The Little Gym International, an enrichment and physical development center for kids, and Razor & Tie, the creators of Kidz Bop, have signed a multi-year licensing agreement that will bring the music of The Little Gym to major retailers throughout North America.
For more than 35 years, the original music produced by The Little Gym has been an integral part of its skill-building curriculum, from parent-child classes, gymnastics, and dance to karate and sports skills classes to high-energy camps and birthday parties. Music at The Little Gym helps children build skills through active songs that expand vocabulary, musical games that teach cooperation, and lyrics that provide directions and cues to help sharpen listening skills and increase attention span.
Selections from The Little Gym’s proprietary music collection will be featured in a new CD series being produced and distributed by Razor & Tie. The collection will include classic The Little Gym songs designed to get kids moving, learning, and having fun. The first two releases, 25 Move-Along Fun Songs and 25 Sing-Along Fun Songs, will go on sale August 6 at more than 500 Wal-Mart stores, and on iTunes and Amazon.com.
Each song in The Little Gym collection was composed and recorded by Robin Wes, who opened the first The Little Gym in Bellevue, Wash., in 1976, and Randy McCoy, The Little Gym’s Director of Curriculum. Together, Wes and McCoy bring more than 70 years of experience in childhood development and music education. The duo has built a library of more than 700 songs that support The Little Gym’s Three-Dimensional Learning philosophy of “Get Moving!,” “Brain Boost!,” and “Citizen Kid!”
The Little Gym International is also preparing to launch a line of children’s development and activity toys in the coming year, created in partnership with Aqua-Leisure Industries.
Sakar International and Kidz Bop have created a new line of licensed Kidz Bop karaoke gear. Kids can enjoy listening and singing along with the Kidz Bop hits. The Kidz Bop Karaoke Machine is a portable CD/CD+G and iPod/MP3 plug-and-play compatible player. The machine displays the lyrics onto any television screen.
COMMENTARY: Help! Kids Should Know the Beatles Too
The Fab Four: George, Ringo, Paul, and John
I was commuting to work yesterday, minding my own business, when I heard a teenager telling her friend that her strawberry-themed bracelet symbolized her favorite song “Strawberry Fields” by Twintapes. Now as a rule of thumb, I normally tune out every single thing that I hear on the subway, but this particular statement stopped me in my tracks. To say that I am an avid Beatles fan is like saying that the band was “a little popular.” I have obsessed over their music for as long as I can remember, and I will stop there because I could go on and on for days on the topic. The band changed my life and made me fall in love with rock ‘n roll at a very young age, and it breaks my heart to know that teenagers and kids are being robbed of the tunes that made me love music.
The Beatles Yellow Submarine, released in 1999
This Beatles-oblivious teenager could not possibly go on thinking that one of the greatest songs of all time was written and recorded by the Twintapes, and this problem should be addressed in the future—for all our sakes. Presently, I have seven girlfriends expecting babies and a brand-new nephew—I know, there is something in that Alabama water—so I feel that it’s my duty to make sure that they are brought up listening to “Come Together,” “Revolution,” “Hey Jude,” and “She Loves You.” I want them to recognize the phrase, “We all live in a yellow submarine,” and I want them to know who wrote “Strawberry Fields Forever.” I took it upon myself to find kid-appropriate methods of Beatles introduction. [Read more...]