Ft. Gibson and Checotah + Super Flea Part II

Today I performed at the libraries in Ft. Gibson and then in Checotah. Evalyn came along for the ride, but Lisa had to stay home to get some other work done. Ev and I had fun together. She did a whole lot of reading in the car and during the shows.

The libraries sure are having fun decorating for the theme this year! Here are some photos from Checotah...

Here is Part II of Evalyn's comic book adaptation of my "Super Flea" song. Applicable sections from the lyrics follow. Click the image for a slightly larger more legible version.

Panel 1:

When last we left our heroes they were prisoners in the pound

Confined behind a combination lock

Panel 2:

Houdini's Guide to Picking Locks - Flea looks up what to do

He picks the lock and exits in a blur

Panel 3:

Super Flea to the rescue!

Panel 4:

Meanwhile two librarians are tied up at the desk

Watching helpless as their books are being destroyed

Panel 5:

By a vacuum-like contraption hooked in manners most grotesque

To the forehead of a leering humanoid

Panel 6:

We watch the Doctor's eyes pop as his bottom goes in the air

Being lifted by the Flea's atomic might

Panel 7:

But then Flea sees the waistband of the Doctor's underwear:

It's woven out of siphonopterite!

(Skipping ahead a bit)

Panel 8:

A monstrous pile of literature has buried Dr. K.

Super Flea flips lightly to his feet.

Ada + Super Flea Part I

I performed today at the Ada library. It wasn't quite the same without Janet Lee there. She has been the children's librarian for as long as we can remember, and we've been visiting Ada every summer for many many years in a row. She has retired, and we'll miss her! When Evalyn was a baby Janet gave her a stuffed buddy, and "Purple Monkey" has always been one of Ev's special favorites. She likes to bring him back to visit his place of origin. She brought him today, but was disappointed he didn't get to see Janet.

In a moment, some cool artwork from Evalyn. 

First, Lisa took a few photos during "Pop U p / Sit Down" at today's show...

"Sometimes it helps me feel laid back and loose..."
Evalyn is ready to "pop up"...

In the car today Evalyn started working on a comic book version of my new song, "Super Flea!" Here is the first page for you to enjoy, followed by the song lyrics it is based on. Click the picture for a slightly larger, more legible version.

Panel 1

Who's faster than a lightning strike?

Panel 2

More powerful than dynamite?

Panel 3

Yet smaller than a bumble bee?

Panel 4

It's Super Flea to the rescue!

Panel 5

And with his sleepy sidekick, Mighty Mutt

Panel 6

His mission is to rid the world of every evil nut.

To be continued... 

McAlester

I did two shows at the McAlester Library today. The children's librarian there, Anita, works mighty hard for her kids. In between her two library programs she re-sets the room to distribute a free lunch to any kids who show up for it. She has a great bunch of kid volunteers working for her, and she's also a real go-getter when it comes to drumming up funding from the community.

This photo is from "Insect Zoo," a new song, which I'm still working out the participation to. Any song that includes kid interactions takes some time to "settle" - every show I learn a little something new about what works and what doesn't. Here we're doing "grasshoppers gliding." (That's Anita back there helping me out.)

The rest of these photos were taken with some of the helpers. I've kind of gotten to know these kids over the years that I've been visiting McAlester and it was great to see them again today!

Here we are with a toad! There were also painted lady butterfly chrysalises, and a preying mantis egg for the kids to observe.

Pryor

I had two fun shows at Pryor today. Check out the awesome background - it was covered with all kinds of colorful bugs. There was even one beetle on there I thought looked very realistic; then it moved! It was real!

After the morning show everybody was in the mood for photos. Here are the Headstart kids:

Hmmm... this one looks familiar!

These next two sets of kids we saw at McDonald's between shows!

Cute bunny!

Okeene and Watonga

I did two shows today, one in Okeene and one in Watonga. Lisa and Evalyn came along to help out. Without Lisa's driving & running the sales table, I'm sure I would be worn to a frazzle. Many thanks to the librarians in Watonga for taking and sending me the following photos!

Moore

Last night I performed at Buck Thomas Memorial Park in Moore for their concert in the park series. I was the opening act for Zoom City. Oddly enough, we've appeared on the same stage before for a similar concert series in Paul's Valley! 

Last night was a fun show. The weather was great, if a bit windy. I had an attentive audience and it was cool to be outside.  A good-sized group of kids came up front to participate for "You're a Dinosaur" and "Pop Up, Sit Down." I also did my new bug songs, and I saw some pretty impressive dancing going on during "Creepy Crawly Party Time."

After the show, two young fans came up to hand me some artwork they had done by way of a thank-you. Is that cool, or what? I scanned in their pictures so you can see them too:

The World I Imagine

You know when you get to talking with your friends about how unfair the world is? And you get all into how it ought to be different? Then you kind of laugh at yourself and say, "Well someone should just put me in charge! Ha ha!" And then you drop it go on about your business...

Well Debbie Jordan had a bunch of those kinds of thoughts and she didn't just drop it, she published it! Her book, The World I Imagine, is now available at Amazon.com. In it she lays out a simple but comprehensive common-sense plan for world peace. Debbie, you've got my vote if ever you run for Supreme Master of the Planet!

So how did I find out about this book? Well, I'm in it! Debbie contacted me a while back asking permission to quote one of my songs. She uses a few short quotes from "If Kids Ruled the World," a song I wrote with fifth graders, in the introduction to her book - right on page one! Her point is that many songs express the wish to run things. She even quotes John Lennon later in the same paragraph!

It was exciting to receive a book with references in it to one of my songs!

Tomorrow, I open for Zoom City at 7:00 PM at Buck Thomas Park in Moore, OK. It should be a fun evening outdoor gig, if it doesn't rain!

Zarrow

Today I performed at the Zarrow branch library in Tulsa, OK. We had a great little group; a lot of fun! We got into a whole discussion about eating bugs (sparked by the song "The Kid Who Ate a Bug.") Did you know some folks are serious about insects as a food source? It's called entomophagy. 

Here Evalyn and I are posing next to the reading bug in the library entrance. She has her dog, Toto, on my head.

Here I am with the librarian and the teen volunteers.

Here's Evalyn communing with the blue buffalo in the front lawn of the library.

I  have a backlog of photos from recent performances that I haven't posted, so I'll try to get those up soon as well. Stay tuned!

First Summer Show in Sand Springs

My first two summer shows went well today in Sand Springs. I debuted three brand new songs, "Catch the Reading Bug," "Super Flea," and "Insect Zoo," plus a buggy new version of "Silly Song." Lisa likes to photograph me during "Silly Song" for some reason...

Here I'm posing with the children's librarian. Check out that hat! There's a bug on it! That's the reading bug!
Evalyn grabbed a bite to eat while I loaded the car after the show. She was not on stage with me today. We've worked on a couple of songs together this year but are not yet ready to perform them. Maybe later in the summer.
Tomorrow I'll do a show at Zarrow. (I just can't help rhyming!) That's one of the Tulsa branch libraries, at 2:00. Then on Friday at 7:00 I'm on stage for the concert in the park series in Moore. Next week: four days in a row! 

I'll be posting often during the summer. Thanks for reading! See you soon!

Mega CD Giveaway

Lisa and I put out a new edition of the KMP Podcast this week with a review of The Dream Jam Band.

But the big big news is that we are giving away a package of fifty CDs to some lucky winner!

These are not fifty duds from our slush pile, either - these are CDs that artists have donated to help us promote the show. Many of them are fantastic award-winning CDs that we've reviewed. Many of them are well-known and highly respected children's artists. Whoever wins this is going to have a wonderful month or so discovering new music with their kids!!

If you were to buy fifty CDs - even as downloads - you'd spend between $500 and $750! This is a valuable prize, and you know what? You really could win it. 

It's easy to get your name in, and it's worth doing because the odds of you winning are way way better than you might think. 

So how do you enter? Please click here to listen to the podcast - we give all the details there, and we really want you to listen! (You can also find us on iTunes.) If you have any trouble accessing it, please let me know and I'll try to help you out.

  

Enjoy!

Happy D.E.A.R. Day!

Today (April 12) is D.E.A.R. Day, which means Drop Everything And Read. Please be sure to spend some time reading with your family today!

I'm celebrating Drop Everything and Read day with a gift for you: a brand new song called "D.E.A.R." (what else?)

You can download the "D.E.A.R." song here: http://www.montyharper.com/Shop/

Many schools have DEAR time on a weekly basis. If your school does, please share this song - maybe they can use it to signal the start of DEAR time over the intercom.

Feel free to forward this to friends and family. I'll leave the song up as a free download for a week or so. Let me know if you have any trouble accessing it.

Here are the lyrics to the D.E.A.R. song. Enjoy!


D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read)
by Monty Harper

D, E, A, R, Drop everything and read!

At my school they've got this thing called DEAR Time.
It's my favorite part of any week.
Eyes are locked on the clock that shows us,
and when that time arrives you'll know 'cause
that's when we get to drop everything and read!

D, E, A, R, Drop everything and read!

Listen to the sound of pages turning.
Feel those brainwaves buzzing through the halls.
Reading the headlines - that's our hamster!
Even the cafeteria staff are
dropping everything to answer to that call.

Now where's that page that I was on?
I dive back in and before to long
the world around me simply fades away.
I'm sailing 'cross the seven seas
or swinging through the jungle trees!
My heart is racing! Teacher, hey,
we've got to do this every day!

D, E, A, R, Drop everything and read!

See the faces frowning when our time's up.
Hear the gripes and groans as we protest.
Teacher insists we'll read again
but I still wish it wouldn't end, 'cause
DEAR is the time I love the best!
DEAR is the time I love the best!
DEAR is the time I love the best!


For more information about DEAR and DEAR Day, visit: http://www.dropeverythingandread.com/

The recording features Stephanie Jackson on guitar!

All Hail Mighty Marla, The Kid's Song Queen!

Here's my children's songwriting friend Marla Lewis, from the Great American Song Contest website, where they hung her photo right under the words "Grand Prize Winner"! That's right, her children's song, "Mighty Jackie (The Strikeout Queen)," took grand prize! (And she landed two other songs in the "Outstanding Achievement" category in children's further down the page, too!)

My song, "1907," can be found if you scroll to the bottom, click "Honor Awards" and scan the "Top Finalists" in the Contemporary Acoustic/Folk category. That's right, I figured the judges might scratch their heads a bit at the stunning depth of sophistication I achieved in this historical ditty about Oklahoma's statehood if I claimed it to be children's fare, so I plopped it in "Contemporary Folk" just to see what would happen.

Meanwhile my friend Marla was busy proving that stunning depths of sophistication can be reached and appreciated in children's music! 

I've had conversations with many folks speculating whether a song from the children's category in a big-time song competition would/could ever rise to the very top. It just doesn't often seem that our genre commands that kind of respect. 

I mean when they (meaning your random representative song competition) do stuff like lump us into a "special category" with "Patriotic" and "Gospel" and "Mountain Yodeling" like so many apples and oranges and cumquats in a bin, it makes you wonder. Do they really give the best of the children's songs any serious consideration for grand prize winner? 

I guess sometimes they do, and Marla proved it! You go girl!!

For my own part I'm very pleased to have received an "Honor Award" in Contemporary Folk, but I think I'll stick with my native genre from now on! Maybe given enough deep and sophisticated children's entries we'll earn a whole new category all to ourselves one day.

Calumet

I performed today at Calumet school for Pre-K - 6th grade. They were a great group. I'm posing here in the bottom photo with the two 5th graders who made me that great welcome banner!!

It was good to do another "CenTUNEial Celebration" - my first since the actual Centennial back in November.

Happy Pi Day, everybody!!!

March is Reading Month iMix

Our friends Two of a Kind (David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans) have posted a new iMix on iTunes called "March is Reading Month." It lists 15 great reading songs by various children's artists, myself included.

If the concept of an iMix is new to you, it's just a list of songs on iTunes. Children's music folks have begun more and more to use iMixes as a way of sharing collections of songs centered around a given topic. This can be helpful for teachers, librarians, parents, or musicians who need music for units, themes, parties, programs, etc. It's like creating a compilation CD, but without the need for a physical CD.

You can purchase and download a complete iMix as a single unit, or you can pick and choose which songs you'd like to have. If iTunes isn't your preferred source for downloads, an iMix can still be a great way to discover new songs that fit a given topic or theme.

You do need the iTunes software to view an iMix (the link above won't work unless you have iTunes installed). It's a free download from Apple.com, and both Mac and Windows versions are available.

Kids Music Planet Podcast

After quite a few months away from it, Lisa posted a new edition of her Kids Music Planet Podcast today! 

I have been helping her re-design the podcast to make it easier to produce. 

Last year we made 8 episodes, most of them in one week intervals, and it just about took over our lives for three months.

So... rather than featuring three cds per show, we are now featuring just one, though the CD tour/review is more in-depth. Also, we're recording it "live," that is to say, we aren't following a script and we aren't doing very much editing. 

And I keep saying "we" because I am now the co-host. It helps, when recording live, to have two people, so we can converse. We are hoping it makes the show more relaxed and natural. It certainly makes it quicker to record.

Of course, we still have "Evalyn's Pick" at the end, so it's really a family project.

Please listen and let us know what you think about the new format! You can find the podcast on iTunes, or go here: http://kidsmusicplanet.blogspot.com/

This week we took a tour of Joe McDermott's latest CD, Everybody Plays Air Guitar. Happy listening!

Introducing... The SongWorks Series

I've been working on a brand new school program for 2nd-6th grade called "The SongWorks Series." In a moment I'll tell you how you can receive a $100 coupon toward bringing this program to your school!

Designed for a smaller single-grade audience of up to 120, the program allows students to get up close and personal with a professional songwriter (that's me). Students will walk away with many new insights to help inspire and improve their own writing.

Working titles include...

Oklahoma Journeys:
Rev Up Your Writing With Research!

"Monty uses songs about his state's colorful history to demonstrate how research can rev up your writing! Students will leave this program ready to research their own topics for essays, fiction, poems, songs, etc."

Pick Up a Pen and Win:
Award-Winning Writing Requires Process!

"Monty performs a few of his award-winningest songs and shows how they developed from ideas to polished products. Students will leave this program knowing that successful writing is not born whole; it comes about through an exciting process of discovery and refinement."

Character, Conflict, and Plot, Oh My:
Pepper Your Writing With Elements of Story!

"Monty performs story songs and reveals how each keeps listeners glued to the edges of their seats with compelling characters, comedic conflict, and surprising plot twists. Students will leave this program ready to spin a few yarns of their own!"

OK, about that $100 coupon.

Just send me an email asking for more info about the SongWorks series. Let me know if you're a parent, librarian, teacher, principal, or other, and where your school is located. I'll write back with more information and the coupon, good for $100 off two or more SongWorks sessions booked at the same location on the same day.

Plus, look in my response for certain days in April 2008 you can book to double the value of your coupon to $200!

To write to me for your $100 coupon click here: Tell me about your SongWorks Series!

The Brent and Woofy Show

Here I am on the Brent and Woofy show!

I had fun visiting with Brent and Woofy live on the radio yesterday, by phone. Woofy asked to talk to Evalyn, so she got to be on the show too! Brent played a lot of songs from my Paws Claws Scales and Tales CD. I think Woofy's favorite was "I Go Bananas."

I got Brent's permission to post the show, so if you missed it, you can hear the whole thing right here! Just click "Here I am" above. Enjoy!

The Brent and Woofy Show

Howdy Friends,

It's been a while. I'll tell you what I've been up to later, but this morning I am preparing for a phone call from Brent and Woofy. I'm to be the guest on the Brent and Woofy radio show. It broadcasts on CHLY 101.7 FM in Nanaimo, BC Canada. Brent is the human host of the show, a fellow children's songwriter and performer, and Woofy is his dog puppet friend. It'll be interesting to see how ventriloquism works on the radio!

Check out Brent and Woofy's Website for more information!.

We'll be talking about and featuring songs from my Paws Claws Scales and Tales CD. I've just been looking over some past blog entries about the CD in preparation for the show.

The show will air today at noon, Central Time. You can listen from the radio station website.