Rockin’ the Kids’ Music World

Need a song, or two, or seventy? I was casting around for some tunes to sing and play, and I must have typed in” campfire tunes” and KABOOM (or KA-GOOGLE) I found The Virtual Campfire.

I ignored the fact that somehow the idea of a virtual campfire is a little pitiful and clicked onward…to find…lot’s of songs! Not only lots of songs, but lots of songs sung by British people around a real campfire…crazy, but just so crazy that it works.

To give you a sample, here’s that well-known favorite, Chicken on a Raft.  OK, so maybe it’s not your favorite song, but it’s a darn good song, worth singing, and it’s some indication of the depth of Virtual Campfire’s library…it’s big, and fun, and goofy at times, but definitely worth perusing and singing along.

p.s. If you do sing along, try to light a real fire so you’re not so pitiful…or if you’re entirely comfortable with the virtual world, play this video of a virtual fire and then sing-a-long - with your virtual friends.

Here’s a great old tune - “Side by Side” performed by Paul Whiteman and the Rhythm Boys recorded in 1927 and featuring a 24 year old Bing Crosby on vocals.

Side by Side.mp3

Bing loves ya, baby - Side by Side!

Here are the lyrics - seemed appropriate for V-day to me…

Oh, we ain’t got a barrel of money
Maybe we’re ragged and funny
But well travel along
Singing a song
Side by side

I don’t know whats a-comin’ tomorrow
Maybe its trouble and sorrow
But well travel the road
Sharing our load
Side by side

Thru all kinds of weather
What if the sky should fall
Just as long as were together
It doesn’t matter at all

When they’ve all had their quarrels and parted
Well be the same as we started
Just traveling along
Singing a song
Side by side

Last year and in year’s past we have had the privilege of playing at the Walk Now for Autism Walk here in NH. It’s a great event - fun to play and full of excited and enthusiastic people. Last year it was at Greely Park in Nashua - we arrived in a soaking rain - but somehow, no one seemed too upset about it. I asked Susan, the Co-Chair of the event if she still wanted us to play - she said, “If you guys are up for it, we sure are!” We got our cars as close to the stage as we could and ran our equipment in - people were using the stage as shelter, so it was a bit crowded. The walk was set to start in 10 minutes…then 5 and the rain kept coming. People were zipping up their rain coats and tightening their boots, not daunted. Suddenly, just one or two minutes before the walk was to start, the rain stopped. The clouds parted, and a little sun peeked through. It seemed miraculous, almost unreal, but definitely fitting the optimism of the day.

Autism Speaks is a great organization. In 2006 alone, they funded $20 million worth research; through their Baby Siblings Project, they’ve pushed diagnosis (and early treatment) of autism to as early as 24 or even 18 months; they began The Autism Tissue Program (ATP), making over 60 research projects possible since 1998; they’ve funded researchers at Yale University… the list goes on. (Check out the website - www.autismspeaks.org .)

Their walks, which take place all over the U.S., are where the rubber hits the road (literally). They are where regular folks earn money to fund these astounding projects. People know they are doing something great, which is why, on that very rainy day in September, no one was awfully concerned about the rain. What they were doing was a little like the weather, miraculous, and we were happy to be a part of it.

We have some inside information (you heard it here first) that this year’s walk is scheduled for October 5, at Greely Park in Nashua. We’ll be there - hope you are too!