Fantastic music….plus a greater cause

By megret | April 3, 2009 at 1:37 pm | 5 comments | For the Kids, Media

Want some soulful & simple, folky & funky music that, not only the kids, but the whole family can enjoy? Then grab Billy Jonas‘ newest CD, Happy Accidents, brand new as of this week. This CD project follows several others in his wide-spanning musical repertoire.

Jonas brings you right up on stage with him, so to speak, as he invites listener & audience participation for his upbeat, toe-tapping songs. This isn’t music you can simply “listen to.” This music begs you to sing along. Dance along. Hum along. You’ll be amazed at the variety of sounds you encounter, as he uses his “re-percussion” drum set among other “found” musical instruments to create his unique sound.

Some songs on the Happy Accidents album carry a positive message for kids, while others are just plain fun & entertaining. “Who’s Gonna Make Our Music?” is an purposeful song explaining that everyone can make music. In the words of Jonas himself, to make music, all you need is “a body and a brain.” The kids and I love to sing along with (and giggle without stopping) at our favorite, “What Kind of Dog are You?” Several of his songs include question-and-answer riddles and games to help get the kids thinking, too!

You can purchase Happy Accidents via Jonas’ website, and also from Amazon in mp3 format.

Know what else is super cool? Billy Jonas has joined up with other noted musicians, under the sponsorship of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Parents’ Choice Foundation to promote awareness and promotion of safely using personal audio technology.

Perhaps you’ve heard or read some things about how listening to earphones/earbuds too loudly or too often to can lead to hearing loss in children and young adults. Here are some quick facts on the subject:

* …sustained listening to sounds over 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss.
* …a newly announced European Union sponsored study found that listening to sounds at high volumes for more than an hour a day each week will likely cause permanent hearing loss after five years.
* … research published in August 2008 predicts that the prevalence of hearing loss in the United States will rise significantly due to the growing use of personal audio technology, among other factors.
* … that a recent poll shows that more than half of high school students report at least one symptom of hearing loss.
* … that you can protect your kids’ hearing by simply turning down the volume; limiting listening time; and upgrading headphones.

Hearing loss can be prevented! The ASHA is dedicated to helping parents and kids become aware of this issue and make strides to reduce the prevalence of this occurrence. Visit ASHA’s Listen to Your Buds’ website to learn more.

They are sponsoring a concert by Billy Jonas on April 29th, 2009 in Washington, D.C. as a part of their Listen to Your Buds Concert Series. If you live in or around the metro D.C. area, you should definitely take your family and go! Thousands of parents and kids will get to hear Jonas’ eclectic and incredible music performed as well as learn valuable tips on how to protect their hearing.

Now that you know a little about Jonas, his music, and his combined efforts with the ASHA and others, help spread the word!

Win it!
Courtesy of Sugar Mountain PR and Billy Jonas, I have a copy of Jonas’ newest CD title, Happy Accidents, for one of you! You have two options for contest entry:
1. Listen to sound clips from Happy Accidents and choose one or two favorites. Come back here and tell me what you picked and why!
2. Go to ASHA’s Listen to Your Buds website and browse around. Come back here and tell me in a comment something new you learned there.
I’ll close the contest next Sunday, April 12th, 2009 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only.
Good luck!