so strong that she sold over 400 million books in 200 countries around the world.  At the end of her interview, Oprah asked her "what does she know for sure?"  Joe thought about it and said she knows that "love is THE most powerful thing of all." And then Oprah asked her "what was her dream of happiness?"  She said according to the first Harry Potter, Dumbledore says "The happiest man alive would look in the mirror and see himself exactly as he is." And then she said "So I would have to say that I'm pretty close."

To Be A Super Mom

Well, both kids are back in school and although my summer mantra has been "I just need some alone time!", I must admit that I am a little bit blue. I have a pile of work that needs to get done, and even more laundry, but I seem a bit paralyzed at the moment to do anything.
Motherhood is a funny thing. It's like a runaway train. You can't stop it from going full speed ahead. There is no time to rest.
This past year I found myself totally exhausted. My temper was short and I had raised my voice way too many times to make my point. This is not the Mom that I want to be to my kids. Too often I didn't stop to appreciate what my kids were saying or doing and now I can't get those moments back. Seeing them go off to school this week, I realize that I better take the time to appreciate it, or it will fly away from me faster than I can blink an eye.
I adore my kids. They give me so much joy. There are times when I find myself laughing out loud at something they said or did days ago. They are six years apart and both have amazing qualities (and some not so great, but that's another blog).
I have always wanted to be a Mom, but the truth is that I desperately want to be a Super Mom.
I remember seeing an episode of Oprah where they talked about parenting being the toughest job on the planet. I agree. It's also the most rewarding job. They also were talking about the importance of taking care of yourself so that you can give the best of yourself as a parent. In this, I also agree, but it's easy to forget.
Working Moms don't have it easy. There is so much to juggle and too much work to be done in a short amount of time. However, it CAN be done.
The first step in Super Momdom is to take care of oneself.
For me, it means making the time to meditate and go to Yoga. Getting organized. Being creative. Being smart with my career. Eating better. Sleeping more and laughing. A lot.
So, let's just sit for a minute more, and then get started already! Now, where is that cape?

Not all women can say that they vacation with their ex's...

Not all women can say that they vacation with their ex's... But, I just got back from a week long work/vacation in Sag Harbor, NY with mine. I went with Albert (my ex) and the three kids, as he was performing with me. Jen (his wife) came a day later, and then Dave (my husband) came the final two days. We all stayed with Liz, a good friend of Albert's, who is an amazing puppeteer and an overall super fun person. Liz has a nice big house for us. This is our third year in a row making this trip.

I would love to say that it was an easy, breezy time, but honestly it's always a bit of a challenge for us all to get along at every waking moment. It was a lot of WORK. Everyone has so many needs. To eat, to sleep (and get enough of it), to go to the beach, to shower, to have down time, to drink, to entertain, to not entertain, to nap, to eat again, and to just "be." Albert and I also had to rehearse for the 5 performances and music video thrown into the mix.

Fortunately, Liz has a lot of land around her house, and a lot of animals. 1 dog, 1 cat and 4 chickens to be exact. I am not really an "animal lover", but Emma was in heaven as the nature girl that she is, and for the most part, was pretty easy to handle. Sebastian did OK, too, even though he has allergies to the animals, had summer homework to finish, and had to deal with so many parents under one roof telling him what to do and what is "expected" of a 12 year old. Cole is three years old and was a combination of deliciously adorable and, well...not so much.
Anyway, I thought I would share a few moments that really stand out for me on this trip:
1. After a particularly awful show, Sebastian said that he thought the show was "great!"
2. One evening Albert, Liz, Jen and I were outside having some cocktails and Jen told me she thought I was one of the most beautiful women she knows.
3. Emma hypnotizing a real chicken and cradling it like it were her own baby.
4. Emma secretly leaving a post it note on my guitar backstage that said "i love you."
5. Dave throwing Emma up in the sky while in the waves of the ocean and turning around to make sure that I was watching the sheer joy on her face.
6. Albert and his puppet "Raul" as he tried out all sorts of personalities (some not so appropriate for a kids show), and watching Sebastian rolling on the ground cracking up.
7. Sitting in the back of Liz's truck on the way to the beach with music blasting and everyone laughing as Albert broke the beach chair.
8. Cole holding the bottle opener all evening and asking everyone if they were ready for another beer?
9. Waking up in the middle of the night thinking that Cole or Emma was crying out and finding out it was only a chicken squawking outside.
10. Riding with Liz in her truck on the way to a show, laughing, and feeling like she is part of our family.

It was a great trip. Exhausting, but great. Anyway, here is the music video that came out of it. Dave is the master videographer. Enjoy!

Singing with Liz Mitchell and Daniel Littleton

Yesterday reminded me of why I love doing kids music.

Two of my friends, Brady Rymer and Elizabeth Mitchell, were performing at Celebrate Brooklyn. It was the family show that they only have once a summer, on a big, beautiful outdoor stage. I was invited by Liz and her husband Daniel to sing on "Little Bird, Little Bird." This was a great opportunity for me as I have always wanted to sing in that bandshell, and I knew a lot of my friends would be there. I also love the song.

Dave, Emma and I walked over to the park early, and were easily led backstage where we found Liz in her dressing room. It was great to see her again (we performed together back in May for a Haiti Benefit Concert), and she showed us the green room where Emma happily chowed down on all of the cookies and blueberries that she could get into her mouth before they went and took their seats in the audience.

I went looking for Brady and found him in his dressing room, as well as Claudia and Liz, his two beautiful backup singers and musicians. I have known Brady since Sebastian was about 3 years old. It was good to connect and catch up. He has an amazing aura of positive energy, and I love that. Plus, his music is so much fun and I was eager to hear them play.

Soon, it was time to go over our song, which we did quietly in the dressing room, and then it was showtime. As I waited backstage to be called out for my song, I marveled at the way Liz's voice carried throughout the crowd and how calming and beautiful it was. She and Daniel have a wonderful connection (to the band, to the audience, and to eachother). So many people had gathered to hear them. The sky was blue and the sun was just right. The audience was mesmerized. I was mesmerized. I saw Dave and Emma in the crowd, and I was so happy to be doing this. I went out, sang my part (bird call and all) and soon, it was over. It was a beautiful day.