ACTION MOVES PEOPLE: A Spoken Word & Music Album to Support Global Nonprofit MOVE THIS WORLD

Earlier this month, a group of Grammy Award-Winning producers and performers joined together to release an inspirational charity album ACTION MOVES PEOPLE to benefit the non-profit organization MOVE THIS WORLD, a global nonprofit that uses creative movement to address and transform conflict and violence in communities. All proceeds from the sales of this CD benefit the MOVE THIS WORLD charity.

ACTION MOVES PEOPLE is a collection of poems and songs for people of all ages. Some are gentle songs, others are edgier, a purposeful range in style in pursuit of conveying that we are all one people, regardless of race, religion, age and lifestyle; that we can all endure the challenges of life, uplift ourselves and one another, and help each other through life's easy and difficult moments. 

It's always interesting and inspiring to see who turns up to support on another on cause albums such as this one.  Here, the range is eclectic, and includes international artists John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson, UK), Japanese Progressive group Electric Asturias, renowned children's musician Bobby Susser and others coming together with luminaries like world-renowned author/researcher Colin Andrews. 

Recently, Heather Caton MSW, President of the World Genesis Foundation, said, “ACTION MOVES PEOPLE is a wonderful collaboration and has brought amazing hearts and minds together. May it continue to have such a positive and uplifting effect, bringing peace and connecting people. It is such an uplifting feeling to be connecting with more and more people who share the same vision of our world in harmony; of a peaceful co-existence with people from all walks of life, race, culture, religion, and lifestyle. Our connection with each other makes us stronger, we can make a world of difference working together." 

In partnership with schools, community-based organizations, families and corporations, MTW is building and connecting more peaceful communities with over 10,000 individuals across 22 cities and 4 continents.

The album, its content and mission, has been applauded by music luminaries such as Paul Simon, Billy Vera and Ben E. King. The producers on the project included Kevin Mackie, Krista Wallhagen, Whitney Peyton, Rave Tesar, Kevin Frank, and Bobby Susser. The album debuted on August 27th, 2013 through Kevin Mackie Productions and will be distributed via CD Baby, with proceeds going to MOVE THIS WORLD.

Regarding the album collaboration, Bobby Susser (an award-winning children's musician and lecturer who contributed to two pieces plus the liner notes) commented “I've worked for forty two years writing and recording children's songs. While I've tried to entertain them, I've always made a very conscious effort to teach them something. So, when Kevin Mackie asked me to write some lyrics and recite them for a Spoken Word album, "Action Moves People", I jumped at the chance. The fact that the album will benefit children has always been a philosophy of mine. In addition, the fact that this is a non-profit, charity project made it more appealing. I'm especially proud to have joined Kevin and his team in their production efforts on their very worthy album for a very worthy cause.”

Bobby Susser, producer, musician and lecturer, with his inspirational sidekick.

Susser’s reading of the spoken word piece he wrote for the album can be heard on his YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/BobbySusser  Just click to listen and explore more about MOVE THIS WORLD or ACTION MOVES PEOPLE.

SHOOTINGS INSPIRE SEARCH FOR BETTER ENTERTAINMENT CHOICES FOR KIDS

As at least two tragic mass shootings occurred over the past few weeks, we are left wondering "why" and how these young men become so twisted. While the world points at violence in films like The Dark Knight Rises, we know of course that issues with family, friends, education, healthcare and society also play into people gone very wrong.

One wonders what can be done at an early age to instill in our children the proper respect for others' lives and opinions? How can we build confidence in kids as a buffer against life's emotional insults and injuries, and how can we give them better tools to process it all? While there's no quick fix, I really believe in the power of art and music as a positive tool for therapy and change. And, even if it won't prevent a madman, it can help us to take a more positive POV and heal our angst.

Elizabeth Thoman, a pioneering leader in the U.S. media literacy field, wrote "The time has come to break the circle of blame and start building a movement for a caring culture" on her Center for Media Literacy blog, where she also wrote "There is no one solution to the problem of media violence, nor will we ever totally eradicate violence from our lives or from the media. But there are many steps that each of us can take to reduce the amount and the impact of violent images in our lives and in the lives of our children. These individual acts, along with the acts of others, will add up to widespread social change. We have come to believe that every single soda can we pick up is one small step in saving the environment—isn't our cultural environ-ment equally important?"

Indeed, start small, with young children. The next time you have the opportunity to choose entertainment for children, avoid the proliferation of "Brat-Pop" and open a child's world with music of quality and age-appropriate messages that also builds self-esteem.

"Easy to sing, and engaging for the children, are elements that I think are most often required for the young audience, so that they can join in and feel good about it." -- Bobby Susser, producer

MUSIC:

We touched on film and DVD in our last post, so looking more closely at the music front, there are a handful of positive kids music artists out there like Tim Battersby, Hap Palmer, and producer/songwriter Bobby Susser. Susser stresses the importance of music as a confidence-building tool, noting that children are proud to be able to learn and repeat a song, so the simpler, the better for those under 10! Recently he shared the final process behind his new album WO! saying, "When I visited a few schools, to test the songs as I usually do, I was getting immediate feedback, having fun, and making up songs and faces with the kids. When it came to "The Wo Wo Song" I had the melody and the lyrics to the first verse. It was an inviting sing along with "Everybody get ready, we're all gonna sing together." It was nice, and simple...a hit. Easy to sing, and engaging for the children, are elements that I think are most often required for the young audience, so that they can join in and feel good about it."

Here is a starter playlist for the kids in your life, for any time of day. If you don't have children, then you might consider donating positive music to your local school or library...it goes a long way in your community, providing repeated listens by grateful little ears!

Play:
Bobby Susser: Award-winning singer/songwriter offers gentle albums on foundational topics like Respect & Confidence, Better Together, Wo! and 9 more! A favorite collection of teachers & librarians!

Relax:
Lia Scallon: First Little Angels on Earth contains 2 CDs, and the story of five brave little angels, who undertake a Grand Adventure, to visit beautiful planet Earth. With an "all ages" meditation on Disc 2.

Dance:
Richard Maddox: Pianist and accompanist to dancers, he offers various CDs that tell stories and encourage expressive dance and movement, perhaps a great fit for kids who can't find the right words to share their feelings.

Feel:
Little Souls Productions An adorable DVD to aid emotional intelligence and well-being. The sisters who founded Little Soul Productions offer a DVD that actively engages children in the learning process and fun yoga, saying "they will experience a deeper understanding of their own authenticity while strengthening their emotional and spiritual muscles!"

Dream:
Tron Syversen: The newest U.S. release, SACRED DREAMS, is the perfect nap and bedtime music for children. Angelic vocal humming by Elin Lokken is comfortingly maternal against lush instrumentals lulling one into the deep Alpha state. The album was also made to enhance creative visualization in the waking-sleep state, a good concept for older children to learn and for aiding in creative endeavors.

Image (c) Beth Hilton.

ENTERTAINING KIDS: 3 FUN IDEAS FOR A SMART SUMMER

Keeping kids entertained this summer can go far beyond camp, the beach or the playground. It's also about teaching them to make positive choices, with entertainment that will gently expand your children’s understanding of the world and develop good character in a truly memorable way. Young children are especially precocious and require all the skills of parenting to help them not just with normal fun activities, but by “edu-taining” them as well.

Start fresh this summer, scheduling an event each month to balance healthy activity with passive entertainment, building upon our top choices. For instance, you might hold a Sing Along Show & Dance with WO! for the younger ones, or, introduce the book club concept by reading the book “The Borrowers” before watching the “Arrietty” film adaptation on DVD. And, of course, Brave further fuels the archery trend that started with The Hunger Games, so the older kids might enjoy a local family archery class; they are offered for free in L.A.'s Balboa Park on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Read on for more about our top 3 choices to entertain and edutain your children of various ages in the summer of 2012:

WO!
That their names sound similar is pure coincidence, but Bobby Susser may well be the Dr. Seuss of children's songs. Bobby has just released his 25th album WO! and it's a sure to keep your children singing throughout the summer. With 12 songs, Bobby's new album demonstrates that "Any time of day, there is always a song to sing."

Award-winning Bobby Susser, a songwriter, record producer and singer has given us children's songs that are fun and easy-to-learn for children Pre-K and up, while also enjoyable to parents and grandparents! The songs -- especially The Wo Wo Song, Smiling Face, and Oooh Good Morning – gently introduce the foundations of rock ‘n’ roll, and will keep your children laughing, singing, dancing and, above, all, having fun. The Bobby Susser collection of albums teach children about exercise, good health habits, animals and changing seasons. They explain concepts about world peace, feelings and why we are “better together.” But, more than that, they also try to instill in children values about home and family, brotherhood, patriotism, respect and confidence. Find links to buy WO! and eleven other top kids albums on Bobby Susser's site, while also exploring lyrics and activities for parents and teachers. Access the lyrics and activities to produce your own family talent show, gently building your child's confidence.(www.BobbySusser.com)


The Secret World of Arrietty
Children love to watch DVDs over and over, and The Secret World of Arrietty is a sweet film for older children that is a step above the cookie-cutter storylines and visuals often released for children. A Japanese-animated fantasy film, this movie is based on English author Mary Norton’s novel “The Borrowers,” which (in 2007) was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years. The directorial debut of animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, he is the youngest director of a Studio Ghibli film. Now available on DVD, the movie was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the USA in early 2012. The film, which grossed more than $145 million worldwide, has been praised by critics as “a gentle and entrancing tale” (Steve Rose of The Guardian), and “likely a perennial favorite among children” (Christoph Mark of The Daily Yomiuri). Parents will likely recognize the U.S.-dub version’s voices by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and David Hendrie among others.


Brave
This heavily-promoted 3-D animated movie produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures, promises to be a summer highlight, due for airing in June 2012. It is a fantasy-adventure film set in Scotland and is the first fairy tale by Pixar. It tells the story of a skilled archer, Merida, who asks a witch for help but is cursed instead. To lift the curse, she must learn what true bravery means. It is like to appeal to both boys and girls much like Tangled, with a balance of adventure and youthful romance. The movie is scheduled to make its European debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. At that time, Disney Interactive Studios will release a video game based on the film for Play Station 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS, offering additional summer entertainment options for older children.