Archives for May 10, 2016

With the support and guidance of long time music executive Richie Gallo, who has worked with artists from Sting to Raffi, Kerry Fenster is getting the professional push necessary for the world to hear the music he’s designed for children with special needs. Fenster’s fine-tuned music therapy approach on Songs About Us provides parents, educators and therapists with a unique recording that assists kids in developing basic social and developmental skills.

“Songs About Us is an innovative social skills behavioral tool for developmentally delayed young adults, disguised in a set of extraordinary songs that are accessible to the current generation,” said Gregory T. Anderson, J.D. Education Specialist, Vocational Education, The Help Group West. “You’ll find yourself whistling these catchy tunes.”

Kerry Fenster’s work with children with autism at The Help Group, one of the largest, most innovative and comprehensive organizations of its kind in the United States, spurred his passion to make music for the children. “Families with special needs children deserve music they can all enjoy and learn from together,” said composer Fenster of Songs About Us. “We are excited by the feedback we’ve received already from those who have heard the recordings.”

One of the four original songs on the recording is the lead single and music video “Quiet Hands,” an engaging song that encourages body control with a fun sing-along chorus which repeats “never to poke, never to scratch, never to hit, never to snatch” and features arm movements that both entertain and teach by example. “Hygiene,” “Personal Space” and “Use Your Words” are additionally entertaining, educational and energetic songs, each teaching popular social skills as indicated in the song titles. Enthusiastic, well-spoken peers provide charming greeting and parting statements for the album, which draw the listeners into the experience while subtly teaching vital conversational skills.

Produced by Mark Mazzetti, who has a significant history of creating Grammy® Award winning hit records, the independently released Songs About Us bears the hallmarks of a major label, high-quality listening experience. “Kerry has created some exciting music for a very special group of people. Supporting a generation with new music that might just make a difference in some lives is certainly a worthwhile project”, said Executive Producer Richie Gallo.

I received a copy of this CD and highly recommend! 

Aiming to educate, empower and entertain those with special needs while delivering practical tools to improve their regular interactions with others, Songs About Us –the first in a series from the label Muzic School– is a 5-song EP featuring 4 original songs plus an updated version of Pete Townshend’s “Pinball Wizard,” a lively tribute to the uniquely gifted. Songs About Us is available on iTunes,Amazon, CDBaby and other popular online retailers as digital download for $6.99 or physical CD for $12.00. Both formats include song lyrics for lively sing-alongs and improved comprehension. A portion of all net proceeds will be donated to various children’s charities. For more information on Songs About Us, come check us out at www.muzicschool.com or write to info@muzicschool.com.

Credit: Press info/photo Muzic School. I received a free CD to facilitate this post.

Singer-songwriter Raffi, along with being known as “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” (The Washington Post,) is renowned for his advocacy on behalf of children. This month he released a new song that can help children and adults deal with the stresses and anxieties of everyday life in a very simple way.

“Take A Breath (The Self-Reg Song)” is both tuneful and calming, and provides simple ways, such as breathing slowly in and out, to feel better when feelings are beginning to overwhelm.  Teachers and parents alike will find it helpful when children feel stress.

Says Raffi, “Self-regulation is the awareness of anxiety and our ability to regain a calm centre. Since anxiety constrains intelligence, it’s important for young and old to learn simple self-reg ways to regain balance. I wrote “Take A Breath” to inspire a self-reg response in all who hear it.”

Self-Reg expert Dr. Stuart Shanker –  a Raffi colleague, and member of his Child Honouring advisory council — says, “In the Shanker household, self-regulation meant listening to Raffi, and not just for the children!”

Dr. Shanker leads The MEHRIT Centre, an organization working with early childhood programs, schools, and communities across Canada and beyond to ground living and learning in self-regulation.  “Self-Reg is the ability to deal effectively with stress in all the many forms a child encounters-physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and prosocial-then recover from the energy expenditure involved and restore the energy expended.  Raffi’s song will certainly help,” says Shanker.

The song is available for streaming on SoundCloud, and can be downloaded for FREE from the Centre for Child Honouring site and the self-regulation site.  It will also be available soon for download on iTunes.  Parents & Teachers can also download, print, post and share this FREE song lyric poster –

Download 8.5 x 11 POSTER

Download 12 x 18 POSTER

Credit: Rounder Records.