Author: Confetti Park

Music Medley: Nacho Cheese & Snoballs

Photo by Lara Cerri via Flickr Creative Commons

Confetti Park is a community radio program out of New Orleans. We feature local storytellers and songs that kids love, songs created for kids, or created by kids, right here in Louisiana.  This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:

I Love Nachos – Philip Melancon
A Tisket-A Tasket – The Swing Setters
Song of a Creole Slave – Terrance Simien
Les Tils Yeaux Noirs – Nancy Tabb Marcantel
Music Memory – Rockin Dopsie Jr
Joyeaux – Lee Benoit
The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog – Don Abney and his Catahoulas
Snoball Chant – Confetti Park Players
Snoball – Katy Ray

The Confetti Park podcast and radio program, hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. It showcases songs that kids love, songs created for kids, and songs created by kids. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!

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Storytime: Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud by Johnette Downing

In this episode of Confetti Park, Johnette Downing narrates her wonderful trickster tale, Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud.

Long ago, the Crab and the Crawfish used to be best friends. But one sweltering day, Crawfish is feeling lazy and decides to take advantage of Crab’s generosity. Young readers will enjoy the colorful collage art while they learn a lesson about the consequences of tricking other people.

This narration, which is available on Johnette’s Reading Rocks CD, is for sale as a book and available from Pelican Publishing on Amazon.com and from Johnette’s website. There is also a fun activity book associated with this story!

Johnette Downing is an award-winning and internationally recognized singer and songwriter. Her many accolades include Parents’ Choice Awards, iParenting Media Awards, and National Parenting Publication Awards. She is a favorite guest and contributor to Confetti Park!
Music Memory from Angela Russell

Angela Russell

Angela Russell is a violinist from Shreveport, Louisiana, who trained in NYC and who has played in symphony orchestras and rock bands around the United States. She has also taught hundreds of students a love for stringed instruments. Currently, Angela lives in Los Angeles.

Angela shares how she first discovered the violin in this childhood music memory.
David Eugene Ray finishes Mr. Schu’s sentences

Author David E. Ray holds his children’s book, The Little Mouse Santi, as well as his main inspiration, his son Louis. Photo by David Lee Simmons with NOLA.com

This past week Confetti Park author David Eugene Ray was interviewed by Mr. John Schu, a K-5 teacher-librarian and a well-known blogger, in a fun interview style. David finished all Mr. Schu’s sentences! Check out this wonderful interview!

Dave had the opportunity to discuss his book The Little Mouse Santi, the beautiful art of Santiago Germano, and what it’s like working at the Audubon Nature Institute (“the best work environment imaginable,” he says). He also talked about what it’s like to raise a child in New Orleans.

New Orleans is a place where people love life, and celebrate moments big and small. And the most misunderstood thing about the city is that it’s a very family friendly town, set up for kids to grow up amazed and inspired.

Read the full article here!
A Kids’ Chorus Comes Up in Algiers

Watch out for the pirates!

New Orleans journalist Michael Patrick Welch just wrote a really fun article for NewOrleans.me on the Confetti Park Players: A Kids’ Chorus Comes Up in Algiers. It discusses the origins of our chorus in Algiers, and gives an overview of our first year. Some of our kid singers are even interviewed!

Our first CD is called We’re Going to Confetti Park. It was recorded at Marigny Recording Studios and features some amazing New Orleans artists collaborating with the kids, including Johnny Vidacovich, Jon-Erik Kellso, Evan Christopher (Clarinet Road), Matt Perrine of Bonerama , Patti Adams of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Beth Patterson, Tom McDermott Roger Lewis of Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dave Rosser On Guitar, Brian Coogan of Pretty Lights, Tim Robertson Music, Jason Rhein of Rotary Downs, Rick Nelson of The Afghan Whigs and so many more…… album will be out late summer. https://confettipark.com/music/

You can visit our Soundcloud channel for sneak peaks!
Interview: Jayna Morgan & the Swing Setters swing kids music

The New Orleans-based jazz band the Swing Setters play kids music!

In this episode of Confetti Park, Katy Ray interviews jazz vocalist Jayna Morgan about her newest New Orleans band, the Swing Setters, a fun, energetic group that plays kids music jazz-style!

(Is this a great name for a jazz band that plays kids music, or what?!)

The Swing Setters truly fill a void in the New Orleans live music scene with their polished treatment of classic American songs, folk songs, and Disney favorites that kids love.

Says Morgan, “There’s not many jazz bands in New Orleans that play children’s music…we were trying to think of names of other people in New Orleans that have a great personality [that aren’t grumpy!], very affable with children, who wouldn’t mind being silly once in a while!”

The band is comprised of professional jazz musicians including Morgan on the vocals, Alex Owen on trumpet, Greg Agid on clarinet and saxophone, David Phy on trombone, Ted Long on guitar, Joe Kennedy on piano, Alan Broome on bass, and Gerald French on drums.

The band recently released their first CD, called Swingin’ at the Playground, available for purchase online at http://11thcommandmentrecords.com/store/ This podcast includes several previews of songs from that record, including “Look for the Silver Lining,” “The Glow Worm,” “This Old Man,” and “A-Tisket A-Tasket.”
An “A” for The Little Mouse Santi

Confetti Park is so proud of the great reviews rolling in for The Little Mouse Santi! We got an A from the School Library Journal, a prestigious publication that has been printing since 1954. This publication is a go-to for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians as they decide which books to order. Thank you Teri Markson and thank you to School Library Journal, for helping us spread the word about Santi! Librarians, if you want to order our book (and we hope you do!), please order through IPG.

School Library Journal

05/01/2015

K-Gr 2—In this simple ode to felines and the power of one’s heart’s desire, little mouse Santi has only one wish: to be a cat. Every day he watches the cats on the farm and practices strutting, meowing, ignoring others, and pretending to be bored, all the while wishing he could join them for naps in the sun, romps in the grass, and cozy snoozes in the lap of the farmer’s wife. The other mice laugh at him, but he doesn’t care, and one day he finally gathers the courage to become a cat…with surprising results. The spare text and clean lines give the book the look and feel of an animated cartoon, while gentle visual humor and winsome facial expressions add depth to Santi’s longing. VERDICT A sweet and appealing book that speaks of the need to confront one’s fears in order to realize a dream.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
Have you seen the Okra Man?

Photo of Mr. Okra via Flickr Creative Commons

Have you seen the Okra Man around New Orleans?

Mr. Okra is a fruit and vegetable vendor who travels the city of New Orleans vending from his truck. His unmistakable call over his P.A. system—“I have cantaloupes! I have tomatoes!”—can be heard from blocks away, and people await him on their front porches so they can buy their fresh produce for the week. Learn all about Mr. Okra in this article by Ian McNulty for New Orleans Magazine.

The Confetti Park Players are so delighted to feature Mr. Okra on a song on their CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park. More info at confettipark.com/music

This is a traditional adapted by Katy Hobgood Ray and Arthur Robinson (Mr. Okra). The song was produced by Katy and Matt Aguiluz and recorded at Marigny Recording Studio in New Orleans.

Featuring: Scott Albert Johnson, harmonica; Arthur Robinson, vocals; David Rosser, guitar. Kids chorus: Lily Bell, Luna Bell, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, Millie Moffett, Hrilina Ramrakhiani, Sadie Strong, and Virginia Strong.

The Confetti Park Players is an all-ages children’s choir in New Orleans, Louisiana. Our home base is in Algiers, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Led by songwriter Katy Hobgood Ray, the Confetti Park Players meet weekly to sing, make rhythms, learn traditional New Orleans songs, and practice the craft of songwriting. The songs we sing are a mixture of fun and whimsical originals by contemporary Louisiana songwriters, classic folk songs, nursery rhymes, jump rope jingles, fairy tales, and natural lore.

Mr. Okra and Katy Ray.
Music Medley: Crawfish Time
Photo of crawfish by Sally Asher

Confetti Park is a community radio program out of New Orleans. We feature local storytellers and songs that kids love, songs created for kids, or created by kids, right here in Louisiana. This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:
- Get On Board – Buckwheat Zydeco
- High Hopes – Kermit Ruffins
- Crawfish! – Papillon
- Get Along Home, Cindy Cindy – Kandice Chester
- Crawfish Song – Johnette Downing
- Toulouse the Crawfish Hunter – Black Guidry
- Les Tils Yeux Noirs – Nancy Tabb Marcantel
- What Do The DoodleBugs Do? – Ted Lindsay
Buttermilk Drop

In honor of National Donut Day we are sharing this track from the Confetti Park Players‘ upcoming CD! “Buttermilk Drop” – the BEST DONUT IN THE WORLD! ‪#‎nola‬ ‪#‎love‬ ‪#‎NationalDonutDay‬.

This track features Rick G. Nelson, bass; Katy Ray, vocals; Greg Schatz, accordion; Daniele Spadavecchia, guitar; James G. Thornton, trumpet. (Snaps by Katy, Ted Lindsay and Jason Rhein.) Kids chorus: Keller Clark, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, and Millie Moffett.

More about the album We’re Going to Confetti Park….

The first recorded music project from Confetti Park is almost complete! It’s in the mastering phase now, under the listening ears of Bruce Barielle. Engineered by Jason Rhein and Matt Aguiluz at Marigny Recording Studio.

Created by Katy Hobgood Ray, the CD features a chorus of children (the Confetti Park Players) singing about pirates, frogs, snoballs, and Candy Land balls along with a star-studded lineup of musicians (Johnny Vidacovich, Jon-Erik Kellso, Evan Christopher, Matt Perrine, Patti Adams, Beth Patterson, Tom McDermott, Roger Lewis, David Rosser, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, and more).

Expected release date of Summer 2015.
Ben Schenck wrote a song about a cockroach

Panorama Jazz Band photo by Greg Miles

When facing off with a cockroach in the shower, what would you do?

Some people would scream. Some people would hurl the shampoo bottle at the little sucker, and then run.

But Ben Schenck? He wrote a song for the cockroach.

“I was raised with a strong care module, so I cared deeply about this cockroach, but at the same time I didn’t want to touch it…. I set him free and then wrote him a song at the breakfast table.”

Here’s Ben on clarinet and vocals, performing with the Panorama Jazz Band of New Orleans on the “Cockroach Song,” which he wrote when he was 17.

Sing along, everyone: “Ya Ya Ya, Wally Wally Wah!”
Music Memory from Tommy Sancton

Tommy Sancton. Photo by Sébastien Chaillot

In this episode of Confetti Park, Tommy Sancton shares one of his earliest music memories from Preservation Hall, a musical venue in the French Quarter founded in 1961 to protect, preserve, and perpetuate traditional New Orleans jazz. There, Tommy heard the sound that would guide the course of his life.

Tommy Sancton has had an illustrious career as a journalist and musician. After studies at Harvard and Oxford, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, he began a 22-year career with Time magazine as writer, editor, and Paris bureau chief. Music has always been part of Tommy’s life. As he traveled the world, he never stopped playing his clarinet.

He also never stopped feeling the pull of home. In August 2007, Tommy left Paris for New Orleans. He now teaches at Tulane, continues to write, and plays and records frequently with numerous traditional jazz bands. Visit his website to learn more.

Tommy has a beautiful memoir called Song for My Fathers: A New Orleans Story in Black and White, published in 2006, which recounts his experiences at Preservation Hall and explores his childhood apprenticeship with clarinetist George Lewis and other musicians, as well as his relationship with his own father.

Author: Confetti Park

School Library Journal