Alphabet Rockers

Last updated
Alphabet Rockers
Origin Oakland, California, United States
Genres Children's music, Hip-hop
Years active2007–present
LabelsSchool Time Music
MembersKaitlin McGaw
Tommy Soulati Shepherd
various guests
Website aphabetrockers.com

Alphabet Rockers is a hip-hop children's music group focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and advocacy. "The Movement," won a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album. Previous albums "The Love" (2020) and "Rise Shine #Woke" (2018) also received Grammy nominations. [1] The music group has performed at the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lollapalooza, and San Francisco Pride, among other venues. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

History

Alphabet Rockers were founded in 2007 by Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Soulati Shepherd. [6] The primary group features McGaw and Shepherd along with Maya Fleming, Kali de Jesus, Tommy Shepherd III, Samara Atkins, and Roza Do. [7] The artists collaborate with people of all ages and backgrounds who write, produce and record songs that address racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and transphobia. [8] [9] Their album, "The Movement," won a Grammy Award for "Best Children's Album" in 2023 and they have won two Parents' Choice Awards. The group has performed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, and the Oakland Museum of California. [5] [10] [11] [12]

In 2018, their album "Rise Shine #Woke" was nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Children's Album" and in 2020 they received a Grammy nomination in the same category for their album, "The Love."

In 2020, Alphabet Rockers created, "We Got Work to Do," an anti-racism curriculum that uses music and dance as tools which was featured on CBS This Morning and YouTube Kids. [13] [14] [5] In 2021, they were featured on the Grammy nominated album, "All One Tribe," (with 1 Tribe Collective). [15] [16] In 2022, Alphabet Rockers released the book, "You Are Not Alone," (illustrated by Ashley Evans), which includes six diverse characters taking turns sharing their experiences of prejudice, identity struggles, and their desire to be seen, understood, and respected. Kirkus Reviews called it, "Exuberantly affirming and infectiously joyful." [17]

In 2024, Alphabet Rockers were featured on the Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy's in season two's episode, "I Love Peace," and their original song, "Whynot A Christmas Carol," was featured in the American Conservatory Theater's holiday musical, "A Whynot Christmas Carol." [18] [19]

Founders

Kaitlin McGaw began writing poetry, singing, and became involved with musical theater in high school. She cites influences as Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou. After graduating from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Afro-American Studies, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. McGaw then started performing in a hip-hop dance troupe, acting in musical theater, and pursued singing and songwriting full-time. [20] [21]

Tommy Soulati Shepherd is an actor, playwright, composer, educator, rapper, drummer, beatboxer and music producer. [21] In 2018, he won an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for his work with Marc Bamuthi Joseph on "peh-LO-tah", Living Word Project, at the YBCA Theater in San Francisco, CA. In 2021, he and his son won a National Parenting Product Award for the collaborative album, "28 Days”. [22] Shepherd and his son Tommy Shepherd III are the second parent/child team to win a Grammy Award, with the first being Beyonce and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. [23]

Discography

Source: [24]

Awards

YearNominated workCategoryAwardResult
2023The Movement Best Children's Album [1] Grammy Award Won
2020The LoveBest Children's Album [1] Grammy Award Nominated
2020The LoveNotable Children's Recordings [27] American Library Association Won
2019The LoveGold Award [28] Parents' Choice Award Won
2018Rise Shine #WokeBest Children's Album [1] Grammy Award Nominated
2018Rise Shine #WokeSilver Honor [29] Parents' Choice Music Award Won
2017The Playground ZoneNotable Children's Recordings [30] American Library Association Won

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock opera</span> Rock music with a story told over multiple parts

A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been adapted as rock musicals. The use of various character roles within the song lyrics is a common storytelling device. The success of the rock opera genre has inspired similar works in other musical styles, such as rap opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kander</span> American musical theatre composer

John Harold Kander is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb, Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including Cabaret (1966) and Chicago (1975), both of which were later adapted into acclaimed films. He and Ebb also wrote the standard "New York, New York". The team also received numerous nominations, which include five additional Tony Awards, two Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Loeb</span> American musician, author and actress (born 1968)

Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with "Stay " from the film Reality Bites, the first Billboard number one single for an artist without a recording contract. She achieved two additional top 20 singles with "Do You Sleep?" in 1996 and "I Do" in 1998. Her studio albums include two back-to-back albums that were certified gold: Tails and Firecracker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Fagen</span> American musician (born 1948)

Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician who was the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his work with Steely Dan, Fagen has released four solo albums, beginning with The Nightfly in 1982, which was nominated for seven Grammys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eydie Gormé</span> American pop singer (1928–2013)

Eydie Gormé was an American singer who achieved notable success in pop, Latin, and jazz genres. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on albums and television. She also performed on Broadway and in Las Vegas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Zanes</span> American musician

Daniel Edgerly Zanes is an American rock, folk, and children's musician. He was a member of the 1980s band the Del Fuegos, the frontman of the group Dan Zanes and Friends, and currently performs with his wife, Claudia Eliaza Zanes, as Dan + Claudia.

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer are a musical duo who perform folk, bluegrass and children’s music. They have performed with Pete Seeger, Theodore Bikel, Tom Paxton, Patsy Montana, Riders in the Sky and others. The Washington Area Music Association has recognized the duo with over 60 Wammie Awards for folk, bluegrass, and children’s music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Burrell</span> American gospel singer

Kimberly Jean Burrell is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pastor from Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Roberts (musician)</span> Musical artist

Justin Roberts is an American singer-songwriter of children's music. He performs with the Not Ready for Naptime Players. In 2010, his album Jungle Gym was nominated in the "Best Musical Album for Children" category for the 53rd Grammy Awards, Recess was nominated in the same Grammy category in 2013, for the 56th Grammy Awards, and "Lemonade" was nominated in 2017 for the 60th Grammy Awards. Justin Roberts released a Greatest Hits album in August 2016, and his new album of acoustic original songs, featuring guest Robbie Fulks, was released in October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Weinkauf</span> Musical artist

Danny Weinkauf is a Grammy-winning New York–based musician and composer. He has been the longtime bassist for They Might Be Giants (TMBG). He has recorded and toured with the band since the late 1990s. Weinkauf had previously performed in a band called Lincoln along with TMBG's guitarist Dan Miller and drummer Gonzalo Martinez De La Cotera. He has written four songs for TMBG, all for their children's albums. Weinkauf wrote and sang "Where Do They Make Balloons?" on the children's album No!, "Number Two" from Here Come The 123s, "I Am a Paleontologist" from Here Comes Science, and "Elephants" from Why? He also played bass alongside bandmate John Flansburgh for his solo project Mono Puff, in addition to providing additional bass on John Linnell's State Songs album. In 2014 Weinkauf began releasing albums for children and families as "Danny Weinkauf". That year he released "No School Today" followed by "Red Pants Band" (2016), "Totally Osome!" (2017), "Inside I Shine" (2018), "Dinosaurs and Metaphors" (2020), "Words" (2021), "lullabies" (2022) and "Light Up Your Love" (2023). The later 7 albums were all released on his own label Red Pants Music except "Words". He performs live as 'Danny Weinkauf and his Red Pants Band' with Tina Kenny Jones on bass, keyboards, and vocals, Steven Plesnarski on drums and vocals, and Russ Jones on guitar, bass, vocals, and ukulele. His eight albums have received numerous awards and frequent rotation on kids radio such as Sirius XM's Kids Place Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanie Leeds</span> American musician (born 1978)

Joanie Leeds is a Grammy-award winning musician best known for her work as a children's musical artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Amy</span> American singer-songwriter

Amy Otey, known as Miss Amy is an American musical fitness entertainer, singer-songwriter, and author. She focuses on the themes of health and activity for children, though her genres also range to country, folk-rock and pop. She has released 5 albums, the fifth of which, Fitness Rock & Roll, was nominated in the 54th Grammy Awards. Miss Amy also appears on the 53rd Grammy nominated album Healthy Food For Thought: Good Enough To Eat, and the 54th Grammy winning album, All About Bullies... Big And Small.

Secret Agent 23 Skidooor (SAS23) is a Grammy Award-winning hip-hop musician from Asheville, North Carolina, United States. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo has been performing children's music since 2008. He performs hip-hop for children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fyütch</span> American rapper

Harold Michael Simmons II, better known by his stage name Fyütch, stylized as FYÜTCH, is a Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, educator, and content creator best known for his album Family Tree and appearances on The Today Show. In 2021, he began working in children's music, releasing several charting singles on Sirius XM Radio Kids Place Live and collaborating with Divinity Roxx, Rissi Palmer, and Pierce Freelon.

The Pop Ups are a children's musical duo consisting of Jason Rabinowitz and Jacob Stein. After their national TV debut on Sprout's "Sunny Side Up Show" in April 2014, the duo released their third album, Appetite For Construction, in August 2014. The Pop-Ups perform regularly around New York City venues using cardboard props, hand-painted sets and a cast of "Original Puppets". They also have toured nationally, including a tour with Yo Gabba Gabba! Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peacock Theater</span> Music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California

The Peacock Theater, formerly Nokia Theatre and Microsoft Theater, is a music and theater venue in downtown Los Angeles, California at L.A. Live. The theater auditorium seats 7,100 and holds one of the largest indoor stages in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Rhoden</span> Musical artist

Wayne Rhoden is a music producer, singer, songwriter, sound engineer and video editor/director who is professionally known as the artist Father Goose Music, is the winner of the 18th Annual Independent Music Awards and the Grammy Awards with the group “Dan Zanes and Friends” also Nominated for the 64th Grammy Awards for Best Children's Album with the group 1 Tribe Collective and he is also known as Rankin Don and Don Chibaka. Seen on the Disney Channel, he also peaked at # 7 on the Billboard Reggae Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band</span>

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band is the husband and wife team of Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis. The Grammy and Emmy-award-winning duo plays bilingual indie music for kids described by The Washington Post as "a hip-shaking, head-bopping, Los Angeles–based explosion of 'kindie' rock." They are known for whimsical children's songs which they also incorporated into a television show. Diaz graduated from Berklee College of Music and Gaddis graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kindie rock</span> Genre of childrens music

Kindie rock, kindie or family music is a style of children's music that “melds the sensibility of the singer-songwriter with themes aimed at kids under 10.” Many popular kindie rock artists first gained fame as adult performers, including Dan Zanes and They Might Be Giants. The term was first coined by Salon.com writer Scott Lamb in 2006, and has gained in popularity since. Although its original name implies a rock music style, kindie has never been purely rock music, instead encompassing innumerable musical styles. In recent years, artists have increasingly used the less specific term "kindie music" or "kindie." Playtime Playlist, a kindie directory website, notes that the term kindie “comes from merging of ‘Kid’ and ‘Independent’” and that kindie is differentiated from conventional children's music by the way that “artists are free to make music that comes straight from their heart and isn't bound by commercial formulaic rules.” As pointed out by Stefan Shepard of the kindie music blog Zooglobble, kindie artists' primary aim is to make child-oriented music with the same care and thought as adult music. It is also defined by its opposition to "mainstream" or commercial children's music. Community is also an important part of the modern kindie scene, as exemplified by the biannual KindieComm conference and the yearly Hootenanny gathering.

123 Andrés are a husband-and-wife duo that creates children's music in both English and Spanish. They have performed for audiences across the US as well as in Puerto Rico, Panama, and Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Grammys Alphabet Rockers". Grammys. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers - Millennium Stage (May 11, 2019)". Kennedy Center. May 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Lollapalooza 2023: Here's a list of every performer and when you can see them by Fiona Hurless". NBC Chicago. August 2, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers: 2020 SF Pride 50th Anniversary". SF Pride Main Stage. August 26, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Alphabet Rockers Come to the Wallis by Stephi Wild". Broadway World. October 11, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers". Music to Life. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ "It's kids who are the stars of the Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers by Chloe Veltman". NPR. September 10, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Local kids' music group brings a Grammy back home to Oakland with 'The Movement'". East Bay Magazine. April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers on Using Activism to Inform Their Grammy-Nominated Children's Album by Stephen Daw". Billboard. January 23, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers". PAC NYC. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Friday Nights at OMCA Featuring Alphabet Rockers". OMCA. June 2, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers". The Reser. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers We Got Work to Do". Children's Hour. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Alphabet Rockers, a multi-racial, multi-generational hip-hop group, uses music to combat racism". CBS This Morning. September 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ "All One Tribe Grammy Nomination". Grammy. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ "All One Tribe Album Credits". 1 Tribe Collective. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  17. ↑ "You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers Illustrated by Ashley Evans". Kirkus Reviews. January 11, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy - I Love Peace". Apple TV. November 17, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  19. ↑ "A Whynot Christmas Carol". American Conservatory Theater. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers' Kaitlin McGaw on Motherhood, Music, and Celebrating Diversity With the Love by Marisa Torrieri Bloom". Santa Clara Country Library. September 4, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  21. 1 2 "Hip Hop for Change with Alphabet Rockers". Agile Vocalist. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  22. ↑ "National Parenting Product Awards". Nappa Awards. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Alameda father-son duo still basking in Alphabet Rockers' Grammy win Oakland group's 'Movement' kids album features social justice themes; parent, child got same award for just second time by Lou Fancher". East Bay Times. March 22, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Alphabet Rockers Discography". Apple Music. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  25. ↑ "3X Grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers drop new album 'The Movement'". CBS News. December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  26. ↑ "The Grammys' wokest act? Meet the Alphabet Rockers, kids rapping about gender nonconformity by Julissa James". LA Times. January 15, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  27. ↑ "2020 2020 Notable Children's Recordings". ALA. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Parents' Choice Awards 2019 - "The Love" Gold Award Winner". Arapahoe Libraries. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Parents' Choice Music Awards - Spring 2018 - "Rise Shine #woke"". Santa Clara Country Library. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  30. ↑ "2017 Notable Children's Recordings". ALA. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.