Senor Parrot’s Perch

The Figureheads, a Milwaukee-based Hip-Hop group, has won the 2007 Parent’s Choice Gold Medal Award . Their music is a truly unique expression of hip-hop, focusing on positive experiences and self-image. If you kid likes hip-hop but you hate the message that most groups push, The Figureheads are for you.

The Figureheads started in Madison, where I’m from, and my oldest daughter is a fan. The Figureheads began writing and recording their music while one of the members worked for Integrated Development Services (IDS), a Madison-based provider of services for families with children with autism, ADD, Sensory Integration Disorder, and other related problems. He had been working with a particular child and written some songs especially with him. The founder and director of IDS, Andy Paulson, was excited about the possiblities of using his music to aid other children, starting Kiddo Publishing and producing a CD especially for kids with special needs. For a short time the Figureheads were on contract with IDS to write and perform.

For more information, check out

• kiddopublishing.com
• Parent’s Choice Awards
• figureheadsinc.org

Ken Lonnquist, Madison, WI -based performer and songwriter, makes some of the best kid’s music I’ve heard. Unfortunately for you, if you’re not from around Madison, you may have never had a chance to hear of him. Let me introduce you.

Over at his website  you can find just about anything about his music. He also has samples  from his CDs there. They’re too short to give a good impression of his songs. For a wider of samples go to itunes from the links next to his CDs on his Downloads Page . You won’t be disappointed. The music should appeal to anyone in the family. On trips, we load him into the CD player in the car and enjoy him more than our kids, ages 10 and 4, do.

We have about 5 of his CDs, but my favorite is “Lost Songs From Kenland”.  When the kids are dragging on a school morning I pop it into the CD player in the kitchen and crank it. The first song is “Sunny Side Up”, the funnest breakfast song you’ll probably ever hear. In a minute we’re dancing and gettin’ silly, soon in the mood for good breakfast food.

I’d really like to hear about your own local gems that may have missed their deserved limelight. Let me know-go ahead and post a comment or let me know if you’d like to post. Provide links and photo’s if you can. There’s always room for more good family music.

I took the family to see Go Fish last night. It was the opening night of their 2006 Christmas tour.If you don’t know, Go Fish is a sort-of acappella group, but with percussion and some background music sometimes. They did have a piano player with them. They sing Christian songs, so we got to say Merry Christmas and hear about Jesus, the reason for this season.

Go Fish is what you wish for in a family concert. We all loved it, really loved it. This isn’t just kids music but “everybody” music. These guys had us all entertained and wanting more. As they say on their website, they don’t dumb down their music. Their recordings do concentrate on kids now, which is to say, its kidstuff according to the topic, but its performed up to the standards that adults want to listen to it, too.

We ended up buying all the CDs they had their-both Christmas CDs and both kids CDs. We already had their DVD, which the kids really love.

I really recommend them. Check them out at this link to some online mp3 snippets you can listen to. Buy their music. You won’t be disappointed.