Kid Pan Alley: Press

Students turn songwriters

Program encourages creativity through songs

Kathy Hussey works with third-graders at Patrick Henry Elementary School on Wednesday during the Kid Pan Alley program in which singer-songwriters help students create original works. (Bulletin photo by Mike Wray) Thursday, January 14, 2010 By ELIZA WINSTON - Bulletin Staff Writer If children wrote every song on the radio, what would the lyrics be about? At Patrick Henry Elementary School on Wednesday, the answer was everything from recess to pizza to eating dirt in science class. Singer-songwriters with the Kid Pan Alley children’s songwriting project are holding workshops this week for third- and fourth-graders at the school. Kathy Hussey and Paddy Dougherty are teaching students to write original songs that will be performed in concerts Friday for the student body and parents.   The project, sponsored by Piedmont Arts Association, the Harvest Foundation and others, is designed to help children express their ideas in song while building self-confidence, according to a news release. On Wednesday, Alicia Diaz’s third-grade class got a chance to create its own song. Hussey, of Nashville, explained to the students that first, they had to decide on a topic. Normandy Evans, 9, suggested, “I am a third-grader.” The class decided to go with the theme of third grade, and Hussey told students they would brainstorm every word they could think of to describe being in third grade to create lyrics for the song’s chorus. “What kinds of things do you like about being in third grade?” Hussey asked. Dougherty, who is based in Lynchburg, wrote down the answers, one of which was about science projects. “And why do you like science projects?” Hussey inquired. “Because today we ate dirt!” the students exclaimed. Diaz explained that the students learned about the layers of soil with a demonstration made from cookie crumbs, pudding and gummy worms. “And then we ate it,” several kids said. This led to brainstorming about lunch, pizza and the candy students received if they got 100 percent on an assignment. The students continued brainstorming until Hussey told them they were ready to create a chorus. Some students, such as Normandy, were used to song structure. Normandy said she often practices singing on her own and has even written her own songs. Others, such as Anthony Ballard, 8, never had created a song before. Anthony said he enjoyed the class, but he wasn’t sure if he would write a song by himself in the future. Even if Wednesday’s class didn’t create 22 future songwriters, it helped teach students the basics of music construction, including a new vocabulary. Hussey explained that a chorus is the part of a song that has the title, is repeated often and holds the song’s main idea. She asked the class what the other component of a song is, hinting that it starts with a “v.” The class broke out into a chorus of “Vs,” trying to sound out the unknown word. “Vulture?” a student ventured, but Hussey replied that the word she was looking for was “verse.” However, first students had to create a chorus. With guidance from the songwriters, the class came up with this: “We are third grade, and this is our song/We are third grade; we like to sing along/We think we’re always right and we are never wrong/We are third grade, and this is our song.” After Hussey sang it once with her guitar, the entire class sang while Dougherty recorded it. The verses are to be written in another workshop today. The students will be given recordings of the song to take home and practice before they perform for the school on Friday. At 6:30 p.m. that day, parents will be invited to Patrick Henry for a second performance. According to the news release, Kid Pan Alley was founded in Rappahannock County in 1999, and it has created and performed 1,500 songs with some 25,000 elementary school children in communities across the country. Additional supporters of the workshops are the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Mellon Arts in Education Statewide Program and the Patrick Henry PTO.

Renee Montagne interviews Paul Reisler about Kid Pan Alley.

Various Artists - Kid Pan Alley: I Used To
Know The Names of All the Stars
4 stars (out of 5 stars)
Reviewed: July 7, 2009

Review by Tony Bonyata

Pablo Picasso once claimed, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." Singer/songwriter Paul Reisler obviously recognizes this quandary and has started a wonderful program called Kid Pan Alley that not only taps into children's inherent creativity but teaches them the skills and gives the inspiration to write, record and perform their own music.

Reisler, who was the leader of the American folk group Trapezoid, founded Kid Pan Alley with the singular goal of reinvigorating creativity in children as a core value in education. He travels to different schools throughout the nation for a weeklong music education program with elementary school kids, and since its inception has created more than 1,000 songs with more than 20,000 kids in communities across the U.S. The first thing on the agenda is to write the songs. Taking one or two class periods, the students decide what they want to write about (sometimes serious and at others quite silly) while Reisler and a songwriting assistant guide them through the process. Once the lyrics are written they work with the students to arrange music to the songs in a broad range of styles (from folk to funk, and reggae to rap) and then record the songs to CD. They then rehearse for live performances of their own creations for both a school assembly as well as an evening program for the entire community. The program lasts only one week, but the lasting impressions of this type of education and creative empowerment can most certainly last a lifetime.

A few school residencies have even stretched beyond just the boundaries of a week-long program, yielding CDs of these children's songs performed by world-renowned artists. Musicians that have contributed to some of these efforts in the past include Delbert McClinton, Amy Grant and Kix Brooks, among others. Their most recent Kid Pan Alley CD release, I Used To Know The Names Of All The Stars, was the result of eight-weeks of music programs in the Charlottesville, VA area. While their two previous Kid Pan Alley CDs (Tidal Wave of Song and Nashville) were both strong efforts, their recent album is the most satisfying to date, with a strong line-up of stars such as alt-rockers Cracker, Ellis Paul, Hackensaw Boys, Jesse Winchester and even Oscar winning actress Sissy Spacek.

But as strong as the star-power is on this album, it's the songs themselves, co-written by the children, that shine so brightly. Sparky's Flaw delivers a spirited take of the cute "My Dog Did My Homework," where the band's lead singer belts out, "My dog did my homework, and I accidentally ate it. It tasted like science. It tasted like math. It tasted like paper. It tasted really bad." And on "I Always Wanted A Horse," performed by Cracker, frontman David Lowery bemoans on the song's catchy chorus, "But I can't have a horse, because I live in New York. And a horse isn't potty-trained, of course. He's as wild as my brother, who's as crazy as Crazy Horse."

Other great themes also stand out on the Corey Harris performed number "My Sister," where a little boy is puzzled over his older sister's interest in constantly changing clothes and brushing her teeth, as well as Carton Blount and Kristin Asbury Hott tackling the birds and bees on the R&B driven "Hummingbird and the Honey Bee," where they sing, "They sipped from the flowers for hours and hours. They started to hum, they started to buzz. Next thing they knew they were falling in love." Childhood fears such as the boogieman and other things that go bump in the night also abound on the funky "My Mother Is A Dream Catcher" and the Hackensaw Boys' freewheeling hillbilly floor-stomper, "Scared of Being Scary."

These songs, all co-created by young children and performed by well-known artists, are guaranteed to inspire and amuse not only kids, but adults alike.

To bring Kid Pan Alley to our community call 540.987.3166 or email info@kidpanalley.org For more info go to: http://kidpanalley.org

A 36-minute radio interview about Kid Pan Alley and creativity in 2 parts.

BY ALEX CARRIER, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Published: May 13, 2009

Adults sometimes forget how clearly children perceive the world around them. So, it was an interested and entertained audience of adults (and children) who enjoyed a concert about how children see and sing life.
Last week marked the fourth year of success for the Kid Pan Alley program in Greene County Schools. Designed to help children discover their inner voice and listen to the music inside them, the program is led by Kid Pan Alley founder and renowned musician Paul Reisler. Well-known local musician Terri Allard lent her talents to the writing and performing process and Will Mackie-Jenkins joined in for the concert.
One all-too-common theme expressed in two different compositions was how sugar makes the kids hyper – which brought an all-too-knowing laugh from the parents and teachers. Students sang songs about doing homework, their puppies and the two sides to every story.
The kids sang about needing people, needing luck and their shadow as a fair-weather friend. They even found inspiration from inspiration with songs titled “We make it up as we go along” and “Everybody’s got a voice.”
Participating 2nd grade classes from the Greene County Primary School were Ms. Johnson’s, Ms. William’s, Ms. Hunt’s, Ms. Martin’s, Ms. A. Taylor’s and Ms. M. Taylor’s. Ruckersville Elementary School 2nd grade classes were Ms. Mikell’s, Mrs. Mitchelson’s, Mr. Saunder’s and Ms. Schoer’s.
During the concert, students performed Kid Pan Alley classic “Best friend’s” and a popular favorite to be the new Virginia state song “I do love Virginia” created during a Kid Pan Alley program in Central Virginia.
In a time when school programs are being necessarily trimmed because of budget constraints, Kid Pan Alley supporters remind everyone that even the fun of making music has a serious role in the development of self-esteem and creativity in students.
Cost of the program is covered by donations which can be made directly to the schools with a notation for the Kid Pan Alley Program. More information on the Greene Program can also be found a http://www.vgreene.com/KPA.
While Kid Pan Alley 2009 has ended; teachers, parents and the program supporters look forward to the musical creations from new classes next year. To quote one of this year’s songs “All good things come to an end”, when it comes to Kid Pan Alley in Greene County “It’s a good thing things come to an end, because you get to start all over again.”

Kid Pan Alley songwriters Kathy Hussey and Paddy Dougherty spent 2 weeks in Lynchburg, VA writing songs with kids at T.C. Miller Elementary and James River Day School. Here's a great interview with them on public radio.
< a href="http://kidpanalley.org/music-group-22.html">To listen

In-depth article with great pictures about Kid Pan Alley Charlottesville
Paul Reisler stands in front of a classroom of fifth graders from Greer Elementary School, classroom, guitar in hand. It is obvious that his mind, just like his wild gray hair, has a clear independent streak. The overall visual effect is kind of Professor Irwin Corey meets Einstein, which is perfect, actually, because it is also clear that there is a brilliant method to this madness.

“So, what do you want to write about today?”

Click here to view full article and pictures!

A Song in your Heart

Paul Reisler travels the country these days putting on his Kid Pan Alley workshops. Paul sits with school age children and together they create wonderful things. The results are that thousands of songs have been written by thousands of kids. Their lyrics grace the contents of several CD’s. When the kids sing their songs, they are backed by Reisler's Rid Pan Alley Band which is made up of nationally and inter-nationally recognized musicians. It's hard not to feel inspired and invigorated when you hear the music and see the smiling faces of these young people. They are seeing and hearing the fruits of their creativity. It’s a stunning process to witness.
Creativity in our children is needed ore than ever these days. With so much teaching to the test and cuts made to arts programs across the country, it is refreshing to see that Reisler and his crew of merry music makers is having great success. In Charlottesville and Albemarle county, 16 elementary schools have already booked weeklong residencies for Reisler’s magic for next year.
Reisler has come back to his roots Rappahannock and for the third straight year, students in Rappahannock due in large part to support from like Headwaters, the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and Community, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, have been busy making music.
They've got a concert coming up on May 2 at 7 p.m. at the elementary school. Hopefully, you'll be able to hear them for yourself.
What Reisler is doing and what many in this county are trying to do is forge partnerships that result in success. Educating children, seeing them succeed and hearing them sing is affirmation that they have our support.
It's not just recognizing the beauty in them but the beauty in us as their advocates.

By Mary Alice Blackwell
Kids can say the darnedest things. Senior citizens can have the darnedest experiences.
Put them together … and you are bound to come up with one darned good show.
Maybe even two.
Read the rest of the interview:

Article about Kid Pan Alley Residency in Albemarle Family Magazine:
Huge pieces of paper stick to the blackboard in Laura Hall's and Neil Hakel's classroom at Jackson-Via Elementary school in Charlottesville. Scribbled on them in blue, purple, and green are snippets of lyrics springing from the minds of first- through fourth-graders. They are brainstorming ideas for Kid Pan Alley, a week-long residency working with professional musicians. They're learning what it takes to be songwriters...Click here to view full article and pictures!

An interview with Kid Pan Alley's Paddy Dougherty about our Lynchburg project and performance with the Lynchburg Symphony.

A great article for the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development magzine that talks about some of the educational uses of Kid Pan Alley Click here to view full article and pictures!

Anne Carley - Virginia Educational Leadership Magazine (Jan 23, 2008)

This is a great TV review. It may take a while to download, so please be patient because it's worth the wait!

VIRGINIAN-PILOT
STRING RENDITIONS: workshop makes kids on-the-spot songwriters.

Keep it democratic, slightly chaotic, wide-open. Just watch Paul Reisler. He knows how.
The folk musician spent the week at Taylor Elementary School in West Ghent, shepherding children through the normally solitary songwriting process.

Today, the classes will perform 10 original songs during concerts at 1:30 and 7 p.m. On Wednesday, however, many of the songs had yet to be written.

"What do you guys want to write about?" Reisler, 57, asked the group of fourth-graders as they sat down. The suggestions came rapid-fire. Summer vacation, shoes, snow, the mall. "I have no clue," said 9 -year-old Michaella Phillips. "What a great title!" Reisler fired back. Football, America, strings.

Reisler's colleague, Kathy Hussey, made a list on the white board. Then it was time to vote. Eyes closed. Hands popped up intermittently. After a run-off, strings won. Reisler kept the class moving as he tuned his guitar.

"So, what about strings?" The children tossed out suggestions, offering items - shoestrings, fishing line, phone cords - and expressions - "on a shoestring," "no strings attached," "at the end of my rope." Another vote. The winner: "puppet on a string."
Reisler and the group played with the theme, repeating it. "I'm just a puppet on a string. I'm just a puppet on your string." The students chose the latter.

Hussey added to the board, riffing off string: thing, sing, string, bring. "You make me dance, you make me sing," someone offered.

"Nice," Reisler said. "Now we need a melody.
A melody is like a walk in the mountains. Some notes go up, some notes go down." Grace White took a stab in a small, steady voice.

Reisler repeated her cadence, his left hand searching out the chords on his guitar. "That's really up tempo," said Hussey, bobbing her head. "Show tune-y." Reisler kept playing with the tune as the students worked out rhymes.

"I'll do anything," shouted James Lyle, 10. Reisler picked up on this. "You know that I'll do anything," he said. "I'll do anything for you." A pause. Everyone was stumped. A teacher handed Hussey a red monster puppet for inspiration. Reisler watched it dance. "You move my hands, you move my feet?" he offered. "You move my body to the beat," added a student. "You move me down the street," chimed in another. All good, but they needed two syllables to round out the line. "Of love," a child offered. "Street of love." This sent up a giggle, but it would stay for now.

With six minutes left in class, Reisler hustled the children up to a microphone and turned on his laptop recorder. They sang two good takes, each with conviction. I'm just a puppet on your string You make me dance, you make me sing I'll do anything for you You move my hands, you move my feet You move my body to the beat You move me down the street of love "Put a pad of paper by your bed," Reisler told the children as they left. "Wake up in the middle of the night. Write down what comes to you in your dreams."
The plan was to write verses Thursday to flesh out the chorus they ha d just written. Next week,

Reisler and Hussey will run another workshop at James Monroe Elementary in Park Place. Both are sponsored by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Debra and Grey Persons and Debra's mother, Doris Gimbert Cunningham. Grey Persons works in The Virginian-Pilot's advertising department.

Reisler, who founded the folk group Trapezoid in the 1970s, started the project, known as Kid Pan Alley, after a songwriting residency in rural Rappahannock County, where he lives. Since then, he estimates he's written more than 600 songs with more than 12,000 children around the country.

The younger the child, he said, the more they take to the challenge, the less they edit themselves. "Self-censorship is the enemy of creativity," Reisler said as he put his guitar away. "The artist's role is to get it all out there and then let it gel, shape it."

Kid Pan Alley--Kids' music we can all love

With the mission, "inspiring kids to be creators, not consumers," you have to love Kid Pan Alley even before you listen to the music that this project brings to life. But give their CD a spin and you may become a true fan like me.

Kid Pan Alley brings together professional songwriters, musicians, and kids to create new music. This Grammy-nominated collaboration has produced over 600 songs with 12,000 children. Imagine what this opportunity means for those kids--to bring this kind of artistic creation into their school day. The results are fabulous. I have had Kid Pan Alley Nashville spinning in my car CD player for a month now. I didn't want to give it just a cursory review, but I really wanted to see whether this music would make it onto my family's must-play list. It has. I am always on the lookout for music that kids and adults can both enjoy, and Kid Pan Alley Nashville is the only kid-oriented CD that I occasionally play when I am actually alone in the car. When my daughter is there, we listen to it a lot, with her serving as DJ, requesting "Put on track 17...track 10" as we sing along together.

The songs on Kid Pan Alley Nashville range from a gorgeous lullaby, "Whispering in Spanish," written in collaboration with a bilingual second-grader, to the hilarious bluegrass song, "Extra Hand," to the rock cut "No Fair" recorded with Will Hoge. (My favorite lyric: "The fair only comes to town once a year...IT'S NO FAIR!")

Get in a kids' frame of mind to enjoy a silly, catchy song like "Stinky Socks"...but any adult with a heart has to love songs like the hauntingly beautiful melody "Rainforest" sung by country artist Darrell Scott. "Rainforest" illustrates how music made through collaboration can transcend the boundaries of any one genre. The song opens with melancholy woodwinds and strings but builds to a Sgt. Pepper-worthy climax of joyful brass.

The songs are most successful when the elements of the kids' collaboration are brought to the forefront. The only misfire for me is the song "Download it All for Free" which is perfectly listenable, but communicates a preachy adult message, warning kids that if they download songs without paying the artists the music will go away. It comes across as a sermon against technology and globalization that lacks an authentic kid angle. That's the exception to the rule on this wonderful collection.

I look forward to listening to other Kid Pan Alley albums. If you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift for families whose kids are too old for The Wiggles but not yet ready for "High School Musical"--or whose parents are just too weary of overhyped commercialism and are looking for a more authentic kid music experience--you can't go wrong with Kid Pan Alley. The music is available through CD Baby, Barnes and Noble.com, or the iTunes music store, where you can download the music in good conscience.

Check out Kid Pan Alley's own website to learn more about the founders' vision and the creative process that goes in to making this wonderful music.

PERFORMING SONGWRITER MAGAZINE
GOOD WORKS—CELEBRATING THOSE WHO USE THEIR MUSIC TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES By Clay Steakley

ALL ARTISTS KNOW the line between creativity and chaos is often blurry one. But the most honest and original work comes from pushing that boundary~or at least coming pretty close. That's what songwriter/composer/teacher Paul Reisler does every day that he works with his Kid Pan Alley music enrichment program, where he collaborates with classrooms of children to write original songs. After all, what better place to find chaos than a room full of kids?
"My job is to keep them right on this side of chaos," Reisler says, "so that they're excited and shouting out the first thing they think of. It's that initial idea that has the juice. It's when they worry about if it's a cool enough idea that you're lost. You're navigating a fine line between chaos and thinking."

With Kid Pan Alley, Reisler goes into the schools and works with children, allowing them to write their own songs about what they want to talk about. Reisler gently directs them and comes up with music on the spot. Considering its humble beginnings, this relatively young program is already gaining considerable recognition.

"It skirted three years ago," Reisler explains. I live in a very small rural community in Virginia called Rappahannock County. The county has about 6,000 people, and the town Little Washington, which is the county seat, has about 200. So you can kind of get an idea of just how rural it is. There are a lot of artists living there, however. I'd been asked by one of my best friends to go in and work with the kids in the school.

I've done a huge amount of songwriting teaching for adults-I teach all over the country, and I've been doing that for 12 or 14 years. But I'd never worked with kids before in that regard. I thought, 'God, how am I possibly going to write a song with a group of kids?' So I thought up all these ideas so I'd be prepared to do whatever. Then I walked in there, and in the very first class period, threw it all away. We wrote a great song in the first hour and kind of went from there. I spent three weeks in our local school system and worked with virtually every kid in the county-many of them two or three times. We wrote close to 50 songs, and I was writing three songs a day."

As word spread and more and more people wanted copies of the songs, Reisler began to see a community-bonding experience develop. "I got this idea to get all the different musicians in the community together and have each of them record a song in their own style. I had almost every musician in the county involved in it in one way or another, all the recording engineers. We raised all the money up front to make the album so that the money, from sales of the album went to more music enrichment programs for the kids. We had this album release concert and 1,000 people showed up i a county of 6,000 people, 1,000 people came." He shakes his head and adds, "Little of this was planned. I stumbled into this. 1 didn't realize what incredible co-writers kids are."

The current Kid Pan Alley CD project finds Reisler working in Nashville. "I got a bunch of my friends together, the A-team writers, and they're going in and writing with the children. We've got Beth Nielsen Chapman, Angela Kaset, Gary Nicholson, Darrell Scott, Jon Vezner, and Bill Lloyd. Right now, we're in the process of writing the songs. We've probably written about 20 in the last two weeks." From there, Reisler and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra will arrange the songs and choose from a list of celebrity recording artists to record the songs. Once again, the money from the sale of CDs will go to more much-needed music enrichment programs.

"One of the most important things that I've learned from all of this is how much kids need to learn that they can be creators and not consumers," Reisler says. "Our entire culture is teaching them how to consume stuff-how to buy as if we could buy our way out of the world's problems, $87 million here, $30 billion there. ... We don't buy our way out of things; we create our way out. Everything of value in the world has been created by someone having an idea and doing it. And yet we're teaching our kids how to not be creative. We're beating the creativity out of them by the relentless assault of video games and TV. We're entertaining them and getting their attention, but not teaching them how to do the thing that's actually going to make the world a better place. So, in our own small way, it's starting with something they're the interested in."

Reisler and Kid Pan Alley are working on curriculum guides and manuals for teachers and songwriters who would like to get involved. VISIT: www.kidpanalley.org and www.paulreisler.com to learn more.

Quotes from Teachers:
“Students learned the steps in brainstorming, selecting an idea to pursue, and then generating verses and melody to actualize their idea. They worked together under your leadership to collaborate, piggy-back, and compromise, as they produced a song with melody and words that they owned and would perform for others. What more engaging method of learning the value of teamwork, vocabulary and wit?”
Kathy Grove, Headmistress, Wakefield Country Day School

“Kid Pan Alley was one of the best experiences that our students have ever had at our school! Thank you for sharing your songwriting and musical skills with our students. I told the audience during our Kid Pan Alley performances, "Tonight will be something you will probably remember the rest of your life!" This experience will have direct and residual effects for years to come for the students that participated. The students are inspired to take a greater interest in the arts. The students are encouraged to do better academically in school.”
Tom Caton, Principal, Elkin Elementary, Elkin, NC

Paul Reisler had great rapport with the children when he worked with them on brainstorming and lyric writing. He was able to bring out their creativity in fun, exciting sessions.
Harriette Rosenblatt, Rappahannock Elementary, Washington, VA

“Paul Reisler was easily able to adapt to the age and maturity level of each group. His phenomenal guitar skills together with his innate sense of melody and rhyme helped the children build confidence in lyric-writing very quickly.“ Joy Rollins, Rappahannock Elementary, Washington, VA

“You inspired me in ways that will change my teaching for years to come. I am going to incorporate a writing unit in the spring each year and have a showcase at the end of the year. Perhaps even do some cd's as a fundraiser.” Hilary Parks, Whitsett Elementary, Nashville, TN

“I was hesitant at first about taking class time for a project that didn’t cover the SOL’s; however, they addressed poetry writing SOL’s for forth grade. They really did well teaching figurative language such as similies, metaphors, onomatopoeia and alliteration. Rhyme scheme and poetry patterns were also present in their teachings. I really appreciate this workshop and I know my students did. Their final product was awesome.” Sandra Clement, Blue Ridge Elementary, Ararat, VA

“The confidence levels just soared as they realized that they really could create something meaningful themselves.” Ramona Kahle, Woolwine Elementary, Woolwine, VA

“I was surprised at some of the children who generally remain very quiet during regualr music class time, eagerly and uncharacteristically bringing forth their comments and ideas. Suggestions were not hard to come by and it was a joy to watch the children’s ideas unfold before my eyes.”
Evelyn Oyster, Wakefield Country Day School, Flint Hill, VA

Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner • Grammy Nominee

“Feel-good songs, bluesy songs, funny songs and silly songs, big-hearted, I-know-how-you-feel songs: This beautifully produced CD is an all-inclusive celebration of creativity, shared experiences and new horizons.” Parents’ Choice

“WHERE HAVE YOU PEOPLE BEEN ALL MY LIFE??? I got the CD "Tidal Wave of Song," and it made my day. It also made my review in Metrokids Magazine. Frankly, I was despairing of finding anything good to write about this month and was reaching back to some of last year's favorites (Grammy-nominated). I put your CD in the player, and my only problem is what to play first on Kids Corner. I love this CD. It is quite amazing.” Kathy O'Connell, WXPN-FM, Philadelphia, PA

"The Nashville Chamber Orchestra's Kid Pan Alley CD has not left my car CD player since I first received it. Kids of all ages love it. The songwriting of the school children along with adult songwriters is so incredibly disarming."
Amy Grant, Grammy award winner

"The Kid Pan Alley project is a great concept, to be sure. But the end result is even more impressive. Kids' music that is exactly that: Music for-and by-kids. The songs are written with a charming honesty and whimsy that only children can create. "Tidal Wave of Song" is unquestionably the most original kids' CD I've heard all year."
Kenny Curtis, XM Satellite Radio

“Paul Reisler's talents are many and his creativity, vast. Not to many people can do what he can do, bring the spirit of music and creating to new generations, opening up one of the most important doors there is. He is a national treasure." Robert Fritz, author of Creating and The Path of Least Resistance, composer, organizational consultant

"Tidal Wave of Song is a veritable tsunami of homegrown music from Rappahannock County, VA. Wide-ranging, surprising and fun. But my favorite thing about the CD is that it is one of the most community-based projects I've ever heard. From start to finish it sings a song that could and should be lifted in every neighborhood, county and coun-try: "This is who we are!" I love it!” John McCutcheon, Rounder Recording Artist

“What a delightful group of songs from Paul Reisler and the children of Rappahannock County, Virginia! Funny, thoughtful and, above all, musical.
Tom Paxton, Recording Artist and author

“All I know is Kid Pan Alley’s first project, Tidal Wave Of Song, is the only CD that has lived in our SUV CD player for 2 years – a family record. It’s only competition is the new Kid Pan CD! Paul Reisler has tapped into the creative powers of kids, inspiring and empowering them, and lighting a new fire in the artists that get the privilege of working with them.” Lari White, Nashville Underground Recording Artist

“From the first notes you are hooked by the joy that went into this project….It’s an album as ageless as the community that has created it, and that rings true with just one lis-ten…Music that can be enjoyed by the entire family.”
MetroKids Magazine, Philadelphia, PA

“Until recently, if you asked kids in Rappahannock County, VA where music comes from, they’d answer ‘the radio.’ But that was before they learned an important lesson from composer/performer Paul Reisler. Now they know music is what happens when a bunch of kids brainstorm with a musician willing to listen.” 64 Magazine

New CD featuring local students grabs award

July 01, 2005

A new group of talented musicians is emerging in Nashville, but you won’t catch them at a local club. These youngsters are only on Kid Pan Alley—Nashville, a new CD that snagged a 2005 Parents’ Choice Gold Award in Music from the Parents’ Choice Foundation.

The album is a collaboration of songwriters, popular musicians and more than 1,000 kids from 15 Metro Nashville Public Schools. The catchy CD features wholesome, spirited lyrics set to reggae, pop, country, blues and other styles.

The kids and contributors have a lot to smile about, considering that only six out of 1,000 submissions receive awards. The Parents’ Choice Foundation has rated children’s media products since 1978.

Each song is led by a notable musician backed by a children’s chorus and accompanied by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. Contributors include Will Hoge, Delbert McClinton, Beth Nielsen Chapman and the Nashville Bluegrass Band.

“It is a great reflection on Nashville — really the kind of project that could only flourish here,” said NCO Musical Director Paul Gambill. “It’s just a really great affirmation of the work we’re doing, the program we have, and the kids themselves.”

Led by artistic director Paul Reisler, local songwriters visited Metro classrooms where they introduced kids to songwriting and spurred them to create songs. The results were whittled down to 18, and each participating student got a copy of the finished product.

Reisler, a Virginia teacher and songwriter, said the project was an “opportunity for them to do something and for it to be done on the highest level.”

To get your hands on a copy, call the NCO at 256-6546 or visit www.nco.org.