Dandelion performed by Greg Lato
On the surface, Greg Lato‘s latest album, Dandelion: Songs Inspired by Military Kids and Families is a concept album. Created following conversations Lato (himself a Navy veteran) had with military families, each song is written with the experiences of military kids in mind. However, once you start listening, you realize that calling Dandelion a concept album doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Dandelion is in fact a love letter. A love letter to the families, and especially the kids, who give up everything in support of their loved ones and our country.
With the 13 tracks on Dandelion, Lato balances songs that speak directly to the military experience with those that will have universal appeal. Throughout the collection, he partners with those who can relate to these experiences. Lato is joined on the title track by the kids choir from CAMMO (Center for American Military Music Opportunities) to sing about what it’s like to be a “dandelion,” a term I didn’t know stood for a military kid. As listeners learn from the song, children of service members are called dandelions because just like the flower, they are strong and resilient and grow wherever they are planted. To learn more about the experience from a former military kid’s perspective, read the blog post “Dandelion Children” by Spc. Gabriella Sullivan.
Additional songs that speak to the military life of kids include “Home” that emphasizes that home is family and “it’s not a place, it’s a feeling,” “Brats” which highlights the fact that being a military brat is actually a good thing (and on which Lato is joined by the Portsmouth Rhode Island School Military Kids), and “Helping Out,” where Lato gets an assist from fellow children’s music artist and Iraq War veteran Mr. Pete’s Playhouse, in describing all the ways that military kids have to step up and help out when a parent is deployed.
Songs with more universal appeal include the opening track, “Hi! I’m New Here,” a duet with 14-year-old military kid Kaleyana Ludwig about being the new kid in school and “Dippin’ Chicken” and “Gotta Eat a Pizza” which take listeners on a walk on the silly side of life. Lato also incorporates a beautiful song just for parents called, “Before I Had Kids,” and closes out the album with a song every child and adult should listen to, “To Be a Veteran,” which provides the rarely illustrated point of view of a new veteran, just returning to civilian life.
Dandelion will touch your heart, make you smile and laugh, and leave you with a better understanding of the lives of the thousands of military children around the world. Thank you for your service Greg and thank you for giving us this music!
Here’s a look at a song from Dandelion that many of us can relate to, “Old School, New School.”
After exploring the Blues on their last two family albums, Wendy & DB return to their pop roots with Get Your Sunny Side UP. The album kicks off with the title track, featuring Wendy’s powerful vocals, encouraging listeners to start each day with a new, positive attitude. This is followed by the bluesy “I’m in a Mood,” “Never Give Up” starring some ethereal vocals from Pierce Freelon, the bilingual “Ouchie Ya Ya” with Flor Bromley, and “Talk About It,” an important song for children and adults about not just talking to one another, but listening to each other in order to find a middle ground. Wendy & DB continue to celebrate and urge everyone to protect the environment with “Recycling Bins” and “Little Bird/Big World” featuring the incredible vocal stylings of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. In a departure from their usual vibes, they mix things up with the loud, cacophony that aptly matches tone with subject matter with “Let’s Make a MeSs.” Two tracks that would be perfect in storytime include the love and joy filled “Rainbow in My Heart” which would pair well with ribbons or scarves, and “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” a high octane, fresh take on an old standard. Get Your Sunny Side Up will be a hit with children and adults of all ages. Take a peek at their latest video, “Seymour the Sloth.”
For Brady Rymer and The Little Band That Could, life is Sunny Side Up. For 25 years. Rymer’s music has always been imbued with positivity and kindness, and this latest collection is no different. His hallmark pop-rock-folk sound lifts each of the songs up, filling them with happiness and a sense of joy that is underscored by the band’s effortless harmonies. The album opens with the title track, an upbeat tune that emphasizes that every day is a fresh start. The themes of friendship and togetherness are explored on “Me and My Friends” and “The Reason is You” while kindness is the star in “When You’re Kind,” a lovely duet between Rymer and Laurie Berkner. Additional songs celebrate the simple pleasures in life like laundry on the line, a baby bird preparing to fly, and a dandelion in the wind making this album perfect for family listening as we continue our journey from spring into the lazy, hazy days of summer. 
To kick things off, here is “
From defending the Earth to celebrating the Earth, next up is the third album from St. Louis’s own 
Finally, here is a 
As a child, whenever I heard adults use the phrase, “where does the time go?” I always thought, “I don’t know where it goes, but it sure goes slow.” Now, as an adult, I too wonder where the time goes, and why it goes so quickly. It feels like Halloween was just yesterday yet the first day of 2025 is only two weeks away. I had every intention of writing several posts over the course of the past month highlighting various new holiday songs, but alas, best laid plans and all. Instead, here is one bigger post to celebrate the sounds of Christmas. 
Grief has been on a lot of people’s minds lately, mine included. So often it is correlated to the death of a loved one, but among other things, it could also be the result of the loss of a pet, or the end of dreams that will never be realized. I consider myself lucky that while growing up, whenever I was grieving a loss, however big or small, my parents never said, “Don’t cry. Everything will be ok.” Instead they let me cry, or talk, or just be alone for a while.
Set to be released this Friday, October 18, children’s indie folk band Little Coyotes’ debut album Songs to Howl & Sing is a real delight. The ten tracks in this collection are a love letter to the outdoors that celebrates many of the facets of nature, while also conveying messages of positivity and empowerment for young listeners. Whether learning about the national parks, shapes, sunny or rainy days, or the power of vowels, children will be enchanted by the lyrical prose found in each of the musical phrases. 
For children and adults, having to do things on our own may be scary, but many times that is the only way for us grow and progress. For emerging children’s artist Katie T (Kansas’s Katie Todd), this is a very personal message. With over a decade of experience teaching music to elementary school children, Katie is now taking the plunge and releasing her own music. “Chickadee” is her first single and a real delight. On the surface, the tune is a simple, jaunty song about a bird that contains repeating lyrics and action movements that would work well in storytime, but when you listen a little closer you realize that there is an important message about perseverance and how special it is to encourage one another on to success.
According to Katie, the inspiration for “Chickadee” came from a conversation that she had with her dad earlier this year. Seeing her feeling discouraged, he told her about a chick coming out of its shell and how it needed to break out all on its own in order to survive in the wild. With that story as the basis for her new song, Katie went on to pen a tune that she hopes reminds listeners that, “We have to do hard things and sometimes that means taking a break, taking a breath, and when WE are READY (not anyone else’s expectations) we can step up and try again and listen to the encouragement of those around us to make it through.” Just like that chickadee, Katie T has broken out of her shell with this single. I look forward to hearing more from this new voice in children’s music.