Kids Music in Chicago

Another busy weekend for kids music. This Saturday is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Day of Music. It is an open house for families with all sorts of terrific music and events. We’re especially looking forward to the performances by Erin Flynn and Ella Jenkins at 2:30 & 3:30. As if that weren’t enough, Milkshake and Scribble Monster are performing and Cookie Magazine is throwing a Family Arts & Music Festival.

• Saturday, October 13th from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm Macy’s Day of Music at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (full schedule)
  • 2:30 pm Erin Flynn
  • 3:30 pm Ella Jenkins
• Sunday, October 14th at 12:00 pm Milkshake Band at the Old Town School of Folk Music
• Sunday, October 14th at 1:00 - 5:00 pm Cookie Jams: Family Arts & Music Festival at River East Arts Center. Sponsored by Cookie Magazine. Meridith Brooks is performing and lots more stuff for kids.
• Sunday, October 14th at 4:30 - 6:00 pm Scribble Monster at Bubbles Academy.

Justin Roberts is performing three concerts this weekend, so here’s your chance to see him live. On Saturday he’s performing at a Benefit Concert for The Evanston Hospital. Evidently the 11:00 am show is sold out, but there are still tickets for the 2:00 pm show. On Sunday Justin Roberts will be at the Hyde Park Union Church.

• Saturday, October 6th at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm Justin Roberts at the Evanston Hospital
• Sunday, October 7th at 3:00 pm Justin Roberts with Liam Davis and Gerald Dowd at the Hyde Park Union Church

It is nice to have another weekend chock full of great kids music. In addition to the Celtic Fest in Grant Park and the Do Division Streetfest, we also have the wonderful World Music Festival happening all over the city. If you go to the Garfield Park Conservatory on Saturday, you can enjoy both the World Music Fest and the County Fair.

• Friday, September 14th - Monday, September 17th World Music Festival
• Saturday, September 15th and Sunday, September 16th
  • Do Division Streetfest From noon to 6pm at Andersen School Playground, on the corner of Division St. & Wolcott, attractions include Pony Rides, Craft Tables, Face Painting (Sunday), Balloon Sculpting (Sunday), Inflatable Rides & Concessions. Live entertainment on stage including ARCC Ballet, Peanut Buddy & Jams, Bubbles Academy, The Musical Zoo, The Puppet Place, Mary Macaroni and Chang’s Martial Arts. Family dance party each evening from 5pm to 6pm.
    • Saturday at 1:30 and 3:30 pm, Sarah Parker
  • Celtic Fest The Celtic Kids’ Area will also feature miniature golf, pop-a-shot basketball; music entertainment with The Wiggleworm teachers from the Old Town School of Folk Music and a jumping jack.
    • Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Lindsay Weinberg
    • Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Lindsay Weinberg
    • Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Abby Rowald
    • Saturday, 4:00 p.m. Abby Rowald
    • Sunday, 12:30 p.m. Karen Banks-Lubicz
    • Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Karen Banks-Lubicz
    • Sunday, 3:00 p.m. Laura Doherty
    • Sunday, 4:00 p.m. Laura Doherty

Written by Ann Torralba

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to give a kids concert to some of the families at the World Relief Organization. This organization provides free services for refugee families that have immigrated to the United States. Some of the families that attended the concert were from Burma/Myanmar, Russia, Burundi, Congo, Uganda, and Somalia.

The concert took place in the World Relief Organization’s early childhood room in Albany Park. The interesting thing about this concert was that the families and I started off with different knowledge bases. While many of the families were probably familiar with their countries own traditional children’s songs, they were not familiar with this country’s traditional children’s songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”. Initially, the language barrier also seemed like it might pose a challenge. Here’s where the amazing part comes in . . . we were all able to communicate with each other through music. For 45 minutes, we danced, clapped, did hand movements, smiled, laughed, swayed, stomped, and marched. In the end, it really didn’t matter what language anyone spoke.

I met some wonderful dedicated people working at the organization like Annie, the early childhood teacher and Keri, the Director of Education. If you are interested in making a donation to WR-Chicago’s education programs, you can make a tax deductible donation by writing a check to World Relief-Chicago, Attn: Keri Lucas, Director of Education Dept, 3507 W. Lawrence Avenue , Chicago , IL 60625 .

If local Chicagoans want to donate items (i.e. household goods for apartments for newly arrived refugees, toys or other classroom materials for the early childhood education classroom, etc….) or volunteer with any of our programs, they can contact Keri Lucas at klucas@wr.org or 773-583-9191 x248.

The end of summer is near… This weekend should perhaps be called Ralph Covert weekend for kids music fans since Ralph’s world is performing twice this weekend at two spectacular venues. The Ravinia show is sold out, but the performance at the Pritzker Pavillion is FREE! It is definitely worth getting to Millennium Park an hour early. Not only can you get a good spot on the lawn, but you’ll get a chance to see one of the best kids music bands in the Chicago area, Scribble Monster. My daughter and I recently saw ScribbleMonster at Summer on Southport and all the kids had a fantastic time. Even without the Ralph’s World performance, it would be worth making the trip downtown just for the Scribble Monster show.

Saturday, September 1st Ralph’s World at Ravinia

Monday, September 3rd Millennium Park

• 2:00 pm Scribble Monster
• 3:00 - 4:30 pm Ralph’s World

It is hard to believe that the last weekend in August is already here. There are lots of great shows, so enjoy the outdoors while you can.

Saturday, August 25th

• 11:00 am Elizabeth Mitchell at Ravinia. And for those of us who are also fans of Elizabeth Mitchell’s music for adults, Ida is performing at Schubas on the 27th.

Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th

• Whole Foods FlavorFest
  • Saturday, 3:15 pm Joel Frankel
  • Sunday, 12:00 pm Joel Frankel
  • Sunday, 3:15 pm Little Nashville
• Bucktown Arts Festival
  • Saturday, 12:00 - 12:45 pm Rock and Roll Dad at Holstein Playground
  • Sunday, 12:00 - 12:45 pm Rock and Roll Dad at Holstein Playground

Sunday, August 26th

• 8:00 am Wee Hairy Beasties at the WTTW Kids Fun & Run in Lincoln Park. WTTW11 members will be treated to a special pre-race concert by Wee Hairy Beasties at 8:00 am in the Main Stage Tent.
• 2:00 and 4:00 pm Stacy Music at Millenium Park
• 3:00 pm Justin Roberts at Morton Arboretum
• 3:00 pm Brady Rymer at the Brookfield Zoo

This weekend is yet another amazing weekend in Chicago for kids music. It kicks off on Friday with Mr. Singer and Marius Mustard at Fantasy Kingdom and then… (take a deep breath and don’t worry if you just can’t do it all) on Saturday and Sunday there is is both the Summer on Southport Children’s Festival and Wicker Park Fest. And as if that wasn’t enough, Joel Frankel is at Taste of Lincoln Ave., Tom Chapin is at Ravinia, Scribble Monster is at the Morton Arboretum and Little Nashville is at Comiskey Park!

Friday, July 27th at 10:30 am Mr. Singer and Marius Mustard at Fantasy Kingdom

Saturday & Sunday, July 28th & 29th. Summer on Southport Children’s Festival.

• Saturday, 10:00 am Lunch Money
• Saturday, 11:00 am Seussical the Musical
• Saturday, 12:00 pm Scribble Monster
• Saturday, 12:30 pm Little Nashville
• Saturday, 2:00 pm Girl Authority
• Saturday, 2:00 pm Justin Roberts & Not Ready for Naptime Players
• Sunday, 11:30 pm School of ROCK
• Sunday, 2:00 pm Ralph’s World

Saturday & Sunday, July 28th & 29th Wicker Park Fest

• Saturday, 1:00 pm Karen Banks-Lubicz with Karen for Kids
• Sunday, 1:00 pm Little Miss Anne Band

Saturday, July 28th, Tom Chapin & Friends at Ravinia

Saturday, July 28th at 2:30 pm Joel Frankel at Taste of Lincoln Avenue

Sunday, July 29th

• 3:00 pm Scribble Monster at the Morton Arboretum
• Little Nashville at Comiskey Park

This weekend is a bit quieter than last weekend was or next weekend will be, but there is still plenty interesting going on. Chicago Sings Concert! at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park looks like a lot of fun and it is actually at a reasonable time for our little ones, so we’re planning on packing a picnic dinner and heading downtown. We are also planning to go to the Sheffield Garden Walk, but unfortunately Joel Frankel’s concert is during naptime.

Saturday

• 11:00 am Dirty Sock Funtime Band at Ravinia
• The Silver Room’s Sound System Block Party in Wicker Park
• 12:30 pm Farmer Jason and the Scorchers
• 1:30 pm Erin Flynn

Saturday & Sunday Sheffield Garden Walk

• noon, Sunday Joel Frankel

Sunday

• 10:00 am Justin Roberts at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. This is a fundraiser for the JCC. Tickets cost $18 and are available at the event. More info.
• 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Chicago Sings Concert! at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park Children’s favorites and music from around the globe. Grant Park Chorus Director Christopher Bell will host the event which will feature guests from the Old Town School of Folk Music including Ella Jenkins, Robbie Fulks and Mariachi Perla de Mexico. Also performing, the Old Town Band with Tony Dale on drums, Gregg Ostrom on guitar, Alton Smith on piano and Jimmy Tomasello on bass as well as the Old Town Singers with Tisa Batchelder, Bill Brickey, Kathy Cowan, Chris Kastle, Elaine Moore, Rita Ruby, Barb Silverman, and Robert Tenges.

Written by Ann Torralba

The first time I heard Erin Flynn sing was when I went to see a production by Chicago’s own Red Moon Theater. Honestly, I really don’t remember much about the play. All I remember is Erin Flynn coming out on stage strumming her guitar and commanding the audience with her angelic voice. That unique voice coupled with the Co-op band is what makes “Dreamers of Dreams” (2004) worth listening and adding to your collection. The 13 traditional and original songs take you on a musical journey where you travel through ska, jazz, folk, rock and punk. At times, this album truly rocks out making you want to dance and other times it gets soft and sweet. The best thing about this cd is that while it definitely has a consistent sound throughout, all the songs are uniquely different from one another.

The song “Mary Mack” lured my daughter in with its cowbell. Slowly the song builds momentum and ends in a Blondie like frenzy. One favorite of mine was “Butterfly”. One could mistake the lyrics to be written by Simon and Garfunkel with its description of the darkness of winter. Filled with hope, Flynn begs throughout the song for a butterfly (Spring) to come back to her. My favorite song however is “Join in with a song”. With its full chorus of voices, this song belongs in some sort of rock musical like “Hair”.

The title “Dreamers of Dream” is taken originally from a poem from Arthur O’Shaughnessy. You might recognize it from Charlie and the Chocolate factory. Even though this cd was created in Philadelphia not Wonkaland, I think even Willie Wonka would put his stamp of approval on this cd.

Little Nashville is playing the pre-game at Comiskey Park on Sunday, July 29th. That may very well top the list of cool venues for kids music in Chicago this summer.