Children's Musician - Laurie Berkner is Back!

LAURIE BERKNER'S BACK!

KIDS' MUSIC LEGEND RESUMES

LIVE "BERKNER BREAK" CONCERTS

AND VIRTUAL BIRTHDAY PARTIES, TOO!

"BERKNER BREAK" CONCERTS STREAMED

MOST MONDAYS & FRIDAYS AT 11:00 AM EDT

BIRTHDAY PARTIES STREAMED ONCE A MONTH 

AT 11:00 AM EDT

"The queen of kids' music" – People magazine

"The Adele of the preschool crowd."– The New York Times

"Laurie Berkner does what Fred Rogers did: respect, validate and reassure young children."– Los Angeles Times

Staying safe and sound inside? Legendary children's musician Laurie Berkner is here to help keep kids entertained. After taking a brief break, Laurie has resumed her LIVE "Berkner Break" concerts on a new schedule, and she'll celebrate birthdays once a month, too!

Families can join Laurie, direct from her house, for LIVE "Berkner Break" concerts, streamed free of charge on most Monday and Friday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on her Facebook page: HERE. Laurie offers an abundance of songs, playful movement activities, stories, and more in these half-hour shows, performing such well-loved favorites as “We Are The Dinosaurs” and “The Goldfish (Let’s Go Swimming)," plus educational earworms like “Waiting For The Elevator” (the title track of Laurie's most recent, NAPPA award-winning album) and “Look At All The Letters." Laurie creates an entire world of song and expression in which enthusiasm and respect for the growing child is front and center, with emotional development sitting right alongside intellectual development.

Additionally, once a month for the rest of the year, Laurie Berkner will give a free Facebook Live birthday celebration for kids who were born in that month – a party everyone is invited to! Laurie encourages families who are watching to decorate, just like she will, wear party clothes, and bake a special birthday treat to bring to the party.

"One of the most popular aspects of the Facebook Live concerts I've been giving since we all started staying home has been our birthday party celebration theme," says Laurie Berkner. "I want to make sure that every child who watches my livestreamed shows has a chance to have their birthday celebrated, so we are continuing the parties once a month for the rest of the year!"

Laurie Berkner's Birthday Party shows will take place at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on her Facebook page HERE on the following dates:

- Friday, August 21
- Monday, September 14
- Friday, October 16
- Friday, November 20
- Friday, December 18

Laurie's LIVE "Berkner Break" concerts will be presented on most Mondays and Fridays, except for Birthday Party show days. Laurie will also take a week off before and after each of her upcoming, full-length, virtual family concerts. These ticketed events include a "Dinosaur Beach Party" on August 9, a "Pajama Party" on September 20, a "Halloween Party" on October 31, and a "Holiday Party" on December 13. Find out more about Laurie's full-length concerts HERE.

Laurie Berkner has received tremendous critical acclaim. USA Today named Laurie "the undisputed queen of kindie rock." Time Magazine lauded her as "a kind of sippy-cup Sheryl Crow ... Berkner inhabits a kid's curious perspective in her lyrics and pens folk-pop melodies that bear repeated -- very repeated -- listenings." The Wall Street Journal called Laurie "one of the most popular children's performers in America ... her music is distinctive because it speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grown-ups." NPR's All Things Considered declared, "Laurie Berkner is like a goddess to these children."

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Laurie Berkner's Free Shows (approximately 30 minutes long):

"Berkner Break" concerts - most Monday and Friday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, streamed live on Laurie's Facebook page: HERE.

Birthday Party Shows on August 21, September 14, October 16, November 20, and December 18 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, streamed live on Laurie's Facebook page: HERE.

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Visit Laurie Berkner's website HERE.

Laurie Berkner on Facebook.

Laurie Berkner on Instagram.

Laurie Berkner on Twitter.

Laurie Berkner on Pinterest.

Laurie Berkner on YouTube.

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Laurie Berkner's Full-Length Virtual Family Concerts (ticketed events):

August 9 - "Dinosaur Beach Party"

September 20 - "Pajama Party"

October 31 - "Halloween Party"

December 13 - "Holiday Party"

Learn more HERE.

NEW Single From Laurie Berkner (Children's Musician): A Dollar!

KIDS' MUSIC LEGEND LAURIE BERKNER

RELEASES NEW SINGLE & MUSIC VIDEO

"A DOLLAR"

"The queen of kids' music." – People Magazine

"The Adele of the preschool crowd." – The New York Times

Legendary children's musician Laurie Berkner brings the fun to making change with her new single, "A Dollar."  An instant Berkner classic, this song will have kids and parents bopping along as Laurie breaks down all the ways to change a dollar. It'll help kids get a jump-start on their math and logic, and the tune is so catchy that parents might even find themselves humming it at the cash register. With Laurie to help out, math just makes, well, "cents"!

"I really enjoyed the visual, playful, and math aspects of writing this song," says Laurie. "I hope the meaning of the numeric relationships will make sense to older kids, and that all kids will have fun with it!"



The "A Dollar" music video features Laurie Berkner and bandmate Susie Lampert as they try to buy some ice cream, and in the process, learn about the different coin combinations that make one dollar.

This song will be on Laurie Berkner's new album, Waiting For The Elevator, coming October 4th, 2019.

"A Dollar" is available TODAY at all digital outlets.

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Laurie Berkner Performance Highlights - Oct. 2019 - March 2020
Oct. 13 - MDSC Annual Buddy Walk & Family Festival - Wakefield, MA
Oct. 20 - iPlay America - Freehold, NJ
Oct. 26 - The Concert Hall - NYC - "Monster Boogie" Halloween Concert!
Nov. 9  - College Street Music Hall - New Haven, CT
Dec. 7 - Tarrytown Music Hall - Tarrytown, NY - Holiday Show!
Dec. 8 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY - Holiday Show!
Dec. 14 - Capitol Center for the Arts - Concord, NH - Holiday Show!
Feb. 8 - Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA
Feb. 22 - McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton, NJ
March 1 - Gordon Center for the Performing Arts, Owings Mills, MD

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Visit Laurie Berkner's website HERE.
Laurie Berkner on Facebook.
Laurie Berkner on Instagram.
Laurie Berkner on Twitter.
Laurie Berkner on Pinterest.
Laurie Berkner on YouTube.

Celebrate Valentine's Day and Open Your Heart! #PajamaProgram

Getting ready for Valentine's Day, kids' music star Laurie Berkner sings and joins yogini Kira Willey and some quite adorable children in yoga postures in a new video based on Laurie's song, "Open Your Heart." Watch the NEW video below!

"Open Your Heart" is on Laurie Berkner's new album, Love, a  fully remastered compilation of Laurie's songs about love.   "Open Your Heart" was originally written to bring attention to The Pajama Program, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to delivering new, warm pajamas and new books to children in need nationwide, many of whom are without parents and/or permanent homes. The gift of a new pair of pajamas and books lets children know that someone cares.  More information may be found at http://pajamaprogram.org.

LIKE Pajama Program on Facebook.

Follow Pajama Program on Twitter.

"Open Your Heart" is included on Laurie Berkner's NEW album called "LOVE." Purchase Laurie Berkner's "LOVE" album today at http://laurieberkner.com/music/albums/themed-albums/laurie-berkner-love.html.

Kira Willey has also released a wonderful new album, Mindful Moments for Kids, a collection of 30 one-minute mindfulness exercises that can be done seated or standing, any time of day.

Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs CD #Review & #Giveaway! (US/CAN) Ends 11/8 #HolidayGiftGuide #StockingStuffer

Laurie explains, "I made my first recording, Whaddaya Think Of That? because I wanted families to have a way to listen at home to the songs I was singing with their kids in the classroom, especially the ones I had written, which they wouldn't have know otherwise.  I included traditional songs, too, because I wanted some of the music to be very familiar.  With each consecutive album, my own originals became more and more of what the kids wanted to sing, so I got away from recording the traditional songs I grew up with.  Now, with Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs, I'm doing the opposite and exploring many of the songs that were so formative for me and helpful in my early days as a music teacher."

A former preschool teacher by day and indie rocker by night, Laurie Berkner started marketing her music more than fifteen years ago from her living room on her own label, Two Tomatoes Records.  She is now widely recognized as a pioneer in the "kindie" music genre and was crowned "the undisputed queen of kindie rock" by USA Today.  The Wall Street Journal noted, "Her music is distinctive because it speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grown-ups."

Laurie was the first artist to ever appear in music videos on Nick Jr. and was featured in nearly all the episodes of the channel's Jack's Big Music Show (now available on the NOGGIN video subscription app). She currently stars in the animated musical short-form series Sing it, Laurie! on the Sprout preschool channel, makes regular appearances on Sprout's Sunny Side Up Show, and is a frequent presence on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live channel.

The Laurie Berkner Band features: Laurie Berkner, vocals/guitar; Susie Lampert, keyboards; Brady Rymer, bass; and Bobby Golden, drums/percussion.  Visit Laurie Berkner's website for more about the band, including press photos and tour dates. 

The legendary Laurie Berkner — crowned "the queen of children's music" by People Magazine — released her tenth album on October 23rd. Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs will be a two-disc set including 51 well-loved, traditional children's songs, plus six "bonus" tracks of favorite Laurie Berkner originals. This is the only album Laurie has ever created that is comprised almost exclusively of traditional songs.

Says Laurie, “I grew up with many of these songs, and I’m sure parents and grandparents will remember a lot of them from their own childhoods. I’m excited about sharing these classics with kids who may not have heard them before and also introducing my versions of songs that might already be family favorites. In the true folk tradition, I’ve added some of my own lyrics and my own spin to many of these traditional songs. I’ve kept a folk or rock feel for most of the numbers, with a little reggae thrown in here and there for fun!”

Check out Laurie's website HERE.

Laurie Berkner on Youtube.

Laurie Berkner on Facebook.

Laurie Berkner on Twitter.

My Review:
I LOVE Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs CD! I too grew up listening to many of these songs! My father loves trains and he taught me "The Little Red Caboose" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad," and more! It's been fun listening to this CD with my three children in the car and teaching them the songs too! Some of the songs are changed up a little bit. To me, they sound a little jazzy and it makes them more fun to listen to. Some of the songs are "Amazing Grace," "The Wheels on the Bus," "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (which my children loved) and "There's a Hole in the Bucket" (my 6 year old daughter and I were busting up laughing after this song was over!).

Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs CD is now available for purchase on amazon.com.

Win It!

Enter below using the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win your own copy of Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs on CD! Giveaway is open to residents in All 50 U.S. States & Canada!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of Laurie Berkner's Favorite Classic Kids' Songs on CD in exchange for my post. No other compensation was exchanged or received.

Laurie Berkner Lullabies CD Review and Giveaway! (U.S.) Ends 4/13 (Rafflecopter)

My children and I LOVE The Laurie Berkner Band! We can't get enough of them. In our car, house, and when we are at other people's homes, we take our Laurie Berkner Band CD's with us! My children asked several times on our road trip for us to put on one of Laurie's CD's!

Laurie has out a NEW Album called "Laurie Berkner Lullabies!" This Album isn't only for babies or toddlers, but young children and adults too! The songs aren't as slow as you would think they would be, which is great! They are all sang so beautifully. My children, ages six and a half, four and a half, and twenty one months, loved this album, and they keep asking me to play it over and over again. Our favorite songs on this album are Moon Moon Moon, Fireflies, Mahalo, Pillowland, Stars Are Shining, Good Night and more! Below is a video of the song "Pillowland," one of my children's favorite videos!





Here is some information about Laurie Berkner (taken from her website):

When Laurie Berkner embarked on her career as a children's recording artist in the summer of 1997, she started small - personally filling orders of her first release (Whaddaya Think of That?) from her living room in Manhattan while still keeping up her preschool music teaching jobs. It wasn't long, however, before the 500 copies she originally pressed sold out, and Two Tomatoes Records was born.

Laurie's growing popularity in the New York area led to a second release, 1998's Buzz Buzz. Soon more local toy stores and children's specialty shops began selling her music and distribution companies began purchasing quantities of her recordings. Sarah Milstein moved on, and shortly after the 1999 release of Victor Vito, Laurie took the bold step of hiring a publicist - also named Sarah (SKG Publicity). Things began to move more quickly thereafter, with national media coverage helping spread the word.  Laurie then appeared on the "Today" show and suddenly Two Tomatoes was swamped with orders.

 In the meantime, Laurie's closets were becoming more and more stuffed. Two Tomatoes was taking over her living room with the 2000 re-release of her first recording on disc, and running the record label was no longer a part-time job. Laurie decided to give up her teaching to, as she put it, "reign in the monster!"  In 2002, shortly before the release of Under A Shady Tree, it became clear that there was no longer enough space in Laurie and husband Brian's one-bedroom apartment for a record label. Two Tomatoes moved into a real office in New York City, with real staff including Shannon Chirone (COO), then Corinne Barlow (CBO). Shortly thereafter John Waldman (Great Knight Productions) signed up as booking agent/manager and later still came the addition of another Tomato, Katie Schneller (Director of New Media and Fan Relations) and Laurie, Brian and daughter Lucy moved into a new more spacious apartment.  It's one big happy family!

In turning to Kickstarter to raise funds for this project, Laurie made sure to thank her supporters with some great rewards, like advanced digital copies of the CD, sneak video peaks at the recording of the CD, and autographed, even personalized, copies of the CD!

For the bigger supporters, the rewards were outstanding! Laurie recorded personal outgoing voice mail messages; and she even included children’s artwork on the CD cover itself! Some families even got a chance to Skype with Laurie Berkner!

Go to the Two Tomatoes website for a chance to Preorder your copy of "Laurie Berkner Lullabies" CD (Comes out on April 8th), Buy One Get One FREE for only $15.00! HURRY! Offer Ends April 1st, 2014!

Enter below, using the Rafflecopter form, for a chance to win your own copy of "Laurie Berkner Lullabies" for yourself! Giveaway open to residents of the 48 continental United States only, sorry. Giveaway ends on April 13th, 2014. 

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Disclosure: I received a copy of the Laurie Berkner Lullabies  CD in exchange for my review and giveaway post, no other compensation was exchanged or received.

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: The Dirty Socks Come Clean Album Review and Giveaway! (U.S.) Ends 10/14

THE DIRTY SOCK FUNTIME BAND IS BACK!

with THE DIRTY SOCKS COME CLEAN

featuring special guest: LAURIE BERKNER 

My children decided that running around the house and taking their socks off and throwing them in the air was the best way to dance around to The Dirty Sock's "The Dirty Socks Come Clean" song. They were having so much fun jumping around and trying to catch their socks and throwing them back up in the air! They were laughing and giggling, and just having a great time listening to the first song and the rest of the songs on the album. The songs are all in different styles.

The song "Garbage Bugs" will make you feel as though your sitting in your beach chair on a tropical beach somewhere, watching them sing the song to you. It takes me away from everything else going on in my world, and into another place in my mind that is calming, soothing, and relaxing.

"We're In Love" is the song from The Dirty Sock Funtime Band's album that features Laurie Berkner! My children and I really enjoy listening to any music sung by Laurie Berkner and The Laurie Berkner Band too!

Press Release Information:

"The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: This band may have the perfect name for dancing feet. The group's music is a signature mix of rock, funk, hip-hop and country." -- The New York Times

"Don't let the wigs and bright clothes fool you: The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is the closest thing to arena rock that the New York kids' music scene has got." -- Time Out New York Kids

NEW YORK -- They're back! That wild Technicolor musical adventure known as The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is poised to hit the ground running with the October release of their all-new CD, The Dirty Socks Come Clean, featuring kids' music luminary Laurie Berkner as special guest.

The Dirty Sock Funtime Band burst onto the national scene when hits "Dino-Soaring," "Music Everywhere," and "No Good Reason Party" aired as music videos on Nick Jr.'s Jack's Big Music Show, demonstrating a fun, musically intelligent, and rocking side of the kids' music scene that few had experienced before. The band's high energy, thoroughly irresistible music has literally circled the globe through live performances at U.S. Navy bases in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, along with wildly acclaimed outings from coast to coast in the U.S.

The Dirty Socks Come Clean gives kids the grooves to get them dancing, the stories to keep them listening, and a host of outrageous characters, with humor that's wild and crazy but never cloying. The stunning impact of the band's energy is balanced by the cleverness of its compositions and the smartness of lyrics that offer large words and large ideas. For parents, the songs are just plain good rock music, filled with hip, witty references and absolutely superb musicality.

Inhabiting a world where anything can happen, The Dirty Socks Come Clean runs an extraordinary gamut of musical styles, from "We're in Love," a bit of laid-back 1930s swing where kids' music superstar Laurie Berkner fronts the band with a "pitch perfect" girl singer lead, to the steel pan-drenched Caribbean calypso rhythms of Soca in the humorous "Garbage Bugs," to "I'm Hungry," where Eastern European flavors of gypsy and klezmer blend in a tantalizing dish of zany wordplay. "Hold of the Sun" offers driving vocals (with a tip of the hat to The Beatles) and a hot Stratocaster-type guitar solo, while the African-flavored "Danceology" offers an even hotter horn line that sizzles with pure dance music fever. The Dirty Socks Come Clean balances these energy blasts with several tender and heartfelt ballads like "Mama's Song," co-written by Chris Barron of Spin Doctors.

Known as the highest energy kids' rock band ever to break out of NYC, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band is an outgrowth of Kids Creative, a tremendously successful, non-profit rock 'n' roll peace education program for NYC kids in which, among other activities, schoolchildren write and perform original rock 'n' roll musicals. Since the establishment of Kids Creative in 2000, enthusiastic parents had been urging co-founders, brothers Stephen and Adam Jacobs, to make available to the general public the music they'd been writing for and with the kids. Notes Adam Jacobs, "We were writing music for our Kids Creative classes and distributing as many as six albums to families every year. We needed a name for the band in order to release our first album, The Search and Rescue of Genius Backpack, and Stephen came up with 'The Dirty Sock Funtime Band.' We played our first live show in March 2004, and the rest is history."

Check out The Dirty Sock Funtime Band's website!

Follow The Dirty Sock Funtime Band on Twitter.

LIKE the Dirty Sock Funtime Band on Facebook.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of  The Dirty Sock Funtime Band: The Dirty Socks Come Clean Album on CD in exchange for me review post. No other compensation was exchanged or received.