Oran Etkin – Kids Rhythm and Rock

2019 Children’s Music Roundup

December 3, 2019 Veronica Librarians, Parents, Teachers, Uncategorized

Welcome to the second annual Kids Rhythm and Rock Children’s Music Roundup! Oh what a year 2019 was for children’s music with a cornucopia of sounds, fantastic messages and moments of fun combining for a true wealth of musical riches, Whether you check the CDs out from the library or listen to them on your favorite streaming service, all of the albums below are definitely worth a listen (or two, or three…).

Best Animal Album Covers
Come for the covers, stay for the amazing music!
Swamp Romp Performed by Johnette Downing with Scott Billington
Winterland Performed by The Okee Dokee Brothers

Be Mindful, Be Kind

The Love Performed by Alphabet Rockers
Kindred Performed by Renee & Friends
Under the Big Umbrella Performed by Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Ageless: Songs for the Child Archetype Performed by Jon Samson

Unique Musical Stylings

Finding Friends Far From Home: A Journey with Clara Net Performed by Oran Etkin
Shake It and Break It Performed by Randy Kaplan
Earworm Performed by Sean McCollough

Based on a Podcast

Backstroke Raptor Performed by The Story Pirates

Regional Superstars You Should Know

Put Your Arms in the Air Performed by Cowboy Andy (based in Montana)
Kith & Kin Performed by Duke Otherwise (based in Wisconsin)

Bilingual/Spanish Albums

Canta las Letras Performed by 123 Andrés
Love is Te Quiero Performed by Alina Celeste
Buenos Diaz Performed by The Lucky Band
En la Radio Performed by Nathalia

We Only Have One Earth
These albums each contain several songs that celebrate the flora and fauna on this rock we call home.

Can You Feel It? Performed by Jessa Campbell & the Saplings
It Takes a Village Performed by Ginalina
Positronic Performed by Marsha and the Positrons

Rock ‘n’ Roll Dads

Which One Am I? Performed by Howie D
Growing Up Performed by Josh Lovelace

The Long and the Short of It

All I Do is Hop Performed by Grin Brigade (29 tracks)
The Robot Performed by Ants Ants Ants (4 tracks)

Thank You, and Goodnight!

Album cover for Now That We're Home

Now That We’re Home: Lullabies & Love Songs Performed by KB Whirly

3 comments 123 andres, alina celeste, Alphabet Rockers, ants ants ants, brady rymer, cowboy andy and the salamanders, duke otherwise, ginalina, grin brigade, howie d, jessa campbell & the saplings, johnette downing, jon samson, josh lovelace, kb whirly, marsha and the positrons, nathalia, Oran Etkin, Randy Kaplan, renee & friends, sean mccollough, story pirates, the lucky band, The Okee Dokee Brothers

Album Cover Art & New Single – Finding Friends Far from Home: A Journey with Clara Net

August 4, 2019 Veronica Librarians, Parents, Teachers, Uncategorized

I’ve always loved pictures that tell a story, and that is exactly what the cover art for Oran Etkin’s album Finding Friends Far from Home: A Journey with Clara Net does. Etkin is the founder of the Timbalooloo Method for learning music in which each instrument comes to life, adding character, humor and emotion to music. This album cover captures that methodology by depicting several instruments from around the world as characters who are sharing with one another and building a friendship.

This beautiful cover art was created by Mexican artist Lynda M. Tovar. In working on the project, Tovar says

“While listening to the album and doing the sketches and different explorations of the characters I got to know Clara, her brother, the Bass Clarinet, little Mbira and the rest of the characters. As they were presented to me through the music, the designs of the characters grew in me like they were present. I could listen to them while creating them and that helped me while creating their images and personalities.

While working on it, it also brought a certain feeling of nostalgia. I thought of my childhood and how when I was little I listened to an album with my parents, everyone humming, whistling or singing to it with a very different perspective, and me, as I imagine the children could also do with this album, looking at the cover of it and getting every detail of the characters and imagining all the scenarios the songs tell. It made me smile every time I thought of this and how the kids would be able to do that with this cover.”

Finding Friends Far from Home was a project several years in the making. Etkin, a clarinetist, traveled the world, recording the songs on this album with artists from the countries that he visited. One of the tracks, “Tumbalalaika,” is a riddle-filled tune featuring the balalaika – a triangular, three-stringed Russian instrument. Take a listen here. Finding Friends Far from Home will be released on August 30.