KiD'n
TOGETHER
Music for Laughing, Learning & Living
Publishers Weekly - Chicago Tribune - St. Louis Post Dispatch - Booklist - Family Fun Magazine - Borders.com Interview- The Detroit News - The Free Library of Philadelphia
PUBLISHERS
WEEKLY
June 15, 1998
SINGIN'
AT THE SWING SET
Alex
& Ben, The Meisel Brothers. Kid'n Together
(800-543-6386), CD$14.98,
Cassette $9.98
(Reviewed by Shannon Maughan)
This collection of jaunty songs is as fun as any trip to the playground. From the opening sounds of honky-tonk harmonica and percussive guitar on "Pancake Attack," listeners know they're in for a good time. The snappy, humorous lyrics here entertain as well as educate. Through rhyming and repetition, the Meisel family makes learning about manners, shapes and crossing the street an activity that lots of children will want to join in. In "A Down Home Please & Thank You," kids discover that using these magic words is more a matter of respect than being polite. And in the calypso-styled "Island Shapes," squares, circles, triangles and ovals take center stage. An eclectic array of instruments, including washboard, jug bottle, congas and ukulele, played by a cast of talented musicians, gives the recording extra oomph. But what really shines here are the Meisels' vocals. Alex and Ben provide gentle sometimes soulful harmonies on most tracks and are frequently joined by the equally pleasant and assured voice of their aptly named sister Melody. The collection is very much a family affair, inspired by Alex Meisel's son Matthew, who has Down Syndrome, and containing contributions from Alex's parents, wife and son Joshua as well. Inventive arrangements, a variety of musical styles, strategically placed sound effects and just the right balance between sweetness and silliness will make this a family listening favorite. All ages. (June)
WELCOME
GIFTS
Children's Books, Videos, Audio
& Software Recommended by
The Free Library of Philadelphia
Gentle, melodious harmonies combine in delightful, entertaining and educational songs. This award-winning recording has kid as well as grown-up appeal.
Booklist
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
DECEMBER 15, 1998 , VOL. 95 NUMBER 8 ISSN 0006-7385
Singin'
at the Swing Set. Kid'n Together.
1997; rel. 1998. 35min. $9.98 (0-9651847-2-2).
CD, $14.98 (0-9651847-3-0).
782.42 Songs
Ages
4-8. What fun this selection of music will bring to the preschool classroom and
to public-library storytime. Songs such as "The Laugh Song" and "A Peanut Sat
on A Railroad Track" will brighten up the dullest of days. "Down Home Please &
Thank You" will, on the other hand, gently reinforce these courteous habits for
young listeners. Headlined by brothers Alex and Ben Meisel, the recording also
features other members of the family who join in with harmonies and backups to
deliver these offerings in various rhythms, from calypso to honky-tonk, accompanied
by a range of instruments, from jug to ukulele. This is a great addition to school
and library collections. But you won't want to save it for a rainy day.
- Joyce Rice
| The
Detroit News MetroLife | SECTION F:
Thursday, SEPTEMBER 26, 1996 |
Music
Father
finds musical bond with son has broad appeal
By Howard Lovy
The Detroit News
When Matthew Meisel
was born seven years ago, his father, Alex figured he’d have to set aside his
love of singing and songwriting for the rigors of parenthood.
But Matthew, who has Down syndrome, had other plans for his dad.
From the time he was an infant, Matthew would sit next to the stereo speakers,
and "just glow.” Meisel discovered that his son's connection with music was a
way to break through the barriers of his disability and reach not only his emotions,
but his ability to learn.
So the California
father channeled his energies into a successful children's recording called Kid'N
Together and a video project to be released this winter. But the most important
praise he gets comes from the kids, who just go “ballistic" at his concerts, Meisel
said.
The reason is simple. He varies
the tempo while mixing fun with educational concepts.
Meisel's first song for his son was Let's Dance. It takes a musical trip through
parts of the body and how they're used, then interrupts now and then with a fast
part to give the kids a chance to use their bodies to dance and, Meisel says,
“get your ya-yas out."
"The wonderful
thing about this project and about the music is that it's taken our family, taken
me beyond that notion (of disability)," Meisel said. “It just happens to work.
Period. It’s not specific to disability. It’s about life, it's about laughing,
learning.”
Meisel and his brother, Ben,
are working on nine new songs for another album, plus a video in which he hopes
to capture the strong “interactive" element of a live performance.
Chicago
Tribune,
Thursday,
June 4, 1998 Tempo
Children's
music hits many different notes
Kidstuff
By Nancy Maes
SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
"Singin' at the Swing Set" (Alex Ben & Co. Kid'n Together; 800-KIDN-FUN) hits a lot of different notes. This family production, performed by brothers Alex and Ben Meisel, with help from their sister Melody and their father, Harris, includes some songs, such as "A Down Home Please and Thank You," that were written to teach lessons. Others, like one about running willy-nilly in the grass, are full of good hearted fun. One song includes the laughter of Alex's son Joshua, which is the best music humans know how to make. The recording ends with a lovely lullaby dedicated to Alex's son Matthew, who has Down Syndrome. He was the inspiration for the album. The song illustrates the healing power of music and its power to create a sense of community.
(Also reviewed in the article are Raffi, Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Miriam Makeba, Gaia and other Music for Little People artists).
These toe-tapping sing-along songs are rooted in good ol' down home blues, but run the gamut all the way out to barbershop and country influences. Alex and Ben Meisel teamed up with family and friends to put together a really soulful collection of vocal harmonies and great instrumentation with bits of banjo, harmonica, marimba, strings and whistling. The lyrics vary between silly and serious, ultimately creating a celebration of life that is affirming without coming across as preachy or condescending. It's nice to hear people making music for kids that adds up to more than the watered-down sum of the music they'd rather be playing.
FAMILY
FUN
Music
BY MOIRA MCCORMICK
Singin' At The Swing Set
KiD'n Together
Ages 2-8
KiD'n Together, $10
cassette; $15 CD
BEN AND ALEX MEISEL, aka KiD'n Together, are a brother act with positively infectious energy. Their latest album is brimming with vitality, from the activity-oriented songs to the full complement of instruments and voices that animate the proceedings to the sot-the-song-title cover art. Alex's son, Matthew who has Down Syndrome, is an ongoing inspiration to his dad. Thus, Alex and Ben's original songs, fueled by their rockin' acoustic guitars and reedy harmonies may cover familiar terrain, but the vigor and affection with which the Meisels dig into their music make them stand out. Particularly striking is the delicate ballad "Rain Rain Rain." And for parents who want their preschoolers to learn a thing or two while listening, the Meisel address street-crossing safety ("Cool Carla") and manners ("A Down Home Please & Thank You").
Kid'n Together's "Singin' at the Swing Set" CD is chock-full of joyous, toe-tapping, singalong-type songs for fun family listening.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
SECTION E
JUDITH NEWMAR
Meisels sing for inclusion of
Down child
If families around
the country enjoy listening to Alex, Ben & Company's first recording, "Kid'n
Together," or their latest, "Singin' at theSwing Set," the musicians hope they
understand one thing: The music comes from a family, too.
Brothers Alex and Ben Meisel are the principal singers, with their sister, Melody,
adding her soprano. Alex wrote many of the tunes; Ben arranged them. Their mother,
Fredda; their father, Harris; and Alex's 6-year-old son, Josh, can also be heard,
along with lots of other relatives and friends. Harris Meisel designed the album's
charming cover art, lots of colorful figures at play. Jacqui Meisel, Alex's wife,
wrote about the music for the text inside the jewel case.
The family from Santa Barbara, Calif., feels a little overwhelmed by the attention
the music has received. The first recording won the Best Audio and the SNAP (special
needs adaptable product) awards from the respected Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. The
latest release picked up more honors, including Oppenheim's 1999 Platinum Award
(the Meisels beat out Raffi).
The Meisels say that
most of the credit belongs to Alex and Jacqui's 9-year-old son, Matthew. After
all, he inspired the music.
Alex Meisel, who obviously
grew up loving music, began playing guitar to his son when he was still in the
womb. But after the baby came, Alex found that he played less and less. He didn't
have time for it anymore. He had a lot of responsibilities - a job, a wife, a
baby.
A baby with Down syndrome.
On the surface, Alex says, the Meisels were the perfect Down syndrome family.
Dr. Harris Meisel, a nationally known figure in rehabilitative medicine, specializes
in spinal cord injury. Alex was a successful consultant in barrier-free building
design. "So when Matthew was born, I felt like, `OK, we can do this.' We will
take it in stride,' " he said. "I thought I had been programmed for this my whole
life." He laughed softly. "Maybe I was a little bit in denial.
Alex Meisel's business was taking off, which meant that, "professionally and personally,
I had disability in my life 24 hours a day. It weighed on me pretty heavily."
It weighed on Matthew, too, although his father
didn't see it. "I had not yet gone through grieving for the child we had expected
to have, and I think that kept me from seeing Matthew's beauty," Alex said. "I
was pretty angry. I had not come to grips with what it meant to have Matthew as
our little boy."
One thing it meant was having a
child who, at 3, was pretty much non-verbal. Alex wanted to communicate with his
son.
Looking back, he laughs. Why had he assumed
that communication had to mean words?
"One day,
we were in a room alone together, and I wanted to reach out to him," Alex said.
"I picked up the guitar. And Matthew was enthralled.
"He smiled and giggled. I tried out different chords to see what he enjoyed. We
began to have a conversation, with music."
Alex
Meisel discovered that his son liked lots of kinds of music - children's standards
such as "The Wheels on the Bus" and his father's excursions into blues, folk and
jazz. Pretty soon, Alex was writing songs for Matthew and other kids.
"Pat Your Head, Clap Your Hands" reinforced Matthew's classroom lesson on the
names of body parts; "Down Home Please and Thank You" is a good-natured reminder
about manners. Other songs, on topics from pancakes to rainbows, emphasize the
happy sides of life.
After the Meisel brothers gave
a successful benefit concert for Matthew's school, they decided to make a recording.
They started with 1,000 copies and sold out.
"The
first time we put on the CD, we went wild. We danced together, all four of us,"
Alex said. "This has been so positive for our family. If it works for other people,
that's the icing on the cake.
Alex Meisel often
performs does live concerts, too, mostly in his sons' classrooms. Matthew now
attends public school, where he is part of a regular program; it's working out
beautifully for everyone, his father says. "When I play for them, all the kids
love it. I tell them, `Hey, it's another perk of having Matt in your classroom.'
"Matthew helped open my eyes, and our community's
eyes, to the benefits of inclusion - to looking at others' gifts. If you have
a lot of expectations and prejudices, you're missing out.
"I know I was. It took me a while to come around to being a lot more accepting
of what is real, what is actual - and to seeing the positive in that reality.
"And the music helped me get there."
The Meisel brothers' recordings are available on tape and CD.
Copyright (c) 1998, St. Louis Post-Dispatch