David Eugene Ray will be selling and signing copies of his award-winning book, The Little Mouse Santi, at the New Orleans Baby & Child Fest on October 1st from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Pontchartrain Center. Look for him at the Confetti Park exhibitor booth. We will also be selling copies of our Parents’ Choice Award-winning CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park!, and taking pre-order for our newest children’s book, Candy Land Ball.
The Little Mouse Santi is a Moonbeam Award winner, a recipient of the prestigious gold Mom’s Choice Award, the coveted Kirkus star and was named one of the Best Books of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews! It was illustrated by Santiago Germano.
Get an autographed copy for a discounted price at the New Orleans Baby & Child Fest, a fantastic annual event offering great deals and family fun for moms and dads, expectant parents, grandparents and children from babies to middle school.
Learn, Shop & Play with 100 vendors from birthing to boutiques to party places. Take a break with your kids in the kids zone with inflatables, face painting, art & lego workshops, photo booth, a toddler play area and more. Learn more at http://www.neworleansbabyfest.com/
Enjoy free shipping & 20% off children’s books and CDs from the Confetti Park workshop, created right here in New Orleans. Use code ‘nolakids’ when you order directly through Confetti Park at confettipark.com/shop.
The Confetti Park Players were recently profiled in the Spring 2016 issue of “Main Street News,” the newsletter of the Old Algiers Mainstreet Corporation. Thank you, Valerie Robinson, for the profile! We are very proud to represent our community through music.
Katy Hobgood Ray moved to New Orleans from Shreveport in 2003, but she really started to find her groove after moving to Old Algiers in 2007. Today, she works with Confetti Park Players, an all-ages children’s choir that just received a Parent’s Choice Approved Award for its first CD.
“I’ve always been active in music, writing and performing folk, country and jazz,” explained Katy, who holds a Master of Arts degree in musicology from Tulane University and has hosted radio shows since her college days.
“I started writing kids’ songs when my son, Louis, was born in 2011,“ she said. “I got involved with Confetti Kids (an organization that supports children’s activities in the area) after I became a mom, and started doing music circles in Confetti Park. After a while, these became more formal, and we started calling it a choir.”
The first performance of the Confetti Park Players was at Charles Gillam’s Folk Art Fest in October 2014, and they’ve been going strong ever since. The group meets weekly to sing, make rhythms, learn traditional New Orleans songs, and practice the craft of songwriting. Katy described the songs as “a mixture of fun and whimsical originals by contemporary Louisiana songwriters, classic folk songs, nursery rhymes, jump rope jingles, fairy tales, and natural lore.”
A CD that came out in November 2015 titled “We’re Going to Confetti Park!” with songs about pirates, frogs, sno-balls, and Candy Land balls, featured a star-studded lineup of New Orleans musicians, including Johnny Vidacovich, Jon-Erik Kellso, Evan Christopher, Matt Perrine, Patti Adams, Beth Patterson, Tom McDermott, Roger Lewis, David Rosser, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, and others. Old Algiers folk artist Charles Gillam created the cover art for the CD.
Momentum for the choir continues to grow, Katy said. The kids have recorded some music videos and special sessions with AJ Loria and Ginger and the Bee, and the group will be appearing at Jazz Fest for the first time on Saturday, April 23, at 12:40 pm at the Kids Tent.
Other upcoming events include the following:
April 16, 2016 – The Confetti Park Players will give an in-store performance at Euclid Records in the Bywater, 3301 Chartres St., 4 p.m., for International Record Store Day.
April 23, 2016 – The Confetti Park Players will perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival! 12:40 – 1:25 p.m. in the Kids Tent.
May 22, 2016 – 10:45 a.m. – The Confetti Park Players will perform at Algiers United Methodist Church, 637 Opelousas Ave.
May 22, 2016 – 3:30 p.m. – The Confetti Park Players will perform at Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo. (NBC Kids Stage)
June 11, 2016 – 12:30-2:00 p.m. – Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players at the Creole Tomato Fest! French Market. (Kids Stage will be located at the U.S. Mint, on the front lawn, Esplanade side)
NEW ORLEANS-CREATED CONFETTI PARK CD WINS A 2016 PARENTS’ CHOICE APPROVED AWARD CD featuring world-class New Orleans musicians collaborating with kids on Louisiana-inspired songs is honored for its wholesome entertainment value.
New Orleans, LA – April 11, 2016 —We’re Going to Confetti Park!, the first musical release from New Orleans-based children’s media workshop Confetti Park, has won a 2016 Parents’ Choice Approved Award. Link to award site
21 tracks include jump rope jingles and whimsical songs about pirates, frogs, snoballs, Roman candy, and other uniquely New Orleans experiences, all to a soundscape created by world-class musicians such as Johnny Vidacovich, Jon Erik-Kellso, Evan Christopher, Matt Perrine, Patti Adams, Roger Lewis, David Rosser, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, Sarah Quintana, and others.
The principal performers are Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players, an all-ages children’s chorus who meet weekly to sing, make rhythms, learn traditional New Orleans songs, and practice the craft of songwriting.
“This album sounds like a carefree, sunny afternoon in Louisiana, but it also sounds to me like many months of practice and recording with these kids,” says choir director Katy Hobgood Ray. “They have worked hard and I am proud of them. I am so delighted that the Parents’ Choice Foundation has honored us.”
Parents’ Choice Approved Seals are given on the basis of the production, entertainment, and human values they exemplify. A Parents’ Choice Approved seal indicates a wholesome product that helps children enjoy developing physical, emotional, social or academic skills.
We’re Going to Confetti Park! was recorded by Matt Aguiluz and Jason Rhein at Marigny Recording Studio and mastered by Bruce Barielle. It is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and CD Baby. You can also order CDs from https://confettipark.com or buy them at Louisiana Music Factory, Euclid Records NOLA, Fleurty Girl, and Magic Box Toys in New Orleans.
Musicians featured on We’re Going to Confetti Park! Patti Adams, Matt Aguiluz, Chuck Bee, Evan Christopher, Brian Coogan, John Doheny, John Haffner, Scott Albert Johnson, Jon-Erik Kellso, Chris Lane, Roger Lewis, Ted Lindsay, Tom McDermott, Paul McDonald, Michelle Nelson, Rick G. Nelson, Mr. Okra, Beth Patterson, Matthew Perrine, Sarah Quintana, David Eugene Ray, Katy Hobgood Ray, Jason Rhein, Tim Robertson, David Rosser, Greg Schatz, Dr. Sick, Michael Skinkus, Daniele Spadavecchia, James G. Thornton, Dylan Field Turner, Johnny Vidacovich.
Confetti Park Players featured on We’re Going to Confetti Park! Lily Bell, Luna Bell, Keller Clark, Saura Duke, Dean Foster, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, Millie Moffett, Hrilina Ramrakhiani, Louis Ray, Sadie Strong, Virginia Strong
About Confetti Park Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop, weekly radio program and podcast based out of New Orleans. Our first children’s book, The Little Mouse Santi, was named by Kirkus Reviews among the Best Books of 2015 (and is winner of a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award).
About Parents’ Choice Foundation
Since 1978, Parents’ Choice has been reviewing and recommending quality children’s media and toys. To learn more about the Parents’ Choice Foundation, visit http://www.parents-choice.org/
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]
PRESS RELEASE: New Orleans musicians collaborate on kids album We’re Going to Confetti Park! Album features Katy Hobgood Ray, Mr. Okra, a chorus of New Orleans children, and world-class musicians such as Johnny Vidacovich, Jon Erik-Kellso, Evan Christopher, Matt Perrine, Patti Adams, Roger Lewis, David Rosser, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, Sarah Quintana, and others.
Contact: confettipark@gmail.com or 504-650-1238.
We’re Going to Confetti Park! ftg. Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players
NEW ORLEANS, LA, NOVEMBER 16, 2015 — A carefree, sunny afternoon in New Orleans is now available in song format on We’re Going to Confetti Park!, an album of whimsical songs about pirates, frogs, snoballs, Roman candy, and other uniquely New Orleans experiences.
21 tracks include original songs, jump rope jingles, and fresh takes on a Lead Belly folk song and a Lincoln Chase hit featuring New Orleans’ renown drummer, Johnny Vidacovich. There’s also a special guest performance by beloved produce vendor Mr. Okra, who sings with the children on “Have You Seen the Okra Man?”
This album is the first musical release by New Orleans-based children’s media workshop Confetti Park. An award-winning children’s picture book, The Little Mouse Santi, was released earlier this year.
The principal performers are Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players, an all-ages children’s chorus. Their name comes from a small playground in the heart of their neighborhood of Algiers Point, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Led by singer-songwriter Katy Ray, the Confetti Park Players meet weekly to sing, make rhythms, share Louisiana traditions, and practice the craft of songwriting.
“The album is inspired by the joyful characters, the colorful sights and sounds, the magic moments we are lucky enough to experience every day in New Orleans,” says Katy Ray. “Some of the things a NOLA kid might experience at the park, such as playing clapping games with friends, pretending to be pirates, catching frogs and ladybugs, eating snoballs and buttermilk drops—these moments are all represented in song.”
The album was recorded by Matt Aguiluz and Jason Rhein at Marigny Recording Studio and mastered by Bruce Barielle.
“I think the songs will appeal not just to kids, but to anyone who loves Louisiana music and culture,” says Katy Ray. “Who outgrows snoballs?”
We’re Going to Confetti Park! is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and CD Baby. You can also order CDs from https://confettipark.com or buy them at Louisiana Music Factory, Fleurty Girl, and Magic Box Toys in New Orleans.
We’re Going to Confetti Park! begins with a call and response between jazz trumpeter Jon Erik-Kellso and clarinetist Evan Christopher. Drummer Johnny Vidacovich, sousaphone player Matt Perrine and ace guitarist Tim Robertson fill out the opening title track, backing a chorus of children at play.
Vidacovich also leads off Lincoln Chase’s classic 1960s hit, “The Clapping Song.” The Confetti Park version features lead vocals by Keller Clark, son of Dukes of Dixieland bandleader Kevin Clark. Other musicians include trumpet player Chuck Bee, tenor saxophonist John Doheny, Dirty Dozen baritone saxophonist Roger Lewis, and guitarist Paul McDonald.
“Roman Candy Man,” a call to the beloved New Orleans taffy vendor who drives a cart pulled by a mule, features Patti Adams, solo piccoloist and assistant principal flutist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Dylan Field Turner plays field drum.
“Watch Out for the Pirates” and “Louis Lafitte, the Pirate King” feature a large chorus of pirates young and old singing about adventures on the high seas. Michael Skinkus (percussion), Beth Patterson (Irish bouzouki), Dr. Sick (fiddle), Greg Schatz (accordion), and Rick Nelson (bass) are among the featured players.
“Buttermilk Drop” is a sassy homage to the delicious New Orleans breakfast treat, featuring gypsy jazz guitarist Daniele Spadavecchia, accordionist Greg Schatz, and Bustout Burlesque trumpet player Jim Thornton.
Thornton’s excellent piccolo trumpet ability is showcased on “Snoball,” and Pretty Lights keyboardist Brian Coogan plays Rhodes piano. This song explores the existential plight of humankind through ice and flavored syrups. (Otherwise, it’s just a song about snoballs.)
“Feufollet” is a spooky tale about the swamp fires of Louisiana legend. With fae-inspired choruses by chanteuse Sarah Quintana and musical saw and fiddle by Dr. Sick, it’s the eeriest song on the album.
“Dancing on the Moon” is a pop tune written by Ted Lindsay, featuring lead vocals and bass by Jason Rhein of Rotary Downs and kid-music duo Jason & Layla, outer space-inspired electric guitar by David Rosser, and drums by Dylan Field Turner.
Rosser also backs Mr. Okra (Arthur Robinson) on his musical number, “Have You Seen the Okra Man?” with accompaniment by harmonica player Scott Albert Johnson.
Pianist Tom McDermott plays on “Lovely Little Ladybug” (with sweet lead vocals by Elisa McDonald and Charleston McLean) and on “Candy Land Ball,” a classic waltz in the style of Charles K. Harris, and inspired by the colorful children’s ball held every year in Algiers Point. This track also features strings by Rick Nelson and a wonderful sousaphone solo by Matt Perrine.
“Dream Big, Little Santi” features Tim Robertson on guitar (a backbone performer of the album) and mellotron by Katy Ray. This song is a companion piece to the children’s picture book The Little Mouse Santi by David Eugene Ray and Santiago Germano, about a mouse who dreams of being a cat. This first children’s book from Confetti Park is winner of a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, a Kirkus star and the gold award from the Mom’s Choice Awards.
Scattered throughout the album are clapping songs, jump rope jingles, and childhood chestnuts featuring the Confetti Park Players. There is also a call-and-response interpretation of Polly Wolly Wee by Huddie Ledbetter. (Katy Ray is a longtime member of Friends of Lead Belly, a group of musicians dedicated to promoting the legacy of the north Louisiana folk singer.)
Musicians Featured on We’re Going to Confetti Park! Patti Adams, Matt Aguiluz, Chuck Bee, Evan Christopher, Brian Coogan, John Doheny, John Haffner, Scott Albert Johnson, Jon-Erik Kellso, Chris Lane, Roger Lewis, Ted Lindsay, Tom McDermott, Paul McDonald, Michelle Nelson, Rick G. Nelson, Mr. Okra, Beth Patterson, Matthew Perrine, Sarah Quintana, David Eugene Ray, Katy Hobgood Ray, Jason Rhein, Tim Robertson, David Rosser, Greg Schatz, Dr. Sick, Michael Skinkus, Daniele Spadavecchia, James G. Thornton, Dylan Field Turner, Johnny Vidacovich.
Confetti Park Players Lily Bell, Luna Bell, Keller Clark, Saura Duke, Dean Foster, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, Millie Moffett, Hrilina Ramrakhiani, Louis Ray, Sadie Strong, Virginia Strong
There be pirates in New Orleans! There be pirates in Confetti Park! On November 1, 2015, the Confetti Park Players release their album of original songs inspired by life in Louisiana. “We’re Going to Confetti Park” has twenty-one magical tracks, including the hit song “Watch Out for the Pirates” by Greg Schatz, featuring a full pirate chorus. The album is available at https://confettipark.com/music.
You can also buy the album at Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans and on Amazon.com
The Confetti Park Players is an all-ages children’s chorus in New Orleans. 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, share Louisiana traditions, and practice the craft of songwriting.
This video features the our friends and pirate mentors, the NOLA Pyrates! Filmed in Pirate’s Alley by Ava Santana-Cassano.
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).
On Feb. 12, I was a guest on WHIV 102.3 FM New Orleans, the newly launched community radio station for our fair city. Andrew Ward, the dynamic station manager, interviewed me about Confetti Park projects, including the children’s choir and our upcoming CD, “We’re Going to Confetti Park.” Listen
We’ve been working with Matt Aguiluz at Marigny Recording Studio to create a whimsical, magical CD of original children’s songs inspired by life in Louisiana. The CD features a chorus of children 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, James G. Thornton, Greg Schatz, David Rosser, Rick G. Nelson, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, Sarah Quintana, and more).
Mr. Okra & Katy Ray
There is even a guest performance with Mr. Okra!
We are shooting for a release date of April 2015.
Check out Roman Candy Man, featuring Patti Adams of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on piccolo.
David Eugene Ray will be selling and signing copies of his award-winning book, The Little Mouse Santi, at the New Orleans Baby & Child Fest on October 1st from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Pontchartrain Center. Look for him at the Confetti Park exhibitor booth. We will also be selling copies of our Parents’ Choice Award-winning CD, We’re Going to Confetti Park!, and taking pre-order for our newest children’s book, Candy Land Ball.
