Kids pop- recommended by Parenting Magazine, AM for dancin', PM for chillin'.

16 MP3 Songs
KIDS/FAMILY: Children's Pop, FOLK: Folk Pop

Show all album songs: Kidstuff By Melany Songs


Details:
BIO:
Melany is a Central Florida singer-songwriter and recording artist. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Melanyâs first guitar was given to her as a gift when she was 12 years old, so she recognizes the importance of music in childhood development! She has performed for thousands of children in concert, and on radio and television. Melany captivates her audience with playful participation. Her albums continue to receive national acclaim. Parenting magazine selected her "Kidstuff" cd as a "Parenting Pick". She also appears with her partner, Tim "Mr. Science" Perkins performing in the "Banana Box Roadshows" a series of live, interactive family oriented shows with a variety of educational themes.
Melany is dedicated to creating and performing excellent music for children and families. She is known for her work with charitable organizations and her love for children. She performs nationally in concert and as a keynote presenter at conferences.
Whether she's writing new music for corporate clients & charity organizations or interacting live with her adoring fans, Melany knows how to deliver!
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REVIEWS:

"Half of the songs on this jazzy recording are ideal for movement; the other half, for setling down. And all encourage being respectful."
- Parenting Magazine

"Melany's pure vocal quality is not the only talent exhibited on this recording. She is also the instrumentalist, songwriter and lyricist. Children will enjoy singing along with this excellent recording."
- Booklist

"Singer-songwriter Melany and her 12-string guitar, 'Mr. G', deliver a solid album, dividing the music into two sections: "a.m. (for dancin')", and "p.m. (for chillin')". Consistently bouncy and kid-centered, songs range from an ode to "Cotton Candy," to the plethora of sounds found on "Noises," to a description of an ideal day at "The Circus." Others, such as "Opposites" (an interactive sing-along) and "Clouds" (the water cylce has never been so cleverly presented!) will be useful to teachers. Kids, on the other hand, will find favorites in "Alligator" (an alligator hunt using classics like "Row Your Boat" and "Frere Jacques"), and "Nice Talk," which delivers the message, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," with humor (by having kids holds their tongues while singing along). In deed, many of the songs here convey a message, whether it is the selflessness of "Look at Others," or the appreciation of the moment found in "Today" and "Brand New Day." A few songs do point to explicitly religious interpretation: "Real Love," for example, espouses a biblical definition of love and even indirect reference to Jesus ("there is a teacher; He is the answer, for 2000 years..."). The album closes with two delightful lullabies: "Mother Prayers" and "Good Night Stars." This album will find a home in nearly any collection, thanks to Melany, who delivers each song with energy and wit.
-School Library Journal


"Melany is both the music-maker and proprietor here. In her bag of stage surprises, she combines imaginative lyrics, a voice that makes you smile, and enticing guitar melodies to create an eclectic entertainment circle. Kids growing out of Pampers can sing-along with kids growing into Dockers. Her business, Happy Moon Enterprises, is happily both her vocation and avocation. It had its genesis, so to speak, in many places. For openers, her senior year at the Jamesburg, N.J. High School, where she won a $50 Principal's Award for a Good Attitude. With that $50 (and a few dollars more) came a Guild D25 six-string guitar.
The real beginning, this love affair with the guitar and all the doors it would open, began when Melany was 12, doing penance in Buffalo, N.Y. She recalls: "I picked up a guitar we had around the house and started strumming, and knew right away I would never put it down. I was never professionally taught, but I didn't think of that as a handicap. It just meant there were no limitations."
Melany's entrepreneurial spirit -- and the direction that would take -- did not just fall from the sky one day. There were some dues. She started writing lyrics when working as a dental assistant. She also unloaded her shyness in that job.
The focus has always been unerringly upbeat, oriented to the family, zeroing in on the kids. "Music crosses all barriers," says Melany. "It goes straight to the heart. It can heal. It can give promise. It can teach lessons. Most importantly I think, it can be a very positive voice, building relationships."
So what's a young, engaging, thoughtful, talented singer, songwriter, guitarist, mother of three to do with all this upbeatness? Get a vision, that's what.
"I was just driving down the street when the mission, the calling became clear," Melany says. "I suddenly knew what I was put here to do. And that was to bring a message of hope and encouragement to families through music. And this has become a passion."
It has, as mentioned, also become Happy Moon Enterprises. The is one album ("The Best We Can") already out. Another ("Kidstuff by Melany") is due later this month.
It has further led Melany, her duffel bag of neat "stuff" and her trusty 12-string, to several gigs as an artist-in-residence at Brevard schools. She has performed, earlier in Palm Beach County and currently in Brevard, at libraries, workshops and at numerous community events.
Children's charities, especially Give Kids The World Foundation, draws Melany like a magnet. "It is here that music can truly be therapy. I feel it is at these events I can make a difference. This work has become an important part of my life.'
The venue this day, Melany and guitar at center stage, is a little preschool, KidsLand by name, tucked neatly in a grove of trees off Malabar road.
Borrowing from the Beatles, we have a musical mystery tour here, meaning Melany will be the guide, matching the music with the moment. Sitting on a little stool, slightly larger than life to a restless contingent of two and three-year-olds, the band plays on.
We make little noises. Then we make big noises. We rarely whisper. With Melany leading the way, the room suddenly becomes a party. We visit Old MacDonald, rehearse our ABCs, and show off driving skills, stopping on red, going on green. Then, a grand finale. Everybody makes music.
Drums, whistles, tambourines, cymbals, clackers, bells, sticks, horns and assorted hoots. The noise is wonderful. Educators call this "creative interaction." The kids call it fun.
And Melany? She calls it a mission, her eyes twinkling, smiling a loving smile amidst an exuberant shower of fierce hugs and very wet kisses. A nice mission. A neat lady. Lucky kids.
- John McAleenan, Space Coast Press

"Laughter, movement and audience participation are commonplace in a Kidstuff show. Melany and her guitar, "Mr. G," fire up children's imaginations to go on zany musical adventures, or create their own lyrics. Melany combines imaginative lyrics and an eclectic mix of music that appeals to both children and adults.
Melany's first album, "The Best That We Can," received rave reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. Her current release is "Kidstuff by melany."
This talented singer/songwriter has continued, by popular demand, her thoughtful arrangement of stimulating a.m. songs and the entle p.m. segment to relax or to use as background music in the classroom. Her 16 songs range from the silly, uninhibited "Alligator Hunt," to the poignantly serious "Real Love," and includes a diversity of musical styles that range from the simple to complex. Songbooks are available for both albums.
Future projects include a video series, children's book and a syndicated television show.
Contact Melany at 321-243-7598, melany@kidstuffbymelany.com, or www.kidstuffbymelany.com.
- Space Coast/Lifestyles

"She sings about the importance of small things. She sings because that is what she does best."
- Florida Today

"Melany writes and sings songs that resonate deeply in the hearts and minds of children."
- Weston Gazette

"...the upbeat melodies will capture children's attention and they will be singing the songs when they've heard them only once!."
- School Library Journal

"Melany elicited audience participation which made the program extraordinary!"
- Kathryn Eward, Principal Creel Elementary