Brownie

Meet "Brownie," Evalyn's classroom bear! Brownie gets to go home with a different first grader every day. Today was Evalyn's first day to bring home Brownie, and she was excited! We read all about his previous adventures in Brownie's journal. Evalyn will add her own page to the journal tomorrow morning. What a great way to motivate kids to read and write!

I also got to visit Evalyn's classroom for the first time today to sing for the kids. I brought a new song to try out, but the kids who knew me from last year were all hyped up wanting to hear their favorites, so we just did an all requests session. Evalyn and I also took the opportunity to rehearse "Oklahoma Annie" for the Children's Music Network conference in NY, where we plan to perform it at the big round robin.

Boy are we swamped! Lisa got the last of round two CMW Award judging packets mailed off - yeah! Now we're working on a garage sale (will we have it or will we chicken out?) and preparing for the big trip to New York. I'm also securing some bookings, recording "1907" (coming along nicely - watch for it soon!), and preparing for Friday's gig at Crosstimbers Elementary in Edmond, among many other little things.

Life is full. That's a good thing!

CMN 06

Lisa pointed out my mistake yesterday - I said the photos were from last year's CMN national conference, but they were from the year before. (Now corrected.) How time flies! Well here are some photos from last year's conference. Lisa has been working hard today on our travel plans for this year's conference which will be in Albany, NY, September 28-30. We'll be celebrating CMN's 20th anniversary!

Here is last year... Evalyn is getting ready to draw on some big paper.

Here I am with Dave Kinnoin (left), Paul Goldowitz, and Mr. Billy (behind me - you can just see the blue of his shirt), all writing a song together during lunch, with Evalyn watching.

Here we are later that afternoon performing the song we wrote at lunch ("Here in My Heart") with a few more people in the mix. How cool is that?!

Pass It On!

I spent much of today setting up interviews for applicants for the position of Pass It On! Editor. Pass It On! is the journal of the Children's Music Network, upon whose board I am currently serving. Just doing my part to make the world safe for children's music!

If you work with kids and music in any capacity (including as a parent), you might want to check CMN out - it's a very cool networking and support organization. My family and I look forward to the national conference every Fall, where I can hang out with other folks who do what I do, Lisa can network for her podcast, and Evalyn gets to soak up attention from dozens of musical adults.

In fact, here are some photos from two years ago (last year's conference photos weren't handy)... Evalyn participating in a workshop with Jackson Gilman (in purple), and Evalyn zonked in Mom's lap after a late concert.

Ear Cramp

I'm home alone today. Lisa and Ev are visiting the Western Museum in Oklahoma City with some friends.

And yet I am not exactly alone. I have stayed behind to attend a Children's Music Network board meeting by telephone. This is the lunch break, but I'll basically be on the phone for hours and hours today and tomorrow hashing out the secret inner workings of CMN with my co-conspiraters. Hence the title, Ear Cramp.

Just one of the many things I do to make the world safe for children's music!!

To find out more about the Children's Music Network, including the upcoming twentieth anniversary national conference in Albany, NY in September, check out our website: http://www.cmnonline.org/.