By Aaron Canwell
Ukulele, vocals and hype man for Micah and Me
When we started playing kids music we would just stand behind a music stand, strum our instruments and sing. The kids paid attention for about 3 minutes (see top photo). Fast forward 5 years later and now we can hold kids attention for 45 minutes to an hour (see bottom photo). It involves a lot of jumping around and crazy dancing while we play our instruments and sing harmonies. I am going to highlight all those bands that I think really put on a good show. My choices are based on the band’s ability to entertain as well as produce good music.
I love the sound of Father Goose! It reminds me of Jamaica, a bit of Hootie and the Blowfish, but mostly Jamaica. And his live shows are very interactive. You can see him and his band out in the audience….that tells me he knows how to connect with his audience. And I think he has won a Grammy. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/fathergooseinc.
Andres and Christina have won a Latin Grammy and really know how to put on a good show. They are full of unstoppable energy and “get the whole family dancing and learning, in Spanish and English.” I have always loved Latin music so I dig these guys, especially since they are so fun to watch. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/unodostresandres.
They are 2019 Grammy nominees. I saw them on a Facebook Live event and they were hilarious. They have a great stage presence and I dig them. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/thepopupsmusic.
They hail from Seattle and are high energy and fun! If you have little girls check out this band. The bass player and lead singer rock pink tutus while jumping around all over the stage...its awesome! Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb0wZ0wXkh6IdBL_VP24uxg.
Falu is pretty chill but I found her performances engaging and I grew up eating a lot of Indian food and never knew you could sing about all the delicious ingredients of an Indian dish and make it fun! And Falu is a 2019 Grammy nominee! She is involved in at least four other musical groups including the large rockin' Falu's Bollywood Orchestra! Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChZU0wX5jY_Myi6sTGPG2bQ.
These guys from LA know how to entertain kids! And Justin Bieber’s producer has now picked these guys up so you should be hearing more about them. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBeatBuds.
He is from my town of Portland, Oregon and has been doing music in this city about 5 years longer than our band. He is one of the only Kindie musicians in Portland my 5 year old son will pay attention to. He intersperses his songs with his funny old-timey retro puppets. Red Yarn gives 110% to his performances, often finishing drenched with sweat. He is guaranteed to get your littles up and dancing! Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/redyarnfilms.
These three guys are from Seattle and they have a blast! They are high energy and tons of fun. What I like most about them is their Star Wars song “Oh, Lando”--they have a few more Star Wars songs but this is my favorite. Oh and their producer also produced us...so I feel related music-wise. They also were 2017 Grammy nominees. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/user/recessmonkey3.
Mo is also from Portland, Oregon and is one of the most creative and innovative kids musicians around. He will create songs on the spot, and is not afraid to get crazy on stage! Adults and kids alike will NOT be bored. Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1wUUsF3tklwSGGgT7qd4A.
This is my band. We are stay-at-home dads that host dance parties 2-5 times a week in the Portland, Oregon area and beyond. We are known for our super high positive energy that emanates from my funky dancing and my bandmate’s thumping bass drum. We have documented many of our shows on YouTube channel--raw and uncut...and our fans are ferociously loyal! Check out videos here: https://www.youtube.com/MicahAndMeRocks.
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