WTMD’s Saturday Morning Tunes is back, and if you want in, I’d advise getting tickets ASAP. All of their spring shows sold out. Here’s the scoop from the station:
WTMD is excited to announce the fall 2017 season of Saturday Morning Tunes, an award-winning family friendly concert series featuring rising stars of the children’s music scene, hosted at the WTMD performance studio in Towson.
The shows are once a month on Saturday mornings, broadcast live on the radio with a live studio audience of little ones! (That’s where you come in.)
Doors open at 9 a.m. and the music runs from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Each performance has an opening act as well as a headliner. We’ll have snacks (organic fig bars and fruit strips) as well as drinks (Horizon milk and Honest juice) which are included in the ticket price for all kids. Race Pace Bicycles also sets up bicycles with training wheels for children to ride around the enclosed plaza outside our studio, and we’ll have arts and crafts and coffee from Garrison Forest School!
The WTMD performance studio is a safe, clean environment with comfy furniture that’s ideal for climbing and sitting. Both our men’s and women’s bathrooms have stainless steel changing tables, and stools for our bathroom sinks (so you don’t have to hoist your little ones up to the faucet).
Also — kids under 2 are free! However, please reserve a free spot for your kid(s) under 2 so we know how many little ones to expect.
And a huge thanks to Baltimore Magazine for naming Saturday Morning Tunes a Best of Baltimore award winner! They wrote, “Kids can rejoice at this awesome new concert series, tailored just for them. Tip back a juice box and get ready to rock out.”
Sept. 9
Schoolhouse Rock Tribute feat. Black Root & Max (from Baby Beats) and more
Black Root (one half of Baby Beats) leads an incredible band of Baltimore musicians in this tribute to “Schoolhouse Rock,” an animated musical series which helped teach a generation of children about math, grammar, government and more. (If you grew up in the ’70s, ’80s or ’90s, you can probably still sing along with “I’m Just A Bill“). For this show, Black Root will be joined by Max (also of Baby Beats), soul musician Marc Evans and more! WTMD is thrilled to welcome this tribute show, which debuted at Creative Alliance earlier this year, to Saturday Morning Tunes!
Opening act: Alden Phelps, a musician and teaching artist who has performed at schools, theaters and festivals for more than 20 years. A graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art and more recently the Teaching Artists Institute, Alden leads arts-integrated songwriting residencies through Young Audiences of Maryland.
Oct. 14
Michael & the Rockness Monsters
From Preschool of Rock founder Michael Napolitano comes Michael & The Rockness Monsters, an interactive, super galactic funk inspired, rock-n-roll experience for families. The music is both silly and serious — filled with catchy melodies and thick instrumentation. These records, masterly produced by Grammy winner Dean Jones, are a voyage into the child’s subconscious. During his 10-year tenure as founder of Preschool of Rock, Michael wrote, produced, performed and recorded 5 albums, so he’s tuned into the landscape of children’s music. His 10 years as a member of the Blue Man Group Creative Team is evident in the slamming drum beats and eclectic instrumentation. The music is intelligent, fun and full of humorous hooks and catchy quirks. Michael & the Rockness Monsters’ self-titled debut record was released in February 2016, and their second release, “Funny Faces,” came out in April 2017. They’ve been featured in the New York Times, New York Family, Sirius XM and more.
Opening act: Seth Kibel, one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in jazz, swing, and more. In April 2014, he released a “Jazz for Kids” album, Jazz For People Who Are Shorter Than Me,” which was named “Best Children’s Music Recording” for 2014 by the Washington Area Music Association.
Nov. 18
All Around This World with Jay Sand
All Around This World is an interactive global music and world cultures program for children 0-9 years old that encourages children and their families to explore the world by enjoying global music, rhythms and movement. Jay Sand, guitarist and children’s music teacher, world traveler and dad of three girls developed All Around This World with his girls as a way to introduce them to the countries he’s already visited and the many more he plans to visit with them. Through CDs, concerts and workshops, dynamic online classes, engaging homeschool and classroom lessons, “musical maps” and participatory parent-child music-making Jay hopes to make the world a bit smaller one song at a time.
Opening act: The Uncle Devin Show, a live, interactive musical experience for children by renowned drummer Devin Walker. The show cultivates the minds of children through percussion instruments and is a dynamic cross between Fat Albert and Schoolhouse Rock.
(Note: The “Music Animals” illustration at the top is by the incredible Baltimore artist and children’s book author Kevin Sherry, who has painted all of the posters for this series. Check him out!)
Tickets: https://www.mt.cm/wtmd-presents-saturday-morning-tunes