In this episode of Confetti Park, we meet some of the teachers and students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana, and hear some of the original poems and essays created by students in the seventh and eighth grades under teachers Nick and Rick Mithun.
Nick Mithun teaches French, while Rick Mithun teaches history. They are the grandsons of Arden Cahill, the woman who founded the school in 1968 along with her husband, Harry. Currently there are four generations of Cahill family members involved at the school—the youngest just enrolled in the infant center.
Education rooted in the arts
Arden Cahill envisioned an early childhood education center rooted in the arts, and rooted in Louisiana French culture,in a country-like atmosphere. The legacy of her dream is fulfilled today in a twelve-acre campus shaded with oak and cypress trees along Bayou Fatma in Gretna. At the back of campus, there is a country farmyard with animalsthat children interact with daily, and an equestrian arena with horseback riding lessons. Music, art, and theater classes are core parts of the curriculum, and all children learn French.
Confetti Park’s Katy Hobgood Ray interviewed Nick and Rick Mithun and some of their students, and gathered their poems about life in Louisiana. Listen
Thank you to all the teachers and students at Arden Cahill for sharing your great work on Confetti Park! To learn more about thiswonderfulschool in Gretna, Louisiana, and its deep focus on French culture and the arts, visit ardencahillcademy.com
Sydney Payne & Alaci Young of Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Eighth graders from Arden Cahill show their school spirit in their last year
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Students and (far right) Nick Mithun at Arden Cahill
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Miya Scaggs & Miles Perez of Arden Cahill
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Students at Arden Cahill Academy in Gretna, Louisiana
Ardent Cahill student Hrilina Ramrakhiani forms giant bubbles outside during Whale Fest
Rick Mithun at Arden Cahill
Annalise Eiffert, Deryn Patin, and Caitlin Loo of Arden Cahill
Today Lashon is pursuing a PHD in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. But for a while, she lived in New Orleans, and was inspired to write her sweet book about our favorite produce vendor.
In this interview Lashon talks about the first time she ever saw Mr. Okra, and how she went about creating a children’s book featuring his life’s calling.
Says Lashon: “It was an early Sunday morning, and I remember hearing the truck coming down my street and I thought, is that an ice cream man? And he was calling out these fruits and vegetables, saying there were strawberries and mangoes and bananas, and I thought to myself What kind of ice cream truck man is this?… I found out how well loved he is by the city.”
Lashon Daley and Mr. Okra
Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables was published by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. It is available in bookstores in New Orleans, Berkeley, and on Amazon.
Here’s what Mr. Okra has to say about the book (from the back cover): “I love selling fruits and veggies to the people of New Orleans because there are people who can’t get to the big stores and people who don’t really like to go to the big stores. . . . They depend on me and I depend on them. We are all family; even if they don’t buy nothing, they still come out and we talk. The fact that this young lady has put me in her children’s book means a whole lot to me. I’m very thankful.”
Listen to Lashon narrating Mr. Okra Sells Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Kids variety show and podcast out of New Orleans features locally spun children’s music and stories showcasing the diverse cultures and sounds of Louisiana.
On Sunday, July 17 at 11:30 a.m., a children’s radio show called “Confetti Park” will hit the airwaves of Baton Rouge on WHYR 96.9 FM.
“Confetti Park,” hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray of New Orleans, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. There are skits, poems, clapping songs, interviews, studio performances by local musicians, and a weekly story time. A podcast version of the show is available on iTunes.
“Here in Louisiana, music permeates the fabric of our daily lives and kids integrate naturally with our live music scene,” says Ray. “I hope, through Confetti Park, to showcase the diversity and kid-friendliness of our culture, and also, to show that kids music can be really good. A lot of Louisiana music is naturally kids music—danceable and full of whimsy and fun.”
Katy Hobgood Ray is the host and producer of Confetti Park
An announcement on the WHYR website says: “….We could all use some inspiration, imagination, and fun. Luckily, WHYR-LP welcomes Confetti Park, a half-hour of music, stories, poetry, and more starting Sunday, July 17th. Hear Confetti Park on Baton Rouge Community Radio every Sunday at 11:30am, hosted by Katy Ray of New Orleans, for uniquely Louisianian magic that reminds us how wonderful our state can be.”
Ray, who works in communications at Tulane University in New Orleans, has a master’s degree in musicology from Tulane and is a former content producer and host for Red River Radio, an NPR-affiliated public radio network in north Louisiana. She directs a children’s choir in New Orleans called the Confetti Park Players; they won a Parents’ Choice Approved Award for their first album.
With support from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University, Katy traverses the state to unearth music and folktales, local legends and spooky stories, colorful family memories and forgotten histories. For the weekly segment Confetti Park Storytime, she features published children’s authors as well as interviews and encounters with everyday people on the street. Children’s voices are often used to share poems, contemporary jump rope jingles, hand-clapping games and other playground chants.
“Confetti Park” debuted in New Orleans on WHIV in April 2015. It currently airs in Hammond on KSLU and is available to all Louisiana community radio stations.
CONFETTI PARK
Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop in New Orleans. We create books, mobile apps, music, videos, and special events geared toward celebrating and growing the wonder and magic of childhood. For more information, visit https://confettipark.com
Judy Caplan Ginsburgh has been performing children’s music since 1981.
In this edition of Confetti Park, Katy Ray sits down with Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria, La. to talk about children’s music. Judy has been creating music for children since 1981! Among the topics they discuss: what kinds of songs do little kids love? How does Judy share her Jewish heritage through song?
Judy specializes in music for young children and in Jewish music. In fact, Judy is a rabbi, a Jewish religious leader. While she has a degree in vocal performance (from Indiana University), she never intended to become a children’s musician. She was singing songs with the children at her office’s preschool regularly (on her lunch breaks), when parents and teachers started asking her to record some of the songs. Thus, her first album was born: Sing Along with Judy. That was in 1981—the rest is history!
Judy writes original music but also plays traditional songs.
“I’m a huge believer in not forgetting these old nursery rhymes and folk tunes that have been around for so long. They’ve been around for generations because they are good,” says Judy. “We ought to teach new things and write new things, but we shouldn’t forget these old tried and true songs, either.”
What makes a children’s song good?
“Number one, they’re simple. They’re short. The tunes are very catchy, they’re easy to catch on to,” advises Judy. “Many of the tunes a lot of us use in early childhood music are also call and response… and also things called zipper songs, where the tune and the words remain the same except for one word. So those kinds of songs work very well for young children because they’re repetitive, they’re repeating after you, they’re reinforcing one thing at a time so they actually can be used for learning.”
Judy also uses a lot of props, audience participation, and movement when working with children in music. “You cannot sing to children. You sing with children,” she emphasizes.
In addition to her numerous general music CDs for young kids (preschool age), Judy has recorded nine albums of Jewish music. These CDs are really good for families, says Judy.
“There are so many interfaith families now, and that’s really why this started,” she explains.”Mainly the mothers were not Jewish, but they were the ones raising the children. So they needed to learn the traditional songs that their kids were singing at Sunday School and at Jewish camp. To help teach non-Jews about our Jewish heritage…This is music that we all grew up with, they they may not have.”
While Judy’s earlier Jewish music CDs feature mostly traditional songs, her later CDs feature originals.
“I used to teach in a Jewish day school, and a lot of times we’re trying to teach a concept, an ethical philosophy, and I always taught with music,” explains Judy. “But there wouldn’t be a song, for instance, about tzedakah, which means charity, or helping people. And, so I wrote a song about tzedakah.”
Just loves performing and is also available for teacher training, to teach teachers how to use music in the classroom. You can reach her through her website at http://www.judymusic.com/
Songs featured in this episode: “Aiken Drum,” “Sing Along Song,” and “Tzedakah.”
In this episode of Confetti Park, New Orleans-based children’s author Alex McConduit narrates his adorable story Snoballs for All.
The best part of a hot, humid New Orleans summer is slurping up a big, round, icy-cold, brightly-colored snoball. That’s exactly what Paul wants to do, but he can’t find the snoball festival! He searches all through the city for just one snoball (although two would be better, and three would be best). Where will Paul find snoballs for all?
Snoballs for All is a perfect gift for any Southern kid. We all understand the need for an icy snoball on a hot summer day! Kids from the Confetti Park Players provide the chorus in this narration.
Snoballs for All was illustrated by Paulina Ganucheau. It is available through Pelican Publishing and for sale on Amazon.
Alex is the owner of Big Boot Books and founder of W.R.I.T.E., a youth publishing program that transforms students in New Orleans into published authors.
In this episode of Confetti Park, Katy Ray interviews Johnette Downing, award-winning children’s musician and author. Through her books and songs, Johnette shares Louisiana culture with kids around the world.
Johnette will be appearing at Jazz Fest this year; it is her 23rd year at the fest! You can see her at the kids tent on Sunday, May 3, 2015, at 12:40-1:40 p.m. Calendar
(She also performs at the New Orleans Jazz Historical National Park Visitor’s Center at 11 a.m. on May 1.)
In this interview Johnette discusses how she came to play children’s music, and how the jazz sounds of New Orleans inspired her as a child. As an adult, she got to record a CD of children’s songs with Jimmy LaRocca’s Original Dixieland Jazz Band, which she considers one of her crowing achievements.
She also discusses the importance of parents enjoying music and dancing with their children. Jazz Fest is great for that!!!