Three-time Grammy nominee Genevieve Goings first became known to this generation of children for her work on Disney Junior’s Choo Choo Soul. That exposure led Michele Obama to invite her to the White House two years in a row for the annual Easter Egg Roll. Now she’s boarded a new train, headed off on her own, and released a five-song EP of children’s songs entitled (appropriately) Great Indoors.
Genevieve has remained active during the pandemic by hosting weekly livestream concerts from her home studio (with occasional appearances by her one-year-old son, Kamari). Great Indoors gives her a chance to share new music with young audiences.
With an emphasis on rock and funk, Genevieve knows that “we’ll be alright, even if it’s on Skype,” as she sings on “Grateful.” It’s pretty easy to deduce the concept behind Great Indoors (which is not the title of one of the tracks)—keeping kids focused, entertained, and upbeat. Genevieve accepts the task with “Candy,” “Shadow Puppets,” “Summer All Year Long,” and “Bedtime.”
Catch Great Indoors on Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Second acts are important. Sometimes there’s an unexpected twist that moves the story in a whole other direction. Tracy Bonham suffered from severe childhood insecurities. She used her life experiences to fuel her musical career in the 1990s and received a pair of Grammy nominations in 1997. When the pandemic hit, Tracy actualized Melodeon Music House, an education program for young music enthusiasts inspired by the 1970s children’s music convergence of The Electric Company, Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, School House Rock, and Free to Be You and Me.
After livestreaming literally hundreds of online musical classes, Tracy will release her first CD specifically for children this April, entitled Young Maestros, Volume 1. For a sample of the album, you can watch the video for the first single, “Me Symphony.” The concept is simple—whether or not you’ve mastered an instrument, a person’s most powerful tool is their voice. Watch the video below:
