Opposite - A cartoon in development

Here’s a sneak preview of our new animated music video in the works. It’s based on one of our favorite songs, “Opposite.” Check out how well the guys in the band can dance!

This is a pre-production teaser, and features the amazing animation work of Greg David and Goichi Hirata from Planet Sunday. It also features the wonderful character design work of Robert Heath of Barkley Studios. The final version should be out by the end of the summer.




The band and I hope you enjoy it!

-Debbie

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March 27, CD Release Concert!

Dear Friends,

What’s better than a Debbie & Friends Concert at the Regent Theatre?

A Debbie & Friends CD Release Concert at the Regent Theatre!

Please join us this Saturday, March 27th at 10:30am. The Regent Theatre is located at 7 Medford Street, Arlington, MA.

We have a great show in store that you won’t want to miss! In addition to our fantastic band, we have lots of surprises:

- Darcel Wilson joins us on vocals
- Sue Lindsay joins us on sax and flute
- We’ll perform with one of our cartoon music videos
- And, we’ll be raffling off copies of the new CD (signed by everyone in the band!), t-shirts, and more!

Don’t wait! Call for tickets 781-646-4849, or order online here.

I hope to see you at the show!

Debbie

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In the Recording Studio with Debbie and Friends

Debbie and Friends’ second CD, More Story Songs and Sing Alongs is going to be released in January 2010, and we’re having so much fun recording the songs. Many of you have asked about the recording process, and so I thought I’d share how we constructed our new song, “So, So Happy,” in the studio.

First, let’s listen to the whole song. Then we’ll listen to the individual parts (or tracks) we recorded.
So So Happy - in production by Debbie and Friends

With our producer Mike Carrera guiding the way, we recorded the rhythm section tracks for “So, So, Happy.” The rhythm section includes Drums, Bass, Guitar, and Piano.

Let’s listen to each individual rhythm section instrument we recorded for “So, So, Happy,” and meet the players.

Drums with Bill D’Agostino.

Drums - So, So Happy by Debbie and Friends

Bass with Danny “Mo” Morris.

Bass - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Guitar with Kevin Belz.

Guitar - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Keyboard with Dave Limina.

Keyboard - “So, So Happy” by Debbie and Friends

Kids: My nephews and niece had a lot of fun making cheering, clapping, and shouting sounds for the chorus parts of the song.

Even though we captured each instrument on its own track, the parts were recorded at the same time, as a band. That’s why, when you listen really closely to the drum track above, you can hear a hint of guitar coming through the drum mics.

Now that you’ve heard the different parts, listen to the full song again and see if you and your family can pick out the individual instrument parts when they are all mixed together. It’s fun to do this with other recordings you listen to as well!

For an added challenge, click on the individual instrument tracks in this post, one at a time, and take turns guessing which instruments you are hearing: either drums, bass, guitar or piano.

Have any of you had any experience recording music? Please post your comments, or questions, below!

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iPhone + Smule Ocarina + Three Pigs = Family Jam Session!

What do you get when you take an Apple iPhone, a Smule Ocarina App, and the music notation and recorded tracks to Debbie and Friends’ song “Three Pigs and a Wolf” and put them all together? A Family Jam Session!

Here’s a link to download our fun play-along PDF for you and your family to enjoy!

Here’s a quick orientation to the play-along file:
The triangle in the upper-right hand corner will start the recording. The square boxes above the music notation are Ocarina TAB. The blue holes are the ones to cover, the white holes are left open. And, the music notation, chords, and lyrics are there for all of the singers, guitar players, and piano players in the house! (Don’t forget to add some percussion instruments)

Have fun making music together with Debbie and Friends’ “Three Pigs and a Wolf” song. Please be sure to post a message and share your experience.

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Bang on the Drums All Day! Part 2

Now that you’ve made your own drums, let’s put them to good use with games and activities for the whole family.

Drum Games and Activities
Now that you’ve got your homemade drums, let’s put them to use! Here are six different kid-tested drum activities for the whole family.

1. Percussion Popcorn Game
One person (or a group) crouches down on the floor like popcorn kernels ready to pop. The leader plays a popcorn-popping rhythm on the drum: starting slowly with just a few popping beats. The kernels listen closely and try to jump up like popcorn on each beat. The leader can play faster and faster as the popcorn pieces jump all around. Take turns being the popcorn-rhythm maker (the leader) and popping kernels.

2. Rhythms All Around
Listen to the rhythms all around your world. Some rhythms are steady and some are free. Here are examples of some steady rhythms that can be found every day.
The windshield wipers of a car
The ticking of a clock
The clippety-clop of a horse walking

Here are some common free (or unsteady) rhythms.
Popcorn popping
Raindrops falling
Someone typing on a keyboard

What steady and free rhythms can you find together (inside or out)? Make a steady/free rhythm chart. Play the rhythms you hear on your drums together. Then, make up some of your own.

3. Secret Drum Code
There are lots of interesting facts about drums. For example, they are the oldest instruments known. Did you know that drums were used throughout the ages as a communication tool between different tribes in Africa? Different drum beats and patterns were used as signals, warnings, and messages. See if you can come up with special drumbeat patterns to communicate with each other. Make up your own secret drum code for, “Dinner is ready,” “I finished my homework,” and other ideas.

4. Let’s Go, My Team!
Four steady beats played over and over again: this is the beat used at many sporting events to cheer on the home team. Bring your drum the next time your family goes to a soccer or baseball game, and lead the crowd in a cheer: “Let’s Go Red Sox” (insert your team’s name). Get the crowd going with your homemade drums and team spirit. GO TEAM!

5. Play-Along Fun: Family Jam!
Play a steady beat as you sing along with some of your family’s favorite songs. Try “Twinkle, Twinkle,” “Five Little Monkeys,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Eency Weency Spider”… they all sound great! Then, try playing and singing along with your favorite recordings!

6. Sing-Along Fun: “Drum” the Clapping Parts for “B-I-N-G-O”
Your drum is a great instrument to use to fill in the “clapping” parts for game songs like “B-I-N-G-O.” Follow the instructions below and play the clapping parts on your homemade drum.

1. Sing the song as written.
2. Repeat the song and play your drum together on the letter “B.”
3. The third time, play your drum together on the letters “B” and “I.”
4. Continue until you play your drum together on all of the letters.
5. End by singing, “And Bingo was his name-O.”

I hope these activities inspired even more music-making ideas to share with your family. For now, I will leave you with a special percussionist’s knock-knock joke, dedicated to all the “drummers in the house.”

Knock Knock. Who’s there?
Ivana. Ivana who?
Ivana Bang on the Drums All Day!

Have fun with your homemade drums!

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Bang on the Drums All Day! Part 1

Everyone loves the drums! They’re fun and expressive and there are so many different kinds. Drums belong to the percussion family meaning they are played by being shaken or hit. Drums are at the heart of any musical groove. They provide a driving beat that can make us want to dance and move. We’re going to discover how drums can be used for musical games and activities, too. Let’s start by making some drums of our own, and then exploring family music-making activities so you can bang on the drums all day!

Make Your Own Drum
It’s easy to do with just a few household items. Here’s what you’ll need:
• One empty coffee can with a plastic lid (one can per drum)
• Two wooden spoons (two sticks per drum)
• Construction paper, markers, crayons, paint, glitter and other decorative items of your choice to make your drum festive and fun!
• Scissors
• Glue or tape

Decorate your coffee-can drums and play them with the handle end of the wooden spoons. For a unique drum sound, put a layer of coffee beans, rice, small pebbles, or popcorn kernels at the bottom of the can. Experiment with different materials and discover together how the sound (timbre) of the drum changes.

Next we’ll add some drum rhythms and games for the whole family to play!

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