Walking Oliver: WO Podcasts
Our Favourite Links
- The Walking Oliver Family Music Blog
We’ve started this Family Music blog primarily for two reasons––
One is that we’re in the music business and we believe we have some fantastic music that you’ll really appreciate knowing about. Of course, we hope that after you’ve sampled it you might actually be convinced to plunk some money down in order to get some more of it. How’s that for brutal honesty?
Two is a bit more personal but every bit as honest. The reason we got into this particular area of the music business to begin with is that we believe in the music and the artists who create it, and we have a very special place in our hearts for music that appeals equally to us and our kids. This is Family Music. Music that crosses the bridges, mends the gaps and creates (or extends) common ground. We think that’s just a wonderful thing and we want to do what we can to promote it.- Walking Oliver Distribution
Walking Oliver Distribution is Walking Oliver's recent initiative to bring the latest and greatest talent in the Family Music genre to the UK and Europe. Now featuring mostly American artists, they are expanding monthly to include UK and European artists, as well.
- KindieFest
KindieFest is the world’s first-ever family music conference that fully embraces today’s market in all its diversity. Focusing exclusively on music for kids and families, KindieFest will help uncover the fastest-growing aspect of the music business: family entertainment. KindieFest got started on Saturday, May 2, 2009, in Brooklyn (under the name StinkFest), with a sold-out day of panels and a night of music and fun. It grew out of showcases in 2007 and 2008. KindieFest is produced by Tor Hyams, Stephanie Mayers, and Bill Childs.
- Rock Me Baby Records
There are lullabies for sleepy babes (and their exhausted parents); nursery rhymes for little learners; and updated classics for the whole family. Susie Tallman & Friends present traditional songs with a twist; music that connects generations – bridging the years between grandparent, parent and child with song. Our CDs can easily become the soundtrack to a young child's life.
Rock Me Baby Records was founded in 1999 by Susie Tallman in order to unite her love for music with her love for the spirit of childhood.- Zooglobble
- Marla Lewis - Kids Music
For Marla Lewis, music is a way of life. She began singing as soon as she learned to talk! At the age of 3, she sang on a national radio talent show called, “Live Like a Millionaire”. She started piano lessons at the age of 5 and guitar a few years later. As a child, Marla loved to sing songs in many languages from around the world. Her mother, also a singer, introduced her to jazz, Dixieland, and opera. Marla also fell in love with folk and pop music. She wrote her first song at the age of 12, entitled, “Hopeless Love.” It still makes her friends chuckle. Today, when kids hear Marla's songs, they say: "Can we hear that AGAIN??"
- Hunk Ta Bunk Ta Music by Katherine Dines
Katherine Dines is an award-winning children's songwriter, recording and teaching artist who performs throughout the world. Since 1992, her Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta® Music has garnered numerous national awards including a Grammy nomination, while her concerts continue to captivate children and family audiences of all sizes. An advocate for literacy and early childhood education through the arts, she serves on several national boards, presents keynote addresses and educational workshops, writes and produces songs for a host of clients, and licenses her material to projects for children. In addition, she continues to expand Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta® Music into other product areas including books, toys and television.
To date, she has created 10 albums in the award-winning Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta® series. She is on the board of directors of the Children's Music Web, and is the spokesperson for Music Rewards Fundraising, a company that helps schools and nonprofits generate money through selling music. Currently, she is writing and recording material for various clients and continues to expand Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta® into the educational and entertainment fields.
- Little Monster Records
CD label representing Family Music artists such as Robbert Bobbert, Medeski Martin & Wood, Key Wilde and Mister Clarke and Ralph & Ralph. Run by Kevin Salem.
- Daddy A Go Go
One of the leading proponents and practitioners of the kids’ rock music movement, former CNN producer John Boydston has been making music for families since 1998. The acclaim has been both unanimous and tremendous. Five of Daddy A Go Go’s six previous CDs have made Amazon.com’s “Best of the Year” critics’ list. With sons Jake and Max at 16 and 13 respectively, they are now old enough and good enough players to perform live with Dad as the Daddy A Go Go Band.
- Lunch Money
Lunch Money brings the indie-rock experience to family audiences with an energetic salute to the stuff of childhood: roller coasters, giant cookies and getting dizzy. This trio "artfully treads the line between alt-kids and just plain alternative" [Nick Jr. Family Magazine] and this year their song "It Only Takes One Night to Make a Balloon Your Friend" topped the charts on XM/Sirius children's radio. The band delivers a high-energy show that aims to get children and their parents dancing, thinking and laughing.
- Trout Fishing in America
Trout Fishing in America is the long-standing musical partnership of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet. The name taken from a Richard Brautigan novel, seems almost as incongruent and intriguing as a picture of this musical duo - Ezra Idlet (guitar) stands six feet nine inches and Keith Grimwood (bass), five feet five and one half inches. What is more intriguing is the musical career these two have carved out in three decades of writing, recording and performing together. Trout Fishing in America can look back at a body of work that is impressive and know they are just hitting their stride. On the heels of their fourth Grammy nomination Big Round World, and the release of a children's book/cd My Name is Chicken Joe, it is no wonder that Trout Fishing in America sees the future as the brightest part of their successful career.
- Debbie and Friends - Kids Music that all Grown-Up
Children’s entertainer Debbie Cavalier of Debbie and Friends uses original songs to tell stories that children know and love. With the recent release of her debut CD, Story Songs and Sing Alongs, Debbie has made a splash in the children and family music world.
Debbie has been making music with kids for over 20 years. She has worked with some of the world’s greatest icons in children’s music entertainment and education throughout her music publishing tenure. These pillars of children’s music include Shari Lewis, Buffalo Bob Smith of Howdy Doody, and Sesame Street-famed music teacher, Bob McGrath. Their influence on her songwriting and her creative approach to sharing music with children is evident.
Debbie studied music and music education at Berklee College of Music, where she is now the Dean of Continuing Education. She was a classroom music teacher for many years and brings that experience to every performance.