Tag: confetti park

Interview: Rich Collins of The Imagination Movers

In this episode of Confetti Park, Katy Ray interviews Rich Collins of the Imagination Movers. The Imagination Movers are one of the most famous kids’ music bands in the world, and they hail from New Orleans!

From their website: “In 2003, four New Orleans friends – Rich Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche and Scott “Smitty” Smith – had an idea. They thought kids wanted and deserved music that spoke to them, not down to them. So, they started gathering after their kids’ bedtimes to write songs and brainstorm ideas about a children’s television show. Two years later, they had become the latest sensation of their musical city, attracting parents and children alike with an eclectic pop sensibility and lyrical turns about healthy snacks and playing catch and conquering childhood fears of bedtime. Lines to the Movers’ shows stretched for blocks.”

Today, the Imagination Movers are ranked as the No. 1 rated major touring act for families, according to Ticketmaster. They’ve embarked on several world tours, have recorded nine albums, partnered with Disney on an Emmy-winning show, and now, they have another animated show in the works!

Rich is the drummer (and the Scribble Sticks master!) in the television show. In real life, he is a super multi-instrumentalist and a great songwriter. Rich has a recording studio in his house where lots of the group’s brainstorming happens.

Rich is a father of five children, and tells Katy about how the songs he and fellow Movers write are evolving as their kids are growing up. In their newest album just released this year, called Licensed to Move, the songs address such sophisticated topics as line cutters, messy rooms, and fingers coated in snack powder.

Rich points out that this album is also very high energy!

“It is a rowdy record,” he says. “We’ve made probably 190 songs over the last eleven years and I don’t think any collection of music has been this energetic!”

Rich also discusses the animated television show “Super Movers” currently in development with Toronto-based 9 Story Media Group. The series is tentatively scheduled for a 2016 debut.

Listen to the full interview, full of musical treats, on this free podcast.
Storytime: Footprints by Melinda Taliancich Falgoust

Far across the great wide world, where the sun melts into liquid gold, great Buddhas smile in their fancy temples and towering skyscrapers brush the clouds. And in a tiny house in a tiny town lives a tiny girl who dreams of doing something BIG!

Thank you to Melinda Taliancich Falgoust of New Orleans, La. for your wonderful narration of this very powerful story, Footprints, for Confetti Park!

Footprints is an environmental picture book that crosses cultural boundaries and invites readers to follow in young Aiko’s footprints as she journeys through the Japanese countryside and discovers the universal concept that the biggest difference can be made by the smallest hands…or feet! Readers who love Shelley Meyer’s “Where the Buttercups Grow’ and “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss will delight in making “Footprints” part of their personal library.

BUY FOOTPRINTS

Listen to Melinda read another story, Lousy Liver!
Interview: ‘WEEN DREAM founder Kelsey Meeks

‘WEEN DREAM is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives free Halloween costumes to children in need. Simple mission—so simple, it’s brilliant!

In this episode of Confetti Park, ‘WEEN DREAM founder and CEO Kelsey Meeks talks to Katy Ray about the spooktacular mission of the New Orleans-based nonprofit that, in just one year, has seen new chapters form in four states.

Kelsey L. Meeks, Founder/CEO of ‘Ween Dream

In 2014 (its first year), the organization gave costumes to 580 kids in need in seven states. This year, they will easily double that number.

Kelsey shares how the idea came about. “I noticed kids in my neighborhood were trick or treating without costumes, and I knew my friends’ children had closets overflowing with costumes, and were outgrowing them every year,” says Kelsey. “So, I thought, certainly there is a way we can share the wealth, and get some of those formerly loved costumes to some kids who would really treasure them.”

For children who need costumes, applications are being accepted through August 21, 2015. Says Kelsey, “We expect to receive over 1,000 applications this year, so apply early!”

For people/organizations who would like to donate costumes to children in need, the ‘WEEN DREAM website has lots of information, including guidelines for donating gently used costumes and more ways to support this terrific organization.
Music Memory from Ted Lindsay

Ted Lindsay is a musician from Moorinsgport, Louisiana. A veteran, gold-record winning songwriter who spent several years in Nashville, Ted is a go-to bass player in north Louisiana today. He regularly performs with blues musicians Buddy Flett and Jerry Beach, and he has been a member of the core band at the legendary Monday Night Blues Jam in Shreveport for over 20 years. Ted is also a longtime member of the Friends of Lead Belly, a group of musicians dedicated to promoting the legacy of Huddie Ledbetter. And he is a teacher at the Renzi Education & Art Center in Shreveport.

Ted shares a music memory with Confetti Park about hearing the Beatles for the first time.
The Little Red Hen sung by Millie Calais Darby

The Little Red Hen, illustrated by Florence White Williams.

Millie Calais Darby, of Cecilia, La., sings for Confetti Park Storytime!

She shares with us her beautiful rendition of The Little Red Hen, an old folk tale known by children of countless generations. It’s a sweet moral tale about what happens when you don’t step up to hard work and help your friends in need.

When the little red hen finds a grain of wheat, she gives her barnyard friends many opportunities to help her plant, thresh, mill, and bake it into bread. But they won’t help her. Of course, they want to eat the delicious bread when it’s all baked up into warm goodness!

What do you think will happen?
Music Medley: Pelican’s Bill
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:
- Swamp Stompin’ – Luther Kent (Wardell Quezergue)
- Mardi Gras Mambo – Renzi Center kids
- Pontchy Pelican – Angela Mannino
- Zydeco Extravaganza – Terrance Simien
- Poem by Hrilina Ramrakhiani
- Polly Wolly Wee – Huddie Ledbetter
- Polly Wolly Wee – Katy Ray and the Confetti Park Players
- Feliciana LeRoux – Johnette Downing
- St. Anne Reel – Renaissance Cadienne
The Confetti Park podcast, 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!
Storytime: Ew! The Shabby Sheep by Scott Lemonier

“Ew! The Shabby Sheep”

This week’s Confetti Park Storytime feature is Ew! The Shabby Sheep, a terrifically fun story in rhyming verse, delightfully narrated by author Scott Lemonier.

In a town on a farm not far away,
There lived a sheep who loved to play.
Now, this sheep was odd, and quite smelly, too.
And because of all this, she was simply called Ew.

Poor Ew cannot find any friends. Is she just too shabby?

Scott is a veteran journalist of 26 years with the Times-Picayune, a teacher, and an accomplished children’s book author and illustrator. (And he is a talented vocal artist!) His freelance credits include illustrating and editing a variety of children’s picture books via Ally-Gator BookBites, a Lake Charles publishing services company.

Scott lives in a community on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana.
Confetti Park is coming to Arnaudville!

Confetti Park is coming to Arnaudville this weekend! On June 18 and 19, Confetti Park host Katy Hobgood Ray will be at the NuNu Arts & Culture Collective. While in the area, Katy seeks to record musicians, storytellers, folklorists and others, including talented young children. Please contact [email protected] to get on the schedule.

The Confetti Park radio program and podcast features children’s music and stories from Louisiana. Recorded music, field recordings, in-studio performances and interviews with musicians, authors, folklorists and other cultural representatives from across Louisiana are incorporated.

Katy curates commercial recordings as well as personal songs that well-known musicians may have created for their own kids, as well as small projects from after-school programs, churches and community groups. Each show is sprinkled with field recordings and childhood music memories of Louisiana musicians, as well as occasional bits of Louisiana folklore.

Confetti Park is currently broadcast on community radio stations in New Orleans (WHIV 102.3 FM) and Hammond (KSLU 90.0FM) and is being offered to other community radio stations around Louisiana for free. It will soon be will distributed internationally through PRX. Segments of the show are available in a free podcast on iTunes at http://bitly.com/confettiparkpodcast.

Katy and her family will also be at the Friday night potluck social at the NuNu. They are very excited!
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!
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
Music Memory from Jason Rhein

Jason Rhein is the bassist in New Orleans’ acclaimed rock band Rotary Downs, as well as singer-songwriter in the brother-sister children’s group Jason & Layla. Jason is also the owner of Elephant Quilt production studio and a partner at Marigny Recording Studio. Through these entities, Jason has had a major impact on the contemporary sound of New Orleans. Jason shares with us a special music memory from his childhood.
Music Memory from Rockin Dopsie, Jr.

A music memory from Rockin Dopsie, Jr., zydeco musician, washboard player, singer and lead personality of The Zydeco Twisters. Dopsie, Jr. and his family are carrying on the legacy of their father, famed accordionist Rockin’ Dopsie, Sr., the crowned prince of zydeco. In this music memory, Dopsie, Jr. discusses his earliest influences.

Rockin Dopsie, Jr. Photo by Sally Asher