Video Premiere – “Sae Taryeong” performed by Elena Moon Park
My husband and I spent most of this weekend working on rebuilding our deck. Our backyard is ringed by old oak trees and marshland and while we were outside we kept hearing these high pitched long screeches coming from the branches above us. For the first couple of hours we couldn’t figure out what creature could possibly be responsible for such a sound. Then, in the early afternoon we finally caught a glimpse of two young hawks practicing their flying techniques. Were they the source of that unusual bird call? Last night we spent some time online searching out examples of what young hawks sound like, and just like that, the puzzle was solved. Our hawk friends were back again this morning, but now that we knew whose bird call was echoing through the air, it was easier to follow the sound and see the glorious youngsters high in the trees.
This experience very much reminds me of “Sae Taryeong,” one of the tracks from Elena Moon Park‘s most recent album, Unhurried Journey. “Sae Taryeong” is a well known folk song from the southwestern region of Korea that tells the story of birds on a hillside in the spring who are calling to one another. The song’s lyrics are a lovely blend of Korean and English that engage listeners and will have them calling “sook-sook, sook-sook,” back to the sparrows, bluebirds, and robins.
The video for “Sae Taryeong” is a whimsical blend of colors, collage, and video that perfectly captures the song’s celebration of nature in springtime. Created by composer and musician, Natacha Diels, “Sae Taryeong” presents unique imagery not often found in music videos for children. For more information about the song including lyrics and how to listen to bird calls, visit the “Sae Taryeong” page on the Unhurried Journey album website. Enjoy the video for “Sae Taryeong” below and next time you’re outside, take a minute to stop and say “sook-sook” to the birds above.
Do you need a pick me up? A return to a time when life wasn’t filled with constant worry and stress? Then Backyard Bop is just the thing for you! This latest album from Red Yarn is filled with original songs that are guaranteed to get the whole family moving and singing along. The collection kicks off with the rockabilly dance party title track before sliding into the high energy “Jump for Joy,” which reminds us that even though life is hard right now, there are still lots of reasons to be joyful, and what better way to celebrate than with lots and lots of jumping. There are several nods to animals including in the uptempo folk rock “Critters in My Garden” (boy can I relate to that!) and the celebration of “Cats & Dogs.” Woven throughout the album are several ways to enjoy the simple things in life as well. These include a beautiful song about watching the amazing show that nature puts on “Outside My Window,” saying hi to old friends, making new ones, and caring for one another as you roll “Around This Town” (featuring Mo Phillips and Aaron Nigel Smith), and using your imagination to go on all kinds of incredible adventures in “My Own Backyard.” In addition, “Town Hall Meeting” is the perfect song to help children understand that while it’s important to stand up and have your voices heard, it’s equally important to respect one another even when we disagree. Backyard Bop is a fantastic addition to Red Yarn’s catalog of music. Take a listen, share it with a friend, take a moment to look out the window, then jump and dance and spread some joy! 
I was first introduced to the music of 
Singing a solo can be an amazing experience, but there is nothing quite like singing along with a group of people to make you feel like you belong. When you’re singing with your friends and family, it doesn’t matter if you hit all the right notes or sing a wrong word once in a while. What matters is that you sing with all you’ve got. If you’re like me and you live in an area of the country where staying at home is encouraged, you might see businesses and churches in your town, or ads on TV, using the phrase “In This Together.” What better way to show that we are in this together than by singing along with one another? Below are just two of the amazing songs out right now that encourage us to warm up our voices and sing with all our hearts.
On their last album, The Spaceship That Fell in My Backyard, mother-daughter duo Ruth Weber and Emilia Lopez-Yañez took listeners on an adventure with Emilia and her new alien friend, URR. URR returns on this new album to help Emilia and her friends save the beautiful Kokowanda Bay. The theme of working together to make the world a better place that started in Backyard, continues in Kokowanda Bay as Emilia and URR work to teach listeners about the wonders of nature and all the ways that we can work to preserve it.
Lindsay Munroe’s debut album I Am Kind: Songs for Unique Kids is filled from beginning to end with tracks that will soothe and delight young listeners. Munroe, a mother of three children with autism, writes songs that all children can relate to, but that include a deeper meaning for families with neurodiverse kids. Her original songs include “Waiting Nicely,” “Ask for Help,” “OK to Make Mistakes,” and “Everyone of Us Belongs” which emphasizes that we are all different (some of us flap, some of us rock, some of us use a tablet to talk) but we all have something to give. 
In this follow-up to his debut album, Kookie, Jumpin’ Jamie turns his kindie rock style up a few notches with a punk sound that parents will find reminiscent of Green Day, Blink-182, and most recently, Fall Out Boy. On his sophomore effort, Jamie takes on the theme of activism with even the youngest listener in mind. Children activists of today (Greta Thunburg) and yesteryear (Susan B. Anthony) are celebrated in their own songs while listeners are encouraged to fight for freedom and against injustice in “Stand Up.”