Artist Spotlight: Kath Bee

Kath Bee is a New Zealand based artist who has been performing to families across her homeland for over seventeen years. She began writing songs for children back in 2001, and her extraordinary back catalogue now includes over one hundred original songs. She is also increasingly active on YouTube, amassing over a million views to date, no mean feat in such a crowded space.

The artist has released eight albums to date, each featuring the type of critical content that both engages children and informs parents. This includes the album, Children: Our Voices IntertwinedD, where the children took centre stage singing on each track, an idea which originated from the emotional impact of the Covid pandemic.

Her latest album, Simple Action Songs for Babies to 2yrs for Learning & Fun, is aimed squarely at the youngest listeners. It is a short, sweet album covering everything an early childhood educator would require for a music program. Clocking in at just over nine minutes, the album provides a fresh approach to some classic early childhood music themes, and does so in fine style. I have no doubt this album will soon become an absolute must for parents and teachers of infants alike. 

The album features a lively series of interactive, action songs bookended by two catchy greetings songs providing a perfect way to start and finish the day. The vocals are as clear as crystal, and are supported by simple arrangements, providing the kind of pop sensibility that renders them perfect for a very young audience.

You can hear how the artist's expertise as an early childhood performer really shines through each track, leaving the listener confident in the fact that you are in more than capable hands. There is an immediacy to each song,  providing a certain familiarity in the music even on the first listen. The album takes the listener on something of a musical journey, where movement is the key ingredient. This includes all motor movements, such as clapping, walking, tiptoeing, stomping, jumping and spinning.

The album succeeds in providing a complete toddler workout for every young child, whether they are at home with a carer, or with an early childhood educator running a music class. There is also plenty to dance to here for both carers and their little ones. The album is short and sweet, and finally draws to a close with a sit down track, quickly followed by a soothing lullaby to calm things down.

The album really has it all, it is highly interactive, beautifully sung, and engages the audience throughout, with songs that serve as playful commands to action. The album features live instrumentation including some of the finest double bass playing you're ever likely to hear.  Both highly interactive and engaging the album opens up new possibilities, where every song has a purpose that is executed brilliantly throughout. Enough said!

Kath Bee — inspiring young minds.

EKM - Top 20 Kindie Band Names

The world of kindie music is exciting and diverse with a wide range of music styles and creativity on display. This also extends to the band names chosen by the various artists. Here, in no particular order, is a list of my absolute favourite band names. If you haven't done so already, I urge you to check these artists out at your earliest convenience.

1. The Relative Minors
2. Alphabet Rockers
3. The Mudcakes
4. Bounce Patrol
5. Tiptoe Giants
6. Itty Bitty Beats
7. Teeny Tiny Stevies
8. Kids Imagine Nation
9. The Zing Zangs
10. Andy and the Odd Socks
11. Little Feet Music
12. Recess Monkey
13. Spotty Kites
14. Spikey and Friends
15. The Quokkas
16. The Little Wattle Bird Band
17. The Cuddly Koalas
18. The Vegetable Plot
19. The Not-Its!
20. Brady Rymer and The Little Band That Could

Whistle & Trick Live at Ron Hurley Theatre, Brisbane

 

How lucky was I to catch the mighty Whistle & Trick perform their wonderful show at the Ron Hurley Theatre in Brisbane. A relatively small but intimate venue which provided the perfect backdrop for this inspired performance. The stage set up consisted of a Pearl drum kit with an additional monitor to the side, three vocal microphones and some sparse but highly effective lighting. Incidentally, the venue was packed to the brim with excited children and families eagerly anticipating the performance.

The dynamic duo hit the stage at around 11am, and despite some untimely technical problems quickly shifted into gear, working the audience to maximum effect with their colourful costumes and delightful vocals. The opening track "Bananas and Other Delicious Things" immediately had the audience clapping and singing along in rapturous delight.

The children were soon up and dancing to a host of brilliant songs, as the duo served up some familiar favourites including "Clicketty Clack" and "Shake Your Body" just for starters. As the show progressed the band provided plenty of theatrical moments including the unexpected arrival of a charming life-sized emu puppet during the electrifying "Melindu". 

The drumming of Col Leadbetter was superb throughout, as were the excellent harmonies of Maddie Thiele who also played the ukulele. Despite the fact that Trick was struggling with a throat issue she powered on nonetheless and never missed a beat throughout. The degree of professionalism on display despite such setbacks, was of the highest standard providing real credence to that old cliche 'the show must go on'.

Other standout tracks included the mesmerising "Shake Your Body" the highly engaging "Shiver Me Timbers" and the alluring "Rain Rain" where a bubble gun was introduced firing an array of exploding bubbles into the air adding further colourful mayhem to the proceedings. There was clearly no shortage of theatrics here, further epitomised in the form of two multi-coloured fans that moved like butterflies floating in the breeze. 

The duo then took the tempo down a notch with the gentle lullaby "Sleep Baby", a song which provided an opportunity for the audience to momentarily pause for breath and enjoy the gentle vibe.  Even in the quietest moments they manage to hit the target such is the strength of songwriting featured here. This was shortly followed by the lively "I Love My Family" adding another slice of joyful optimism to the proceedings, where the energy of the music was clearly working on an enraptured audience. 

The band finished with the explosive "I Wanna Be a Dinosaur"; without doubt one of the finest dinosaur songs you are ever likely to hear, which had the children jumping around impersonating dinosaurs like their lives depended on it.  All in all a brilliant show from a superb new band, who really know how to work an audience. Many of which seemed very familiar with the songs, and sang along with gusto and relish throughout.

It's no mean feat to keep young children engaged for almost an hour, and even when the curtain finally fell, you could feel the audience would have loved to have heard more.  For me, the main strength of this band is the way they communicate with the audience, creating the type of atmosphere that is both infectious and engaging, where seemingly there's a party going on, we're all invited and everyone's having a great time. They achieve this with the type of exuberant energy and playful participation that can only make you smile.

Whistle & Trick - we are family.

Do Children Deserve Better?

Back in May last year, Canadian musician Grimes had this to say about children's music: 'People who don't have kids don't realise the insidious artistic scourge that is "children's music". How can we heal as a society when everyone's earliest artistic experience is completely devoid of humanity or beauty? Half joking but kinda not.' Yes, pretty provocative I agree, and such a controversial assertion that clearly brought her a modicum of notoriety as a result. I can't imagine it concerned her much though, as she temporarily basked in the sunshine of transient outrage. As Oscar Wilde once famously declared: 'The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about'.

Nonetheless, the question still remains, is she right or is she wrong? Surprisingly, I would argue that she is both right and wrong; although such ambivalence may come as a surprise to anyone familiar with this blog. Grimes is clearly wrong, when you consider the delicate beauty of Claudia Robin Gunn, the imaginative zest of Poco Drom, or the enlightening energy of Joanie Leeds. These artists are amongst a growing number of emerging musicians across the globe, who have clearly succeeded in elevating children's music to new heights. 

However, I largely agree with Grimes in the sense that family music seems to contain more than its fair share of vacuous repetition. I'm sure most people will have come across the song 'Baby Shark'; currently the most popular video on YouTube of all time, with over fourteen billion views to date. There is undoubtedly an addictive ingredient to these types of tunes, which are often cynically targeted, rehashed and presented to children across the internet. Surely this raises the question, does the genre really need another version of "Baby Shark"? If your answer is yes, then clearly Grimes had a point. 

Having said that, there is plenty of evidence that children enjoy singing simple tunes and tend to respond to catchy ditties. There are also undoubtedly many language development opportunities contained in this type of music, particularly for younger children, that assist with cognitive development. However, shouldn't musicians at least try to expose the public at large to something different? Remember how JK Rowling transcended children's literature through the Harry Potter series. Or how Queen managed to disrupt the snobbery of the classical music establishment with their prog rock anthem Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Furthermore, it's not just children's music which is vulnerable to such criticism, and derided as a homogenous entity. Mick Jagger once famously sang, 'it's only rock 'n' roll but I like it', well, so did their fans, it was a superb song written by a legendary band that stood the test of time. Nonetheless, as with every genre there is always a polar opposite lurking in the shadows. For every Beatles there's a Monkees, for every Marc Bolan there's an Alvin Stardust, and for every Abba there's a Brotherhood of Man.

Now this is only an opinion so no emails please, but it begs the question, are we doing children and their parents a disservice, continually dishing out this ubiquitous repetition, or do they deserve better?  I appreciate we all have to make a living somehow, and accept that there are sometimes certain financial imperatives at stake. If you are in the business of simply making a profit through music and this is how you want to go about it, then who am I to argue, burn me in hell as long as it pays. Just don't expect artists such as Grimes or anyone else for that matter to respect it.  

Baby Shark - money for nothing and your clicks for free.