subject to change
Friday, April 3
4:00-6:30pm
KINDIECOMM HAPPY HOUR
For those arriving Friday, join us upstairs at World Cafe Live for a bit of Philly love! Cash bar and menu available – and the KindieComm Registration table will be open so you can grab your name badge and check in! Note that the Registration table will also be open Saturday, starting 8:30am.
8:00-11:00pm
KINDIECOMM SONGSHARE
Having heard the requests at past gatherings, we’ve once again created a dedicated space where you can join other KindieComm attendees and perform one of your songs for welcoming ears. This peer event will be supervised by Devin Walker (The Uncle Devin Show), Ann Torralba (Little Miss Ann) and Karen Kalafatas (Karen K & the Jutterbugs) who will keep things moving smoothly. A small sound system along with a few mics/stands and cables will be on hand. Each musician will get five minutes to share a song of theirs with the room. Keep that in mind when choosing which song you want to play – easy in, easy out. If you’d rather, you can sing to track to demonstrate the full sound of the song you’re performing. We’ll provide an RCA to 1/8″ cable so you can plug directly into your smartphone/tablet/laptop.
Bottom line – treat this like an open mic – be ready to plug and play!
The KindieComm SongShare will be located in the Fairmount Suite within the Sheraton University City hotel (host hotel for KindieComm) at 36th and Chestnut Sts. Within the suite there will be some complementary lite bites courtesy of KindieComm along with a cash bar to whet your whistle!
Click here to sign up for SongShare in advance!
Saturday, April 4
all events will be held in The Lounge at World Cafe Live, unless noted
8:30am Breakfast Buffet opens
… with free coffee/tea/water all day – plus a cash bar will be available throughout.
9:00-9:45am
BREAKFAST WITH MR. McFEELY
David Newell began his acting career at a theater school known as the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Through connections made there, he eventually met Fred Rogers. Newell was originally hired onto the show as a public relations manager, but Rogers also cast him in the role of Mr. McFeely, who made his debut on the very first episode of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. As a result, he and Rogers became lifelong friends until Rogers’ death in 2003.
10:00-10:50am
MORNING BREAKOUT SESSION
⭐️ The Path To Podcasts
Since our last KindieComm gathering in 2018, there has been an explosion of podcasts for young ears. To better understand the world of podcasting, we’ve invited two of the industry leaders to share their 2.0 tales! Lee Overtree – Artistic Director of The Story Pirates – a nationally respected media, education and theater company founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people.
Joining Lee will be ‘friend of Kindie’ Mindy Thomas – Chief Creative Tinkerer at Tinkercast – creators of Wow in The World. For those who might not know Mindy, she has been wowing listeners weekday mornings for the last 16 years on SiriusXM’s Kid’s Place Live channel where she hosts the Absolutely Mindy Show and where she served as Program Director for ten years.
⭐️ Creating Public Partnerships
held in the WXPN Conference Room
Partnering with your local public television station to showcase kindie performances and bring quality programming for kids to the region .. more on this session shortly
11:00-11:50am
FROM PASSION TO BUSINESS
So you’ve been performing throughout your region and you want to take your career to the next level by morphing your passion to perform into a full-fledged business. We welcome a few Kindie folks who have done just this and share their ups and downs with hopes to inspire you to make that move!
Joining us for this casual conversation is Laurie Berkner, recognized as “the queen of kids’ music” by People magazine and widely acknowledged as a major contributor toward launching the Kindie movement. With an average of more than 10 million monthly streams, and millions of CDs and DVDs sold, Laurie’s songs have become beloved classics for children worldwide.
Laurie has released thirteen bestselling, award-winning albums, was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr., appeared regularly on the network’s Jack’s Big Music Show, and helped develop the short form animated musical preschool series Sing It, Laurie! on Sprout TV. In 2018, Laurie created the series Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen with Audible Studios, who released it as a 10-chapter audio book through the Audible Originals brand.
Laurie has authored a number of picture books based on her songs, the most recent of which were published by Simon & Schuster. She has also written the music and lyrics for three Off-Broadway children’s musicals produced by New York City Children’s Theater: Wanda’s Monster, The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess, and Interstellar Cinderella. Laurie maintains a busy, nationwide touring schedule, both solo and with The Laurie Berkner Band, and has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House, among many prestigious venues.
Also joining us will be Tim Kubart, a familiar face and voice to children and families as a singer-songwriter, winning the 2016 GRAMMY Award for Best Children’s Album for his independently released and fifth album for families, HOME.
On a never-ending tour in cities and towns, Tim has performed thousands of times in a variety of venues, including at-capacity shows at The Kennedy Center, Brooklyn Bowl, The Smithsonian and the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Recently, Tim’s quest to inspire and nurture a love for music and creative expression led him to Nigeria, as part of a tour alongside the US Embassy’s Cultural Arts Exchange Program. If that wasn’t enough, From 2013-2017, Tim was Host/Writer/Producer of the twice Emmy-nominated Sunny Side Up, the only LIVE show for preschoolers, on NBCUniversal’s Sprout Channel (now UniversalKids).
Tim is also known around the world as “Tambourine Guy” with the viral music collective POSTMODERN JUKEBOX. Tim’s show-stopping moves and fun clowning around have helped PMJ gain over 3.5 million YouTube subscribers and one billion views, along with the number one spot on the Jazz iTunes charts for 12 consecutive albums.
Also sharing their story is Vered, a musician, music therapist, psychotherapist, and mom of 3. Her work is focused on helping parents connect to their babies through music. Her three family albums received gold awards from both the Parents Choice Association and the National Parenting Publication. She is the creator of Baby in Tune, a workshop that teaches caregivers how to use music to bond with and understand their baby. Vered has helped over 1000 parents feel more confident and joyful with their baby, connect to their own inner voice, and find their personal repertoire with their baby. Baby in Tune is also an online course which can be taken by parents around the world.
Vered is committed to serving her audience through her weekly blog about parenting and music, through lectures and staff trainings (Sanctuary for Families and the San Francisco Public Library) and has presented her work at Zero to Three, the largest conference for professionals working with ages 0-3 years old. Baby in Tune continues to grow with annual instructor trainings and new curriculum development.
And last, but certainly not least, we’ll hear from Morgan Taylor – who created Gustafer Yellowgold in 2005, and has become an international phenomenon, acclaimed by The New York Times as “A cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.” Entertainment Weekly praised “…The most infectious original songs. It’s like tapping into some pleasure center in the brain—both adult and kid… absurdly appealing.”
Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show is a funny and touching multimedia performance of live music, colored-pencil animations and storytelling. With its unique crossover appeal, the show has been the wild-card opening act for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree. Gustafer has appeared off-Broadway in his own productions of Gustafer Yellowgold shows and across the U.S. with 60 piece symphony orchestras. Gustafer the character is a friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun and is living out an explorer’s life in a slightly psychedelic version of the Minnesota woods.
11:50am-12:20pm Buffet Lunch opens
We’ve heard the pleas and have allotted 30 minutes to simply chat, mix and eat without any programming.
12:20-12:30pm
CHILDREN’S MUSIC NETWORK
We’ll give you an update of all the upcoming events and activities planned in 2020 from our friends at the Children’s Music Network
12:30-1:20pm
LEGAL LUNCH
While you finish lunch, legendary Kindie artist Barry Louis Polisar, along with his longtime friend and lawyer Frank Morgan, help us better understand the legal complexities of being a musician. Their relationship began with Barry’s first amendment challenge, then Frank helped negotiate Barry’s TV show deal, then an 8 year battle with the TV people who refused to pay Barry when the show began syndicating nation wide (and earning almost 2 million in video sales!!!) Most recently Frank has worked with Barry on various licensing things that have been the hallmark of the last decade since the movie JUNO.
1:30-1:50pm
THE ELLA JENKINS DOCUMENTARY
Tim Ferrin joins us from Chicago to share his personal multi-year journey in creating an amazing documentary “Ella Jenkins: We’ll Sing a Song Together” – all about the First Lady of Children’s Music! We’ll also get an inside glimpse of some of the finished product!
2:00-2:50pm
AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSION
⭐️ Kindie 101 – a must for Kindie newbies!
held in the WXPN Conference Room
Mayers Consulting presents this incredibly informative conversation, designed for those just entering the wonderful and wacky world of being a Kindie performer.
With a passion for music and family media, Stephanie Mayers has earned a sterling reputation in artist management, public relations, marketing, booking and event planning. Her strong knowledge of today’s family music landscape has established her as a connector and leading voice in the genre.
Joining her will be The Pop Ups – a collaboration between Brooklyn musicians Jason Rabinowitz and Jacob Stein. The Pop Ups have been setting the standard for children’s music since 2010. The boys have toured with Yo Gabba Gabba Live and continue to perform their rock n’ roll puppet musical live show to sold out audiences across the U.S. There most-recent release Giants Of Science was nominated for a GRAMMY – their third nomination! Additionally, they have entered the Audible world with their latest work Jukebox Joyride: A Time Traveling Adventure!
⭐️ Women Of Kindie
Join the Women of Kindie panel, as they celebrate women in kids music today. The panel which consists of award-winning singer/songwriters Ann Torralba, Suzi Shelton, Lucy Kalantari, Falu Shah and Joanie Leeds who will share their insight and lead a collective and thoughtful discussion on how we continue to support and value the voices and perspectives of the Women of Kindie in today’s world.
Ann Torralba (Little Miss Ann), is a multi-award winning artist, composer and touring kids musician who has made 5 kids albums, a former Chicago Public School Teacher, a longtime Instructor at Chicago’s revered Old Town School of Folk Music, a mom, and a first generation Filipina American. Time Out Chicago has called Little Miss Ann “one of the best things to happen to Chicago kids.” Little Miss Ann has played kids concerts at Lollapalooza, SXSW, Nashville’s Pilgrimage Festival, Strathmore Theater, LA’s McCabe’s and Manhatten’s Brookfield Place. Her latest album, Keep On has won awards including the Parent Choice Silver and the NAAPA award.
Lucy Kalantari is a GRAMMY® Award winning artist, composer and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. She’s the frontwoman and bandleader for Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats, making jazz age inspired music for families. Kalantari has produced all of her releases, including All the Sounds, the 61st GRAMMY® Award winner for Best Children’s Album. Most recently, she produced Joanie Leeds’ groundbreaking all-female album, All the Ladies–an impactful collection of songs empowering the next generation and reshaping the world.
Falu is a GRAMMY® nominated, internationally recognized artist known for her rare ability to seamlessly blend a signature modern inventive style with a formidable Indian classically-shaped vocal talent. In her early years in Bombay, singer Falu (aka Falguni Shah) was trained rigorously in the Jaipur musical tradition and in the Benares style of Thumrie under the legendary Kaumudi Munshi and semi classical music from Uday Mazumdar. Originally from Bombay, Falu moved to the States in 2000 and was appointed as a visiting lecturer at Tufts University. Falu’s subsequent career in the States had led to a series of brilliant and high profile collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Wyclef Jean, Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, Blues Traveler and A. R. Rahman amongst others. She was appointed Carnegie Hall’s ambassador of Indian Music in 2006, where her shows at Zankel Hall have consistently sold out. Falu has performed for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House and was also the featured performer at the Time-100 gala in 2009. In 2015, Falu was named one of the 20 most influential global Indian women by the Economic Times of India. In 2018, she won the Women Icons of India award in Mumbai, India. Falu continues to pursue her commitment to introducing children to the wonders of the world through her recently released, GRAMMY nominated debut kids project, Falu’s Bazaar, which takes families on a musical journey through South Asia, as well as through her artist-in-residence position at Carnegie Hall. She also sits on the NY Chapter Board of Governors for the Recording Academy.
Suzi Shelton is a multi-award winning singer/songwriter and family performer based in Brooklyn, NY who has been bringing joy and musical fun to families for over a decade. She has four solo albums under her belt, and a popular show on her YouTube Channel called Sing with Suzi featuring videos for young children. Suzi released her fourth family album Hand In Hand in 2018 which took home a Parents’ Choice award and a NAPPA award. Her new musical style is “indie pop with a modern edge” is co-produced by two of her bandmates, Greg Mayo (Jon Bon Jovi) and Dan Weiner (STOMP, The Cher Show). When Suzi isn’t writing or performing, she is teaching. Suzi teaches music and movement classes and workshops in various elementary schools and preschools throughout NYC and most recently spearheaded an in-school folk music program called Community Through Music, where lower income NYC schools can experience live music complete with instruments including the banjo, guitar, ukulele, bass and drums.
Joanie Leeds is a NYC based singer-songwriter who has won 1st place in the USA Songwriting Competition, an Independent Music Award, a Gold Parents’ Choice Award, NAPPA Gold Award, Family Choice Award. Additionally, Joanie is a John Lennon Songwriting Award Finalist and an International Songwriting Competition Finalist. Among the hundreds of live performances Joanie has done – she has played at Lollapalooza, Clearwater Festival, The Kennedy Center & Lincoln Center. Joanie’s 9th album, a female empowerment folk collection, All the Ladies, releases April 3rd 2020 and produced by Lucy Kalantari!
3:00-3:50pm
IS THE CD DEAD?
As technology continues to expand, the debate grows as to whether it is cost-effective to invest in producing a hard CD or to possible distribute your music in other means. This interactive conversation explores what options lie ahead as the compact disc slowly becomes a part of music history … or perhaps not.
4:00-4:45pm
PLAY MST3K FOR ME
A Chat With Creator Joel Hodgson
Forced by evil scientists to watch bad “B” movies until he breaks, a host and a bunch of captive robots comment on the films to keep sane. During each movie, the host and robots perform skits or songs, known as host segments, that are usually related to that episode’s film. While not a “kids show” Mystery Science Theatre 3000 has inspired a generation of performers to think out of the box when creating their own art.
Created by Joel Hodgson, the show (lovingly abbreviated MST3K) premiered on KTMA-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It later aired on The Comedy Channel/Comedy Central for seven seasons until its cancellation in 1996. Thereafter, it was picked up by The Sci-Fi Channel and aired for three seasons until another cancellation in August 1999. A 60-episode syndication package titled The Mystery Science Theater Hour was produced in 1993 and syndicated to stations in 1995.
In 2015, Hodgson led a crowdfunded revival of the series with 14 episodes in its eleventh season, first released on Netflix on April 14, 2017, with another six-episode season following on November 22, 2018. As of 2019, 217 episodes and a feature film have been produced.
5:00-7:00pm Dinner Break
KindieComm will provide several nearby dining options for you to consider – this two hour window allows you to step out of the building and share some down time with fellow KindieCommers!
7:00-11:00pm
KindieComm Industry Showcase
We wrap KindieComm 2020 with a night of camaraderie and music! Held in the lounge at World Cafe Live, we encourage you to raise a glass and celebrate all that we do together to support the Kindie movement around the globe! Featured on stage will be a nonstop series of live performances, with musicians representing the wide scope of the wonderful world of Kindie. From almost seventy submissions, these artists celebrate the Kindie passion and style! Details on who is playing the 2020 KindieComm Industry Showcase can be found here.
Sunday, April 5
11:00am-1:00pm
The Kids Corner Concert @ World Cafe Live
tickets to this event are $15 / KindieComm attendees can purchase discounted tickets ($10) when they register for KindieComm 2020.
We are honored to welcome the legendary storyteller BILL HARLEY as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of his seminal album “I’m Gonna Let It Shine – A Gathering of Voices for Freedom” with live performances of historic civil right anthems, featuring some special guests AND the KindieComm Community Choir (which you are encouraged to join, if you’re making it a weekend!) – additionally, Bill will demonstrate just why he is so beloved with a few classic stories!
A two-time Grammy winner, he is vibrant, outrageous, unpredictable and genuine with songs and stories about growing up, schooling and what it is to be human—our connections with one another and with the planet we share. Best known for his work with children and families, his ability to navigate through a confusing world with humor and wisdom is evident in his masterful storytelling, singing, recordings and books. Recognized by audiences and peers as one of the finest performing storytellers in the country, his work has influenced a generation of children, parents, performing artists and educators.
The KindieComm Mailroom
Be sure to take advantage of the KindieComm Mailroom – a designated area where Kindie artists can drop off their latest CDs, media kits and more to select Kindie media folk. This area will be staffed all day long and be equipped with extra pens/paper for those last-minute personalized notes you might want to include with your items. The purpose of the KindieComm Mailroom is to relieve the stress of hunting down every broadcaster, blogger and talent buyer in attendance. By utilizing this free service, everyone can relax and make the most of their KindieComm experience!
Getting To KindieComm
To those traveling to Philly via Amtrak or the SEPTA Airport Line, you’ll get off at 30th Street Station and exit the building at 30th Street. To get to the Sheraton Philadelphia University City hotel (our host hotel), you can either take a taxi or – if the weather is nice, just walk west (up numbers) on Market Street from 30th Street to 36th Street and make a left – go one block to Chestnut and there you are.
To reach World Cafe Live from the hotel, just walk straight down Chestnut Street (same direction as the traffic) from 36th to 31st Street. Make a right and enter World Cafe Live via the lower level Donor Alley entrance. Once inside you can take the grand staircase to the upstairs Walnut Street entrance – or simply use the elevator (PRESS 4).
If you’re coming directly from 30th Street Station to World Cafe Live, just walk south on 30th Street two blocks to 30th and Walnut Street (dead end) and make a right. World Cafe Live is a half-block in at 3025. Both entrances have signage.
KindieComm 