Confetti Park

Author: Confetti Park

  • Louisiana children’s authors meet up in Lake Charles for Just Imagine!

    Louisiana children’s authors meet up in Lake Charles for Just Imagine!

    Travel Blog by Katy Hobgood Ray

    Kirby Jambon, Katy Hobgood Ray, Tommie Townsley, and Trudy Mullendore. Front, Louis Ray.
    Kirby Jambon, Katy Hobgood Ray, Tommie Townsley, and Trudy Mullendore. Front, Louis Ray.

    I was recently invited to speak at a conference in Lake Charles hosted by the Southwest Louisiana Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Guild. What an honor!  It was an opportunity to meet new creative people working in children’s entertainment and education in Louisiana, and also an opportunity to share our own creations with more people. David Ray and I packed up some copies of The Little Mouse Santi books and We’re Going to Confetti Park! CDs and our little boy Louis, and headed off for adventure.  We are always up for visiting a new part of our home state!

    We got in late on a Friday night, checked into our hotel, and set out to see Lake Charles. We enjoyed driving around McNeese University and were pleasantly surprised to see a proliferation of locally owned businesses in the university corridor.  Very nice, Lake Charles!  I was also impressed with all the drive through crawfish restaurants. (Another perk of the trip: we were able to meet up with my cousin Chad Hobgood, his wife Laura, my uncle Guy, and all the Hobgood children of Lake Charles. It was a real treat to visit family members we don’t see nearly enough.)

    Conference

    We had a bright and early start for the conference on Saturday. It was held at the Seed Center at McNeese University in a large conference room with a podium for the four presenters, and several large tables for registrants. The room was lined with vendor booths featuring Louisiana authors’ and illustrators’ children’s books.

    I was one of four speakers for the day. The presentations:

    • Kirby Jambon, author/poet: “The Poetry of Louisiana Culture and Language”
    • Sharon Schmitz, author: “Plotting vs. Panting & Other Tips to Get Your Book Published”
    • Katy Hobgood Ray, host/producer of Confetti Park: “Documenting Louisiana Children’s Music & Storytelling Traditions”
    • Trudy Mullendore, Phoenix Color/Printing: “Children’s Books Inside & Out”

    The conference lasted all Saturday. There were musical interludes, poetry readings, slideshows, vendor pitches, snack breaks and door prizes offered throughout the day.

    I was absolutely enchanted by the poetry and presentation of Kirby Jambon, a teacher and poet who writes in Louisiana Creole French. Kirby is the recipient of the Henri de Régnier prize from the Académie Française, in support of literary creation in poetry. He is the first Louisianan to win this award.

    There were also excellent presentations by Sharon and Trudy… it was fascinating to learn about the physical construction of books and the printing process.

    Tommie Townsley, chairperson of the guild, organized the conference. She is a fantastic organizer and a top-class human being. I originally met Tommie, herself a children’s author and the head of Ally-Gator Book Bites, when she narrated for my radio show. She has done a lot for Confetti Park in the way of contributing stories and interviews, and now, she’s helped me meet even more  creative people from Louisiana.

    Because, for sure, the best part of the conference was meeting all the wonderful writers and illustrators, and soon-to-be published authors, and teachers, and other curious, warm and friendly people in attendance. I am thinking of the adventurous Patsy Moore, author of Whistle, and the delightful and effervescent Jerica Guillory, author of A Pig’s Tale, talented illustrator Hannah Gumbo, and Rebecca Stelly, author of To the World Above. (Rebecca was the creator of the amazing door prize that was “won” by Louis—a hand painted castle!) Of course we loved meeting Lydia Crochet and her adorable therapy dog Jeanie, the star of Jeanie, the Three Legged Pooch. And to the passionate young poetess from Mamou, and the woman who is writing about her angelic daughter—I hope you continue to pursue your dreams.

    Tommie, thank you for welcoming our family and Confetti Park to your guild! I look forward to meeting up again with all of the people we met, and a longer trip to Lake Charles very soon!

     

     

     

  • Music Memory from C.C. Adcock

    Music Memory from C.C. Adcock

    C.C. Adcock. Photography by John Chiasson
    C.C. Adcock. Photography by John Chiasson

    In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a childhood music memory from C.C. Adcock, Louisiana native and cultural champion, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer.

    C.C. recalls the positive memories of neighbors who shared their music with him when he was just a kid, in endless front porch jam sessions, and how early on, he realized that musicians are nice people.

    “When I was a child we were living in Baton Rouge for a while…there were these hippie people with long hair living across the street from us. And they used to pick guitars every afternoon on the front porch. I remember being fascinated by them, all being able to play guitars together. My parents would let me cross the street and go around there, and I’d strum my chords that I knew with them. They were really sweet. That’s also where I learned how nice and genuine and sweet musicians can be.”

    C.C. leads the Lafayette Marquis and is a member of the swamp pop supergroup Lil’ Band O’ Gold. He’s performed with Bo Diddley, Buckwheat Zydeco, Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal, and others. He’s also a notable Grammy-nominated record producer who has worked with a wide range of musicians, such as Robert Plant, Florence + The Machine, Nick Cave and Neko Case, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Ani DiFranco, and Doyle Bramhall.

    Check out C.C. Adcock’s sound from his self-titled album  and with L’il Band of Gold.

  • Storytime: The Girl Who Danced with the Devil

    Storytime: The Girl Who Danced with the Devil

    Dancing with devilsIn this episode of Confetti Park, we hear an old folk tale called, “The Girl Who Danced with the Devil.” It is narrated for you by Catherine Golden, an early childhood teacher living in New Orleans.

    This tale originates in French Acadia culture (you can find it in the delightful Danny Kaye’s Around the World Story Book) and has been adapted for a Louisiana locality.

    In the story, a young girl who loves to dance more than anything is heading off to the Mardi Gras Ball with her fiancé. She is warned by her mother not to dance past midnight, otherwise, something bad will happen. When midnight strikes, the breathless partiers are having so much fun in their whirlwind of dance that they don’t mind the chimes of the clock…. the door opens and a mysterious, handsome stranger enters the room.

    Enjoy this mysterious and frightening tale of”The Girl Who Danced with the Devil.”

  • Baseball tees for sale supporting the Confetti Park Players!

    Baseball tees for sale supporting the Confetti Park Players!

    CPP ShirtWe love a baseball tee, and we love the Confetti Park Players!

    Show your support for your favorite little singer and your favorite neighborhood kids chorus, and order an official Confetti Park Players baseball tee. The cost is $20. Order

    All proceeds from the sale of this shirt will fund a kid’s shirt (all singers get one free) and the remainder of proceeds will fund Confetti Park Players activities such as studio recording sessions, video shoots, field trips, and regular choir activities (crafts, instruments, etc.).

    The Confetti Park Players do a bunch of really cool, fun things! The kids have performed at the French Quarter Fest, the Folk Art Fest, recorded in professional studios with well-known New Orleans musicians, had video shoots with real pirates, and are regularly featured on the Confetti Park radio program. They released their first album in Nov. 2015.

    Listen to clips from We’re Going to Confetti Park!

    We're Going to Confetti Park
    Confetti Park Players CD


    Look for the Confetti Park Players at Euclid Records on April 16 and at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 23, 2016 (Saturday)!

  • Music Memory from Andrew Baham

    Music Memory from Andrew Baham

    Andrew Baham. Photo from http://www.andrewbahamonline.com/
    Andrew Baham. Photo from http://www.andrewbahamonline.com/

    In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a childhood music memory from New Orleans-born trumpet player Andrew Baham.

    Andrew has been playing the trumpet since the age of 11 years old. He studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and under the tutelage of players such as Ronald Benko, Clyde Kerr, Jr., and Nicholas Payton.

    In this memory, Andrew reflects on his early exposure to some of the great players of early jazz, such as the Olympia Brass Band. Says Andrew: “As a young kid I had the privilege to watch some of the older guys, and one of my most fond memories is watching Papa and “Duke” Dejan play.”

    Certainly, the early influence of that traditional brass sound shaped Andrews’s musical approach. Widely respected as a player, Andrew can be found performing with contemporary New Orleans bands such as Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Soul Rebels Brass Band, and Lil’ Stooges Brass Band. He has even performed with Mystikal and Mannie Fresh. But Andrew feels right at home among the old-timer players of traditional New Orleans jazz. Full Biography

    Check out Andrew’s own “Andrew Baham Quintet” and visit Andrew’s SoundCloud channel to hear the diversity of sounds he creates. https://soundcloud.com/daphessah/sets

  • The cat’s meow! That’s The Little Mouse Santi

    The cat’s meow! That’s The Little Mouse Santi

    Santi Smiles

    The Little Mouse Santi had a wonderful review in Children’s Book Review this week!

    “It’s a pleasure to introduce a character that is sure to become your new favorite mouse, Santi!…David Eugene Ray’s tale of Santi is a clever story written with elegantly simple and carefully selected text that exudes fresh originality. The characteristics of cats that Ray chooses to highlight are spot on and fun—when Santi practices being a cat he practices ignoring everyone and pretends to be bored. The manga style artwork in its pastel color glory [by the talented Santiago Germano] is both emotive and excellent. And the book itself is a joy to handle with its thick glossy sheets that make it a pleasure to turn the pages.

    Great for lap readers, independent readers, and cat lovers of all ages, The Little Mouse Santi is an inspiring tale that teaches us that, with a little courage, we can all be whoever we want to be. It’s definitely the cat’s meow!”

    santi-800

    Order The Little Mouse Santi

    Thank you so much to reviewer Bianca Schulze.

    Childrens Book Review

  • Storytime: Dixie the Old Dawg by Tommie Townsley

    Storytime: Dixie the Old Dawg by Tommie Townsley

    dixie-the-old-dogSouth Louisiana children’s author Tommie Townsley narrates the story of Dixie the Old Dawg for Confetti Park!

    Dixie The Ole Dawg is a true classic country “Cajun Tale” set in Southwest Louisiana. This inspiring tale is about a dog who was abandoned by her family during a hurricane. After the storm, she finds her way to Ms. Theriot’s house. It is there that the two of them build a trustworthy relationship. Dixie finds out what it feels like to be left alone with no one to care for her. However, she also realizes that sometimes you do have to go through a storm in order to find happiness! Both children and adults will enjoy this true story. It is full of love, friendship, trust, and affection. It you love dogs, you will love Dixie! Always remember, “Dogs are a man’s best friend!”

    You can order the book from Amazon or from Tommie’s own publishing house, Ally-Gator BookBites.

    Tommie, who lives in Lake Charles, is a great friend to Confetti Park and a leader in the children’s art and culture scene in Louisiana. She has inspired kids around the state with her charming Cajun animal tales. Learn more about Tommie in this interview with Confetti Park.

  • Music Memory from Doctor Sick

    Music Memory from Doctor Sick

    Doctor Sick
    Doctor Sick. Image provided by Doctor Sick.

    Doctor Sick, who might have once been called an itinerant musician, is today a fixture in the New Orleans music scene. A “musical jack of all trades,” Doctor Sick is a virtuoso musician who sings and plays stringed instruments of all kinds. He’s also a whimsical, colorful songwriter and a witty director and producer of burlesque and other theatrical novelty shows. These days, catch Doctor Sick around New Orleans in one of many diverse projects such as the Rotten Cores, the Salt Wives, Valparaiso Men’s Chorus, and numerous burlesque companies.

    Adding to his illustrious resume, Doctor Sick also play kids music! He wrote songs and performed on the Austin, Texas-based Asylum Street Spankers’ children’s CD Mommy Says No!. And New Orleans’ own Confetti Park Players were delighted to have Doctor Sick as a featured artist on their first CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park! You can hear his mysterious musical saw and soulful fiddle playing on songs “Feufollet,” “Polly Wolly Wee,” “Watch Out for the Pirates,” and “Louis Lafitte, the Pirate King.”

    In this music memory shared with Confetti Park, Doctor Sick shares how his parents recognized his talent early on, and set him on the path to music.

    “I’ve been playing violin since I was four years old,” says Doctor Sick. “When I was very young I was taking lessons all the time. My parents made me, but I thank them for it today, because music is such an important part of my every day life.”

    Doctor Sick describes a sweet memory of singing along while his grandmother played piano, when he was only two or three—they were jamming on the alphabet song.

    “Before I even knew my ABCs I was trying to sing along,” he recalls. “It was the first time I ever jammed with anybody, where you’re listening and contributing and making the music with somebody else. And that’s why my parents got me into playing music, because they realized that I was going to be playing music for the rest of my life anyway.”

  • Interview with multi-talented author Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

    Interview with multi-talented author Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

    Melinda Taliancich Falgoust
    Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

    Children’s author, actress, and musician just scratches the surface of the roles and capabilities owned by Melinda Taliancich Falgoust of Metairie, La., as Katy Ray discovers in this interview on Confetti Park.

    Melinda, who has published several award-winning children’s books including Lousy Liver, Footprints, and her newest, Her Royal Majesty, the Superhero Bride of Frankenstein (which just earned a 5-star review with Reader’s Favorite), wears many hats. The navy veteran holds several jobs (including paralegal and school worker) and is a wife and mother to five kids. She also acts with the Porta-Puppet Players, a troupe of puppeteers, theatre actors and other entertainers that has been active in the Gulf South for decades. (Watch Melinda as Mother Goose on YouTube)

    In addition to all this, Melinda writes—prolifically—and spends a significant amount of time on the road traveling to make appearances at book festivals, conventions, and in school visits. Melinda writes for adults and middle-grade readers (see The Gubbins Club), and her works have also won awards in competitions around the world. But it seems writing—and illustrating—books for young children is where she has the most fun.

    “I have wanted to be a writer since I was twelve years old,” says Melinda. “I finally decided several years ago that it was time to dig in and get deep with it. So I pulled out the sketchbook, I pulled out the laptop, and started putting all those ideas that have been bubbling over the years right onto paper.”

    Lack of sleep notwithstanding, Melinda has found a happy place in children’s literature: “I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, and I realized, that, really, writing in the genre that I write, I don’t need to grow up!”

    Listen to Melinda narrate Lousy Liver

    Listen to Melinda narrate Footprints

     

  • OffBeat Magazine says the Confetti Park Players CD makes for a better world

    OffBeat Magazine says the Confetti Park Players CD makes for a better world

    OffBeat Magazine
    OffBeat Magazine, February 2016

    The February 2016 issue of OffBeat Magazine is out, and it features a review of the Confetti Park Player’s debut CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park!  This is our first review to date,  and it’s hard to imagine a more wonderful one.

    Confetti Park Players director Katy Hobgood Ray was grinning from ear to ear when she read it, sitting at Satsuma’s in the Bywater. And she was a little shiny-eyed, too. We’re more than a little excited, too, that the review comes out during Mardi Gras, when many New Orleanians are feeling light-hearted and joyful. It’s perfect timing for this record to be celebrated.

    David Kunian, thank you for listening with an open mind and an open heart, and for giving kids music a shot!

    Check out some of the tracks below. You can buy the record at Louisiana Music Factory, Skully’z, Euclid, Magic Box Toys and Fleurty Girl. You can also order it from Confetti Park!

    [dt_sc_testimonial name=”OffBeat Magazine” image=”https://confettipark.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cover.0216.offbeat.lores_-300×384-234×300.jpg” role=”Record review David Kunian rating=”0″]Often children’s records suffer from two problems: They are either too cute and cloying or too hip. This new kids’ record from the Confetti Park Players and director Katy Hobgood Ray mostly maintains a good balance between the two. Lyrically it is earnest and easy to sing along with. Musically it is simple enough for children to follow. What stands out on this record is Ray’s pretty voice supervising the children’s chorus, the Confetti Park Players, who handles their singing with a great combination of enthusiasm and skill. The songs are all originals with New Orleans subjects. They serve well both to educate kids about New Orleans history, characters and traditions while joining in with the record. There are great songs that caution about not following the Feufollet, chasing the Roman Candy Man and deciding which snowball flavors to try. Of course, a New Orleans–based kids’ compilation is not complete without a dose of the Okra Man, who sings on the track with his name. These songs are marches, waltzes and ballads with modern touches like the easy going hip-hop of “Choctaw Choo Choo” and the second line chant perfect for hand jive, jump rope or hopscotch of “The Clapping Song.” Ray culled musicians from the best New Orleans has to offer, including baritone saxophonist Roger Lewis, drummer Johnny Vidacovich, sousaphonist Matt Perrine, keyboardist Brian Coogan, and clarinetist Evan Christopher. Greg Schatz (whose songs sometimes sound like kids’ songs for grownups) contributes a track. But forget about what I think. My kids were singing along by the second time they heard this CD, with their favorites being both odes to pirates. So the kids will like it and the adults will not get sick of it. In that, the existence of the Confetti Park Players’ new CD makes this a more perfect world.[/dt_sc_testimonial]

     

     

  • Little Mouse Santi author David Eugene Ray featured on WWL-TV

    Little Mouse Santi author David Eugene Ray featured on WWL-TV

    Here is a great interview with children’s author David Eugene Ray, who was a guest on the WWL-TV Morning Show in New Orleans. He is interviewed by the lovely Sally Ann Roberts, and you can see he is still glowing from the honor of writing one of the Best Books of 2015, as declared by Kirkus’ Reviews, with The Little Mouse Santi.

    This book, which is the story of a mouse who dreams of being a cat, was inspired by the entire Ray family’s deep and abiding appreciation of crazy feline antics. The Little Mouse Santi is the first publication from Confetti Park, and we are so proud that it is also winner of a Gold Mom’s Choice Award and a Moonbeam Award (Best Picture Books for Children 4-8).

    David originally spun this yarn as a bedtime story to his son Louis, who, by the way, accompanied Dave to the studio! Pics below the video.

  • Interview with Alex Beard, fine artist and children’s author

    Interview with Alex Beard, fine artist and children’s author

    Photo of Alex Beard from http://www.alexbeardstudio.com/
    Photo of Alex Beard from www.alexbeardstudio.com

    Down on Julia Street in New Orleans, fine artist Alex Beard has a gallery where his gorgeous nature-inspired paintings and drawings are on display.

    Elephants, birds of paradise, and flowery fish are among the colorful creatures drawn out by Alex’s hand. Some are portraits, and some are whimsical landscapes of these exotic creatures interacting with the familiar street scenes of New Orleans. Imagine giraffes, tigers and peacocks strutting among streetcars, Mardi Gras floats and French Quarter balconies!

    There are also fine art children’s books and jigsaw puzzles for sale at 608 Julia, geared toward the young and the young at heart, for Alex is an artist with a mission. He wants to educate children about the importance of preserving the Earth’s wilderness and saving endangered wildlife.

    His first children’s book, The Jungle Grapevine, debuted in 2009. (Listen to Alex narrate this story.) It’s a comedic game of telephone between animals in the savannah….. “When Bird mixes up something Turtle says, he accidentally starts a rumor about the watering hole drying up. One misunderstanding leads to another, with animals making their own hilarious assumptions.” There are two more books in the  Watering Hole Trilogy: Monkey See, Monkey Draw, and Crocodile’s Tears.

    In 2012, Alex established The Watering Hole Foundation. The first project of the foundation was centered on protecting the Wild African Elephant in Northern Kenya. Today, the foundation funds conservation efforts locally in Louisiana, nationally, and internationally.

    Enjoy this interview on Confetti Park, where Alex shares the secret of how he first landed a children’s book publishing deal. Other aspiring writers—and anyone with a dream, really—will enjoy his advice.

    “There’s no single path,” admits Alex, “But I try to make it so that whatever meeting I go into, for whatever goal I have, I try to figure out…how do I make it that I have checked every box that they require to get it through the corporate structure? I’m trying to give ammunition to the people who would like to sign me up, so that they can sell it to the people they work with, who will have never met me.”