Confetti Park Children's Workshop

Tag: fathers

  • Storytime: Lucky Enough by Dr. Chris Yandle

    Storytime: Lucky Enough by Dr. Chris Yandle

    Narration by the author of a dad’s daily notes of encouragement and life lessons to his daughter

    Lucky Enough book cover

    In this episode of Confetti Park Storytime, we hear some sweet excerpts from Lucky Enough: A Year of a Dad’s Daily Notes of Encouragement and Life Lessons to His Daughter, in the voice of the author Dr. Chris Yandle.

    From the author’s website:

    “When my daughter started fourth grade, it was Addison’s fourth school in five years. It wasn’t how we planned it, but as someone who moved around a lot as a kid, I knew this school year was going to be tough. Every morning, I wrote my daughter a note about life, school, or growing up, and I’d slip it in her bookbag or her lunch box to find later in the day. I shared the notes on Twitter and Facebook using #DadLunchNotes. Before I knew it, the notes became something others were seeking each day, including Addison’s teacher and principal. While I knew others enjoyed the daily life lessons I penned in Sharpie, I wanted to stay true to my intended purpose-being there for my daughter and helping guide her through this difficult school year.”

    Chris and his family live in Mandeville, Louisiana. He will be among the featured authors and illustrators at the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University, being held March 19-21. Learn more about this event at https://bookfest.tulane.edu/.

    You can order the book Lucky Enough at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through his website.

    Thank you so much, Dr. Chris Yandle, for sharing your story with Confetti Park!

  • Trombonist David Phy recalls turning sheet music for the church organist–his dad

    Trombonist David Phy recalls turning sheet music for the church organist–his dad

    Dr. David Phy plays trombone
    Dr. David Phy plays trombone

    In this episode of Confetti Park, New Orleans-based trombonist Dr. David Phy shares early music memories of learning how to read sheet music with his dad.

    David is a professional musician who has performed with national acts and jazz artists such as The 4 Tops, The Temptations, Bonerama, Delfeyo Marsalis, The Yin Yang Twins, Chip McNeil, Louis Belson, Lena Prima, Louis Prima Jr., Charo, and the Dukes of Dixieland. He has taught at Tulane University, University of New Orleans and Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

    David grew up in a musical household. His father was a professional pianist, organist, and teacher. His role as church organist led to David’ earliest interactions with written music.

    Says David: “Growing up, my father was the church organist. At the end of church, there is always the postlude, where there’s a nice big organ fanfare piece, as people are supposed to go out into the world and carry on the philosophy of the sermon.

    I remember I used to run up the stairs to the church loft where he would be playing organ, and he would need me to turn pages for him.

    As he said ‘Turn the page,’ I knew that he would be starting at the top…so though I couldn’t read music…I kind of started following along.

    I would play a game with myself, to think, ‘I bet, as I’m following along with my eyes, I can guess roughly when he needs me to turn the page….’ That was one of my earliest moments with music.”

    David explains how these early experiences led him to playing in high school, college, cruise ships, Vegas, and now, New Orleans!

    Isn’t it wonderful how these childhood musical interactions with his father led to a full, lifelong career in music? Thanks for sharing your memory, Dr. Dave!

    Learn more about David Phy

  • Bruce Sunpie Barnes: The magic of my father’s music

    Bruce Sunpie Barnes: The magic of my father’s music

    Sunpie Barnes CD coverIn this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a childhood music memory from Bruce Sunpie Barnes, the talented and multifaceted blues harmonica player and zydeco accordionist from Louisiana.

    In addition to leading the zydeco band the Louisiana Sunspots, Bruce has had a long career as a ranger and naturalist at the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana. (He also had a career in the world of NFL football, playing with the Kansas City Chiefs!) And he’s the photographer and author of Talk That Music Talk. Read more about his biography at All Music.

    Bruce’s music has always been a part of his life, and even as a naturalist, he found music an effective way to communicate about the culture and importance of the Louisiana environment. Bruce was one of the key producers on two-album compilation, the National Park Service: Songs of the Lower Mississippi Delta.

    Here Bruce shares a special memory of his father, who was one of his most important influences.

    “My earliest memory of anything to do with music was sitting on my father’s knee and listening to him play harmonica. He would work all day, and when he’d come home in the evening, I always wanted to hear him play his harmonica. And he’d play a song called “Coon ‘n the Hound” and make these barks like a dog…. and I was completely fascinated by it.

    I would sit on his knee and he would play for all my brothers and sisters (a lot of them), but I would just sit and I would try to figure out where all that sound was coming from.

    It was like magic. It was the first thing I ever associated with being magic.

    I would always think about that when I would go to bed, ‘I can’t wait till I get old enough so I can make some magic.‘”