Spotlight – The GRAMMYs
GRAMMY season is upon us! For those of us who love listening to music, the season is just a few short weeks between the announcement of the nominees and the awards show. For those who make the music, the season is months in the making but the road to the nomination is much, much longer than that. Many artists spend weeks, and for some, possibly years, planning, writing, and creating their latest albums. They pour not just their time and energy into these productions, but their hearts and their souls. After months of hard work, performances, and promotion, it’s time to put the final product to the test.
The GRAMMY Awards have a clearly defined timeline. For an album to be eligible for this year’s awards, it had to be released between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. Entries were then submitted to the Recording Academy for consideration between July 18 and August 31. Once entries were verified as meeting all the criteria, the First Round of voting opened to Academy voters on October 13 and continued to October 23. This round was used to determine the five albums that would appear on the final ballot. The Final Round of voting took place from December 14, 2o22 to January 4, 2023 with the 65th GRAMMY awards set to be announced on Sunday, February 5.
One of the things that I absolutely love about the Children’s Music Community is the incredible amount of love and support that they show one another. There were dozens upon dozens of family music artists who submitted their albums for consideration and even though they may have been disappointed when their names weren’t called, within moments of the announcement of the five albums nominated for this year’s GRAMMY award, social media was flooded with congratulations and support from throughout the family music community. Over the next three weeks Kids Rhythm and Rock will be featuring each of the nominated albums along with brief interviews with the performers. Be on the lookout later this week when I shine a spotlight on Wendy & DB and their GRAMMY-nominated album Into the Little Blue House.
I first heard “New Leaf,” the latest single from 
Esther Crow brings audiences another Earth conscious video in “Christmas Socks (Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose),” her follow up to October’s “Homemade Halloween.” This time around, Esther and her sock puppet friends encourage viewers to explore ways to repurpose items like jam jars, coffee tins, and wrapping paper into gifts and decorations. Esther never shies away from her message, but wraps it in a fun melody with a 1950’s flair (featuring a kazoo solo!!) that will have listeners chanting “recycle, reuse, repurpose!”
The December holidays are upon us! While I had intended to get this out shortly after Thanksgiving, it’s never too late to discover new sounds of the season. By far my favorite new holiday album of 2022 is Oy Vey! Another Christmas Album from Joanie Leeds and Fyütch. Blending Joanie’s lush jazz-infused vocals with Fyütch’s hip-hop stylings and updating the tempos and arrangements, the duo brings a fresh new vibe to songs such as “Winter Wonderland,” I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Little Drummer Boy.” While you might come for the standards, make sure to stay for the originals including the delightful “Decorating the Christmas Tree” which features Joanie’s daughter Joya and Fyütch’s daughter Aura, and the children’s radio hit “Every Day’s a Holiday.” Take a listen to the EP 
Sing & Soar is a wonderful introduction to Chicago-based children’s artist Nanny Nikki. This debut EP perfectly showcases Nikki’s gorgeous alto vocals as she sings about subjects that children can easily relate to. Several of the six songs in this collection are slow pop tunes with just a slight dusting of folk undertones, creating music that is upbeat but laid back at the same time. “Almost Made It” is a well-crafted track that with each verse tells of a progressively older child who is trying to accomplish something (potty training, encouraging a friend, making a basket) and remembers mama’s words of encouragement “Don’t give up/Don’t give in” and that she loves them. “Abczzz” is a catchy new take on the alphabet song featuring a guest appearance/rap by SaulPaul while “I Can’t Hear the Moon” is a beautiful lullaby about all of the wondrous things in life (the moon, stars, clouds, love) that exist but make no sound and leaves listeners feeling like they are wrapped in a hug. Also included is a remix of “Playground Day” from the GRAMMY-nominated album All One Tribe. This joyful song is a celebration of the many activities that you can do when outside – climbing, running, sliding, jumping, digging, riding a bike. Nanny Nikki’s first album really does as promised – it sings and it soars!
As a child of the 80s, I grew up having a great appreciation for homemade costumes. My mom was incredibly creative (If you showed her an egg carton, she came up with half a dozen uses for it. Show me an egg carton, I see an egg carton.) – she could knit, crochet, paint ceramics, and most importantly, sew. Whether it was a new blouse or dress, doll clothes, or holiday decor, she could do it all. And when it came to Halloween, my mom’s creativity and skill really got a chance to shine.
