Big news for me!!
The Unisong International Songwriting Competition results have been announced for 2005.
This competition is run by songwriters for songwriters, so the focus really is on the writing. I've been entering in the children's category for the past three years. In 2003 I took third place with "Diving in the Deep Blue Sea" and in 2004 I took second with "Loose Tooth."
This year I entered four songs. (I find it quite impossible to guess which of my songs has the best chance so I enter as many as I can afford.)
And the results...
"It's Hard to Love a Reptile" from the new Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD took fourth place.
And...
"Take Me to Your Library" from the CD of the same name took first place!
I was also excited to see that my friend Mr. Billy placed two songs in the top twenty finalists. I haven't heard yet how many entries there were in the children's category, but in past years there have been several hundred, so placing anywhere in the top 24 is an impressive accomplishment; it puts you firmly in the top 1%.
Congratulations to all the winners! You can listen to the winning songs at http://www.unisong.com/Winners.aspx.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
NPR Update
Well, if you went looking for the NPR podcast Friday that I told you about in my last post, you are probably wondering why it wasn't there. I got an update from the Open Mic Podcast today - for some technical reason my song didn't get posted, but it is now scheduled to go up next Monday, July 3.
The Open Mic Podcast website is located here: Open Mic.
Happy listening!
The Open Mic Podcast website is located here: Open Mic.
Happy listening!
Friday, June 23, 2006
XM Kids and NPR
Last weekend Kenny Curtis played "I Go Bananas" from my Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD during the 13 Under 13 Countdown. Often the new songs he introduces on the top 13 show go on to climb the charts themselves. If you are an XM Kids listener, please ask for "I Go Bananas!"
Make your request here: XM Kids Request
Also this afternoon (Friday 6/23) the song "I Took My Dragon For a Walk," also from the new CD, will be the featured song on National Public Radio's Open Mic podcast. (It should show up there at 4:15 PM EST)
You can download it here: Open Mic
Make your request here: XM Kids Request
Also this afternoon (Friday 6/23) the song "I Took My Dragon For a Walk," also from the new CD, will be the featured song on National Public Radio's Open Mic podcast. (It should show up there at 4:15 PM EST)
You can download it here: Open Mic
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Acousticadia, Dino Daze, and other upcoming shows
The summer tour has begun!
My first show was in Moore, last Tuesday. It went very well - Lisa says it was my best opening show in all the summers I've been doing library programs (this is the 16th!). I performed five songs from the new CD, plus two from "Great Green." Evalyn joined me on stage for "Hummingbird Hum" and she did a great job, stealing the show as always. The audience was fantastic - lots of fans in Moore; I felt right at home.
Evalyn had her own performance season this week - three dance recitals. This was her first year to take ballet, and her beginner class of 4s and 5s were mighty cute in their anderoid outfits with bobbing antennae on their heads. They were the stars of the show, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm her dad; her mom thinks so too! We were very impressed with the whole operation. It was a lot of work but well worth it. Evalyn absolutely loved it, and so did we!
Coming up (these locations are in Oklahoma):
Monday June 5, the Tahlequah library, 10:00 and 1:00
Wednesday June 7, the Seminole library, 10:30
Thursday June 8, the Ada library, 10:30
Friday and Saturday, June 9/10, Acousticadia in Edmond
This is a big outdoor music festival. It promises to be a lot of fun for everyone. For more information I will refer you to this article from the Edmond Sun: Acousticadia makes child's play full of musical fun, and to the Acousticadia website.
Sunday, June 11, Dino Daze at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman
Many things are going on at the museum June 10 and 11. For more information I'll refer you the museum website.
I hope I'll see you at one of these shows!
My first show was in Moore, last Tuesday. It went very well - Lisa says it was my best opening show in all the summers I've been doing library programs (this is the 16th!). I performed five songs from the new CD, plus two from "Great Green." Evalyn joined me on stage for "Hummingbird Hum" and she did a great job, stealing the show as always. The audience was fantastic - lots of fans in Moore; I felt right at home.
Evalyn had her own performance season this week - three dance recitals. This was her first year to take ballet, and her beginner class of 4s and 5s were mighty cute in their anderoid outfits with bobbing antennae on their heads. They were the stars of the show, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm her dad; her mom thinks so too! We were very impressed with the whole operation. It was a lot of work but well worth it. Evalyn absolutely loved it, and so did we!
Coming up (these locations are in Oklahoma):
Monday June 5, the Tahlequah library, 10:00 and 1:00
Wednesday June 7, the Seminole library, 10:30
Thursday June 8, the Ada library, 10:30
Friday and Saturday, June 9/10, Acousticadia in Edmond
This is a big outdoor music festival. It promises to be a lot of fun for everyone. For more information I will refer you to this article from the Edmond Sun: Acousticadia makes child's play full of musical fun, and to the Acousticadia website.
Sunday, June 11, Dino Daze at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman
Many things are going on at the museum June 10 and 11. For more information I'll refer you the museum website.
I hope I'll see you at one of these shows!
"Paws Claws Scales and Tales" on XM Kids!
XM Kids has added "Paws Claws Sclaes and Tales, Reprise" from my new CD to their rotation!
To me this is a very big deal. We listen to XM Kids all the time around here and we love it! We think of it as the national headquarters for children's music. The playlist is heavily influenced by listener requests from all over the country and they do a weekly countdown of the 13 most requested songs. Way cool!
As I understand it, my song will by played infrequently for about two weeks, and if it doesn't generate any requests they'll drop it. If it generates requests they'll play it more often.
Once it gets bumped up in the rotation, it's more likely to generate requests, since people have a better chance of hearing it to begin with.
So during these crucial first days, your request can make a big difference!
If you are an XM Kids listener, please call in to request my song! (If you can, call before 6/14/06!).
If you don't have XM Kids (you should get it), please pass on this info to someone who does! XM radio is built in to many new vehicles, and it's part of the satellite TV service, DirecTV. So you might know somebody who has it, even if you didn't know you knew it!
XM Kids is channel 116.
You can make a request online, by going here: XM Kids.
Better yet, call in and you can hear yourself on the air! The DJs are very friendly and are great at talking with kids. Evalyn has been on the air several times, usually requesting "Baby Kangaroo" by Joe McDermott. She's even told a few jokes! Her first call was at age three.
Here are some tips for calling in to request "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" (or any song you want to hear!):
- The number is 866 328 2345
- Call anytime a live DJ is on the air.
- If you get the answering machine, hang up and try again. Keep dialing until you get through.
- Be prepared to tell your name, where you live, and the song you want to request
- In our experience, D. Dynamite is the easiest to get through to (evenings), then Kenny Curtis (mornings), then Absolutely Mindy (afternoons)
- You won't go on the air live. You'll hear yourself five or ten minutes after you hang up the phone.
- Relax, stay calm, and just talk. The DJs are patient and they will only use the best bits of your conversation on the air.
- It's ok for mom or dad to make the request, or to speak first and introduce the child
Have fun!
To me this is a very big deal. We listen to XM Kids all the time around here and we love it! We think of it as the national headquarters for children's music. The playlist is heavily influenced by listener requests from all over the country and they do a weekly countdown of the 13 most requested songs. Way cool!
As I understand it, my song will by played infrequently for about two weeks, and if it doesn't generate any requests they'll drop it. If it generates requests they'll play it more often.
Once it gets bumped up in the rotation, it's more likely to generate requests, since people have a better chance of hearing it to begin with.
So during these crucial first days, your request can make a big difference!
If you are an XM Kids listener, please call in to request my song! (If you can, call before 6/14/06!).
If you don't have XM Kids (you should get it), please pass on this info to someone who does! XM radio is built in to many new vehicles, and it's part of the satellite TV service, DirecTV. So you might know somebody who has it, even if you didn't know you knew it!
XM Kids is channel 116.
You can make a request online, by going here: XM Kids.
Better yet, call in and you can hear yourself on the air! The DJs are very friendly and are great at talking with kids. Evalyn has been on the air several times, usually requesting "Baby Kangaroo" by Joe McDermott. She's even told a few jokes! Her first call was at age three.
Here are some tips for calling in to request "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" (or any song you want to hear!):
- The number is 866 328 2345
- Call anytime a live DJ is on the air.
- If you get the answering machine, hang up and try again. Keep dialing until you get through.
- Be prepared to tell your name, where you live, and the song you want to request
- In our experience, D. Dynamite is the easiest to get through to (evenings), then Kenny Curtis (mornings), then Absolutely Mindy (afternoons)
- You won't go on the air live. You'll hear yourself five or ten minutes after you hang up the phone.
- Relax, stay calm, and just talk. The DJs are patient and they will only use the best bits of your conversation on the air.
- It's ok for mom or dad to make the request, or to speak first and introduce the child
Have fun!
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Villa Villekulla Hula and Hummingbird Hum
This month's podcast episode is a double-wide, to make up for missing last month. You'll hear two songs from the new Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD, and I chat with two adorable guests about how they helped me make these two songs into great recordings. The songs are "Hummingbird Hum" and "Villa Villekulla Hula" and the adorable guests are my wife Lisa and daughter Evalyn. I hope you have as much fun listening as we had making this podcast episode.
Congratulations to our free CD winner for May, Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, MO!
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Show Notes
Here are some links related to the show. Have fun exploring while you listen!
Tim Cain, and "Drum Thang"
Pippi Longstocking
Harry Potter
Hummingbirds
Ukuleles
Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060524MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=266293007
Congratulations to our free CD winner for May, Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, MO!
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Show Notes
Here are some links related to the show. Have fun exploring while you listen!
Tim Cain, and "Drum Thang"
Pippi Longstocking
Harry Potter
Hummingbirds
Ukuleles
Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060524MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=266293007
Friday, May 19, 2006
Paws Claws Scales & Tales CDs are Here!
The CDs are here!
They arrived Wednesday, and our living room is full of them. But we have already gotten rid of more than two hundred copies! That includes pre-orders and radio stations (see below!). The folks at the post office duck down behind the counter when they see me coming! Just kidding - actually they've been very helpful.
So, if you pre-ordered a CD, it's on its way to you right now. You may even already have it!! But you don't need me to tell you that.
The release party is tomorrow in my back yard. We'll be cooking hot dogs out on the grill for a picnic lunch and a concert will follow
with CD signing and all that jazz. Rumor has it there will even be a cake that looks something like the CD cover. I'll try to post a photo or two.
I have two new podcasts "in the can" - I just need to get them edited, but they'll be available soon, so please stay tuned.
Speaking of staying tuned, here are some radio stations that have already said they will play music from the new CD. You can tune in to all of these online using your web browser, and most of them take requests - hint, hint.
"Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child" hosted by Bill Childs & Ella (daughter) on Valley Free Radio, WXOJ-LP in Florence, MA
Schedule: 8-10 am on Saturdays. ET
Description: Music for kids - both officially kids music and other stuff that kids might like. Playlists range from folk to world to guitar-pop to straight-up rock.
Website: http://www.sparetherock.com
You can tune in on the website. This show is also available as a podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes!
"Kids Radio Mania" hosted by Kid DJs Jenna and Joey & live call-in host Crazy Dave on KDPS Radio in Des Moines, IA
Schedule: All day Saturday and Sunday
Description: Lively mixture of pre-teen music, children DJ's, call-ins, jokes and prizes.
Each weekend a specific artist or theme is featured and a song from that artist or theme is played at least hourly along with interviews and give-aways.
Website: http://www.KDPSradio.com
You can tune in from the website!
"We Like Kids" hosted by Jeff Brown on KTOO FM in Juneau, AK
Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm AT
Description: Mostly music for school age kids. Many times the songs are selected around a theme.
Website: http://www.ktoo.org/
You can tune in from the website!
"Family Groove" hosted by Will Hale on KFAI in St. Paul, MN
Schedule: On Demand
Description: Family Groove is a weekly internet radio program custom made for grade school age kids. Its parent-friendly nature also opens a multigenerational dialogue, proving you're never too old to feel young and introducing kids to music they won't have to outgrow. Children are directly involved as regular hosts, guests, and producers.
The intention of Family Groove is to build a bridge to allow kids a smooth transition in the growth of their awareness and appreciation of music.
Website: http://www.kfai.org/programs/famgrv.htm
You can tune in from the website; in fact it's the only way to hear this show!
"Nacho Celtic" hosted by Carlos Alden on KPBX-FM in Spokane, WA
Schedule: Sundays, 2:00 - 3:00 PM PT
Description: Carlos Alden's bi-polar show: first half folk music, second half children's music.
Website: http://www.kpbx.org
You can tune in from the website.
"XM Kids" hosted by Kenny Curtis, Absolutely Mindy, Jinx Blog, D. Dynamite on XM Satellite Radio, channel 116, broadcast nationwide!
Schedule: Always On
Description: XM Kids broadcasts a variety of programming for kids, mostly music served up by the four DJs. The playlist is heavily influenced by listener requests. It includes corporate stuff from TV and movies, but independent children's artists are also very well represented. Programming also includes live performances from the XMKids "Rumpus Room."
Website: http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=116
XM Kids is on XM Satellite Radio, which is a subscription service and also requires an XM receiver. However, XM Radio does offer a free three day trial during which you can listen to XM Kids on the website.
For even more children's radio, visit Kids Music Planet!
---
Quotes about Monty Harper and the Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD:
"This is the CD you'll want to get! It's full of unforgettable songs about pets and
animals and kids! I find myself humming and singing the new material from Paws,
Claws, Scales and Tales throughout my workday."
- Sandy Shropshire, Children's Librarian, Moore, OK
"Monty's songwriting shines... Fabulous child-centered songs for home and school!"
- Fred Koch, Chicago Parent magazine, www.BestChildrensMusic.com
"Purrfect music for critters of all sizes!"
- Jeff Brown of "We Like Kids!", KTOO-FM, Juneau, Alaska
"Monty Harper is a masterful musical storyteller who makes great songwriting look
easy."
- Will Hale of "The Family Groove" Kids Internet Radio Show, www.willhale.com
They arrived Wednesday, and our living room is full of them. But we have already gotten rid of more than two hundred copies! That includes pre-orders and radio stations (see below!). The folks at the post office duck down behind the counter when they see me coming! Just kidding - actually they've been very helpful.
So, if you pre-ordered a CD, it's on its way to you right now. You may even already have it!! But you don't need me to tell you that.
The release party is tomorrow in my back yard. We'll be cooking hot dogs out on the grill for a picnic lunch and a concert will follow
with CD signing and all that jazz. Rumor has it there will even be a cake that looks something like the CD cover. I'll try to post a photo or two.
I have two new podcasts "in the can" - I just need to get them edited, but they'll be available soon, so please stay tuned.
Speaking of staying tuned, here are some radio stations that have already said they will play music from the new CD. You can tune in to all of these online using your web browser, and most of them take requests - hint, hint.
"Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child" hosted by Bill Childs & Ella (daughter) on Valley Free Radio, WXOJ-LP in Florence, MA
Schedule: 8-10 am on Saturdays. ET
Description: Music for kids - both officially kids music and other stuff that kids might like. Playlists range from folk to world to guitar-pop to straight-up rock.
Website: http://www.sparetherock.com
You can tune in on the website. This show is also available as a podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes!
"Kids Radio Mania" hosted by Kid DJs Jenna and Joey & live call-in host Crazy Dave on KDPS Radio in Des Moines, IA
Schedule: All day Saturday and Sunday
Description: Lively mixture of pre-teen music, children DJ's, call-ins, jokes and prizes.
Each weekend a specific artist or theme is featured and a song from that artist or theme is played at least hourly along with interviews and give-aways.
Website: http://www.KDPSradio.com
You can tune in from the website!
"We Like Kids" hosted by Jeff Brown on KTOO FM in Juneau, AK
Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm AT
Description: Mostly music for school age kids. Many times the songs are selected around a theme.
Website: http://www.ktoo.org/
You can tune in from the website!
"Family Groove" hosted by Will Hale on KFAI in St. Paul, MN
Schedule: On Demand
Description: Family Groove is a weekly internet radio program custom made for grade school age kids. Its parent-friendly nature also opens a multigenerational dialogue, proving you're never too old to feel young and introducing kids to music they won't have to outgrow. Children are directly involved as regular hosts, guests, and producers.
The intention of Family Groove is to build a bridge to allow kids a smooth transition in the growth of their awareness and appreciation of music.
Website: http://www.kfai.org/programs/famgrv.htm
You can tune in from the website; in fact it's the only way to hear this show!
"Nacho Celtic" hosted by Carlos Alden on KPBX-FM in Spokane, WA
Schedule: Sundays, 2:00 - 3:00 PM PT
Description: Carlos Alden's bi-polar show: first half folk music, second half children's music.
Website: http://www.kpbx.org
You can tune in from the website.
"XM Kids" hosted by Kenny Curtis, Absolutely Mindy, Jinx Blog, D. Dynamite on XM Satellite Radio, channel 116, broadcast nationwide!
Schedule: Always On
Description: XM Kids broadcasts a variety of programming for kids, mostly music served up by the four DJs. The playlist is heavily influenced by listener requests. It includes corporate stuff from TV and movies, but independent children's artists are also very well represented. Programming also includes live performances from the XMKids "Rumpus Room."
Website: http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=116
XM Kids is on XM Satellite Radio, which is a subscription service and also requires an XM receiver. However, XM Radio does offer a free three day trial during which you can listen to XM Kids on the website.
For even more children's radio, visit Kids Music Planet!
---
Quotes about Monty Harper and the Paws Claws Scales & Tales CD:
"This is the CD you'll want to get! It's full of unforgettable songs about pets and
animals and kids! I find myself humming and singing the new material from Paws,
Claws, Scales and Tales throughout my workday."
- Sandy Shropshire, Children's Librarian, Moore, OK
"Monty's songwriting shines... Fabulous child-centered songs for home and school!"
- Fred Koch, Chicago Parent magazine, www.BestChildrensMusic.com
"Purrfect music for critters of all sizes!"
- Jeff Brown of "We Like Kids!", KTOO-FM, Juneau, Alaska
"Monty Harper is a masterful musical storyteller who makes great songwriting look
easy."
- Will Hale of "The Family Groove" Kids Internet Radio Show, www.willhale.com
Sunday, May 07, 2006
More about Texas, plus Yukon
I didn't get to blog from the rest of my Texas shows, but they all went really well. Tuesday we were at Eastridge and Wooden Elementary in Red Oak and Wednesday we were at Venus Elementary in Venus, TX, and Coleman Elementary in Cleburne, TX.
See my previous post for gushing about how fun it is to sing for an enthusiastic, well-behaved elementary school audience. One of the librarians was so excited about the music that she and her principal are purchasing CDs for every classroom teacher!
It was a great trip all around. Lisa and Evalyn had fun at home with Chad Monday and Wednesday. He's only a month younger than Evalyn, so they had a blast playing together. I hear they shared a kiss, right on the lips, Evalyn's first, I think. But Evalyn says she doesn't want Chad to be her boyfriend - there's someone at school she's interested in that way. Did I mention she's five years old?
Even the traffic in Dallas was better this trip. All the construction through downtown has long been cleared up, and my trips from Plano down to south of town and back went smoothly. (I only witnessed two minor wrecks.)
Lisa and Evalyn came down with me the second day. Evalyn was fascinated with the tall buildings and the highway interchanges. They finally got to meet John, after so many years of him bringing me to Dallas/Ft. Worth area schools. He tried to take us to lunch, but we couldn't find a smoke-free restaurant that wasn't McDonald's, which was fine with Evalyn - she got to play in the play place and eat McNuggets! Come on, Texas, if Oklahoma can pass a law for smoke-free restaurants, you can do it too!
That evening I sang through all the songs on my new CD for Cassie and Sarah (while Chad and Evalyn chased each other around the house).
Yesterday, Lisa, Evalyn and I drove to Yukon for their annual Festival of the Child. I performed for six hours, with 15 minute breaks. Needless to say I'm pretty worn out today. We were inside due to the weather, which was good - last time I was down there, it was cold and trying to rain, and we were outside. Joanne says she may not hire me again if I keep bringing bad weather with me! (I'm very flattered that she thinks I can control the weather. ;-)
Anyway, we had fun. Lisa and Evalyn did all the booths and we came home with a pile of Evalyn's crafty creations. Evalyn sang our song "Hummingbird Hum" along with me for the first time in public. She did a fantastic job! We will probably make it part of my summer program.
New podcasts coming soon!
See my previous post for gushing about how fun it is to sing for an enthusiastic, well-behaved elementary school audience. One of the librarians was so excited about the music that she and her principal are purchasing CDs for every classroom teacher!
It was a great trip all around. Lisa and Evalyn had fun at home with Chad Monday and Wednesday. He's only a month younger than Evalyn, so they had a blast playing together. I hear they shared a kiss, right on the lips, Evalyn's first, I think. But Evalyn says she doesn't want Chad to be her boyfriend - there's someone at school she's interested in that way. Did I mention she's five years old? Even the traffic in Dallas was better this trip. All the construction through downtown has long been cleared up, and my trips from Plano down to south of town and back went smoothly. (I only witnessed two minor wrecks.)
Lisa and Evalyn came down with me the second day. Evalyn was fascinated with the tall buildings and the highway interchanges. They finally got to meet John, after so many years of him bringing me to Dallas/Ft. Worth area schools. He tried to take us to lunch, but we couldn't find a smoke-free restaurant that wasn't McDonald's, which was fine with Evalyn - she got to play in the play place and eat McNuggets! Come on, Texas, if Oklahoma can pass a law for smoke-free restaurants, you can do it too!
That evening I sang through all the songs on my new CD for Cassie and Sarah (while Chad and Evalyn chased each other around the house).
Yesterday, Lisa, Evalyn and I drove to Yukon for their annual Festival of the Child. I performed for six hours, with 15 minute breaks. Needless to say I'm pretty worn out today. We were inside due to the weather, which was good - last time I was down there, it was cold and trying to rain, and we were outside. Joanne says she may not hire me again if I keep bringing bad weather with me! (I'm very flattered that she thinks I can control the weather. ;-)
Anyway, we had fun. Lisa and Evalyn did all the booths and we came home with a pile of Evalyn's crafty creations. Evalyn sang our song "Hummingbird Hum" along with me for the first time in public. She did a fantastic job! We will probably make it part of my summer program.
New podcasts coming soon!
Monday, May 01, 2006
Dispatch II
I love the Internet!
After my second show today I had a voice mail from Disc Makers. I had neglected to include a form I should have when I sent in my master CD. But no trouble - I downloaded it on the library computer where I was at Red Oak Elementary school, filled it out and faxed it in. Unfortunately the order will be delayed so now the expected launch date for those who pre-ordered the CD is May 18.
My second show today, at Red Oak, went fantastic. It took a while to load the kids into the room, so we started a bit late, but we made up for lost time in big enthusiasm. We had Pre-K - 4th grade, and they were great participators, singers, and listeners. Both my shows today made me remember why I do this for a living. I spend many hours marketing, accounting, writing, recording, driving - seems like everything but singing in front of kids. Those relatively rare 30-45 minute chunks of time when I'm actually up there interacting with a great audience are fun, fun, fun!!!
I heard myself today (while driving) on the "Spare the Rock Spoil the Child" podcast. That is one cool show - full of real rock n roll for kids! It's hosted by a father/daughter team, Bill and Ella. Check it out at sparetherock.blogspot.com. Enjoy!
After my second show today I had a voice mail from Disc Makers. I had neglected to include a form I should have when I sent in my master CD. But no trouble - I downloaded it on the library computer where I was at Red Oak Elementary school, filled it out and faxed it in. Unfortunately the order will be delayed so now the expected launch date for those who pre-ordered the CD is May 18.
My second show today, at Red Oak, went fantastic. It took a while to load the kids into the room, so we started a bit late, but we made up for lost time in big enthusiasm. We had Pre-K - 4th grade, and they were great participators, singers, and listeners. Both my shows today made me remember why I do this for a living. I spend many hours marketing, accounting, writing, recording, driving - seems like everything but singing in front of kids. Those relatively rare 30-45 minute chunks of time when I'm actually up there interacting with a great audience are fun, fun, fun!!!
I heard myself today (while driving) on the "Spare the Rock Spoil the Child" podcast. That is one cool show - full of real rock n roll for kids! It's hosted by a father/daughter team, Bill and Ella. Check it out at sparetherock.blogspot.com. Enjoy!
Dispatch from The Road
Howdy, Friends, from Red Oak, Tx, down here south of Dallas.
I performed this morning at Shields Elementary. The kids were fantastic! It was K-2nd. They had a lot of fun. Everyone participated well, and when it was time to get quiet they were self-quieting. My favorite kind of group! My host,John, observed that all the teachers were participating too. That really does make a positive difference.
I'm writing to you from the library at Red Oak Elementary where I will perform here in a couple of hours. John has hired me the past four or five years (neither of us can remember how long it has been) as a thank you to some of his best customers. He is a book salesman who supplies school libraries with new books. I'll be in the area for three days.
Lisa and Evalyn are with me - we are staying with friends in Plano. Yesterday I performed for their son's fifth birthday party. Happy Birthday Chad!
Before we left, I spent a stressful last day working on the new CD. Stressful because it was my last chance to make any changes. Also because I waited until the last moment to figure out what software I needed to add ISRC numbers to my tracks, a technical little detail that can turn into money down the line. ISRC codes are what allow your songs to be tracked when they are broadcast or downloaded online. Without them it's tougher to receive royalties for such uses.
Anyhow, the point is, I spent all day Friday and Saturday morning putting together the CD, and I got it mailed off to the duplicators!! It sounds great! Now all I have to do is wait!
Well, not really - as soon as we get back to the office, Lisa and I will be spending our days preparing envelops so that when the CDs arrive the 15th or thereabout we will be able to send them right out. Pre-order yours today at ReadingSongs.com!!
We also sent a pre-release copy to XM Kids. So if you listen to XM Kids, please call up Kenny Curtis and ask him to play a song from my new CD, Paws Claws Scales and Tales. Right now it's the only way you can hear an entire song. To hear samples, visit the ReadingSongs.com website.
This is my 97th blog post, by the way! I think I will time it so that number 100 will announce the arrival of the new CD. Stay tuned!
I performed this morning at Shields Elementary. The kids were fantastic! It was K-2nd. They had a lot of fun. Everyone participated well, and when it was time to get quiet they were self-quieting. My favorite kind of group! My host,John, observed that all the teachers were participating too. That really does make a positive difference.
I'm writing to you from the library at Red Oak Elementary where I will perform here in a couple of hours. John has hired me the past four or five years (neither of us can remember how long it has been) as a thank you to some of his best customers. He is a book salesman who supplies school libraries with new books. I'll be in the area for three days.
Lisa and Evalyn are with me - we are staying with friends in Plano. Yesterday I performed for their son's fifth birthday party. Happy Birthday Chad!
Before we left, I spent a stressful last day working on the new CD. Stressful because it was my last chance to make any changes. Also because I waited until the last moment to figure out what software I needed to add ISRC numbers to my tracks, a technical little detail that can turn into money down the line. ISRC codes are what allow your songs to be tracked when they are broadcast or downloaded online. Without them it's tougher to receive royalties for such uses.
Anyhow, the point is, I spent all day Friday and Saturday morning putting together the CD, and I got it mailed off to the duplicators!! It sounds great! Now all I have to do is wait!
Well, not really - as soon as we get back to the office, Lisa and I will be spending our days preparing envelops so that when the CDs arrive the 15th or thereabout we will be able to send them right out. Pre-order yours today at ReadingSongs.com!!
We also sent a pre-release copy to XM Kids. So if you listen to XM Kids, please call up Kenny Curtis and ask him to play a song from my new CD, Paws Claws Scales and Tales. Right now it's the only way you can hear an entire song. To hear samples, visit the ReadingSongs.com website.
This is my 97th blog post, by the way! I think I will time it so that number 100 will announce the arrival of the new CD. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
PCST Update - Songs are Done!
I just got back from the post office where I over-nighted my songs to Disc Makers for mastering!
So, the songs are done. Whew - now I need to finish the booklet and in three weeks I should have CDs in hand. I'm excited! The songs sound great, if I say so myself. I didn't get the big anxiety that usually goes with saying "OK, I'm done." I just felt a little one, which only lasted for about the past 24 hours.
I shared digital files of the songs with a bunch of my musician friends and asked for their feedback, which was very helpful and calming. Also, over the weekend I talked Lisa into recording some vocals for Villa Villekula Hula, and together we transformed it from an OK song to a stand-out track. She sounds awesome!
Here's the final line-up:
1. Paws Claws Scales and Tales
2. I Took My Dragon For a Walk
3. A Pet Like That
4. Villa Villekula Hula
5. Dog Books
6. Humming Bird Hum
7. It's Hard to Love a Reptile
8. Eleanor Gerbil
9. Fred's Frog Flippy
10. The Cat Came Back
11. Paws Claws Scales and Tales Reprise
(Plus Two Bonus Tracks!)
12. Gimme Vegetables
13. I Go Bananas
I feel like I've been locked up in a cave - I've been doing nearly nothing but tweaking mixes for the past couple of weeks. Now I'm going to creep out and get some fresh air for a few moments, then dive back in to work on that CD booklet and all the other stuff that's been waiting for my attention!
If you've been looking for a new podcast, sorry for the delay - I'll get to it soon!
So, the songs are done. Whew - now I need to finish the booklet and in three weeks I should have CDs in hand. I'm excited! The songs sound great, if I say so myself. I didn't get the big anxiety that usually goes with saying "OK, I'm done." I just felt a little one, which only lasted for about the past 24 hours.
I shared digital files of the songs with a bunch of my musician friends and asked for their feedback, which was very helpful and calming. Also, over the weekend I talked Lisa into recording some vocals for Villa Villekula Hula, and together we transformed it from an OK song to a stand-out track. She sounds awesome!
Here's the final line-up:
1. Paws Claws Scales and Tales
2. I Took My Dragon For a Walk
3. A Pet Like That
4. Villa Villekula Hula
5. Dog Books
6. Humming Bird Hum
7. It's Hard to Love a Reptile
8. Eleanor Gerbil
9. Fred's Frog Flippy
10. The Cat Came Back
11. Paws Claws Scales and Tales Reprise
(Plus Two Bonus Tracks!)
12. Gimme Vegetables
13. I Go Bananas
I feel like I've been locked up in a cave - I've been doing nearly nothing but tweaking mixes for the past couple of weeks. Now I'm going to creep out and get some fresh air for a few moments, then dive back in to work on that CD booklet and all the other stuff that's been waiting for my attention!
If you've been looking for a new podcast, sorry for the delay - I'll get to it soon!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Paws Claws Scales and Tales, the Song
Whew - I reached another landmark today on the way to releasing my new CD. I've been working on the recording of "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" (the song) for who knows how many days in a row and it just kept getting more and more complex, but now it's done.
Some of you may have already heard the chorus to this song since I posted it as part of a free PSA on the ReadingSongs.com website. Well, now it's a full-fledged song with verses and everything. I feel like I skimped a bit due to time constraints - I only wrote eight verses, and chose the best four for the song. It would have been nice to have twelve or sixteen to choose from. I'm only kidding a little bit.
This song is kind of like "Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library" - each verse is about a pet from a book, and the audience gets to fill in the name at the end, to complete the rhyme. It's tough not to write contrived lyrics when you're trying to rhyme names like... Oops I almost gave one away. Well, you'll just have to come see me this summer at one of my library shows to find out who the verses are about. Or order the CD!
This is a milestone because now all ten songs are completed, as rough mixes. I've been listening to the whole CD in the car this evening. A few songs need serious help, but most of them are in pretty good shape. Another coupla weeks and I'll be ready to have them mastered. I still don't know if I'll be able to add another song or two to the list, but it's looking less and less likely. Maybe I'll complete them as bonus songs for digital download. What do you think?
Well, I must be off to bed now, to rest up for two days of school shows in Norman; then back to mixing over the weekend!
Some of you may have already heard the chorus to this song since I posted it as part of a free PSA on the ReadingSongs.com website. Well, now it's a full-fledged song with verses and everything. I feel like I skimped a bit due to time constraints - I only wrote eight verses, and chose the best four for the song. It would have been nice to have twelve or sixteen to choose from. I'm only kidding a little bit.
This song is kind of like "Hanging Out With Heroes at the Library" - each verse is about a pet from a book, and the audience gets to fill in the name at the end, to complete the rhyme. It's tough not to write contrived lyrics when you're trying to rhyme names like... Oops I almost gave one away. Well, you'll just have to come see me this summer at one of my library shows to find out who the verses are about. Or order the CD!
This is a milestone because now all ten songs are completed, as rough mixes. I've been listening to the whole CD in the car this evening. A few songs need serious help, but most of them are in pretty good shape. Another coupla weeks and I'll be ready to have them mastered. I still don't know if I'll be able to add another song or two to the list, but it's looking less and less likely. Maybe I'll complete them as bonus songs for digital download. What do you think?
Well, I must be off to bed now, to rest up for two days of school shows in Norman; then back to mixing over the weekend!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
It's Hard to Love a Reptile
Howdy to my new friends at Waurika Elementary School! I enjoyed performing for you this past Thursday. Those of you who ordered CDs - they are on the way!
And now on to the PCS&T update for this week...
Today I (hope I) finished recording "It's Hard to Love a Reptile" for the upcoming Paws Claws Scales and Tales CD. (The white alligator on the CD cover is from this song.) This song has been looming large for a long while - I've been putting it off because I thought it would be a toughie to record. It's kind of a long story song, which is best done with some freedom tempo-wise, and that always presents a challenge. I've been practicing and memorizing it over the past week or two, and two days ago I recorded a couple of really good passes of vocal and guitar together. Technically this can present a problem, because the guitar bleeds a bit onto the vocal track. But I found that I was able to use pitch correction in a couple of spots anyway, so I ended up with a pretty polished recording.
Yesterday I added a bass line, using MIDI, and today I went through it meticulously lining up each bass note with the recorded performance. This was necessary due to the free tempo, which is tough to follow when overdubbing a part. Then I added an electric guitar part (using the new Fender Stratocaster I traded in my old drum kit and PA for) to the choruses, and that was it. A bit of mixing and I think it's done. Simple but effective, and I hope I still like it tomorrow!
I also am close to finishing a recording of "Fred's Frog Flippy," a song that was inspired by a toy frog at the Children's Music Network gathering this past October. I just need to finish editing the vocal and mix it.
Last week I was mostly working on "Dog Books," a song about, well, dog books, of course! This one has a somewhat complicated arrangement with somewhat Beatle-ish horns and orchestra parts, with a good rock beat. I'll probably re-visit some of the background vocals, but it's close to done.
I'm left with only one song that needs to be tracked and that's "Paws Claws Scales and Tales." I already have the chorus recorded, but I need to write, arrange, and record some verses!
That will round out ten songs for the CD. All of them still have varying degrees of refinements needed. Then once those ten are perfect (ha ha!) maybe I can add a song or two from the runners-up list, which includes, "Bird Brains," "Pet Rock," "Pet Parade," and "Crazy Old Dog." We'll see...
And now on to the PCS&T update for this week...
Today I (hope I) finished recording "It's Hard to Love a Reptile" for the upcoming Paws Claws Scales and Tales CD. (The white alligator on the CD cover is from this song.) This song has been looming large for a long while - I've been putting it off because I thought it would be a toughie to record. It's kind of a long story song, which is best done with some freedom tempo-wise, and that always presents a challenge. I've been practicing and memorizing it over the past week or two, and two days ago I recorded a couple of really good passes of vocal and guitar together. Technically this can present a problem, because the guitar bleeds a bit onto the vocal track. But I found that I was able to use pitch correction in a couple of spots anyway, so I ended up with a pretty polished recording.
Yesterday I added a bass line, using MIDI, and today I went through it meticulously lining up each bass note with the recorded performance. This was necessary due to the free tempo, which is tough to follow when overdubbing a part. Then I added an electric guitar part (using the new Fender Stratocaster I traded in my old drum kit and PA for) to the choruses, and that was it. A bit of mixing and I think it's done. Simple but effective, and I hope I still like it tomorrow!
I also am close to finishing a recording of "Fred's Frog Flippy," a song that was inspired by a toy frog at the Children's Music Network gathering this past October. I just need to finish editing the vocal and mix it.
Last week I was mostly working on "Dog Books," a song about, well, dog books, of course! This one has a somewhat complicated arrangement with somewhat Beatle-ish horns and orchestra parts, with a good rock beat. I'll probably re-visit some of the background vocals, but it's close to done.
I'm left with only one song that needs to be tracked and that's "Paws Claws Scales and Tales." I already have the chorus recorded, but I need to write, arrange, and record some verses!
That will round out ten songs for the CD. All of them still have varying degrees of refinements needed. Then once those ten are perfect (ha ha!) maybe I can add a song or two from the runners-up list, which includes, "Bird Brains," "Pet Rock," "Pet Parade," and "Crazy Old Dog." We'll see...
Saturday, March 04, 2006
PCS&T Cover Art!
My graphic design dude, Paul Fleming, and I have been working for the past couple of weeks on cover art for the new CD, and here it is! Beatle fans will recognize that we've had a bit of fun with a familiar design. The animals each represent one of the songs on the CD: the cat for "The Cat Came Back," the white alligator for "It's Hard to Love a Reptile," a dog for "Dog Books," and a humming bird for "Humming Bird Hum."
Thursday, March 02, 2006
A Pet Like That
In this episode we follow the creation of "A Pet Like That," a song destined for my upcoming CD, Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales. Listen and learn how a well-known children's book author helped me out with finding the perfect rhyme!
What great timing - it's Dr. Seuss's birthday, so here's something just for fun: see if you can figure out which Dr. Seuss book I reference in the song! It took me forever to find the one I wanted. I must have read every book Dr. Seuss ever wrote, looking for the one I remembered with weird pets in it. Oh well, I can easily think of worse ways to spend my time! If you think you know the answer, post a comment!
Congratulations to our free CD winner for February, Kris Tobey of Tahlequah, Oklahoma!
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060302MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=266293007
What great timing - it's Dr. Seuss's birthday, so here's something just for fun: see if you can figure out which Dr. Seuss book I reference in the song! It took me forever to find the one I wanted. I must have read every book Dr. Seuss ever wrote, looking for the one I remembered with weird pets in it. Oh well, I can easily think of worse ways to spend my time! If you think you know the answer, post a comment!
Congratulations to our free CD winner for February, Kris Tobey of Tahlequah, Oklahoma!
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060302MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=266293007
Friday, February 24, 2006
PCS&T Update
Time does fly, eh?
I've been dealing with a bunch of other stuff, including getting my taxes done! But I've also made some progress on the CD since last I wrote.
Today I put together a mock-up of the whole CD and listened in the car while I drove around running errands. I won't list the songs yet, since a few of them may not make the final cut. It was pretty cool to hear them back to back to back, but I've still got a lot of work to do! "A Pet Like That" and "Humming Bird Hum" are now very close to final mixes.
I've also been working on the cover art with my graphic designer, Paul. The CD cover will feature a cat, a dog, a humming bird, and a white alligator, posed in a parody of the Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour cover. It's very colorful and whimsical. Just a few more tweaks and I'll be ready to post it.
And for those who are looking for February's podcast, it's coming soon!
I've been dealing with a bunch of other stuff, including getting my taxes done! But I've also made some progress on the CD since last I wrote.
Today I put together a mock-up of the whole CD and listened in the car while I drove around running errands. I won't list the songs yet, since a few of them may not make the final cut. It was pretty cool to hear them back to back to back, but I've still got a lot of work to do! "A Pet Like That" and "Humming Bird Hum" are now very close to final mixes.
I've also been working on the cover art with my graphic designer, Paul. The CD cover will feature a cat, a dog, a humming bird, and a white alligator, posed in a parody of the Beatle's Magical Mystery Tour cover. It's very colorful and whimsical. Just a few more tweaks and I'll be ready to post it.
And for those who are looking for February's podcast, it's coming soon!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Paws Claws Tales and Scales Radio PSA
I've accomplished a big milestone on the path to finishing my new CD, although it's more of a marketing milestone than a recording one.
I've completed a set of radio PSAs that libraries can use to promote their summer reading programs. There are 30 second and 60 second spots featuring my new song, "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales."
The PSAs are free to download for anyone that wants them. Just go to www.ReadingSongs.com and follow the instructions. (You can hear a sample there, too, without downloading anything.)
Along with the PSAs I've also put together a CD Pre-Ordering form. Hopefully the PSAs will draw traffic, and I'll be able to start taking orders. I'm really trying to get word out early, since the CD will come out so close to the summer, which is when librarians would need it to use with the "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" program. Timing is everything, right?
I've also made other progress on the CD, though not a lot. I spent much of last week dealing with more computer problems. I'll spare you the boring details, but suffice it to say this time I think I've got it licked. If the same software flips out on me again I can quickly and easily replace it with a working copy. Why didn't I think of that before?
Anyhow, this morning I started on a new recording, "A Pet Like That." I tracked the acoustic guitar part, which will be the basis for the arrangement, and I got a really good smooth full sound - the best I've managed so far. It was by chance it worked out so well, so I was scrambling for a pencil to write down all the settings!
I also learned a cool lesson about avoiding self-defeat. (Let's hope I learned it!) Due to other distractions, by the time I got around to setting up and recording the guitar part, which was my goal for today, I only had about ten minutes left in my alloted recording time before lunch. My normal response would be to throw up my hands and say, well I can't do much in ten minutes. Instead I decided to set up the gear anyway; maybe after lunch I could sneak in some extra time. Soon I had set up an alternate mic stand (my usual one broke!), tuned the guitar, plugged everything in, set the tempo, set the levels, and played through the song a couple of times. Lisa was not ready with lunch, and it occurred to me that all I had left to do was hit the record button. So I did, and I recorded 5 takes.
The moral to the story is: Eate a late lunch. Or something like that.
I've completed a set of radio PSAs that libraries can use to promote their summer reading programs. There are 30 second and 60 second spots featuring my new song, "Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales."
The PSAs are free to download for anyone that wants them. Just go to www.ReadingSongs.com and follow the instructions. (You can hear a sample there, too, without downloading anything.)
Along with the PSAs I've also put together a CD Pre-Ordering form. Hopefully the PSAs will draw traffic, and I'll be able to start taking orders. I'm really trying to get word out early, since the CD will come out so close to the summer, which is when librarians would need it to use with the "Paws Claws Scales and Tales" program. Timing is everything, right?
I've also made other progress on the CD, though not a lot. I spent much of last week dealing with more computer problems. I'll spare you the boring details, but suffice it to say this time I think I've got it licked. If the same software flips out on me again I can quickly and easily replace it with a working copy. Why didn't I think of that before?
Anyhow, this morning I started on a new recording, "A Pet Like That." I tracked the acoustic guitar part, which will be the basis for the arrangement, and I got a really good smooth full sound - the best I've managed so far. It was by chance it worked out so well, so I was scrambling for a pencil to write down all the settings!
I also learned a cool lesson about avoiding self-defeat. (Let's hope I learned it!) Due to other distractions, by the time I got around to setting up and recording the guitar part, which was my goal for today, I only had about ten minutes left in my alloted recording time before lunch. My normal response would be to throw up my hands and say, well I can't do much in ten minutes. Instead I decided to set up the gear anyway; maybe after lunch I could sneak in some extra time. Soon I had set up an alternate mic stand (my usual one broke!), tuned the guitar, plugged everything in, set the tempo, set the levels, and played through the song a couple of times. Lisa was not ready with lunch, and it occurred to me that all I had left to do was hit the record button. So I did, and I recorded 5 takes.
The moral to the story is: Eate a late lunch. Or something like that.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Kids' Best Happy Birthday Party iMix
This post will be of interest to anyone planning a kids' birthday celebration, as well as to anyone looking for ways of promoting their own music on iTunes.
The other day I was looking at my digital download stats from CDBaby.com, and I noticed that my most popular digital song BY FAR is "Birthday Boogaloo." This stands to reason, since people like to send songs as birthday greetings. And it got me thinking about how I might capitalize on this phenomenon...
An iMix is a list of songs on iTunes. Anyone can post an iMix. (It's easy - just make a playlist, select it, click on the arrow, and follow the instructions that come up.) Most iMixes are just lists people share that mean something to them personally. You can purchase an entire iMix with one click, just like purchasing an album. (Although you don't get the volume discount.) Whenever you look at a song or an artist in iTunes, you also see a list of related iMixes, so it makes a good browsing feature.
Naturally I thought, how about an iMix of birthday songs? Many exist already, but none of the ones I found seemed very purposeful. So Lisa and I did an iTunes search on the word "Birthday" and Lisa went through the hundreds of songs that turned up and pulled out ones that seemed usable for kids. We purchased a bunch of them and narrowed the list even further.
We put some of the best songs (including my own by default) into a 20 minute iMix. The description on the iMix page tells more:
"Here are 20 minutes of fantastic birthday songs for kids age 1-8. Use this iMix as the perfect soundtrack for cake and ice cream at a child's birthday party. Play it as a surprise celebration first thing in the morning, groove to it on the way to school, or use it to jazz up a classroom birthday celebration. We scoured through hundreds of birthday songs on iTunes, selecting only those that speak directly to a child on his or her birthday. We purchased music, listened in different combinations, and narrowed our initial list down from 90 to 20 minutes of the best of the best. The songs are energetic, positive, fun, joyful, and bear repeated listening even by adult standards. This iMix will help make any child's birthday all the more special. Brought to you proudly by MontyHarper.com."
If you have iTunes, click here to check it out!
The other day I was looking at my digital download stats from CDBaby.com, and I noticed that my most popular digital song BY FAR is "Birthday Boogaloo." This stands to reason, since people like to send songs as birthday greetings. And it got me thinking about how I might capitalize on this phenomenon...
An iMix is a list of songs on iTunes. Anyone can post an iMix. (It's easy - just make a playlist, select it, click on the arrow, and follow the instructions that come up.) Most iMixes are just lists people share that mean something to them personally. You can purchase an entire iMix with one click, just like purchasing an album. (Although you don't get the volume discount.) Whenever you look at a song or an artist in iTunes, you also see a list of related iMixes, so it makes a good browsing feature.
Naturally I thought, how about an iMix of birthday songs? Many exist already, but none of the ones I found seemed very purposeful. So Lisa and I did an iTunes search on the word "Birthday" and Lisa went through the hundreds of songs that turned up and pulled out ones that seemed usable for kids. We purchased a bunch of them and narrowed the list even further.
We put some of the best songs (including my own by default) into a 20 minute iMix. The description on the iMix page tells more:
"Here are 20 minutes of fantastic birthday songs for kids age 1-8. Use this iMix as the perfect soundtrack for cake and ice cream at a child's birthday party. Play it as a surprise celebration first thing in the morning, groove to it on the way to school, or use it to jazz up a classroom birthday celebration. We scoured through hundreds of birthday songs on iTunes, selecting only those that speak directly to a child on his or her birthday. We purchased music, listened in different combinations, and narrowed our initial list down from 90 to 20 minutes of the best of the best. The songs are energetic, positive, fun, joyful, and bear repeated listening even by adult standards. This iMix will help make any child's birthday all the more special. Brought to you proudly by MontyHarper.com."
If you have iTunes, click here to check it out!
Quick Weekly CD Update
Last week was hair-pullingly frustrating. My software was acting up on me - and skipping to the end of the story, I had to restore my hard drive from a backup. Always back up your stuff!! I still don't know what caused the trouble, but if it happens again I'll be quicker at fixing it, I guess. I did get a good start on recording the song "Paws Claws Scales and Tales." I plan to release a short version of it as a radio PSA for libraries to use in promoting their summer programs. More on that later.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Kiss a Pig!
My January podcast is all about a man who is destined to kiss a pig! We track the creation of the song "When Our Principal Kisses the Pig," which was written with 2nd and 3rd graders at one of my elementary school songwriting workshops. Also, a challenge for you to complete the song "Old Pink Dinosaur," also written at a recent workshop.
Congratulations to Laurel Sharp of Syracuse, NY, who was chosen at random from among the thousands of people (many of them imaginary) who filled out the online survey for a chance to win a set of five Monty Harper CDs.
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060117MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id= 266293007
Congratulations to Laurel Sharp of Syracuse, NY, who was chosen at random from among the thousands of people (many of them imaginary) who filled out the online survey for a chance to win a set of five Monty Harper CDs.
You can still enter to win a free CD by taking the survey here:
http://www.montyharper.com/survey.html
Go here to listen to or download the new podcast: http://www.montyharper.com/Songcast/060117MontyHarper.mp3
Go here to subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MontyHarperSongcast
Or subscribe through iTunes here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id= 266293007
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