Confetti Park

Tag: song

  • Washed Away

    Washed Away

    Lyric video for “Washed Away” performed by Katy Hobgood Ray, from the album I Dream of Water. Archival public domain film footage includes the Mississippi flood of 1927, Los Angeles flood of 1938, and Long Beach flood of 1939.

    Musicians:
    Chuck Dodson – piano, organs
    Dave Hoffpauir – drums
    Vikki McGee – background vocals
    Katy Hobgood Ray – vocals
    Greg Spradlin – guitar, background vocals
    Dylan Turner – percussion
    Jason Weinheimer – bass, percussion  

    Produced by Greg Spradlin.

    Engineered by Zachariah Reeves and Jason Weinheimer at Fellowship Hall Sound, Little Rock, Arkansas. Mixed and Mastered by Jason Weinheimer at Fellowship Hall Sound, Little Rock, Arkansas.

    Executive Producer – Steve Howell. Out Of The Past Music. (Copyright 2019.)

    Written by David Eugene Ray/Kathryn Damaris Hobgood. Published by Confetti Park.

    Publicity and Radio Airplay: Blind Raccoon LLC. For more info visit http://katyhobgood.com

    Washed Away (David Eugene Ray/Kathryn Damaris Hobgood)
    Devil raised up and he hit the ground
    Water piled up and the levees came down
    He spread himself all through this town
    There ain’t nowhere to go

    Stood by the river while they spoke the names
    So much sorrow, so much pain
    Look all around no one to blame
    Where did they all go?

    Washed away—Where did they go?
    What are their names?  Nobody knows.
    The clouds rolled in and filled this town with tears

    I’m still living in my front yard
    Getting by is getting hard
    Ends don’t meet or go too far
    What am I going to do?

    Every evening when the sun goes down
    The ghosts come out and they walk around
    They dance through dreams in this empty town
    Trying to get back home

    The stars fill up an empty sky
    I hold my head and start to cry
    Lost everything and I don’t know why
    What am I going to do?

  • Music Medley: Cows Go Moo

    Music Medley: Cows Go Moo

    cartoon cowWelcome to Confetti Park, a radio show out of New Orleans, Louisiana. We play lots of songs and stories from the Bayou State and from the Mississippi Delta region. This is a music medley of songs, poems, and jump rope jingles featured on a recent episode.

    This episode, “Cows Go Moo,” the show begins with a song showcasing the Louisiana state bird, the state insect, the state flower… and so on. This is “Louisiana’s Alphabet Song,” featuring Kristen Cole and Daniel Morgan. The old nursery rhyme favorite “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is performed by Jeremy Lyons, from his DeltaBilly style Silly Goose Music. And PhFred leads a group with Rock Paper Scissors. What a great song!

    Who doesn’t love a Silly Song performed by New Orleans kids’ favorite, Johnette Downing? Sing along and play along with “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” You’ll hear “Lovely Little Ladybug” performed by the Confetti Park Players, a kids chorus in New Orleans, and “Kukuriku, the Rooster’s Song,” sung by Judy Caplan Gibsburgh of Alexandria, La. Rabbi Judy has been performing music for kids since the 1980s! Check out her website at judymusic.com

    Other songs featured: a hand-clapping version of the Sunday school classic “This Little Light of Mine,” by New Orleans trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and his children; the Imagination Movers with “Warehouse Mouse” and “When You’re in Love, You’ll Understand” featuring Jim Cummings, who played Ray, the lightning bug of the Princess & the Frog…. a beautiful Disney movie set in the swamps of Louisiana.

    Sprinkled throughout are many terrific poems by Louisiana creators, of all ages. Also featured on this episode is a Music Memory from trombonist David Phy and a folk tale called the Beaver’s Tale of Greed, narrated by Iran Martin of Bossier City.

    The Confetti Park radio show streams online and airs in cities across the United States, made available to all community radio stations on the Pacifica Network. Check to see if your local community radio station carries it, and ask!  Support for Confetti Park comes from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

     

  • New song from Confetti Park Players: “Riding on the Mississippi River”

    New song from Confetti Park Players: “Riding on the Mississippi River”

    Exciting news from the Confetti Park workshop! The Confetti Park Players have just released their brand new single, “Riding on the Mississippi River.” The track is available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Google Play, and other digital music services.

    “A song inspired by life along the Mississippi River, where beautiful riverboats & big ships rule, & the merry sound of calliopes fills the air. This fun song by Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players features a Dixieland jazz band from New Orleans.”

    The song is performed by Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players children’s chorus. Musicians include: Jim Thornton, trumpet; Owen Callahan, clarinet; David Phy, trombone; Tim Stambaugh, tuba; Brandon Brunious; banjo; and Cale Pellick, drums. It was recorded at Word of Mouth Recording Studio, Algiers Point in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    “Let’s Go Riding on the Mississippi River” was written by Ted Lindsay, from Mooringsport, Louisiana, who was inspired to write the song when visiting Katy and her family in Algiers Point in New Orleans. Ted was a principal songwriter on We’re Going to Confetti Park!, the first full-length album from the Confetti Park Players and winner of a Parents’ Choice Award.

    Let’s go riding on the Mississippi River
    from St. Paul to New Orleans
    It’s 2000 miles all the way
    down the middle of the USA!

    About Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players

    Katy leads a fun mashup of a kids choir and fabulous, well-established adult New Orleans musicians. They perform catchy originals and familiar folk songs, jump rope jingles and clapping chants, and a few rock ‘n roll surprises.

    The Confetti Park Players have collaborated with such musical talents as world-renowned jazz drummer Johnny Vidacovich, flutist Patti Adams of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, internationally lauded clarinetist Evan Christopher, Lincoln Center-affiliated jazz trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso, Dirty Dozen Brass Band saxophonist Roger Lewis, beloved New Orleans piano players Tom McDermott and AJ Loria.

    They’ve performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Fest, the Folk Art Fest, Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, Beignet Fest, Creole Tomato Fest, Fête Française, and numerous venues around New Orleans. They are regularly featured on the Confetti Park radio program.

    About Confetti Park

    Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop, weekly radio program and podcast based out of New Orleans. We work with children to build community by sharing stories, music, and culture. The name for Confetti Park comes from a small playground in the heart of Algiers Point, a charming and historical neighborhood on the West bank of the Mississippi River. Learn More

     

  • Polly Wolly Wee, the animated music video!

    Polly Wolly Wee, the animated music video!

    One of my favorite songs performed by the Confetti Park Players is “Polly Wolly Wee,” a.k.a. “The Frog Song.” You can hear the song on our first album, and now, you can watch an adorable stop-motion animated music video created by the kids! This was made at the wonderful Mini Art Center in Algiers Point.

    I first heard this cute folk song on a Lead Belly recording. Lead Belly is an important musical influence in my life. I grew up in Shreveport where there is a statue of Huddie Ledbetter standing in front of the public library downtown on Texas Street. I’m part of a group of Louisiana musicians who gather around his grave every October to sing his songs.  This October 2017 will be the 25th year we hold our informal gathering!!! (I joined up around 2000.)

    Lead Belly started singing to children later in his career, so of course I have plumbed his recordings since I myself have become a children’s musician. I have listened to a lot of Lead Belly, but I think I love the Smithsonian Folkways compilation Lead Belly Sings for Children most. His version of “Polly Wolly Wee” has such a pleasant vibe to it. When Lead Belly sings it, he does not have call and response on it,  but that’s what the song creates…. I just can’t help but respond to him and I’ve had a good time re-creating it with the Confetti Park Players!!!

     

  • Media Advisory: New Orleans children’s ball inspires a new book and a song

    Media Advisory: New Orleans children’s ball inspires a new book and a song

    New Orleans kids’ choir director launches Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a children’s book and song called “Candy Land Ball”

    What: Candy Land Ball, a children’s book (36 pages) about a magical night at the ball, written in rhyming verse and beautifully illustrated by watercolor artist Emanuela Serafina. It comes with piano sheet music and a download code for the song performed by Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players. The book is being pre-sold book on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to cover production and printing costs. The author’s goal is to raise $3000 in pre-sales.

    Who: Katy Hobgood Ray, director of New Orleans-based kids’ chorus Confetti Park Players and host of the kids radio show and podcast Confetti Park.

    When: The crowdfunding campaign runs from September 25-November 24, 2016. Autographed books and CDs and other perks will be shipped to supporters in the first week of December 2016.

    Where: Four special packages are available for sale at https://igg.me/at/candylandball/x/11554329. Packages range from $15-$100, and include perks such as autographed books, CDs, musical toys, and gourmet candy gift baskets.

    Why: The Candy Land Ball story book is the follow-up to the recorded song from the Parents’ Choice® Award-winning children’s music album, We’re Going to Confetti Park! featuring Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players. The story was inspired by an annual event that raises funds for parks and children’s programming in Algiers Point for 501(c)3 Confetti Kids, Inc. A portion of proceeds from the campaign will go to Confetti Kids, Inc., an organization for which Katy has volunteered for four years. This is the second children’s book from Confetti Park. The first, The Little Mouse Santi, was named a Best Book of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews and won a Moonbeam Award and Gold Mom’s Choice Award.

    Learn more at confettipark.com. Media members, please email for inquiries or call 504-650-1238.

  • Bumblebee, the animated music video!

    Bumblebee, the animated music video!

    The Confetti Park Players are a children’s chorus based here in New Orleans. One of our favorite things to do is to collaborate with other musicians who live in this amazing, creative city! We are SO lucky to be surrounded by and nurtured by so much talent.

    Our most recent collaboration  was with local folk-pop duo Ginger & the Bee (aka Sherri Montz and Scott Frilot). This duo perform around New Orleans and have other musical projects, including the beloved Vinyl Girls, Slack Adjustor, Skin & Bones, and the Tomatoes.

    Ginger & the Bee wrote a song specially for the Confetti Park Players—it’s called “Bumblebee.”

    Bumblebee, bumblebee, where is your honey? I want some honey for my honey!

    Bumblebee, bumblebee, where is your honey? I want some honey for me.

    Choir director Katy Ray taught the song to the kids over a few weeks, and one special Wednesday night, Ginger & the Bee came to our practice at Algiers United Methodist Church to record with the kids.

    After the recording was over, the kids went outside to play on the grass with Sherri to shoot some playful scenes with scarves.

    A few weeks later, the Confetti Park Players went to the Mini Art Center, a child-centric community arts center located in our very own Algiers Point, to do stop motion animation for the music video. We had such a great time creating this from drawings and recording footage. Molly and Prescott, who run the Mini Art Center, are great teachers.

    And, voila! Enjoy the final product!

    Confetti Park Players perform Ginger & the Bee from Mini Art Center on Vimeo.

     

  • Feufollet – the music video!

    Feufollet – the music video!


    I am so excited to debut this gorgeous animated music video for the song “Feufollet”! This features the brilliant artwork of Gustavo Wenzel and Santiago Germano. Santiago is the illustrator of The Little Mouse Santi, the first children’s book from Confetti Park. They have such a magical sensibility!

    I hope the music and the legend of the spooky Feufollet enchants listeners everywhere.

    – Katy Ray

    “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]


    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.

     

  • Watch Out for the Pirates – the music video!

    Watch Out for the Pirates – the music video!

    Enjoy this music video for “Watch Out for the Pirates” featuring the Confetti Park Players and the NOLA Pyrates, filmed on location in Pirates Alley in the French Quarter, New Orleans, La. (Additional footage from Mardi Gras 2016.) This catchy pirate tune was written by Greg Schatz, a fabulous and prolific songwriter living in New Orleans, ‘specially for the Confetti Park Players. He’s one of our favorites!

    The video debuts just in time for NOLA Pyrate Week, which comes around once a year. We are so thrilled to have such good friends in the NOLA Pyrates, who come to our city to do good deeds and have a good time. Thank you to Captain John Swallow, QM Seika Hellbound and their NOLA Pyrates crew for telling our kids stories, teaching us how to swashbuckle, sharing with us your pirate history lore, and for being in our music video.

    Thank you to ‘Ween Dream! The kids were outfitted in loaned pirate costumes by ‘Ween Dream, a costume donation 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recycles donated Halloween costumes and gives them to kids in need.

    And a very special thanks to Ava Santana-Cassano and Sally Asher for loving film footage, to Leighton Barrett Strong for assistance, and to Thais and company at Pirates Alley Cafe for all the support and goodies. And to John Haffner, for being sparkly and awesome on Mardi Gras day.

     

    We're Going to Confetti Park
    We’re Going to Confetti Park

    “Watch Out for the Pirates” is from the album We’re Going to Confetti Park! by Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players. Available on CD & digitally.

    “Watch Out for the Pirates” (Greg Schatz, Kathryn Hobgood Ray) features: Rick G. Nelson, bass; Beth Patterson, Irish bouzouki; Katy Ray, vocals; Tim Robertson, guitar; Greg Schatz, accordion; Dr. Sick, fiddle; Michael Skinkus, percussion. Pirates: Matt Aguiluz, Keller Clark, John Haffner, Chris Lane, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, Millie Moffett, Beth Patterson, David Eugene Ray. Recorded at Marigny Recording Studio. Mastered by Bruce Barielle.

     

     

     

     

    Spend my days on the Seven Seas
    Live my life just as I please
    Ride the waves, catch the breeze
    Watch out for the pirates

    Chorus:
    Watch out, hey watch out!
    Watch out for the pirates!
    Watch out, hey watch out!
    Watch out for the pirates!

    I don’t know but I’ve been told
    The pirate ships are strong and bold
    They come in the night and they steal your gold
    So watch out for the pirates

    Doesn’t matter what your rank
    Keep your coin safe in the bank
    Don’t let them make you walk the plank
    Watch out for the pirates

    We’ll dock at New Orleans at dawn
    Eat those beans until they’re gone
    Look out for that old man Jean,
    He was once a pirate

    Doesn’t matter where you are
    Could be a boat could be a car
    They’ll sneak up on you and go “ARGH!”
    Watch out for the pirates

     

  • Music Medley: Frogsy Wogsy

    Music Medley: Frogsy Wogsy

    Frog and flyConfetti 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:

    • Go to Camp – Ph Fred
    • Jambalaya (On the Bayou) – Papillon
    • Froggy Went a Courtin –  The Radiators
    • Little Red Caboose – Buckwheat  Zydeco
    • Hush Little Mockingbird – Nancy Tabb Marcantel

    Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop, podcast, and weekly radio program based out of New Orleans. We gather and tell stories, through music, art, puppetry, animations, and more. We are particularly inspired by the unique culture of Louisiana.

    The Confetti Park 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!

  • Music Memory from Cynthia Girtley

    Music Memory from Cynthia Girtley

    Cynthia Girtley
    Cynthia Girtley is a wonderful traditional gospel singer from New Orleans

    Cynthia Girtley is a well-known gospel singer and music minister in New Orleans. Raised in a family with strong spiritual beliefs and church traditions, Cynthia started singing at age three and joined her church’s gospel choir when she was four.

    In this music memory, Cynthia talks about how it was that she came to be a church singer at such a very young age!

    If you’d like to listen to more of her music, check out A New Orleans Tribute to Mahalia Jackson and It’s In My Heart on CDBaby.

    Confetti Park is a children’s media workshop, podcast, and weekly radio program based out of New Orleans. We gather and tell stories, through music, art, puppetry, animations, and more. We are particularly inspired by the unique culture of Louisiana.

    The Confetti Park 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.

  • Music Medley: Counting Things

    Music Medley: Counting Things

    Let's count apples!1, 2, 3, 4, 5….10! Counting things!

    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:

    Kick Rocks – Wardell Quezergue
    Twenty Bees –  Johnette Downing
    Ten Green Bottles – Jeremy Lyons
    Frere Jacques – Swing Setters
    Hey Little Girl – Jason & Layla
    Walking in the Woods with my Parrain – Cajun Ron Black Guidry

  • Music Medley: Stars & Stripes & Crabs

    Music Medley: Stars & Stripes & Crabs

    CrabConfetti 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: