Evan and Tom Paul

Here is a fantastic photo of a fan, Evan, with his cat, Tom Paul. The cat was named after the Tom Paul from my song, "Lisa Lee Elizabeth!" How cool is that?

And a drawing Evan made of Tom Paul (the cat)...

I promised long ago to post these up on my website! I've been excavating my office this week and I just unearthed the folder that contained them. So, up they go. Sorry to take so ridiculously long at it, Evan! 

Now back to the pile - I wonder what else I might come across!

Skyline Visit

On Dec 10 I visited Mrs. McDonald's 1st grade at Skyline Elementary here in Stillwater; just now getting around to posting photos! This was another of the classroom visits I donated to the Stillwater Library to give as prizes for their summer reading program. We had a fun time, as always!

Here we're doing the Wind Energy song:

Posed together after the singing:

Happy holidays!

Delivering Donated CDs to Schools

As part of the fundraising campaign to record my new Songs From the Science Frontier CD I gave my backers the option of purchasing CDs to be donated to schools or other institutions where lots of kids would get to hear them. 

Eighty-one CDs were purchased as donations! 

Over the past two weeks I've been hand delivering and mailing CDs to schools all over the country. Not all of my backers specified recipients for their donations, so I had the fun and surprisingly time-consuming task of choosing where about 2/3 of them would go. 

I made sure all the schools here in Stillwater got a copy, as well as schools in surrounding communities. I also sent them to far-flung places such as science magnet schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Durham, and Los Angeles. 

For anyone who's curious beyond reason, here is a list of all the CD recipients.

Last week I visited each of the Stillwater schools to deliver their CDs in person. Lisa came along and took a few photos. 

Here I am handing off CDs to the librarians at Westwood, Highland Park, and Sangre Ridge...

To all the CD recipients: May they inspire and challenge your students to explore the science frontier!

Signing and Mailing CDs

I signed and mailed out about 170 Songs From the Science Frontier CDs this weekend! Thanks to all who ordered one.

Here's an epic film of the process. Watch to find out how (and why) I signed one CD in American Sign Language!

The Day After Turkey

Twas the morn after Turkey Day. All through the house

Not a creature was stirring, save this eager mouse!

Through the darkness I tiptoed to start up my sleigh

In the early A.M. of this famed shopping day.

I tore across town with a gleam in my eye,

Pulled into a spot right in front of Best Buy,

And zipping my coat up to fend off the cold

Sought the end of the line...

As it lengthened ten fold!

Soon I and these legions of fellow deal-seekers

Hopped forward a bit on the balls of our sneakers,

And into the aisles of the store we all flooded.

Merchandise flew as the shelves were all gutted!

That's when this poor wretched mousey was told

That the two reduced netbooks they'd offered were sold.

Yes, I had been lured to that store with a story

Then slapped with excuses of low inventory.

The mice who had snatched up the netbooks I'd sought

Had camped for three days in the south parking lot!

So I turned on my heels and went back to my ride,

Empty handed, downhearted, defeated inside.

As I tumbled my poor mousey soul back to bed,

Visions of empty shelves danced in my head.

I tossed and I turned and I tried to dismiss this

Foreboding that Santa might skip us this Christmas.

But when I awoke I felt rested and fine,

And resigned to complete all my shopping...

Online!

- Monty Harper

My friends,

If you take advantage of my Thanksgiving sale,

You will get a free CD with the purchase of my new CD,

I guarantee that I'll not run out of free CDs,

There is no parking, no line, no cold, 

No shipping, no tax, no kidding!

And what better gift than the gift of music?

Please check it out at MontyHarper.com!

Songs From the Science Frontier is Here!

Songs From the Science Frontier is now available to order or download!

This week only: Order the new CD and get one of my older titles free! This offer is available through my website at MontyHarper.com, and expires next Monday Nov 29.

CDs will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas!
If you are one of my Kickstarter.com backers, your CDs will be first to ship, and they'll be going out very soon!

I'm excited, people! I've been working on this for months, and I'm very proud of it. Can't wait for you to hear it!

Our Washington D.C. Trip

We are safely home and recovering from our trip to Washington, D.C.! It was fantastic. I performed in a planetarium, on the national mall, at a science cafe, and in an elementary school. We got to visit friends, some of whom we'd never met face to face before, and we made many new friends as well. And we wore ourselves out!

Here I am on stage, first act in the morning on Saturday at the USA Science Festival.

Here Evalyn and I are posing with Ben Franklin, who was thankfully willing to "sit for a portrait" (not knowing much about digital photography). We explored a lot of the booths on the mall - they seemed to stretch for miles! Evalyn made a foil boat and a solar powered car, and she foiled me at a math game that involved jumping skulls and pumpkins.

We spent a lot of time also in the Smithsonian museums - mainly the art gallery, the natural history museum, and the American history museum where we got to see the actual flag that inspired the words to "The Star Spangled Banner!" Here is Evalyn in the butterfly pavilion in the natural history museum, where she refused to leave until a butterfly landed on her.

We also got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the WWII Memorial.

Evalyn bought herself a new buddy, whom she named "Washington." Here they are on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the spot where Dr. King gave his famous speech.

We stopped in Cincinnati on the way home. Here I'm introducing a song at the science cafe in Slatt's Pub.

At North College Hill Elementary the next day I did my music and movement program for kindergarten and 1st grade. Here the kids are making sirens during "Big Red Fire Truck."

Classroom Visit in Perkins

The past three summers I've donated free classroom visits to the Stillwater Public library. They give them out as prizes to kids in the summer reading program. Last Friday I visited a 4th grade classroom in Perkins. Mrs. Ebers just sent me some of the photos that were taken.

Here I'm singing "Hard to Love a Reptile" by request. I always bring my lyrics binder in case I need to sing one I haven't done in a while.

These kids were fantastic singers! They really got into every song. We had a great time together.

Posing with the class.

Posing with the prize winner!

Thanks to Mrs. Eber's students for a great visit! I hope to see you again soon!

Playing With Silly Bandz

Please let me know what you think!

But first, thanks to everyone who offered their input on the new CD cover so far. It looks like Evalyn has been out-voted, as most of you liked the Silly Bandz option. That's right, my 9-year-old actually prefers the photos. Go figure.

For those who say the Silly Bandz will go out of style, and where would that leave me, I'll ask - If you didn't know they were supposed to look like Silly Bandz would the figures still be colorful, interesting, and represent the content of the CD? I'm hoping the charm lies more in the figures themselves than in the fact they are "Silly Bandz" look-a-likes and thus the cover art would outlast the craze. Do I have a point, or am I just talking myself into foolishness?

Anyhow, I'm not totally sold on this approach, but I've been playing with the silly bandz idea and here are some possibilities...

Please let me know if you have a preference! Thanks!!

A. Similar to the original idea:

B. Has a built in balloon for clever signing options:

 C. Dino playing guitar:

 D. Silly Bandz in a bag; on the back they would be all spilled out. This one depends more on recognizing the figures as Silly Bandz, I guess.

Silly Bandz or Swirly Photos?

Howdy Friends!

I'm nearing completion of my Songs From the Science Frontier CD!! The songs are all recorded and mixed. Next they go to be mastered and then manufactured.

You can pre-order your copies now on my website at www.montyharper.com.

And you can help me out if you like - I'm trying to settle on a concept for the cover. These are just rough sketches to show a couple of ideas. Which do you like best? Any other ideas?
Thanks!

We Did It! Songs From the Science Frontier is In Production!

Many thanks to all my backers and supporters! We passed the $9,000 funding goal on kickstarter.com early Friday morning - a day and a half before the deadline! The last $1K or so just seemed to melt away overnight! So now I have a CD of science songs to record! Our first studio date is a week from today.

I spent Saturday celebrating with friends and supporters via a live video feed online! It was also my birthday, and as promised, I got a chocolate cake smooshed in my face! I know you are anxious to see that, so here you go...

Science Program @ Stillwater Library + News on 6

On Sunday I performed for a secular parenting picnic in Edmond. This was my first chance to try out an all-science program on an audience. I was pretty nervous but I think it went well. 

After the show people ate, and then I played a few extra songs for some fans from way back - they wanted to hear "Lisa Lee Elizabeth" and "Alphabet Rag!"

At the Stillwater Library on Tuesday I did a full program of science songs: "Super Scientist," "What Is the Shape of the Molecule?," "Bat Man," "Acrocanthosaurus," "The Wind Energy Song," "Roundy Round," and "Ain't It Beautiful?" All these songs except "Roundy Round" (which is on the Take Me to Your Library CD already) will be included on my new Songs From the Science Frontier CD.

We utilized an overhead projector during some of the songs to put lyrics up on a big screen on stage. I think that helped a lot - it's easier to follow all those complex sciencey concepts if you can read along. AND it made it easier to participate in the sing-along sections.

"Let me hear you now..."

"Working on the mystery of life's history, he's a bat man!"

"Spring your sharpened claws!" There was a large contingency of younger kids at the program. I wasn't sure how they'd do with this new batch of songs, but they were great. Here they are being Acrocanthosaurs!

"This is the sun shining down on Earth!" Even the adults stood up to help form a wind farm during my "Wind Energy" song!

Here we are going "Roundy Round!"

After the program, we played my News on 6 story for folks to watch and asked them to contribute to my Kickstarter campaign by pre-ordering the new CD. We got a couple of new pledges on the spot. 

What's that, you haven't seen the News on 6 story that aired in Tulsa and Oklahoma City (channel 9) this past weekend? Here you go:

Songs From the Science Frontier Update

My SFSF fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com is moving along. I'm up to 57% with 15 days left to go! I'm going to need to step up the pace a bit if I hope to hit the goal on time, but I have a few things coming up that should help...

Tonight I'll be on the Skeptically Speaking radio broadcast at 7:00 pm central.

August 17 is my Stillwater library program, at 6:30 pm.

Also, check out the latest related video below...

First is me on "The Morning Edition" on TV-31 here in Stillwater.

Then a mini-documentary about microbiologist Marianna Patrauchan, who inspired the song "Super Scientist."

Fargo and Grand Forks, ND

We started off yesterday at the Carlson branch of the Fargo library. The audience was mostly moms and toddlers, with a group of preschoolers up front, so I altered my usual lineup and did some of my more active songs.

Pop Up Sit Down:

Can you guess what's in this box?

Yesterday afternoon we drove to Grand Forks and I performed outside as part of their big end of summer blow-out celebration.

You never know what might happen when performing outdoors. Partway through the first song, this giant armadillo showed up. 

A view from the back:

Can you provide a caption for this photo?

Crab got your nose?

Hadrosaurs!

Seismosaurs:

The library building at Grand Forks was one of the most unique we've seen. Here's the children's area. The picture books are arranged on trays so they can be flipped through easily. The round windows in the back look out over the main part of the library.

This ship at the back of the room is fun to play on!

Here's a view from the other side of those round windows. 

The main space in the library is huge!

This afternoon I performed at the main branch in Fargo. Saturday we'll be going to my niece's wedding! Several of our relatives were there for this show. Here are Evalyn, then Brent, the fiance, then Abby, my niece the bride, then Katy, Sam's girlfriend, then Sam, Abby's brother, then Pat, Sam and Abby's mom (and Lisa's big sis). Got that? Quiz later...

Evalyn makes a great pirate - "Aaarg!"

What a great-looking herd of triceratops!!


My "Songs From the Science Frontier" campaign is still moving along - I'm at 57%! Please help me connect kids with science. Check it out here.