my first CD...

I am extremely excited to announce the availability of my first CD, “live at the blue manatee.” It contains eleven of the best songs you’ve never heard before, geared towards families with children aged 2-9. These songs were recorded live at a concert at the blue manatee bookstore (hence the title) in Oakley in November of 2008. The CD itself has pictures of some of the kids that were there that night. The cost of the CD is $6. It’s also a preview of my first studio CD, which I am working on right now. If you’re interested in purchasing one of these CDs for your family to enjoy, please contact me and I’ll get one to you as quickly as I can.
Thanks and I hope to see you soon!

-bill

a whirlwind weekend...

I spent the past 72 hours getting to meet a lot of great families while playing and singing Christmas music. It was a blast. I had an opportunity to "open up" for the play "Clara and the Nutcracker." I am really proud of the local community for supporting the theater even in these uncertain times and selling out each and every show. I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new families this upcoming weekend.

I also got to play a Christmas show at Crossroads. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many great families.

If you like the music, please let me know. I'm working on putting together a "Do It Yourself" live CD, as well as recording my first studio CD.
email me at mynameisbillsmith@fuse.net , or become a fan on my facebook page, located at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/bill-smith/36325926004?ref=nf

There are some sample songs you can play on that page as well. If you're interested in getting on an email list, you can email me as well and i'd be glad to keep you informed!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

I am so excited to be playing at the Blue Manatee tonight...
One of my favorite author/illustrators is going to be there, reading from his new book, "The Little Drummer Boy". I just finished writing a song that I'm really excited about that's inspired by this great sure to be classic.

I start playing at 6...hope to see you there.

thanks...

to the blue manatee for giving me a venue to pursue something i love to do so much...
to my friend rick for making me sound better...
to merrilee for being so excited about the whole project...
to john and sandy for being such gracious hosts!
to all the moms and dads for clapping and singing along.
to all the kids for dancing and having so much fun.
to carter for singing on "down by the bay" with me!
to campbell for finally agreeing to getting her picture taken.
to my great wife kelly for taking care of them while i was busy.

must see manatee!

I will be playing at the Blue Manatee Thursday, October 16th at 7:00. I haven't played for a couple of weeks, and I'm really wanting to try out some new stuff...so we should have a lot of fun!

LIVE AT THE BLUE MANATEE!!!

i'm planning on recording my show on november 6 at the blue manatee from 6 pm to 8 pm. we're planning on a lot of special things to make it a great night. you'll definitely want to be there!! stay tuned for more details.

if a baloo is a bear...

Then what's a hullabaloo? Regardless of whatever it is, i will be playing at one on October 25 at Johnson Elementary School in Fort Thomas, KY. actually, i'll be playing twice: from 11 to 12, and again from 3 to 4. It's their annual Hullabaloo, which is actually a fundraiser that promises to be a lot of fun.
i promise to "wuzzle" up the setlists, and there will be no "sculch". if you remember what either of those two words means, email me at mynameisbillsmith@fuse.net and i'll send you an mp3 or something. but probably an mp3.

who doesn't like questionnaires?

the blue manatee was kind enough to quiz me on a few of my favorite, and not so favorite things...check it out here!


it was fun playing at the oakley after hours event on Friday! thanks to everyone, especially the sweet mom who stood there for a set and a half of my music. i love me some blue manatee!

down by the bay

check out my live version of down by the bay. it's the top one on the left. the kids really rocked out on this one!

the alligator kid

check out the videos on the left...

here's an example of what goes on with kids when i play live. i give my son co-writing credit on the song because he came up with the line "i'm going to eat all of the grownups."

more live performances!

i've got a little minor editing to do, but i'm looking forward to adding a couple more performaces to you tube in the next couple of days. i think it's a blast connecting kids with live music. especially when it's mine...

speaking of adding live performances, i'll be back at friday night live at crossroads community church on the 12th of september. i've also got a string of dates in december in fort thomas, opening up for the Village Players' "Clara and the Nutcracker". It's directed by my friend, Fred Tacon. he's been very supportive of my music, and we've even started writing a song together, which has the potential to be the best one ever. or at least pretty good.

finally...

hope you had a great summer. i know i did. it's time to get back into the swing of things.
i'm playing at the zoo on thursday (grown ups only, though.) it's part of the zoo's wild about wine program. i had so much fun playing some of my favorite songs last time, and the crowd was great.

after that, i'm back at the blue manatee on august 29 at 7 for oakley after hours. i've got some new songs i'm excited about.

i'm also excited to finally get my performance on fox19 on here, and on youtube. i'm quick with the technology... more to come.

ruth moyer rocks!

here's a picture of me with some of the usual suspects...at ruth moyer elementary school in fort thomas, kentucky. they wrote about me here: http://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us/district_photogallery.aspx

it's ralph's world, (i'm only trying to live in it!)

earlier this year, we traveled to chicago to: a) escape the great blizzard of '08, b) see the sights, and c) get our kids in some new videos by ralph's world from his new cd "the rhyming circus". the cd came out last week, and the videos have subsequently begun appearing on the disney channel…and i actually saw my son dancing in the bottom right hand corner…he's famous! or…at least his left shoulder and the back of his head is. anyway, yesterday, we got a package in the mail with signed sweatshirts for the kids and certificates proclaiming their involvement in the videos. wow. when i grow up, i want to be like ralph covert. it was cool enough just being in the video…but he just found a place in our hearts. check him out at http://disneymusic.disney.go.com/artists/ralphsworld.html .

this weekend...

i'm doing a story time at barnes and noble at newport on the levee this saturday, the 17th at 3. the cool thing is, wnku is doing a "bookfest" event at the same time. pick up a coupon for 20% off at http://www.wnku.org/.

on sunday, i'll be at renaissance montessori in montgomery for an open house. i'm a BIG montessori fan, and i know we're going to have a great time!

books for all of hugh manatee...

i am a huge fan of independent bookstores. (i tend to root for the underdog...) don't get me wrong, i enjoy barnes and noble, borders, etc., but i actually worked for an independent bookstore for a while in louisville (hawley-cooke booksellers, r.i.p.) when you shop at a local kind of place, you get a flavor of what the place is like. you wouldn't travel to new england, and then eat at long john silver's to try to catch the local flavor of seafood, would you?

when i first walked into the blue manatee, i fell in love with it. it's witty, charming, childish, and unique. the signatures and drawings of some of children's literature's greatest adorn the walls. and they have been nothing but supportive of me. so i just wanted to say thanks to them for being so kind to me over the past few months since i started this little endeavor.

oakley after hours event

let's support local businesses! bring the family out to the oakley after hours event this (and every last) friday! there will be some great sales, dining specials, etc.

there's live music in two or three spots outside, and INSIDE at the blue manatee bookstore. you may have heard of the guy. click on the picture to the left and print it out(landscape) to get your own coloring page. click on the link below for more information about the event.
http://www.oakleynow.com/oakleyafterhours

got it made in the second grade...

i went to woodfill elementary yesterday and hung out with ms. redlinger and ms. johnston's classes. you guys were so much fun! the air guitars were out in full force! thanks for rocking with me, and for writing a great song about a cheetah. the line about supergluing a hat to a cheetah's head because they run so fast was my favorite.

speaking of favorites, the students asked me what my favorite song is...i couldn't think at the time- but my favorite song has to be "everybody wants to rule the world" by tears for fears. i don't know why: maybe it's the accents, maybe it's the ridiculously cool guitar solo(s). it is pop/rock greatness.

FOX19 ROCKS!

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE REAL STARS OF THE SHOW! (not me!)

this morning, at 8:45 a.m., i had the improbable pleasure of watching myself play one of my songs on a "live morning show." (we taped our part.) i was surrounded by a ton of my co-workers. finally, my two worlds collide. everyone was really supportive and encouraging. i thought everything sounded and looked great. i thought the kids turned it into the party i hoped it would be. so parker, campbell, rebecca, carter, chloe, and rylee, thanks from the bottom of my heart. if you missed it, or, if you want to watch it again, here's the link: http://www.fox19.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=2375980&at1=News&h1=Bill Smith Performs "That's My Dinosaur" on FOX19 Morning News Smith Performs "That's My Dinosaur" on FOX19 Morning News

trent montessori

by the way, i had the most fun i've ever had with a guitar at trent montessori in newport yesterday. (some people go to chipotle on their lunch break. i go sing to 50+ preschoolers...) they are rockstars. thanks to jan haas and her wonderful, wonderful staff for all they did (and do!)

the morning show...

usually the morning show for the smith family involves waking up in just enough time to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door in time for school/work/daycare. but on friday, it will mean something else entirely. on monday, we visited the fox19 studios to play "that's my dinosaur" to the greater cincinnati viewing area. i had six of my closest friends with me...parker, rylee, chloe, carter, campbell, and rebecca. they taped us playing, singing, jumping up and down, etc. and it was a blast.

this whole opportunity to share the music that has resided for so long solely in my head is truly unbelievable to me. to hear kids sing my words back to me, to have at least as much fun as i am having, is completely mind blowing. i am a lucky, lucky guy to be able to do this.

anyway, i'm nervous and excited, and anxious to see how things turn out.

Pop Fly!

it's safe to say that i "look up" to justin roberts. his style is probably the closest thing i can find to match what it is that i try to do. needless to say, i was excited to see that his video for "Pop Fly!" is out in anticipation of the April 15th CD release of the same name. I was even more excited to see:

1. My daughter Campbell appears from 1:06-1:10 as "the first kid on the left."


2. My son Carter appears from 2:13-2:17 as "the third kid from the left."

here's the link:

http://www.zooglobble.com/archives/2008/04/video_pop_fly_justin_roberts.html#more

Please note: This was not the video we braved the Blizzard of '08 for when we drove to Chicago. Hopefully, we'll see something of that in May.

what's in the rotation...

i am amazed at the prolific amount of good kids music that's out there.
here are just a few to get you started:
justin roberts-meltdown (his new project, pop fly, comes out in april)
the terrible twos-if you ever hear an owl
ralph's world-welcome to ralph's world is a good introduction
they might be giants-here come the 123s, here come the abcs, no! no! no!
medeski, martin and wood-let's go everywhere.

make sure and check out zooglobble.com...it's the bible (or spin, or rolling stone, or stereogum, or pitchfork) of kids' music.

kangaroos, etc...

i wrote a song about a kangaroo (that lives in a zoo, and looks a lot like you). i really didn't think much about it being more than a fun song that makes kids jump (a lot). however, the song has evolved. it's still pretty simple, but i've added some layers to it, that hopefully i'll be able to share.

thanks to everyone (okay, the four of you) that have participated in the voting for the "sixth song" for my upcoming project. it's really fun to watch "democracy in action." apparently, "read to me", while being a great song, is my musical mike huckabee.

music that will make you lose it...

in addition to talking about my music...occasionally i want to draw your attention to some great songs either for kids or for parents. so, to kick it off, here are three great songs that blew me away that come from the perspective of being a parent.

1. Marc Broussard "Gavin's Song" yikes! this song is a hidden track on his major label debut "carencro". it's amazing, and i challenge any dad that's ever had to be apart from his kids for more than five minutes not to get a little misty with this one.
2. Sara Groves "You Can Never Lose My Love" every kid should know this. every parent should hear this.
3. Radney Foster w/Emmylou Harris "Godspeed" radney is a master. working 'goodnight moon' into the lyric is genius. we look for the mouse in the picture too. finding the "uniquely common" things we do is the key to relating to an audience, i think.

feel free to add your own. i love discovering new music.

just getting started...

hey- if you're reading this, you either know me, or you've been to a show. either way, welcome. i am so glad that you're here. my name is bill smith, and i play music for the whole family to discover together.

there's a lot going on right now. we just had a great show at the blue manatee this past saturday. so many of y'all (i'm from nashville) showed up! i really enjoyed getting to meet many of you and i look forward to seeing you again in april! thursday night (the 20th) i'm playing at barnes and noble at newport on the levee, in the kids' area.

i'm gearing up to record my first cd in april. tentatively titled plastic replica of an extinct carnivore, it's going to be a blast. i'll keep you posted! also in april, i'll be making my first tv appearance on FOX19's morning show here in cincinnati.

i'll also post pictures from shows when i have the permission to do so... thanks for letting me share!!!