Here's the latest in BatDuo Timfoolery. Watch as the eminent Gourd is confused by the Grocer

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My original music is now for sale on Amazon.com  (Just put my name in the search box: Tara Chiusano) You can either download individual songs or buy the whole CD.  The great thing about Amazon is that they let you listen to tracks before you buy them.

Happy listening!

Yours truly,

Tara

You are welcome to use these pictures anyway you like (as long as you don't sell them). Please give credit to Tamara Maellaro. I would also be thankful for a link to this site, but it is not mandatory. I just want to share them with you and anyone that is interested. The link would be: http://flyingkitten.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/bugs-gross-or-beautiful/

If you click on the pictures you can get a larger view. I can't believe this or maybe I can. My dragonfly friend is just outside my window as I finish writing this. I love nature.

I read on their website that they have sold over 3 million recording and they are the number one selling children's music duo in the country.   I can see why parents and children enjoy their music.  I liked every song that they performed that evening.  I though of it as Beach Boys type music but for kids.

It may have been a hot evening but it was sure fun for the kids and me.  I did spend some time chasing my kids around but while I was not chasing them, they did have fun dancing and listening to the music.  For my two kids, who are roughly 2 and 4, it was fun.  I did not expect them to sit through the whole thing like little angels since they had a couple friends at the event to play with.  Overall, it was a great experience for a family outing for the evening.  I would highly recommend anyone to go see them perform live or listen to their CD.

I just discovered my 'Teddy Bear' song on the "Featured Children's MP3s" list on eFolkMusic. Stop by and listen to "Teddy Bear" and, while you're there, check out a few of the other songs for children featured there, too.

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Deborah Hord
“Weird Duck (and other animal tales for grownups)”
“Teddy Bear c2003 Deborah L Hord”
“Teddy bear, I don’t care what they say about me. You’re my friend ’till the end. There’s no need to doubt me.” • Preview ‘Teddy Bear c2003 Deborah L Hord’
Go to artist page

[NOTE: You can download all 13 songs (mp3s) on my "Weird Duck" collection for your kids for the eFolkMusic $4.95 one-month member price and still have 87 free mp3 downloads available for the rest of the month. It's almost like getting it all for FREE!]

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efolkMusic featured Children's MP3s:

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MP3 downloads in portable, CD-burnable format! We have two types of downloads: 1) "Member" (thousands of free tracks for our supporters- join now!), and 2) "For Sale"-thousands for sale at 98 cents each OR buy in bulk with our money and time saving download MultiPaks- get tracks for as little as 75 cents each.

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Lots more downloads and cds available on each artist's page- check 'em out! Thanks again for stopping in and for supporting our nonprofit- listen and enjoy

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Here are the rest of the featured songs for children in the eFolkMusic Children's Music section:

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DAVID WILLIAMS
"Rainforest & Tropical Animals"
"BANJO CATFISH"
• Preview 'BANJO CATFISH'
Go to artist page<
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Kid Pan Alley
"Tidal Wave of Song"
"Abby and Sammy"
• Preview 'Abby and Sammy'
Go to artist page
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David Holt
"Tailybone"
"Tailybone"
• Preview 'Tailybone'
Go to artist page
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Pete Seeger
"Stories & Songs for Little Children"
"Skip To My Lou"
Thanks to High Windy Records for this free MP3 from Stories and Songs For Little Children, a collection of Pete`s greatest hits. This is a masterpiece of lively banjo playing and endearing storytelling to be enjoyed for years to come, featuring Abiyoyo, Foolish Frog and others >>>
Go to artist page
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Viktor Mastoridis
"Octopus in London"
"Diwali"
DIWALI – Lyrics were written with the help of 3C from WPIS; Benita from the same class was the one who gave the strongest impact : when we started to sing some idea for a song about Diwalli, she said – this is so boring; so I had to change all; and it turned into a great dance song; composed and ... More... • Preview 'Diwali'
Go to artist page

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Paul Reisler and Trapezoid
"Remembered Ways"
"Dolphins"
• Preview 'Dolphins'
Go to artist page

The Hollow Trees
"The Hollow Trees"
"Buckeye Jim"

Go to artist page

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Raffi
""
"Turn This World Around"
This song was inspired by Nelson Mandela's Global Campaign for children. Raffi cares about children and about peace, and offers this musical gift to the world. From Rounder Records >> • Preview 'Turn This World Around'
Go to artist page

David Williams
"Oh, The Animals"
"THE DINOSAURS"
• Preview 'THE DINOSAURS'
Go to artist page

Hey Every body

 I notice target.com has a ablum in store under my name Hip hop mimi. It's not me. I do clean fun music , there no need for
 Parental Advisory please spread the word. thanks Hip Hop Mimi.

 

Click Here for Samples of the Album

 

 

Mrs. Flicker Fireflybrarian

More Fun Stuff from Billy Gorilly

Help your kids "Catch the Reading Bug" this summer with the help of Billy Gorilly.
Your kids can listen to Billy Gorilly talk with Mrs. Flicker Fireflybrarian about the summer reading program on his podcast 11 (radio show) it's free. Mrs. Flicker is everyone's favorite flying librarian. She is always helpful as can be and she is always bright and merry. She even has a song about her on the Billy Gorilly: Happy Birthday Gertie CD. Billy's pals Wendy and Timmy from the Candy Appletree Woods sing it. If you would like to hear a sample of it you can do so here. Billy also offers a very cute coloring page for you to download. The file is in .pdf format.

Billy's podcast episode 11 also teaches the days of the week and musical opposites. Featuring Billy Gorilly's awesome piano playing. Oh, and he offers free activity pages to go along with the podcast. Listen and check it out here.

Mrs. flicker also has key chains, t-shirts, book bags, stickers, and more with her picture on them (she is very popular) and people have been asking where they can get them. You can find them at Zazzle.

Keep your kids learning over the summer break so their brains don't turn to jelly. Your local library is a perfect place to help them get smart and stay smart.

Make Everyday Simply Splendiferous with Billy Gorilly

billygorilly.com

This is their MOM song. It's great.

No one (that I know of) gets paid for being a mom, but what a great occupation to have!!!

Everyone wants to know where to get the single. It's only on-line at Wal-Mart Mp3's. Go here for a direct link. Just click on Mimi's picture!

Your friend,

The Star Club

Also the STAR CLUB keeps getting bigger and bigger!

San Antonio goes for the BIG star!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Send us videos if you got'em. Nothing mean....be nice....even to your ex's....well at least don't be mean in the videos. LMAO!

KEEP'EM COMING GANG! <3  <3  <3

Here's some YMCA teams getting ready for a big show. I love this dance.

YOU are a STAR!...and so AM I!!!!!

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West Covina stand up!

Kansas City is here girls!

Maine ain't to cold for Hip Hop Mimi!

They don't sleep in Seattle!

Artsy in Santa Fe...the Mimi Stars continue!!!

Special thanks to the Hannah Montana Fan Club for giving us props. We sisters girl!

SAN DIEGO! I HEAR YEA!

Star Club continues to spreeeeeeeeeeed!

St. Louis!

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TOP PICTURE...Hip Hop Mimi & Chantel Valdivieso 2008 Pan African Children Film Fest

BOTTOM PICTURE...Andrea Lewis and Hip Hop Mimi at the Wyclef concert

Don forget your secret star!

BOISE STATE!

(the secret Mimi Star!)

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As you know, I am a great fan of eFolkMusic. There are hundreds of folk music artists on eFolkMusic from a wide array of musical styles. And now, it's even easier to get in on all the good music there (and, download it to your computer or ipod, too!).

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I have 39 songs on eFolkMusic (in the digital albums Weird Duck, Hungry When I Wake, Lean In For A Kiss). 26 of those songs are free to members. If you are a member (one month costs only $4.95), you can download any of those 26 songs and any other member mp3s up to a total of 100 mp3s every month. And, if you don't use up all the 100 downloads, and you renew for the next month, you get rollover download credits, like rollover cell phone minutes. It's a pretty cool deal.

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I also have one song which is free to everyone (members or not), Lean In For A Kiss, in the Vol 3 Digital Sampler. (And, you can download songs by 11 other artists and bands, too.) The information for acquiring those songs is after the fold.

Digi-Sampler Vol 3 Ready For Download!
We've just uploaded Vol 3, TWELVE FREE tracks, from 12 of our exceptional artists: Shady Grove Band, Hugh Morrison, Moonrakers, Deborah Hord, Shoofly Audio, Jeff Talmadge, Good Tangerines, J D Miner, Lou Vargo, High Cotton, Steve Eulberg and the Coastal Cohorts.
This is a great way to expand your listening horizons, NO STRINGS attached (except on the guitars)! Click here to get the music

We've been rocking out to Dan Zanes' music for kids--for the whole family, really--for over four years now and still do not get tired of it. Tired, actually, is probably not a word in the Dan Zanes vocabulary. This is music to make you smile, sing, tap your feet, and get up and dance.

It crosses all genres and each CD is just as wonderful as the one that came before it, making it next to impossible for me to pick a favorite.

Rocket Ship Beach and Family Dance have a special place in my music heart as they were the first two we got, but we all also love House Party and Nighttime too. And Catch that Train! of course. Its easier to pick songs than CDs, so here are some of my highlights:

1. Welcome Train with the Blind Boys of Alabama, on Catch that Train!

2. Pigogo, an absolutely beautiful and haunting song on Catch that Train! sung by a children's choir from South Africa.

3. Pay Me My Money Down and Rattlin' Bog from Nighttime.

4. In the summer and fall of 2005, my son refused to listen to anything other than Hokey Pokey from Family Dance.

5. Polly Wolly Doodle, Go Down Emmanuel Road, and Father Goose from Rocket Ship Beach.

Our current favorite is the new CD featuring Father Goose: It's a Bam Bam Diddly! Try, just try to put this CD on and not start smiling, if not dancing, the minute the first track "Bam Bam" starts playing.

We're big reggae and dancehall fans around here, but can't imagine anyone not loving this CD. As they say on their website, its a "rollicking mix of west indian folk music, rock, gospel, and father goose original tunes."

In March, we went to see Dan Zanes and the band here in Boulder with some friends. They opened with Welcome Table, my son's favorite song, and put on a wonderful show, but we were sad that Father Goose wasn't there.

So, after the show, we asked one of the band members where he was, and heard that he and his wife were expecting a baby any day. Of course, we couldn't think of a better reason for Father Goose not to be there, and we hope that he, his wife, and their new Baby Goose are all doing well!

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Check out this list of tracks…

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efolkMusic Membership Options:
Support folk music by becoming a member of our 501(c)(3) nonprofit!

Join for a year at $50, $100 or $150 level and receive efolkMusic premiums.

Sing a song, pick a tune, play music- efolkMusic's mission is to support and encourage folk music and musicians, each and every day. We hope that you'll want to have the personal satisfaction of knowing your tax-deductible contribution will directly benefit this great music.

efolkMusic is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Donors may deduct contributions to efolkMusic as provided in section 170 of Internal Revenue Code. Bequests, legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts to efolkmusic are deductible for Federal estate and gift tax purposes if they meet the applicable provisions of sections 2055, 2106, and 2522 of the Code.

If you are able and interested in helping us with a more substantial donation, please write us, members@efolkMusic.org or contribute online on our donate page.

The sun, it's dampening my enthusiasm for the office.

Just waking up to the coolness of the morning, with the sunshine peeking through the clouds makes me want to pack everything up and point myself in the direction of the nearest receding tide.

Granted, my office consists of the dining room table and an excellent view of our front yard where the robins come to take a cool morning bath and hang out on the porch. Not a bad deal in the realm of office space.

I just think the mere thought of endless days of vitamin D flips the "work" button into the off position. Or maybe it's all of the amazing festivals in Valley and around the region that are kicking off in the next couple of weeks.

I L-O-V-E festival season and all of the goodness that comes with it.

Yes, it's that time of year again. Wahooooo!

Here's what's happening around the region:

- Tickets are now on sale for the Comox Valley Shellfish Festival. This fun event that is packed full of good stuff for young and old is June 14 and 15 and various locations. The main event is at Comox Marina Park on June 15 and includes shellfish farmers, a beer and wine garden, and educational activities. Call 890-7561 for tickets and information.

- Get the whole family together tomorrow evening for the Mile of Flowers Plant-In - a Courtenay tradition since 1967. Meet anywhere on Cliffe Avenue between 6th and 21st Street at 5 p.m. where the planting of flowers will begin. The planting is followed by a free BBQ dinner (awesome). Call 334-4441 for more information.

- When you have a deep and meaningful need for chicken nuggets, head on over to the newly renovated Courtenay McDonalds at Cliffe Avenue and 18th Street. This place is FAN-CY in the fast food universe. Check out the cool new play area too.

- Farm stands are slowly starting to re-open around the Valley including Seiffert's Farm, which opens for the season on Wednesday (May 28). Get your fresh veggies at the farm from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

- The Comox Valley Farmers Market opens on Wednesdays beginning next Wednesday, June 4. The market at Simms Millennium Park runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the end of September. I love the Wednesday market.

- Buy your tickets now for the 21st annual Ducky 500 held during Canada Day celebrations July 1. This Valley tradition, sponsored by The Rotary Club of Comox is so much fun and you can get into it all for only $10. You can get tickets at a huge whack of locations around the Valley including Plates Eatery, RBC, Searles Shoes and Coast Country Insurance.

- Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens is now open from 9 a.m. to dusk daily. This is such a gorgeous spot to go out and check out the blooms along bark mulch paths and water features. The cost is $6 for adults. Call 338-6901 for more information.

- The CV Sports Centre at Vanier now has Tot Swims from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meanwhile, the CV Aquatic Centre has a new schedule for Everyone Welcome Swims. They are 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 7 to 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. t 1 p.m. Tuesday and Tursday and 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Toonie swim from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday. There's also a swim from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with an additional one from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

- Comox Valley Children's Choir director Carol Anne Parkinson will host several voice workshops in June including:
GIRLS ONLY*- Thursday, June 5 from 6:15 - 7:45pm at Mark Isfeld Secondary School $15 (age 6 and up)
BOYS ONLY* - Thursday, June 12 from 6:15 - 7:45pm at Mark Isfeld Secondary School $15 (age 6 and up)
WOMEN - Thursday, June 5 and/or Thursday, June 12 from 6:15 - 7:45pm at Mark Isfeld Secondary School $15 each.

*Girls and Boys will rehearse together as usual in the fall when children's choir resumes, separation is for workshop purposes only.

Registration is needed. So, call Carol Anne at 338-7223 for more information.

His kids songs are great!  I've used them in Sunday Schools, Kids club for the last couple of years and the kids enjoy singing them.

The concert dates are:

Friday 11th July - 7.00 to 8.00pm - Dundonald Church

Sunday 20th July - 2.00 to 3.00pm - All Souls Church, Langham Place

Tickets are £4.50 each.  For more information and to buy tickets click HERE.

In fact, nobody ever dies in the picture book versions of this song. That doesn't work for me.

And is it both ageist and sexist? I dunno. I never thought of it that way, but maybe I'm wrong.

I guess it's probably not a good idea to have anyone die in a picture book, unless it's a politically correct book like The Fall of Freddie the Leaf (remember that?) or Badger's Parting Gifts, that explains death to young kids. But I've always thought of this song as a goofy song. If you tried swallowing a whole horse (and of course the old lady is not going to cut that horse up into steaks and chops before she swallows it, is she?), you would explode, with a big KA-BOOM. And death by explosion is something even little kids get, I've always found.

But I've never performed this song for purely toddler or preschool groups, anyway. I've always done it for audiences that are at least halfway younger elementary kids - they're the ones who seem to get it best.

So here I'm including the way I've always performed it - very simple strumming and frequent interruptions to shrug, shake my head, and make comments. When you perform it, remember that the song is in 3/4 time, like a waltz, and that it should be sung in as silly a way as you can manage, even when you're being melodramatically tragic - which I always am when I get to the final verses. I sniff loudly and shake my head as you might imagine a Victorian undertaker would do it.

Have fun with it.

South Carolina!

Georgia girls!

Orange County

Palm Beach!

Detriot!

SEND US YOUR MIMI STAR NOW!

I wanted to get some info out there on Hip Hop Mimi. Here's you a peek at a star!

Hip Hop Mimi

Los Angeles based Hip Hop Mimi soon to be a Grammy Award winner one day, is a recipient of the prestigious NAACP Image Award.  She is a survivor, by the age of seven Hip Hop Mimi had composed her first song “Jesus in a bubble” by age 13 she had defeated Cancer. Recognizing Mimi’s unique talent and pure determination her parents and teachers encouraged her to develop her own innovative style of hip-hop music. With a special awareness of the challenges that await children of today’s sedentary lifestyle, Hip Hop Mimi has extended countless hours as a volunteer teaching her exercise routines, sharing her upbeat message with children of all socio-economic backgrounds. Hip Hop Mimi is an accomplished singer, songwriter.  Mimi has recorded with a group a great Producers like The Artist Keys, platinum producers the Magnetics Donald “XL” Robertson and Stan “The Guitar Man” Jones.  Currently she is writing her 2nd and 3rd albums dedicated to the kids movement of stopping childhood obesity, Her charisma, beauty, and generous spirit only serve to enhance her diverse musical style also featured on “The Jump Around Fitness” exercise video Mimi is making a name for herself in the industry also performing with artist like female m.c Kanary Diamonds Hip Hop Mimi is making her vision accessible to all!

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