Confetti Park

Author: Confetti Park

  • Storytime: The Adventures Of The Swamp Kids – A Dog Named Cat By Leif Pedersen

    Storytime: The Adventures Of The Swamp Kids – A Dog Named Cat By Leif Pedersen

    A Dog Named Cat
    A Dog Named Cat by Leif Pedersen

    There is something special about a Catahoula Leopard Dog! What a strange and magical breed…It’s the state dog of Louisiana. And it’s celebrated in the cute children’s book by Leif Pedersen. Leif narrates the fun-filled adventure in A Dog Named Cat, the fourth book in The Adventures of The Swamp Kids series, for Confetti Park.

    The Swamp Kids travel to a nearby animal shelter in hopes of finding a new pet they can adopt and bring home. They find a Louisiana Catahoula Cur puppy and learn all about him. (This podcast features “Sunbonnet Sue” performed by the Hackberry Ramblers.) Listen!

    ….They’re called “catahoulas,”
    and raised up the bayou a bit.
    They’re really good herders,
    and faster than lightning.
    At home he will be a big hit!

    So now what to name their new furry friend? Lots of smiles come from this great book for animal lovers, not least the brightly colored illustrations of the swamp critters by artist Tim Banfell. Also included in the book is a Lagniappe Lesson written by WWL-TV and Radio personality Angela Hill, a dedicated animal lover respected for her journalistic talents and her unwavering commitment to animals. Angela offers kids tips on the care and responsibility involved with pet ownership.

    Want to hear more? Listen to The Missing Chord by Leif Pedersen, the very first Swamp Kids book in the series. The Swamp Kids have many adventures you can enjoy… Visit www.theswampkids.com for puzzles, plush toys, activity sheets of teachers, and more!

    The Catahoula Cur is an American dog breed named after Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. Also known as the Catahoula Leopard Dog or Louisiana Catahoula, it became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979.
    The Catahoula Cur is an American dog breed named after Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. Also known as the Catahoula Leopard Dog or Louisiana Catahoula, it became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979.
  • New album from Katy Hobgood Ray: Louisiana Oranges

    New album from Katy Hobgood Ray: Louisiana Oranges

    Louisiana Oranges

    April 2, 2018 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Louisiana Oranges is a new digital album from Katy Hobgood Ray featuring eleven tracks of original compositions and a few country blues covers. Available on Amazon, iTunes, and other digital music services.

    While Katy lately has been performing songs of joie de vivre in the genre of children’s music (as director of the Confetti Park Players in New Orleans), this album features compositions from Ray’s early singer-songwriter days. Never before released, the songs are somewhat confessional in nature, exploring themes of unrequited love, awkward relationships, loneliness, and existential wonder.

    The recordings were made beginning in 2001 in Shreveport, La. and Little Rock, Ark., with various lineups of talented musicians all who hail from the Ark-La-Tex. Among them are Little Rock powerhouses Greg Spradlin (The Skeeterhawks, Imperials), Chris Michaels (Boondogs, The Cranks, Mighty Men) and David Hoffpauir (Ho Hum, Boondogs); East Texas country blues guitarist and singer Steve Howell; legendary Wrecking Crew bass player Joe Osborn; brothers David and Darren Osborn (owner of Sandbox Recording Studio in Shreveport), drummer Lane Bayliss and beloved Shreveport guitarist Danny Wilder. Ted Lindsay, a frequent collaborator on Confetti Park projects, plays bass on several tracks as well. Angela Russell, Katy’s childhood friend and bandmate (Star Eyed Stella), is featured on violin on three tracks.

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    Track information:

    1. Louisiana Oranges (KD Hobgood Ray)
    2. Cannon River (KD Hobgood Ray)
    3. Followed You Down (KD Hobgood Ray)
    4. I Had a Notion (Thomasina Winslow & Nick Katzman)
    5. Hey Lawdy Papa (Son Reed)
    6. Ragged Old Philosophy (KD Hobgood Ray)
    7. Charlie (KD Hobgood Ray)
    8. Balthazar (KD Hobgood Ray)
    9. Music Carousel (KD Hobgood Ray)
    10. Oh, CJ (KD Hobgood Ray)
    11. Gold Rings (KD Hobgood Ray)

    Musicians:

    Lane Bayliss, drums (Tracks 1, 2, 7, 9)
    Dave Hoffpauir, drums (Tracks 3, 6, 8, 10, 11)
    Steve Howell, guitar (Tracks 4, 5)
    Ted Lindsay, bass (Tracks 1, 2, 7, 9)
    Chris Michaels, bass (Tracks 3, 6, 8, 10, 11)
    Darren Osborn, keys (Tracks 4, 5)
    David Osborn, drums (Tracks 4, 5)
    Joe Osborn, bass (Tracks 4, 5)
    Katy Hobgood Ray, vocals and guitar
    Angela Russell, violin (Tracks 1, 2, 9)
    Greg Spradlin, guitar and keys (Tracks 3, 6, 8, 10, 11)
    Danny Wilder, guitar (Tracks 1-3, 6-11)

  • Music Melody of Kids Songs from Louisiana: Ice Cream Scream

    Music Melody of Kids Songs from Louisiana: Ice Cream Scream

    Ice Cream

    This is Confetti Park,  a magical playground of music and stories for kids everywhere. What’s unique about these songs, and these stories, is that they all come from Louisiana.

    Today you’re going to hear songs from all corners of the state, and across a century of time. This is music that has touched generations of children…. I’m talking about songs that were popular when your grandparents were kids, that are sung by children today. Like “Skip to My Lou,” a song that has stood the test of time and is sung for you by Johnette Downing. And “Bye Bye Blackbird,” by the great New Orleans’ banjoist Danny Barker.

    And there is new stuff, too… “King of the Sea” is a rap written and performed by New Orleans school kids through the Young Audiences of Louisiana arts and education network. Thanks to their teacher, Michael Patrick Welch, for recording it!

    Featured in this episode:

    Also featured in this episode is a childhood music memory by guitarist and music producer CC Adcock, and the Louisiana folktale, The Girl Who Danced with the Devil, narrated by Catherine Golden.

    The Confetti Park hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. We are in states from Alaska to Maine. Look for the full broadcast schedule here.

    Support for Confetti Park comes from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

     

  • Music Medley: Okra Man

    Music Medley: Okra Man

    Photo of Mr. Okra by Miranda H., via Flickr Creative Commons
    Photo of Mr. Okra by Miranda H., via Flickr Creative Commonsok

    Hi everyone,

    Here is another music medley from Confetti Park. And in this episode, you will hear lots of songs about fresh fruits and vegetables. In the radio version of this program, we listen to a story about our recently departed dear Mr. Okra. (You can listen to the story here: Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables by Lashon Daley)

    Mr. Okra passed away this week, and he was one of the last of the New Orleans street vendors. Mr. Okra sold fresh fruits and vegetables from a brightly painted pickup truck that traveled slowly throughout New Orleans’ neighborhoods. His voice rang out over his loudspeaker affixed to the roof of the truck: “I have oranges! I have bananas!” When people heard him coming, they could step out their door and buy their fresh produce for the week.

    The Confetti Park Players are so fortunate and grateful to have had Mr. Okra sing with us on our first album. He recorded a special song with us. You can listen to the entire track.

    Now for the full playlist of this episode:

    First up is one of my favorite tunes, that first came out in 1984 and is surely as classic a Louisiana song as any. I tell you what, I defy anyone of any age, kids or adult, to listen to the song and not feel like a kid when the chorus comes on. This particular version features two patriarchs of Louisiana culture……Doug Kershaw and Fats Domino. This song is Don’t Mess with My Toot Toot.

    We will also here Satisfied ‘n Tickled Too, by Jeremy Lyons from his Silly Goose Music CD, which features more beautiful Americana classics created with children in mind. There is a beautiful Cajun lullaby called Raisins & Almonds sung by Nancy Tabb Marcantel, and Watermelon Time, by Ted Lindsay of Mooringsport, La., leading the Confetti Park Players in an homage to ripe summer fruit.

    Then we hear a trio of songs about bananas……

    • Oh Dego – Leroy Etienne of St. Martinville as featured on the National Park Service’s Songs Of The Lower Mississippi Delta.
    • Anna Banana – Johnette Downing of New Orleans, pied piper of Louisiana
    • Yes We Have No Bananas – the fabulous Louis Prima

    Kids, go check out Mr. Louis Prima on YouTube… he is a jazz trumpeter from New Orleans who had the energy of a kid, and a style like no one else.

    Well, we’ve talked about banana, watermelon and other fruits. And so now We play Mr. Okra, singing a song in his own voice. Mr. Okra…. we love you. We will miss your call. Thank you for sharing your voice with us, for sharing good food with us, and for making the world a better place.

    Support for Confetti Park comes from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Mr. Okra and Katy Ray.
    Mr. Okra and Katy Ray.

     

  • Music Medley: Milk Dud

    Music Medley: Milk Dud

    Hi kids! Welcome to another episode of Confetti Park, a radio show featuring songs and stories from Louisiana.

    I am so excited that Confetti Park is available in states from Alaska to Maine. Thank you to all the stations carrying the show, and I hope you all enjoy the music and stories. Don’t forget you can download the free podcast and listen to stories, interviews and music medleys anytime!


    cow cartoonSongs included in this episode:

    Holy Cow – Tin Men
    Joke of the Day – Milk Dud
    Big Brown Cow – Ph Fred
    Bushel and a Peck – Vivi Melody & Friends
    Choctaw Choo Choo – Confetti Park Players
    Ham & Eggs – Danny Barker
    Jambalaya- Fats Domino
    Mama Inez – Sunpie Barnes
    Cailette – Gerard Dole
    Feliciana LeRoux – Johnette Downing

    This episode also features JuJu, the Good VooDoo, by Michelle Hirstius, during Confetti Park Storytime.

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park 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!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    Coming soon to KBOG 97.9 FM Bandon Community Radio in Bandon, OR. Stay tuned!

    SEE MAP

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Music Medley: Of Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs

    Music Medley: Of Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs

    Confetti Park: Mardi Gras Indians, Brass Bands, Piano Profs!

    Hi kids! It’s Mardi Gras time in Louisiana! Confetti Park is a kids radio show out of New Orleans. In my city the kids are out of school while we celebrate the end of the Epiphany season with parades, lots of good food, and music. Brass bands, marching bands, Indian chants, and sweet rock n roll. I’d like to bring you along for the carnival ride today…

    Mardi Gras Indians
    Mardi Gras Indian in feathered glory on a Mardi Gras day, Central City, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016. KDHRay

    Every city that celebrates Mardi Gras has its own special customs, and in New Orleans, we have a few unique aspects… such as the Mardi Gras Indians. Neighborhood tribes wear fabulous towering costumes made up of colorful feathers and beads…. the Big Chiefs battle for who is the most beautiful on a Mardi Gras Day.

    One of the songs I play today is famous across the world, but what you might not know is that it came from the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tradition. This song “Iko Iko,” performed by the Dixie Cups, tells the story of two warring Indian tribes who have a confrontation in the street.

    I also play “My Indian Red,” a very famous Indian prayer, performed by the Baby Dodds Trio. On Fat Tuesday, we will hear that sung on the streets of New Orleans from sunup to sundown. And there are other songs sure to be played along the parade routes where families will be camped to catch beads.

    Songs included in this episode:

    Red White and Blue Got the Golden Band – Mardi Gras Indians
    Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups
    Joke of the Day – Ash Who?
    My Indian Red – Baby Dodds Trio
    Ooh Poo Pah Doo – Trombone Shorty
    Throw Me Something Mister – Johnette Downing & Jimmy LaRocca’s ODJB
    Aveine, Aveine, Aveine – Les Petits Amis
    Every Day is Mardi Gras – Schatzy
    3-6-9 (The Clapping Song) – Confetti Park Players
    Crawfish Fiesta – Professor Longhair
    Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Olympia Brass Band

    This episode also features The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne De Las Casas at Storytime.

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park 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!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    Coming soon to KBOG 97.9 FM Bandon Community Radio in Bandon, OR. Stay tuned!

    SEE MAP

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Music Medley: Gummy Bears (A Mardi Gras Mix)

    Music Medley: Gummy Bears (A Mardi Gras Mix)

    Confetti Park: A Mardi Gras music medley!

    Hello from Confetti Park in New Orleans where we are celebrating Mardi Gras ! The most magical time of the year. If you listen to this show regularly, you know that at Confetti Park we celebrate the magic you find in everyday, in the beats on the street, the clapping of children, and the laughter and musical sounds of life! But Mardi Gras… it’s something special. There is a feeling in the air of joie de vivre…

    We’re going to celebrate with some of our most beloved Mardi Gras music today! Songs included in this episode:

    purple bearsMardi Gras Mambo – The Hawkettes
    Joke of the Day – Gummy Bear
    Second Line – Charmaine Neville
    Bourbon Street Parade – Santo Pecora and his New Orleans Rhythm Kings
    ZuZu the Praline Man
    Throw Me Somethin’ Mista – Jazzy Ash
    If Ever I Cease to Love – Confetti Park Players ftg. AJ Loria
    Iko Iko – Buckwheat Zydeco
    South Rampart Street Parade – Rene Netto & The Sounds of New Orleans

     

    This episode also features Coming Up Cajun by Carrie Delatte at Storytime.

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park 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!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    Coming soon to KBOG 97.9 FM Bandon Community Radio in Bandon, OR. Stay tuned!

    SEE MAP

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Music Medley: Time Flies

    Music Medley: Time Flies

    Confetti Park: A music medley of children’s songs from Louisiana

    Happy New Year! Enjoy this new medley of family friendly songs created by Louisiana artists. This episode of Confetti Park, which airs in its entirety on the lucky radio stations listed below, has songs that appeal to children of all ages that reach back through generations. The music reflects the variety of sounds that come from our fertile Mississippi valley. Also featured in this episode, the storytime feature Swamp Kids: The Lost Chord, narrated by author by Leif Pedersen, and a music memory from Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria.

    flying clockSongs featured in this episode, in order:

    Careless Love Blues – Danny Barker
    Joke of the Day – Time Flies
    Freight Train – Jeremy Lyons
    Lady With The Alligator Purse – Johnette Downing
    Gummy Bear – narrated by Louis Ray
    Arkansas Tongue Twister – Sun Pie Barnes
    You Gotta Sing – Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
    Jeepers Creepers – Louis Armstrong
    Deux Cocodries – Michael Doucet with Family & Friends

     

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park 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!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Music Medley: Mississippi Fishing

    Music Medley: Mississippi Fishing

    Confetti Park: A music medley celebrating the great Mississippi River

    Mississippi River alluvial plain
    Mississippi River alluvial plain

    Hi everybody! Enjoy this new medley of family friendly songs created in Louisiana. This episode of Confetti Park, which airs in its entirety on the lucky radio stations listed below, has songs that kids and the grownups will love, that reflect the unique culture of Louisiana and the American South.

    Today’s special episode features songs celebrating the great river that courses through our lives: the Mississippi River. The very ground beneath our feet was created by this river, over thousands of years. It is so much a part of our culture. Listen up!

    Songs featured in this episode, in order:

    Lazy River – Danny Barker
    Joke of the Day – Tuna Fish
    Riding Down the Mississippi River – Ted Lindsay
    Roll On Mississippi, Roll On – Richard Piano Scott
    Frère Jacques – recorded at Nunu in Arnaudville, La.
    Rolling Down The River – Johnette Downing and Jimmy LaRocca’s ODJB
    Mary Don’t You Weep – Renzi Center
    Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Kaylin Orleans Ruffins and Kermit Ruffins

    Also featured in this episode, the Storytime feature Brer Rabbit and the Peanut Patch by Dianne De Las Casas, and a music memory from John Doheny.

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park 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!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • Storytime: Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’ by Cindy Foust

    Storytime: Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’ by Cindy Foust

    louis lionIn this episode of Confetti Park Storytime, we hear Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’. This book is narrated by the author, Cindy Foust, creator of the Alpha-kidZ book series. Each letter of the alphabet gets a feature story and a feature creature who has an adventure and learns a lesson.

    Louis Lion – When It Gets Dark, I May Start Cryin’ is the “L” book in the series, of course! And little Louis has a problem that many children share…. fear of the dark and being alone in bed at night.

    “Bedtime for Louis became a battle.
    He would cry with all his might.
    Before his parents knew what had happened,
    their little Louis was sleeping with them every night.”

    But what happens as Louis grows bigger? The “big bed” becomes too small!

    One night, it was too much for Louis to take. Dad pulled the covers off Louis…. then his mom’s arm accidentally bonks his nose…. And mom and dad both snored too loudly for Louis to get his needed rest.

    “Louis covered his head with his pillow… he just wanted some sleep!”

    Guess where Louis found sweet dreams at last? In his very own bed, despite the dark!

    Cindy Faust Cindy Foust lives in West Monroe, Louisiana. She launched the Alpha-kidZ: Reading Adventures A-Z book series in 2003.

    Patti Pig, Austin Alligator, Elephant Emmy Lou, and Freddy Fox… these are some of the characters who face a challenge and find a solution. All of Cindy’s books offer lessons in character development and conflict resolution, told in engaging rhyme.  And the books are brightly and colorfully illustrated (by different artists). Cindy says that personal experiences and inspiration from family and friends provided the basis for each of the stories.

    Look for all the books at http://www.alphakidz.com, and look for an interview with author Cindy Faust in a future episode of Confetti Park!

    Listen to Cindy read Patti Pig, Please Clean Your Digs.

  • In Algiers Point, meet Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players Children’s Chorus!

    In Algiers Point, meet Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players Children’s Chorus!

    Article in ParkBench features the Confetti Park Players, a children’s singing group based in Algiers Point, New Orleans, Louisiana. The group is led by songwriter and Algiers Point resident, Katy Hobgood Ray.

  • Animator Deborah A. Anderson discusses black hair, illustrations, and animations

    Animator Deborah A. Anderson discusses black hair, illustrations, and animations

    Deborah Anderson
    Deborah A. Anderson is a 3D animator and creator of the The Black Hair Alphabet

    In this episode of Confetti Park, we meet Deborah A. Anderson, New Orleans based animator and creator of The Black Hair Alphabet, a children’s book that explores different African-American hairstyles from A-Z.

    In this interview, Deborah discusses why and how she created the book, and shares insight into the interesting worlds of video game avatars, 3D illustration, and the animation industry.

    Says Deborah, “The idea behind the book came from a conversation with some colleagues in animation. We talked about the representation of black hair in video game avatars…. It was actually guys complaining… they were complaining about how if you want to represent your ethnicity, you’re picking between an afro or dreads. There’s really not a myriad of hairstyles to pick from.”

    Deborah decided to blog about a different black hair style for each day of the month during Black History Month, starting with a different letter of the alphabet, to explore the versatility of black hair. Each day during February 2017, she spent approximately three hours illustrating a different hairstyle inspired by a letter—A for Afro. B for Bantu Knot, C for Conk., etc. At the end of the month, she had the material for a book!

    Deborah, who is primarily an animator (she has created background scenes for Family Guy, the Cleveland Show, Batman, Scooby Doo) created her illustrations using a 3D animation software.

    “I would first choose a font I thought would kind of illustrate the hairstyle I was going to do on it,” explains Deborah. “I tried to figure out how to put hairstyle on the font, so, sometimes I would pick a font where I needed it to be a certain way. So, for ‘Geometric Cut’ for ‘G,’ I purposely chose a font with a square top so I could do that geometric cut.”

    She published The Black Hair Alphabet on Amazon. You can purchase it in print or for Kindle. Check out blkwmnanimator.com for more information about Deborah and her work!

    Thank you so much Deborah, for sharing your story with Confetti Park.

    Listen to Deborah narrate the entire book in this episode of Confetti Park Storytime!