Live on WLNG with bonnie grice!

Thank you Bonnie Grice, Bill Evans & Sandra Foschi for having me over to the lovely WLNG studios for “Brunch with Bonnie” over the weekend! So sweet to spend the afternoon spinning some favorite records, strumming a few on my guitar and catching up. It’s been too long, Bonnie! 

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Since we couldn’t get to everything I picked out for the show, I created a Spotify playlist including every tune on the list, along with a few more songs that came up in conversation with Bonnie. Enjoy! 

My new collaboration with UK children’s artists David Gibb! How many Beatles song titles can you count in this tune?

My first band Rare Breed playing Day Tripper & Back in the USSR from our first demo tape. Recorded in my basement and most likely on a Radio Shack Realistic cassette recorder!

Steven Tyler walked this way right into the Sirius/XM studios joining Claudia Mussen, Liz Queler & I live on the air for a rousing version of “One Day by the Riverside!”

Thanks, Bonnie for making me my own good looking guitar mask!

The Little Band in Shanghai!

From the stage with our translator, Janice at the Zebra Camp Carnival.

Zebras with accordions, drums & guitars! The festival poster.

I remember how exciting it was to receive the email with the subject title “Shanghai Festival.” Where…? What…? When…? Nǐ hǎo - yes, please! What an opportunity: We were invited to play three shows at the inaugural Zebra Camp Children’s Forest Carnival in Shanghai’s Fengxian district in the fall of 2019.

Bridget & Brady ready to blast off! 🚀

Claudia, Larry, Bridget & I scrambled around renewing passports and securing visas. Soon our departure day arrived! After nearly missing our connection in Detroit, we finally settled down in our comfy seats and made our way to Shanghai, ready to share our music half way ‘round the world. We met our guide James Lu at the airport (in an UCLA shirt!) loaded up the accordion, guitar and rub-board and off we went.

ZEBRA CAMP CHILDREN’S FOREST CARNIVAL

Greeted by a very big, happy zebra!

Inside the Nine Trees Performing Arts Center.

Fengxian is about an hour south of Shanghai in the “forest” region. After a bit of walking around the relatively small but robust district, dodging scooters (everyone rides a scooter – moms, dads, grandmas, babies, everyone!) Larry did finally come upon some woods. It was a charming town - lots of shops, parks and families out and about.

The festival was held at the brand new Nine Trees Performing Arts Center. It’s humongous! The building itself is modeled after a seed (how lovely is that?!) and contains 3 theaters – one with 2000 seats. The grounds around the center stretched out and out and everything was brand new. The trees still had supporting ropes, the ponds were freshly dug, the sod was neon-green and the amphitheater awaited its first fans and performers to christen its stage. There was a new excitement in the air. It was Golden Week in China, a national holiday, so lots of families were able to attend the festival. It was such a bright, happy scene with colorful banners, big blow up zebras, fun activities and food. China was also celebrating their 70th Year Anniversary of forming the People’s Republic of China. So we were there at a very interesting time.

The Nine Trees Performing Arts Center

We arrived at the Nine Trees Festival on Wednesday, Oct 2nd for a sound check and met one of the other acts, Road of the Rainbow, a band of young kids (6-11 yrs) from Beijing. Their music teacher, Leo Lee, helps them write the songs, rehearse and perform. As we were waiting to sound check they took out their instruments and greeted us with a few of their tunes - their proud parents looking on. They’re amazing - innocent, effortless, bright, fresh and cool. Their voices are gorgeous. Larry, Claudia and I played them a few of our tunes and pretty soon we were all singing together. What a great way to break the ice and make some new friends. They would join us later onstage for a tune during the concerts. So grateful they were willing to hop up & sing with us.

Road of the Rainbow band • Coco, Stella, Jennifer, Re, Alec

All and all we played 3 shows – each of them fantastic. Our Chinese audiences didn’t know a lick of our music but by the end we were all singing and dancing - doing the “Love Train,” “hey”ing & “ho”ing, laughing and having a blast. We even spied a few of the police guards in their dark gray, red starred uniforms dancing in the wings. The inflated walking zebras would come by and mingle with the kids and our Chinese interpreter, Janice, translated our song intros and stories for the audience.

Larry suggested we do a version of a popular Chinese children’s song, “Snail and Orioles.” We sang it first in English and then asked them to sing it in Mandarin. Everyone recognized the tune, but we quickly discovered that the younger generation didn’t know the words as well as the older folks did. So, for the following performances, we had our translator remind the kids of the lyrics. That did the trick! Soon enough everyone was singing along to this lovely tune. It’s wild how we can all come from such different places but then for a short, sweet minute, with the help of a song, we are able to come together as one.

The original Chinese “Snail and Orioles” video

Snail and Orioles stage backdrop.

Our version of the “Snail and Orioles”

Stuffed oysters & chicken skin on a stick

After the final concert, Leo Lee and the kids treated us to a traditional Chinese feast. The lazy-susan was spinning ‘round like a top! More than a couple dozen exotic dishes for the tasting. Some were familiar like all kinds of cabbages, stuffed oysters, clams & various grilled meats - and then some were not so familiar… chicken skin on a stick, grilled chicken’s feet, pig’s blood stew, sweet rice soup and a mystery soup (which was delicious.) Leo Lee & I tried to identify it but Google translate could only help us so much! We toasted throughout the night to good food, new friends, making music and seeing each other again.

“Check please…”

Thanks to the wonderful folks we worked with – stage, tech and festival crew, musicians and production company. Everyone was so friendly, accommodating and professional - it was really a pleasure to be part of the event.

With our translator, Janice.

THE LITTLE “BUND” THAT COULD IN SHANGHAI

We had some time to explore and ventured into Shanghai for a few days. On the first visit, with our heads under umbrellas, we trekked through a small monsoon, winding our way though the old Yuyuon Market and Yuyuon Garden - narrow market alleys, rows & rows of mysterious shops, red lanterns strung high - it made for a surreal (and rainy) stroll. Despite the rain, the garden, old temples and the pond were lovely. On the next visit we made it to The Bund. It’s a long promenade along the western bank of the Huangpu River. The views of the entire city (very old and very new) were incredible. It was evening and Shanghai was in full 70th Anniversary swing - the city-wide light show was mind-blowing. Buildings completely wrapped in video screens, lasers shooting out from rooftops, patriotic music piped everywhere, and even a long ivy wall dotted with circular windows, like portholes, displaying hologram butterflies and birds. It was right out of Blade Runner. As Claudia said throughout the trip, it felt like we were on the moon. Just spectacular. Bridget found us a very special restaurant overlooking The Bund and during our meal, every half hour, we’d put down our chop sticks and step out onto the three-story high deck and marvel at the city - all lit up like a pinball machine!

Fengxian

One of the quieter highlights for me was walking around our little neighborhood in Fengxian and enjoying a typical Saturday morning. So fun to be a foreign fly on the wall – experiencing a simple day in the life.

We love that our music is getting out there into the world and that it’s bringing folks together for a smile and a song. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this trip happen. Great fun to travel with Claudia, Bridget and Larry (who has been to China before and helped with so many things!) Hope to see you again, our lovely Zebras of Shanghai!

Xie xie & Zàijiàn! - 💓 Brady, Bridget, Claudia & Larry

Illustrations by Emily Balsley. Concert pics and video by Bridget Rymer. “Light of Love” concert video filmed and edited by Larry Eagle.

“I Like Time with My Friends!” & "Wagon Wheel"

As a special auction item for the Celebrate the Children School, a school for children with autism and other challenges in relating and communicating, Dan Myers and I donated a day in the recording studio. It’s a cool chance for the kids to do whatever they want - write a song, jam on some instruments, sing a favorite tune… Thanks to CTC mom, Mindy Gould, her son Jacob and his buddies Edward, Ben, Veeral and Chad rocked out for a day! They called themselves CTC BOYZ and they laid down a cool remake of one of our songs, “Love Me For Who I Am.” Ben brilliantly reworked the lyrics to “I Like Time With My Friends” and like a band of seasoned rock stars they recorded this new party anthem in just a few takes!

CHECK IT OUT!

Edward Demnitz ~ Electric Guitar & Vocals • Chad Special ~ Vocals • Ben Do ~ Keyboards & Vocals • Jacob Gould ~ Drums & Vocals • Veeral Dave ~ Vocals

I Like Time With My Friends

New lyrics by Benjamin Do

(reworked from “Love Me for Who I Am” by Brady Rymer, Dan Myers & Monica Osgood)

Please don't try to find me

I like time with my friends

Please don't try to find me

I like time with my friends

Well I might go out with my friends soon

But I got some fun to do

So I’ll meet up with friends. Common' let's talk

You're gonna be amazed

So please don't try to find me.

 I like time with my friends

Please don't try to find me

 I like time with my friends

‘Cause my fun is my own matter. That’s all

I’ll go out to get ice cream

I’ll go out with my friends to join parties

Got a good imagination

So please don't try to find me.

I like time with my friends

Please don't try to find me.,

I like time with my friends

 'Cause I like

Buddy time

I’ll go see a movie with my friends

We will go bowling too

I'm independent, you bet I am

And I want to decide

How I might spend time with my good friends

And I got some things to do

So come along with me (6)

We’ll have fun together, sure

So please don't try to find me.

 I like time with my friends

Please don't try to find me.

I like time with my friends

Please don't try to find me

Please don't try to find me

You got to let me be me

Chattin’ with me

Hangin’ out with me

I like time with my friends

I like it. I like it

I like time with my friends

I like it. I like it.

I like time with my friends

I like it. I like it.

I like time with my friends

I like it. I like it.

I like time with my friends

“WAGON WHEEL” w/ ANDREW Agnish

Last year Dan & I did a similar session with CTC student Andrew Agnish. We all worked together and wrote three brand new verses to one of his favorite songs, “Wagon Wheel.” He wanted to sing about his hometown, school and friends.

He put the headphones on, stepped up to the mic and sang, played harmonica, tambourine & clapped along. Andrew’s mom even got in on the action - adding some sweet harmony to the chorus.

Andrew Agnish: Vocals, Harmonica, Tambourine, Hand Claps

Allison Darrow: Backup Vocals

Brady Rymer: Vocals, Guitars, Bass & Drum Programming

Dan Myers: Engineering & Mixing

Recorded August 7, 2018 at Dirt Floor Studios, Denville, NJ

Wagon Wheel

New lyrics by Andrew Agnish, Allison Darrow, Brady Rymer and Dan Myers

My name is Andrew and I live in Montclair

That’s in NewJersey, way up there

I go to school in a town called Denville

Celebrate the Children is the place

Full of love and happy faces

I like it ‘cause it’s quiet and it’s peaceful

CHORUS

Rock me, mama like a wagon wheel

Rock me, mama anyway you feel

Hey, mama rock me

Rock me, mama like the wind and the rain

Rock me, mama like a southbound train

Hey, mama rock me

Now, let me tell ya about my brand new friend

Her name is Megan

Long brown hair & dark black eyes

Yeah, she’s gonna be in this song

Playing guitar & playing the drums

Blowing the harmonica way up high

CHORUS

Well, I can’t wait for Jen to hear this song

I hope that she wants to sing along

Put on her headphones, feeling cool

Everybody’s gonna start clapping their hands

Taking a bow & joining the band

Next to me & dancing around the school

CHORUS

Hey, mama rock me

---

✨ Thanks to all of the families, Jenna Hammond at CTC, Harry Howarth, Dan Myers, Andrew Agnish and the CTC BOYZ! ✨

Emily Balsley: The Artwork Behind "Under the Big Umbrella"

Photo by Nicole Hansen

Emily Balsley is an artist from Madison, Wisconsin whose colorful and playful illustrations have appeared in American Girl Magazine, numerous children’s books, on toy packaging and much more. What a joy to collaborate with this talented whirlwind of creativity for the new album! 🌪🎨 Full of heart and soul, Emily’s work perfectly reflects the spirit of the music. I love how she gave these songs such happy, colorful faces full of kindness, warmth and hope!

Enjoy this chat about creating the look and feel for Under the Big Umbrella.

Emily’s Under the Big Umbrella album cover.

What were your thoughts when you started drafting the imagery for Under the Big Umbrella?

An early sketch of the band…

I was quite honored when Brady first reached out to me about collaborating on the art for his album! Even though I was super busy with client work at the time, I knew this was a special project and I was going to do whatever I could to squeeze it in. At first we were really going to focus on including lots of illustrated kiddos - but the more I listened to the music, I was inspired to include so much more!

Final version of the album art.

How do the song lyrics resonate with your philosophy and style as an artist?

As an artist, I have the opportunity to create imagery to put into this world - therefore, my art includes messaging that I want my daughter and future generations to see: love, bravery, compassion, and inclusivity. Because of this, my illustrations often include a lot of color, people, flowers, hearts, sunshines and rainbows. When I listened to Brady's song lyrics, the imagery practically drew itself! The songs of Under the Big Umbrella encompasses all of those loving, happy, encouraging messages - which in turn, ended up making this the perfect collaboration.

“My art includes messaging that I want my daughter and future generations to see: love, bravery, compassion, and inclusivity. ”

— Emily Balsley

COLORING PAGE! (Right click, save and color YOURSELF!)

what was the process like creating the Under the Big Umbrella album cover?

First, I listened to the album and read the lyrics that Brady gave me. I highlighted words and phrases that spoke to me, and then started drawing in my sketchbook. As I started sending Brady my sketches, we were able to chat about what he was seeing and that's when it truly became a collaboration. There was a lot of back-and-forth about where we could push the imagery. Once the sketches were dialed, then I started painting. Using my sketches as a template, I essentially painted over them on my light box. I tend to build my art up in layers - so the background washes came first, then the rest of the color, and finally the line work and text was done in ink. Then I scanned all of those pieces into my computer, cleaned them up digitally, and layered the final composition in Photoshop. 

Your artwork has appeared in books and magazines. Is this your first time doing an album cover? What is it like to capture music in illustrations?

I've done a few gig posters, but this is my first album! I am so excited to add this to my roster! I love the challenge of spinning lyrics into an illustration - especially when they're so in-line with my ideals, as this album was.

“I love the challenge of spinning lyrics into an illustration - especially when they’re so in-line with my ideals, as this album was.”

— Emily Balsley

What is your favorite song on Under the Big Umbrella and why?

COLORING PAGE! (Right click, save and color YOURSELF!)

Ooh, DEFINITELY "Under the Big Umbrella"! I love the message, first and foremost. It's super catchy, and I love how Brady incorporated different languages, the singing kiddos, and my favorite part - "a capella - pella - pella - pella!" AND my favorite pizza is pepperoni (with mozzarella)...so there's that! :-) 🍕

Learn more about Emily and her work at www.emilybalsley.com and follow her on social media at @emilybluestar.

Order a CD and see her lovely work in person! Amazon.com

Q&A with Super-Teacher Missy O'Keeffe

Without Missy O’Keeffe and her students at H.C. Johnson Elementary School in NJ it’s safe to say Under the Big Umbrella would not be what it is today.

Last year, the Little Band performed at Johnson Elementary and we left feeling changed and inspired by the students and teachers there. Just as their classrooms are integrated with students of all abilities, so was the audience that day. Students with all kinds of learning styles were singing and dancing together as one. I realized that this is a world that I wanted to capture in song — creating music that encompasses and welcomes everyone to a beautiful place like the auditorium at Johnson Elementary. ✨

Brady, Larry Eagle, Claudia Mussen and friends performing “Starfish and Coffee” at a Love Me For Who I Am concert at H.C. Johnson Elementary School, April 2018

The impact of the teachers on the school’s wonderfully inclusive culture is not to be underestimated. Missy and her fellow teachers work tirelessly to create an environment where everyone can take part in the same classes. As you’ll read, it takes a lot of hard work, patience, and compassion to mold a classroom and curriculum to embrace many different learning styles. The good work that she is doing will forever shape the way students of all abilities collaborate together.

This past year, I was fortunate to visit the students at H.C Johnson on several occasions to play music and interact with Missy’s class. Her students inspired some songs on “Under the Big Umbrella” with their writing prompts. They also contributed their soulful singing voices to “Don’t You Push Me Down” and “Different is Beautiful (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!)”

I wanted to sincerely thank Missy for welcoming me into her classroom and for the amazing work that she does. I also wanted to give her the microphone so she could talk about the Under the Big Umbrella project from her point of view. Her answers are pretty profound and I think everyone can benefit from reading. Here’s Missy…!

How did you hear about Brady's music and why was it a great fit for your classroom? Could you talk a bit about the integrated nature of the classroom?

A few years ago, our school took on nine classes of students with multiple disabilities and I was failing...hard.  Like, crying-in-the-car during lunch hard. Not only was I teaching self-contained music therapy with no training, but we also mainstreamed everyone for specials and it was NOT. GOING. WELL. While scouring the internet for answers, I saw the video for “Love Me For Who I Am” by Brady. It was the first time I saw a positive representation of kids that looked, moved and sounded like my students. Even more, they were singing a real ANTHEM - the message we wanted our traditional students, and even fellow teachers, to understand.

I bought the album and used each song to teach a lesson on the perspective of our students with special needs to all our children.  The lyrics gave everyone a powerful, positive vocabulary. Before, a student might be described as “having a meltdown” or “freaking out.” Now the kids were able to understand and say, “Oh, he doesn’t like change.” Kids used say a student with special needs was “just running around” or “being disruptive.”  Now they say, “She’s keeping her wiggle alive.”

Beyond learning about students with special needs, our traditional students immediately connected with these themes in their own lives.  They now know EVERYONE struggles with these topics — adults too! One child describes it like this: “I feel like that too. It’s just that the volume is turned up more inside some people and my body knows how to turn it down.”

“The lyrics gave everyone a powerful, positive vocabulary. Before, a student might be described as ‘having a meltdown’ or ‘freaking out.’  Now the kids were able to understand and say, ‘Oh, he doesn’t like change.’ Kids used to say a student with special needs was ‘just running around’ or ‘being disruptive.’  Now they say, ‘She’s keeping her wiggle alive.’”

What was it like to see your class interact with Brady by singing and writing music with him?

Brady is a hero to our kids. The most amazing thing is that they don’t even recognize all he’s taught them. They have no idea that singing, dancing, and laughing inclusively is special. Doing it through music makes it just plain fun! They see Brady, not for these deep life lessons, but as a rock star they get to jam with!

During a concert with Brady, I was able to bounce around to check in with our special needs teachers and ask if their students needed anything.  I thought I'd get a request for noise-reducing headphones or a walk for someone who needed a break. Instead, I was met with a teacher, jumping and joyfully crying, "Try to find my kids in the crowd!  They're all mixed in, singing, dancing... I can't tell them apart from any of the other kids. This is everything we've been working for.” Moments like those are exactly what our kids did such a beautiful job describing and sharing for “Under the Big Umbrella.”  When we talk about how special it is that we play together so joyfully, they are genuinely confused, because they honestly don’t understand how it could be any other way.

Why do you think it's important to play music that speaks to students with special needs?

All people, but children especially, should be able to recognize themselves in the music they hear. When your uniqueness is represented, you’re empowered. It’s almost like a mirror that proves you exist.  “See?! That’s me!” And when a room of your peers are singing your difference in celebration, imagine how powerful that is.  Your difference doesn’t make you “other” — it’s applauded. It’s what makes you beautiful.

“All people, but children especially, should be able to recognize themselves in the music they hear. When your uniqueness is represented, you’re empowered. It’s almost like a mirror that proves you exist.”

— Missy O'Keeffe

What do you think is the most important thing to remember when teaching a music class with students of all abilities?  

I needed to hear that it’s okay to talk purposefully and deliberately about the challenges of students with special needs. At the beginning, I spent a lot of energy trying to keep the entire classroom moving forward. I’d ignore a behavior and expect the class to do so too, but ultimately, that leads to ignoring the child. Our team of therapists and special area teachers organized lessons to educate everyone (staff too!) about what it’s like to see the world with sensory processing, mobility and speech challenges. It was so important for us to be able to talk freely, ask questions, make connections and explore together.

A huge turning point for me was when I realized it’s not about the content and curriculum. Initially, I was distracted with how to help our students with special needs reach the learning goals of peers their age. Our incredible special needs teachers helped me understand that we needed to crawl before we could walk. The pre-learning and social skills needed to be addressed first. The goals for our students with special needs are generalizing skills like making transitions, accepting direction from a new teacher, and most importantly, interacting positively with peers. It was almost like they gave me “permission” to dial it back, and it’s exactly what I needed. It turns out, expressly addressing these skills is important to ALL kids. Think about eye contact. While that is a skill you might specifically teach a child with special needs, anyone who has tried to connect with child playing on a device knows it’s something modern kids need too.

Most importantly, it’s okay if you feel like a mess. Teachers are groomed to be overly prepared, endlessly patient and always right. But kids aren’t robots and neither are we. The best thing a teacher told me was, “Once you know one kid with autism, you know one kid with autism.” There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, even when communicating with the same child minute to minute because the needs of special children can change abruptly. When the gains you’ve made regress and you think all your hard work has flown out the window, don’t dwell on the yards lost. Take a breath and ask yourself, “Where are we now...in this exact moment?” and rebuild from there. Rebuilding is not failing. You need to be as patient with yourself as you are with your students.

“Teachers are groomed to be overly prepared, endlessly patient and always right. But kids aren’t robots and neither are we. The best thing a teacher told me was, ‘Once you know one kid with autism, you know one kid with autism.’ There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.”

— Missy O'Keeffe

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working on the "Under the Big Umbrella" project with Brady?

I remember saying to some songwriter friends, “This is your moment.  We’re at a point in time where everyone is so easily divided. People are primed for the rise of a great musician who brings people together.” I just never thought it would be a children’s musician!

Illustrations by Emily Balsley

“If you look at the themes of ‘Under the Big Umbrella’ as a whole, it’s exactly what we need now. And it’s entirely appropriate that it would be inspired by the children who are going to move the ball forward.”

— Missy O'Keeffe