We had lots of fun recording the music and playing at community events and festivals. We originally wrote the songs with 8-12 year olds in mind, but didn't want to call it kids’ music because we thought they'd run a mile — and in the end the songs proved just as popular with adults, so we labelled it “all ages”.
As I eluded to earlier, a lot of the content is very Australian but the general themes are universal, like celebrating simple childhood memories and good times, the power of being pleasant, having a positive attitude, respecting others and being confident to be yourself.
So, for your chance to win a copy of the CD just add a comment below sharing a childhood memory that you have, like walking to the corner shop to spend some loose change, making mud pies or that exhilarating sound of the final school bell before Summer : ) I'll let my wife Katherine choose her favourite response to be our winner in two weeks’ time. If you don't have a profile to post your comment from you're welcome to email it to artwithmrhall@gmail.com
I'm next to Katherine, sans beard, several kilos lighter and pre-dad status. This must have been a “lets just try and look like a serious band” pose... there are more photos (and videos) here.
ok, Joe.
ReplyDeleteChildhood memory?
How bout when I was a young kid in elementary school back in the mid 70s... I was playing on the jungle gym at recess when I decided to put a small crayon I had with me up my nose. I couldn't get it out. Went to the nurse after recess and told her that i had been at the bottom of the jungle gym and looked up just as another kid had dropped said crayon from above and it fell right into my nostril.
Perfectly believable, right? She proceeded to remove it (with a straight face) with tweezers and I was on my way:)
Ha, that's priceless Don! You've obviously always been one for keeping your art supplies close at hand! Thanks for contributing : )
DeleteAh, a childhood memory... but which one?
ReplyDeleteThere was the time... oh no I can't tell you that one... or how about about when...oops that one has a dead body in it... or maybe the time we all...nope, too embarrassing...
I guess my favorite childhood memories are all the times spent with my BFF Annie. If we were inside, we were probably designing and making clothes for our first generation original Barbie dolls and listening to the latest brand new band: the Beatles! Our dads let us cut their old ties and turn them into fabulous evening gowns for Barbie. And every Saturday, for years, rain or shine we walked the mile or two to go to services at the synagogue (where, while the men prayed in Hebrew, we tied our white gloves into knots and then raced to see who could get the other's knots out faster). On our way home we detoured through a wonderful park, with a majestic and historic old Casino, and we quickly returned there after our tuna sandwich lunches (with no crusts), in our play clothes, to go sliding down hills in the dirt.
Wow Phyl, I can't actually remember if I was smiling before I sat down at the computer and read this, but I sure am now : ) A vivd description, thanks for sharing!
DeleteI'm writing one that might be interesting to you. The few blogging friends that I have met from down under are amazed at the amount of snow we get in Minnesota. Imagine this....
ReplyDeleteThere is so much snow in your backyard that it creates a hill that is higher then the 4 ft. fence. As a kid, all you want to do is get out in that white fluffy snow, taste it on your tongue, feel it on your nose. I was so little that my small body hardly made a dent in the snow as I walked across it. I would make forts and snow angles. In the deep snow I would put my head into the snow like and ostrich. When you do that there is little pockets of air... blue crystals everywhere you look, and the sound is... nothing and everything all in one. It was my own private place. I know... it sounds weird but I can still feel, taste, and hear the sounds of the snow. It's fun to watch my kids play (and play with them) during our LONG winters.
I love the music! I didn't know you were a rock star Mr. Hall! I will be picking a few to add to my iTunes! If you want to play in the state, I could get you a gig, I'm sure... Maybe when there is not so much snow:) Thanks for sharing... Oh and what a cool look you all have:) So Urban:)
You're right about that! I've seen snow a few times but never like that, and never in my backyard! Sounds like a sensory overload and a big lot of fun : )
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the music, certainly no rock star though! : )
What a cool post Joe! Some of my fondest childhood memories involved our day trips to Huntington Beach in the summer.My mom would pile my 2 brothers and I along with friends into the "Ark" (brown station wagon with wood side paneling, the epitome of late 70's suburban style.) We would leave the oh so uncool San Gabriel Valley for a one hour journey to super-hip Huntington Beach, Surf City, USA. We would bounce around the back seat, probably not even using the dated lap-belts, listening to late 70's anthems like, "Money" by Pink Floyd or "Runnin with the Devil" by local heroes, Van Halen. We picked the same lifeguard stand every time, #26, and carted Boogie Boards, towels, frisbees, lunch and blankets to a front and center spot so mom could keep an eye on everyone. We would spend the next 5 hours mostly in the ocean coming out long enough to eat lunch and apply some worthless Coppertone with no SPF protection, or worse yet, baby oil. We would steer clear of "locals only" areas where no "val" was welcome. At 4 o'clock we'd load up back in the Ark with sandy bodies and hair the smelled of salt water, happy and exhausted from our day at the beach and asking mom when we could go back again. Ironically 2 out of the 3 of us siblings now live at the beach, not far from Huntington.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun music! I'm glad you shared it with us!
Thanks Mary! As a keen surfer and beachgoer myself this sounds like a blissful way to while away a summer's day : ) And the Ark sounds priceless!
DeleteThe memory my students most like to hear about is the first time I got detention. I was in 5th grade and dug my fingernails into the arm of the girl who was taking my jump rope. Had to spend time after school and my mom refused to let me grow my nails long for a month (it was torture as I was just allowed to wear finger nail polish). Shows that I too made mistakes... and that we all learn from them. I can't stand long finger nails now :)
ReplyDeleteYep it's sure is important they know we're not infallible! It's something my students probably learn sooner rather than later... It also reminds me of my wife's childhood realisation that teachers don't actually live at school. (I think this usually occurs when they spot us out doing the groceries or some other mundane non-school context!).
DeleteI have a similar story to yours but I'm not up for writing about it all here! Suffice to say it ended with my Dad escorting me to an 8 year old friend's doorstep with a box of chocolates and an apology for her! It was an important lesson to learn though : )
Cool idea Joe.
ReplyDeleteThis would have been in about 1960. I was probably 4 and my sister would have been 5. My parents had a VW beetle. Mum, Dad, Penny and I had gone out in the car... to the corner store I think. Penny and I stayed in the car while my folks went over the road. We hopped over the back seat to the little parcel space those old VW's had. When our parents came back we pretended we weren't in the car. They got in the car and drove off saying things like, "look at the giraffe over there." "Oh, look at that lion" etc to one another. It wouldn't have been to long before we had to look.
Ahh the simple ways we amused ourselves! And there always seemed to be fun little confined spaces to explore when we were so much smaller... Reading this makes me see my young son beaming with a smile he can't contain when he knows he has done something funny. Thanks Gretchen : )
ReplyDeleteThank you my dear! I just got your lovely CD today... I gave you a little shout out on my blog, please check it out.
ReplyDeletehttp://minimatisse.blogspot.com/2013/05/two-point-perspective-tree-house.html
My pleasure, thanks for the shout out! : )
ReplyDelete