SOLD OUT Benefit Concert!
The Debbie and Friends Band
A great big thank you to all of the families who came out to support our SOLD OUT benefit concert for the Sandy Hook School Fund. The Coolidge Corner Theatre holds 440 seats and they were filled with kids and families all there to make music with Debbie and Friends, Bill Harley, and Vanessa Trien. 100% of the $3280 ticket sales and $200 merchandise sales will be donated to the United Way’s Sandy Hook School Fund.
Here’s a link to more pictures from the show.
Bill Harley
So much fun!
Vanessa Trien and Mike Carrera
The Train!
The Big Bad Wolf!
Berklee’s Early Childhood Symposium
What an honor it was for Debbie and Friends to participate in Berklee’s Early Childhood Symposium on April 9, 2012. The symposium was sponsored by Berklee’s Music Education Dept, under the leadership of Dr. Cecil Adderley, and included presentations and performances by Paul Reisler, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, and Debbie and Friends. It was a very special day with Berklee students, faculty, staff, and lots of families from the greater Boston area all focused on making music together.
Here’s a picture of Berklee’s Music Ed Majors on stage with Debbie and Friends having a great time with the kids and families in attendance. This was particularly special to me being an alumna of that program.
Debbie and Friends with Berklee’s Music Ed Majors
Berklee constantly strives to be a great place to learn, teach, and work. Events like the Early Childhood Symposium are just one more example of this.
Filed under Children's Music, Concerts, Debbie and Friends, Family Activities, Music, Music Education, Parenting | Comment (0)Walk Away
I’m so happy to present our new cartoon music video designed to help kids who are dealing with bullies.
Meet Lucy Lou, her dog named Boo and their friends!
Filed under Cartoon, Children's Music, Debbie and Friends, Music, Parenting, Videos, bullying | Comment (0)Taking on Bullying - a sneak preview
That’s right! Debbie and Friends is taking on bullying with a new dance number called “Walk Away,” and we’re excited to share a sneak preview with you!
The cartoon music video is in production right now. The following is our rough sketch storyboard version.
As you know from previous cartoon music videos, the storyboard contains the song and the general visual direction of the cartoon. After the storyboard is approved, the animators start the hard work of coloring and animating. It takes 30 drawings for every second of animation, so there is a lot of work ahead!
The band and I hope you enjoy the new song. “Walking away” is one of the strategies taught for dealing with bullies. I hope it proves helpful for some of our young friends who may experience bullying.
The final version of the cartoon music video will be ready in September!
-Debbie
Filed under Cartoon, Children's Music, Music, Parenting, Videos, bullying | Comment (0)DVD Concert Memories
What a fun crowd filled with friends at the Regent Theatre!
Thank you to everyone who came to our show at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA on Saturday, March 26, to celebrate the release of our new DVD, STORY SONGS & SING ALONGS and to sing along with our special guests and good friends, Bob McGrath from Sesame Street and Darcel Wilson.
Here are some pictures from our fun time together! (Thanks to Beth Oram Photography for “capturing happy”!)
Debbie and Bob McGrath singing “Sing a Song” with everyone.
Darcel Wilson, Mike Carrera and Debbie Cavalier
Our fans and friends!
Our own Eric Saulnier on guitar!
Our dancing band!
Having fun!
Bob McGrath!
Story Songs & Sing Alongs DVD.
Our new DVD is available on our Web site .
http://debbieandfriends.net/music.php
Thanks again, everyone! I hope to see you at another D&F concert soon!
-Debbie
Filed under Concerts, DVD, Debbie and Friends, Music, Music Education, News, Parenting, Videos | Comment (0)Learning to Play Piano - FREE book
Happy Holidays!
I’m pleased to share a piano method booklet for children that I developed with my Grandfather, Marty Gold. Marty is a wonderful musician who has enjoyed an amazing career in music. In fact, he’s the reason I became a musician. Recently, he told me about a piano “tent” he created to help kids learn the names of notes on a music staff. The story goes that Nabisco was going to put one in every cereal box back in the 1950s, and then pulled the project for fear there were not enough pianos in US homes. We decided to do the project together and make it available to friends of “Debbie and Friends.”
The following widget has a download link for a free copy of the Learning to Play Piano book and piano tent PDF files. A printed version of the book will be available soon. In the meantime, please let me know how the tent and method book are for your children!
Special thanks to Robert Heath of Barkley Studios for designing the keyboard tent, Greg David of Planet Sunday for the cover art image, and Shawn Girsberger for the book layout and design. What a dream team!!!
-Debbie
Filed under Children's Music, Debbie and Friends, Family Activities, Music, Music Education, Parenting | Comment (0)Trick or Treat - Free Song Download
How about some music with all that candy? Give your trick or treaters a free song download coupon this year (attach it to their candy), compliments of Debbie and Friends!
Get your free, printable song download cards from Debbie and Friends here.
Hap Palmer Talks to BAM! Radio
Hap Palmer
I’m thrilled to tell you about a wonderful educational resource for families and education professionals called BAM Radio Network.
Bam’s co-founder and renowned educator, Rae Pica, recently invited to be part of an interview on Bam with legendary music educator Hap Palmer. Hap is an innovator in the use of music and movement to teach skills and encourage the use of imagination for kids. His music has received numerous honors. Hap’s music was always a big part of my work as an elementary music educator years ago, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with him and the host of the show, Maryann Harmon!
Here’s a link to the show. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you, from Debbie and Friends
This is a special thank-you video to all of our fantastic fan families who have been so supportive of Debbie and Friends! Thank you for the wonderful memories. There are lots more to be made!
I hope you enjoy it!
-Debbie
Nickelodeon Parents’ Pick Awards 2010
I’m so excited to tell you that we’ve been nominated for the Nickelodeon Parents’ Pick Award! We’re in the top 5, and WE NEED YOUR VOTES to win!
Please click the link below to vote. You can vote once a day through Aug. 30!
Nominated for best kids’ music cd. Vote now!
You are the reason we’ve been nominated. Thank you so much for your support of Debbie and Friends! Please vote!
Filed under Awards, Children's Music, Contest, Debbie and Friends, Music, Parenting | Comment (0)
