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.

Fairfax

Thursday was my last summer library program in Oklahoma, in Fairfax. 

I managed to leave the camera at home, but once again the iphone came to my rescue. For some reason I was compelled to take this photo of my shoes: 

Fascinating, don't you think? ;-)

We had a fantastic group for this program. Small, but enthusiastic, and a great bunch of singers!! Here they are:

And here they are again, after the show:

Signing more of those little white cards:

Today my fundraising campaign for the new "Songs From the Science Frontier" CD hit the halfway mark! Only $4500 left to go, or so...

If you haven't checked it out yet, please do!

Duncan

I've been reminding readers to support my "Songs From the Science Frontier" CD by pre-ordering a copy -  Thanks!

On Saturday I performed at the library in Duncan, OK. In the past we've done shows in the little building out back, and it's been packed to over capacity. This year was different - we were inside the library itself. Being on a Saturday, and a darned hot one at that, I think contributed to the small size of the audience. Daycares don't show up on the weekends, after all. It may have been a small group but it was an enthusiastic group! We had a lot of fun!

This was the first show in a while that Evalyn was able to attend with us. She entertained herself in the car and at the library by working on her novel. She has an ambitious story planned out with many girl characters, each with her own pet and her own power. Lisa and I enjoyed reading a new chapter every half hour or so! 

Wichita

On Monday we were in Wichita for two library programs. Here I am in the Central Branch, posing with a piratical giraffe! 

The Central program room:

Check out the carpet! When the room is empty, it'll really bug your eyes out.

This is at the Alford branch:

I did "You're a Dinosaur" for the little ones and had a good time up dancing around.

Tomorrow, Duncan; Thursday, Fairfax.

McAlester

Here are some photos from last Wednesday's visit to the McAlester library. They had decorated the audience half of the room to make it feel like you were under the ocean with a great mural along the back wall (photos Lisa? Oh, well...). Lisa says it was very relaxing to just sit there and take it in. 

The audience for the first show included a large contingency of three and four year olds from one daycare group. They did so well engaging with me! I changed up the last few songs of the program to help keep them focused and we went for almost an hour!

Here we are during the second show...

Anita always sits right in front and does all the crazy stuff. It sure helps when the staff act as examples for the kids!

We are down to three more days out in July - tomorrow I'll be in Wichita, Saturday the 17th in Duncan, and Thursday the 22nd in Fairfax.

In the meantime, I'm working on my Kickstarter campaign, raising the money to record "Songs From the Science Frontier."

Hey, if you're getting this by email, then you're one of my most engaged fans! How about heading over to Kickstarter right now to make a pledge, or to forward a note to a friend? I need to start building some momentum on the pledges right now. Next week I'll be getting word out to total strangers through some podcast interviews and other efforts. I'd like them to see that my project has some traction - I'd like them to see at least $1000 pledged already. I think that will encourage them to join in.

Oh, and I'd love to get your feedback. If there's anything about the campaign you think I should add or change, please let me know.

Thanks!!

Kickstarter Campaign Launches!

Hoo, boy - here we go! I've been putting this together all summer and today I finally launched my kickstarter campaign to raise the money to record my new science CD!

This is an ambitious project. I'm trying to raise $9,000! But I already have $235 in pledges, thanks to some very dear family and friends. If I can raise that much every day, I'll have it made!

I want to apologize in advance for the deluge of information you are about to endure. You may hear from me through facebook, twitter, this blog, other blogs, my email list, and any other way I can think of to get word out and keep people updated. Please bare with me; I'll try not to get too tedious about it!

I do want to ask one favor. If you are a fan who would normally purchase any new Monty Harper CD, please use the kickstarter site to go ahead and pre-order "Songs From the Science Frontier" as soon as you can. As my publicity efforts bring new people to the site over the next couple of weeks, I'd like them to see a campaign that's making good progress. I figure they'll be more likely to join in and contribute that way.

All you need to do is click the link below and follow instructions. You'll just be making a pledge; Your credit card won't be charged at all unless and until the fundraising goal is actually met. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks so much for your support!!

Stillwater

We always love our day at home performing at the Stillwater Library! Here's our big stage in the program room:

We had three good-sized crowds today.

"Silly Song"

Here I'm walking around the room during "Library Bookaneers." See the killer whale? That's been around in the Stillwater Library since I first started doing library programs, 20 years back!

This is our niece, Laura. She's visiting from Georgia this week. She won't let us take a photo of her. Looks like Lisa captured one from a distance! I'm posting it here for your enjoyment and her annoyance.

Here I am after the first show posing with some of my youngest fans.

Were you at one of the Stillwater shows today? Send us your photos and we'll post em!