PANDEMIC DANCE PARTY GIVEAWAY

Cooped up in the house with kids? Break up the monotony with a kindie rock dance party! Kindie rock melds themes that are relatable to children under 10 but played in musical styles that adults can appreciate. Have some family fun rocking out the pandemic by showing off your best dance moves and singing along to three of America's most popular kindie rock artists. This music is great because it is both entertaining and educational!

Alastair Moock, José-Luis Orozco, and Danny Weinkauf have donated a copy of their newest albums to ageekdaddy.com to help spread some cheer to a family during these troubled times. One randomly selected winner will receive the albums Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders, Muévete! Songs for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body, and Dinosaurs & Metaphors. The winner can choose to receive either compact discs or digital downloads of the albums from this dad blogger. This prize pack has a $30 value.

Alastair Moock: Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders

To honor the power of youth to make positive change, Grammy-nominated Boston songwriter Alastair Moock will release a rootsy and inclusive album. Be a Pain is a rallying cry for young (and old) leaders in these turbulent times. It looks to the heroes of our past (Dr. King, Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, Pete Seeger, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X) and our present (Malala Yousafzai, the Parkland student protestors, climate change marchers) to inspire our kids to move the ball forward. Guests include Sol y Canto, Reggie Harris and Rani Arbo.

Tune into Facebook Live for free performances by Alastair Mock during the pandemic school shutdown.

José-Luis Orozco: Muévete! Songs for a Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body

This album of 18 bilingual tracks (9 in English, 9 in Spanish) promotes fitness for children ages 1 to 7. It is the perfect complement to Orozco's Grammy-nominated Smithsonian Folkways album, ¡Come Bien! Eat Right!, which promotes good eating habits and offers a complete picture of healthy living for young children.

Danny Weinkauf: Dinosaurs & Metaphors

Grammy Award-winning artist and longtime bassist for They Might Be Giants Danny Weinkauf is back with his 5th album for children and families, Dinosaurs and Metaphors. The album takes listeners through the day with plenty of imagination, humor and clever wordplay. I just have to say I am a huge fan of They Might Be Giants and it has been a pleasure to carryover that connection with Danny Weinkauf to his kindie rock music that I've been able to enjoy with my children as they've grown up.



Themes of the 15 original songs in Dinosaurs and Metaphors run the gamut of everyday life, from the joy of a lazy Saturday morning to a celebration of Monday. Kids who are enduring a haircut or the hiccups or even bugs on the toilet will find comedic relief here, and they’ll laugh along at the offbeat language lessons of “Your Love Is a Metaphor” or the idea of “Dinosaurs on Roller skates.” The album finishes with a raucous and affirmative rock anthem, “Superstar.”

For a chance to win this three album prize pack just complete the Rafflecopter entries below before 11:59pm ET on April 19, 2020. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion. One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a TOTALLY OSOME! album of music for kids

Danny Weinkauf, the Grammy winning bassist for one of my favorite alternative rock bands They Might Be Giants, is releasing Totally Osome!, his third solo album featuring music for kids, in August.  It will contain 16 original songs that span various styles and genres which will inspire kids, along with moms and dads, to get up and move to their catchy beats and melodies.  Starting with the first track, "Sunshine, Sunny Sun Sunshine Day," the album maintains a high energy groovy dance vibe throughout it.  While the album's songs are definitely entertaining, they also get kids learning by touching on topics such as geology, the letter "O", girl power, and how to sing the alphabet backwards. Weinkauf even challenges kids to "put down that smartphone and start a band" in one of the songs; a message that I'm sure many parents can appreciate.

A Geek Daddy has a chance to chat with Weinkauf about Totally Osome!, being a member of They Might Be Giants, and his musical preferences:

Q:  One of my family's favorite tunes to play in the car during a road trip is ISTANBUL.  My kids love jamming to that song! Do your children have a favorite They Might Be Giants song?

A:  Haha, I'd like to think it's I Am a Paleontologist which is a song that I wrote and sing; but I think my son Kai would say "Birdhouse in your Soul."  He's writing songs of his own these days and that one is really like a master class in what a song can be.

Q:  In your solo children's albums you've played a variety of instruments, which one gives you the hardest time playing?

A:  Out of necessity recording music for TV and commercials I’ve become accustom to playing all the instruments on a track. Lots of musicians do the same these days. I guess stand-up bass may be one of the trickier instruments for me to play since there’s no frets to keep you in tune and I only picked one up a few years ago. I only really play it when recording so I’m a bit of a novice.

Q: What tips can you share for children just getting started in selecting and learning to play instruments?

A:  If you are a child who enjoys music then I’d say don’t give up if your first instrument doesn’t work out great. Sometimes it’s just not your thing. A friend of mine started on cello and was hating it then switched to piano and became an amazing professional pianist.

Q:  What are your thoughts on kids, and dads too, learning to play instruments like guitar through Youtube videos?

 A:   I wish Youtube videos were around when I was first learning to play. There’s nothing better than having someone in the room to teach you but if that’s not available Youtube is mighty convenient.

Q:  Do you have any gear or tech in your home studio that you'd recommend the amateur play-at-home dad pick up to enhance their musical performances for family and friends?

A:   If you’re just playing at home I guess the most important piece of gear is the actual instrument you’re playing. A nice quality instrument will sound better and also make you want to play it more because it’s more satisfying than a poorly made one. And nicer for your family and friends to hear so a win - win!

Q:  What is your favorite way to listen to music today? CD, digital download, streaming services, radio or vinyl?

A:  Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. I listen to music different ways in different locations. CDs in the car, streaming at home, radio in car, vinyl in my basement.

Q:  Are there any streaming services or radio networks playing your children's songs?

A: Yes, I’ve been very fortunate when it comes to radio play. SiriusXM Kids Place Live has been very supportive and put many tunes in regular rotation. Also terrestrial stations from Bill Childs in Austin TX, to Sagan in NC, Kathy O in Phili at XPN, and even in places like Australia, and the Netherlands stations have played our tunes. Our tunes are also all available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon.

Q:  Do you have a favorite song in your new album?  Why does that one stand out?

A:  The classic response to that question is that songs are like your kids, you love ‘em all. That said, there’s a song that I wrote in a hotel room while on tour in Australia with TMBG called “Your Love” that is basically me telling my kids and wife that I miss them and value their love. It stands out to me because it makes me think of my family and Tina Kenny Jones (who sings and plays bass in our band) sings it beautifully, so she helps me express those feelings in a way that I never could on my own.

In addition to spending some time talking with us, Danny also provided A GEEK DADDY with a digital download code for his Totally Osome! album to giveaway.  Who wants it?!  Just follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet the message below by 11:59 pm EST on Sunday July 30, 2017 for a chance to win it.  One lucky entrant will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  Must be a U.S. resident over 18 years old to participate.

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT before 7/31/17 for chance to win a digital download of the children's music album TOTALLY OSOME! by Danny Weinkauf pic.twitter.com/9JQT2GycgM

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) July 21, 2017

The selected winner must respond to their winner notification within 48 hours or a new person will be selected to receive the prize. Sugar Mountain PR will be responsible for delivery of the album to the winner. Good luck!

Totally Osome! is available to digitally download at bandcamp.com and will be released on all other music retailers August 11, 2017.

You can also find Danny Weinkauf's previous two children's music albums, NO SCHOOL TODAY and RED PANTS BAND, at Amazon.com: