Author: Confetti Park

Candy Land Ball books are being printed

Katy reads the proof of her new children’s book, Candy Land Ball

Friends!!!! We did it! Thank you so much! This morning I reached 100% of my goal to create my newest children’s book, Candy Land Ball. I am so grateful to all of you for your support.

A few weeks ago, I received the proof for the book. They look great! The first shipment of Candy Land Ball books should be arriving any day, and I am having a wonderful time building gifts for the various perks my contributors selected. Everything is on track to be shipped out by the first week of December.

I am so delighted that this book has come to life. It’s originally a song I wrote about the wonderful, magical kid’s ball sponsored by Confetti Kids, a neighborhood nonprofit organization that supports children’s parks and programming. The actual Confetti Park that inspired all of my daydreamy orchestrations for this website, radio show and podcast is the first park created by Confetti Kids!

I’ve been volunteering for this organization for four years. So many of the children I teach in choir, and who play with my son, Louis, are children of Confetti Kids. I love this group, the parents I volunteer with, and the community we are building.

I’m excited to have this book as a permanent dedication to this sweet moment in time, and I’m donating 10% of all transactions from the Indiegogo campaign to Confetti Kids, to go toward more park development for our community.

Again, thank you for everything.
Katy
“Go for it!” Crystal Thomas shares a funny childhood music memory about gumption

Crystal Thomas is a singer and a trombonist in Shreveport

Crystal Thomas is a Shreveport-based songwriter, singer and trombonist who regularly performs around Louisiana. A performer of the blues and gospel, you can find her (if not in churches) at various clubs like Southern Soul Lounge and at the venerated Monday Night Blues Jam at Lee’s in Shreveport.

In this episode of Confetti Park, Crystal shares a delightful story about how her desire to perform overcame her lack of musical know-how when she was just a child.

“I was in the third grade and we had a Mother’s Day Program and they wanted everyone to participate. Being a music lover, I was like, ‘Well I’ll play the piano!’

‘I couldn’t play the piano….didn’t know how to play the piano! But my love for music…prompted me to getup to the piano, sit down and play. And everyone loved it. I think they applauded more because I had the gumption, the nerve…..I basically made up a song on the spot, in front of the entire school.’”

Crystal goes on to explain that she believes her music memory can serve as an example for children to not be afraid to dream big.

“Never be afraid to push and follow your dreams,” says Crystal. “Shoot for the stars, and wherever hard work takes you, apply yourself. You can achieve and accomplish anything.”
Rosemary the Garden Fairy: Grow a time-telling garden

“Follow me to the garden! Let’s check out the magic of nature!”

Rosemary the Garden Fairy shares gardening tips and natural lore with children.

Did you know that some plants can tell time?

A wonderful project would be for you to plant a time-telling garden, full of morning glories, four o’clocks, and moon flowers. You will see that your beautiful morning glories open their temper purple blue petals at dawn. The four o’clocks uncurl their bright pink faces in the afternoon, and guess when the moon flower blooms?

Something amazing: these flowers can even be placed in a dark closet and still bloom at the right time for several days.

A four o’clock plant in full bloom.

A gorgeous moonflower blooms at night.

Climbing morning glories greet the early sun.
Validating a child’s talent can set them on a lifelong musical journey

Judy Caplan Ginsburgh has been performing children’s music since 1981.

In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a special childhood memory from Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria, Louisiana, an internationally recognized and multi-award winning performer, recording artist and educator.

Judy sings as a cantorial soloist and travels throughout North America presenting concerts, residencies, educational keynotes and workshops. Judy works actively in both Jewish and non-Jewish settings and she has developed a number of interactive, educational performances and arts-in-education residencies for school-age children. She has been creating children’s music since 1981!

Judy shares how important the validation of adults can be when it comes to nurturing a child’s natural talents and interests, and how an experience that happened when she was just eight years old set her on a career in music!

Says Judy: “We had a music teacher who came to our school maybe every other week, and she would do music with all the children in the school.

At one point our local symphony here in Rapides parish needed a children’s chorus… and they auditioned people at our elementary school.

I remember a gentleman coming, he listened to all of us, and we sang, I think, “Happy Birthday.” And we sang in groups of like five. And he walked in front of us and listened to us, and picked certain people to be in this children’s chorus.

I was one of those that was picked, when I was about 8 years old, and at that moment, I knew that I was good. That my voice was good. Someone had validated me…..

I’m still in touch with this gentleman, by the way, and I always tell him that he’s responsible for making sure that I went into music as my career.”

Thank you, Judy, for sharing your childhood music memory with Confetti Park!

Learn more about Judy at http://www.judymusic.com/ and check out this more in depth interview with Judy.
Katy Hobgood Ray Named to 40 Under 40 in New Orleans

Katy Hobgood Ray, director of the Confetti Park Players, was named to Gambit’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2016, honoring “the city’s brightest innovators, artists and professionals.” This is a wonderful distinction recognizing her work with the children in her community. Thank you!
Storytime: Juju Meets the Rougaroo by Michelle Hirstius

Juju Meets the Rougaroo: A Halloween Anti-Bullying Book by Michelle Hirstius

Halloween calls for some spooky tales, and we have some wonderful spooky tales to share in Louisiana! Here is one of our newest little Louisiana characters—it’s Juju, who makes GOOD voodoo!

What is a rougaroo? It’s like a werewolf. It’s a hairy half-human/half-wolf monster that lives in the swamps of South Louisiana. The Cajun people tell tales of the rougaroo (or rougarou, roux-ga-roux, rugaroo, rugaru or loup garou) prowling the Louisiana swamps and forests, stalking livestock, pets, and humans. It changes into wolf form with the phases of the moon—in worst case, the phase lasts 101 days. Some say you turn into a rougaroo by breaking church habits, and others say witches turn you into a rougaroo, and others say that the bite of a monster causes the change. It’s definitely a scary legend meant to keep little children close to home!

Well… this sweet little book isn’t as scary as those legends. In Juju Meets the Rougaroo, Juju and her friends are trick-or-treating when they encounter the rougaroo, and he tries to steal their candy. He is a bully! Only Juju stands up to him, and decides to use her good voodoo to show the creature his past, present, and future so that he can see how his meanness affects other people—and himself.

Juju is an adorable character created by New Orleans author and illustrator Michelle Hirstius. Juju Meets the Rougaroo is the seventh in a series and we are so glad that more are coming! Thanks for sharing your stories with Confetti Park, Michelle!

Check out all the adventures of Juju at http://www.michellehirstius.com/
Katy featured as a “Mompreneur” in NOLA Family magazine

Look for Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players in the October 2016 issue of NOLA Family!

Katy is featured as a New Orleans Mompreneur in an article titled “Lullabies And Lagniappe” for her work as director of the choir and as a radio host/producer and book publisher.

The article talks about how becoming a mom to son Louis in 2011 and being part of a neighborhood community full of children developed her interest in children’s music and literature. Katy started collecting songs and folktales from around Louisiana(she has an MA in musicology) and parlayed that interest into a radio show. The article also talks about the beginnings of the Confetti Park Players. Thank you for the lovely feature, NOLA Family!
Music Medley: Who’s at the Door?
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:

We’re Going to Confetti Park! – Confetti Park Players
Best Friends – Zachary Richard
Moving Along – Johnette Downing
Be My Honey Bee – Schazty
Baby Bumblebee – Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
When You’re Smiling – Jeremy Lyons
Curious George Main Theme Song – Dr. John
Row Row Row Your Boat – Dr. John (Mac Rebennack with The Ends)
Monsters – Jazzy Ash

Also featured in this episode, a music memory from Dr. Sick and the storytime feature F Words – Fantastic by Ms. Chocolate, and poems from Louisiana kids!

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!

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, OffBeat magazine and Music Rising at Tulane University.

Current broadcast schedule:
- WHIV 102.3 FM in New Orleans every Saturday at 12 p.m. NOON
- KSLU 90.9 FM in Hammond every Sunday at 12 p.m. NOON
- WHYR 96.9 FM in Baton Rouge every Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.
Watching Feufollet at the New Orleans Film Fest! #NOFF2016

Feufollet at the New Orleans Film Fest

I was SO excited to watch my music video “Feufollet” on the Entergy Giant Screen! It was an official selection at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival. Look at this amazing company of Family Friendly Animated Shorts!

The Boy Who Learned To Fly (Moonbot)
Circles (Ma’agalim) (Uri Lotan)
“Feufollet” (me!)
Mosquito: The Bite of Passage (Teng Cheng, Brian Vincent Rhodes)
Moom (Tonko House)
Little Shimajiro (Isamu Hirabayashi)

It was very cool to meet the other film makers, such as Limbert Fabian of Moonbot (The Boy Who Learned to Fly) and Brian Vincent Rhodes (Mosquito: The Bite of Passage). We took part in a Q&A after the film and fielded questions from a friendly, curious and supportive audience!

The big screen! The big time!

Katy Hobgood Ray, Brian Vincent Rhodes, and Limbert Fabian at a Q&A. Eric interviewed us.

How I wish I could have had the company of Santiago Germano and Gustavo Wenzel, the amazingly talented animators who created “Feufollet” (and Santiago illustrated The Little Mouse Santi). I hope I represented them well.

I did have the marvelous company of some of the best friends and family in the world! Thanks to my husband Dave, son Louis, and to my brother Marc and sister-in-law Gina and to Annabel for coming to the fest with me!

All the way from Shreveport, my brother Marcus and sister-in law Gina. And my husband Dave, son Louis, and niece Annabel.

And to my delight, just before the lights were lowered and the films began, some of my Confetti Park Players sprinted into the theatre…. It was a wonderful surprise!!!

Someone’s excited for our animated shorts here at the Entergy Giant Screen Theater! We’re running to grab the best seats too! pic.twitter.com/NHAZvhdCqu

— NOLA Film Society (@NOFS) October 15, 2016

And here we are after the film showings.

Some of the Confetti Park Players attend the New Orleans Film Festival.

And now… for the film!

“Feufollet” is an animated short produced by Confetti Park. This is the music video for the song featuring Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players, animated by Santiago Germano and Gustav Wenzel.

“Feufollet” is performed by Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players, from the album “We’re Going to Confetti Park!” available on CD & digitally. It was recorded at Marigny Recording Studio by Matt Aguiluz and mastered by Bruce Barielle.

Featuring: Rick G. Nelson, bass; Sarah Quintana, background vocals and fae giggles; Katy Ray, vocals; Tim Robertson, guitar; Dr. Sick, violin, musical saw, toy piano; Dylan Field Turner, broom and other percussion.

[dt_sc_button type=”with-icon” link=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/were-going-to-confetti-park!/id1057427046″ size=”medium” target=”_blank”]Buy Track on iTunes[/dt_sc_button]

[dt_sc_button type=”with-icon” link=”https://www.amazon.com/Were-Going-Confetti-Hobgood-Players/dp/B017X9VR70/ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=” size=”medium” target=”_blank”]Buy Track on Amazon[/dt_sc_button]

LYRICS:
In a boat, in a swamp, in the darkness
All around you is the night
Creatures jumping, night birds calling
When you see a flickering light

You think it could be a lantern
On some friendly neighbor’s trawl
Or the porch light on a swamp house
But it’s not friendly light at all

Chorus:
Don’t follow the Feufollet
Don’t follow the Feufollet
Lest you both should fade away

Pawpaw gave a warning to me
Don’t follow the Feufollet
Don’t get tricked by those lights in the sky,
They will lead you far astray

The swamp has many dangers
Use your wits, you’ll be OK
Trust the rats, the snakes and the gators
Before you trust the Feufollet

How will I know it Pawpaw?
What shall I do when I see?
When those flickering lights start to call to you
Do not follow, ma cherie.

It’s a will o’ the wisp, a trickster
Gives false comfort in the night
Stay close to the course you know in your heart
Or do not move ’til morning light.
Update on Indiegogo: Candy Land Ball over 67%

Hi everyone! I am so delighted to report that I have just hit the $2K mark, and am 67% toward my goal for my Indiegogo campaign for my new children’s book, the Candy Land Ball! I am so grateful to the supporters who are making this book a reality. I sincerely hope you are delighted with book, the music, and any other perks you treat yourself to via this campaign!

Sharing this campaign is the next step to making it a success, and I hope you consider sharing the news about the book with your friends and family, young readers and budding musicians. I hope people agree the packages I put together will make wonderful holiday gifts.

The link to share is https://igg.me/at/candylandball/x/11554329
How the Jackson 5 brought two different people together in Shreveport

In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a music memory from Jeff Campbell, founder of Hungry for Music, a nonprofit organization distributes musical instruments to children in need.

Jeff, originally from Shreveport, established Hungry for Music in 1994 in Washington D.C. Since then, the nonprofit has donated over 8,000 instruments to children in 27 states and 14 countries.

Jeff was ten years old in 1972 when he attended his first concert—the Jackson 5. And while the music was powerful, the experience was made more so by a connection he forged with a woman in the audience.

Jeff shares the memory: “My first concert was the Jackson 5 at Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport. I remember…a black woman had the same ticket as me. So she said, ‘You can sit in my lap.’ She offered me gum, and it was just very nice. And knowing what I know about the racial division there, that was something very powerful. It had a really powerful effect on me. Not only the music, but the gesture she made toward me that has an impact today.”

Learn more about Hungry for Music and the good work Jeff has been doing for the past two decades. You can listen to a more in depth interview with Confetti Park, as well.

Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your memory with Confetti Park!
Update on Indiegogo: A tribute to Charles K. Harris, the “King Of The Tear Jerker”

I am pre-selling my new children’s book and song, Candy Land Ball, on Indiegogo. Please consider supporting my campaign at https://igg.me/at/candylandball/x/11554329. Lots of wonderful packages available! Here is an update from the campaign.

Sheet music for “After the Ball” by Charles K. Harris

My song “Candy Land Ball” is definitely not a tear jerker, but it was inspired by one…. I wanted to write a song about the sweetest and most magical children’s ball ever (it’s an annual event hosted by Confetti Kids, Inc. in my New Orleans neighborhood). Of COURSE, it had to be a waltz!

I have always loved ballroom dancing scenes in old movies, and waltzes are a staple of every ball. There are so many gorgeous waltzes, but one that always stands out to me for its fabulous backstory is Charles K. Harris’ “After the Ball.” This is probably the first mega-hit in American music sales….. and it was before recording!

The show debuted at a traveling theater road show in 1892. Charles K. Harris, who couldn’t seem to break into the world of publishing in a traditional manner, decided to pay a singer to perform it on stage. The story goes that after the song was sung, the audience sat in shocked, weeping silence. Then, they leapt to their feet as one and gave a thunderous five-minute long ovation. The singer had to encore the chorus six more times! (Read America’s Musical Life: A History, by Richard Crawford.)

The sheet music for the song “After the Ball” sold in excess of five million copies in the 1890s!

Here is Charles K. Harris himself, performing the sad song about an old man who is informing his young niece about why he never married… for his heart was broken when he saw his sweetheart kissing another at a ball. He spurned her. Many years later, after she had died, he learned that the man she had kissed was her own brother, and the kiss had been an innocent token of affection.

Such drama!

My song, “Candy Land Ball,” is not so sad, but I love the idea of the twist at the end, and so I merged the idea of a ballroom scene, a waltz, and a surprise ending for the very innocent “Candy Land Ball.” This is my tribute to Charles K. Harris.

– Katy