Spend a wonderful Valentine's Day with the one and only Laurie Berkner and her lovely music! and a special video extra!
Laurie Berkner, hailed by People Magazine as the undisputed "Queen of Kid's Music" serenades the lil' tykes on Valentine's Day in a special virtual show
Photo: Laurie Berkner on Facebook
Of the many, many kids music makers in the world, none of them can ever top the legendary Laurie Berkner. She seems to have been going strong after 23 years in the scene, with a fresh new album that I will review soon and a string of fresh new singles during the COVID-19 pandemic and several special virtual shows.
She has created a very special medley for Valentine's Day, and it's 100 % romance-free and filled with lots of family love.
If you have ever been to a Laurie Berkner show in the past, it always starts with "When I woke Up Today". And this compilation also starts with that tune, as it is about waking up on the bright side and the simple joys of friendship and sharing the world with your friends.
It is followed up with two other songs, "A Hug from My Mama and I Love You, Daddy", both songs are quite beautiful and reassuring, like a warm hug from your mother and father.
After that, it is followed up by "I Know How That Works", a rousing tune that highlights curiosity, knowledge and all the wonders that surround the trait and being able to share that knowledge to younger minds.
Lastly, we have a beloved Berkner classic, "Juniper Square". In this time when we have been all constrained by social distancing and stay-at-home orders, it's a beautiful throwback to that time when we can all be together in a place like that, sharing music with all your friends and having a great time while doing so.
This proves that Laurie Berkner is indeed "a star of all seasons" in the kindie field, and that her songs can touch the elements of childhood in a very moving way.
Not to mention, she has a very special Valentine's virtual show on February 14th at 12nn/5pm US Eastern Time, and will be available for re-watching for a week after that respective date.
Further details can be found here: https://live.laurieberkner.com/ and on the band's Facebook page.
And speaking of videos, I have a very special treat coming at you from the kindie soulstress, Shine and the Moonbeams!
This song is called "I Can't Sleep" first released in 2013.
In case you don't know, Shine and the Moonbeams were a big hit when they started in 2013, however they made a second album but to very little publicity. They have been on a rebound in recent months, with an appearance in "Kukuza Fest", a celebration of black family music artists, and they have been getting mentions in various websites and blogs in the wake of the "all white" Grammy nomination incident.
They had made a music video out of the song mentioned earlier and shared it on the artist's Facebook page. I had stumbled upon the video on one of the kindie related groups I follow and am a part of, and when I saw it, I have to simply say, I instantly fell in love with the song and the video that came with it.
The song is not just an ordinary lullaby, it's very soulful, heartfelt, and beautiful. It describes a young child's fears of sleeping alone and the imaginary creatures that come with it, in a musical style that sounds reminiscent of the Peanuts TV specials. There's also a very elegant jazzy aesthetic that makes it feel like something from a bar scene in a movie, but a little pared down to keep it G-rated. A very soothing and relaxing tune.
And the video? Well, the visuals here are not just artistic, but they seem to add a special storybook-like aesthetic that amazingly compliments the song very well. It's basically like a closing sequence from a Disney/Pixar film.
Lots of things I can say to describe it, but you really should check out the beauty this song has. If you liked this song/music video, why not check out their self-titled debut album and the follow-up, "Shooting Star"? They are packed with so many soulful tunes you're bound to enjoy!
P. S: The embed is unavailable due to Facebook restrictions. To watch, click on the "Watch on Facebook" link.
COMING SOON: Artists to watch in 2021!
