Brian Vogan
Seattle, Washington, United States
Music
Press
Just like many of the performers in today's kids'-music scene, Brian Vogan was a music teacher who decided to record some of the songs he'd work on with his classes and ended up with a bona fide album. But with this flat-out fantastic debut, Vogan should not be surprised if he soon finds himself a kindie-rock superstar. His voice manages to be both mellow and edgy (imagine Beck, but happy), and in his songwriting, he manages to take some old staples of children's music—"Animal ABCs," "Race Car"—and add unique twists that make them sound utterly fresh. —Ages 2 to 7
Top Track "Firefighter" - Chris Healy, Cookie Magazine
When we look for kids' music, we reach for goals that only rare music can meet: we want catchy tunes, we dream of true family appeal, we'd like some dance-ability, and we look for something Little One can learn from and grow with. We've got lofty goals. And they've all been met with one new CD: local musician Brian Vogan's debut effort, Little Songs.
It's no wonder, really, with his early education background and his experience teaching music to kiddos. Not to mention the powerhouse producer behind him--Barrett Jones, a guy known for his work with Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, and Brad. Little Songs is filled with super-fun tunes inspired by kiddos and what they're into; Vogan even worked on the songs with his young students. One listen, and the whole fam will be singing about animals, the alphabet, manners, Valentine's Day, firefighters and more. Your toes will do more than tap. You'll have to get up and jump. Warning: one catchy tune may inspire begging for a racecar.
We'll be keeping an eye on Vogan's show calendar for the chance to see this talented guy perform; we already know that our fall will be filled with his autumn tune about gardening and the harvest moon, "That's How a Pumpkin Grows," and a catchy one about leaves that begs for a spinning dance: "We Call It Fall." We call this CD awesome. - Red Tricycle
Seattle musician and educator Brian Vogan ventures into the kids' music world with great results. His first album for children is full of tunes fit for classic shows like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood or Sesame Street, but grownups will definitely sneak a listen, as well. - About.com
The musical stylings of Brian Vogan on Little Songs are fun, folksy and can be enjoyed by the whole family. My kids and I popped in this CD and turned the volume up. We had our 2 o’clock dance time listening and grooving to the fun songs, such as…
That’s How A Pumpkin Grows Take a seed from your pocket and put it in the ground Press it down nice and deep and push the dirt on down The harvest moon comes in October And when you look over your shoulder That’s how a pumpkin grows That’s how a pumpkin grows That’s how a pumpkin grows Now it’s a pumpkin
And “Racecar”
Vroom, vroom goes the car down the racecar track Vroom, vroom goes the car down the racecar track No slowing down, no turning back Vroom, vroom goes the car down the racecar track Put on your helmets Tighten up the straps Pedal to the medal No going back
Mr. Vogan isn’t only a great musician and song writer, he brings with him real experience as an early childhood music educator in Seattle, Washington. In fact, many of his songs were written with inspiration from the kids he works with. Brian worked with Producer Barrett Jones, who has worked with musicians such as Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Melvins, John Doe and Brad. No wonder my kids, and Mama, love it! Best of all, we haven’t tired of these songs. Fun, quirky, and mellow all at the same time, Little Songs is definitely on our permanent play list.
Visit www.brianvogan.com to read more or take a listen here. - Peakaboo Picks Magazine
Get familiar with the name Brian Vogan, folks, 'cause this dude's gonna hit big time! On one of the best kids' music debuts I've heard in a while, Seattleite Vogan and band present family-friendly folk and rock tunes about the seasons, Valentine's Day, the ABCs, and pumpkins. Make sure to check out the rockin' "Firefighter," the worthy-of-early-Sesame Street "The Listening Song," the prog rock/doo-wop epic "Chess," and THE perfect kids' TV show theme song, "Say Hello." Bound to be near the top of 2008's "Best Of" lists everywhere!
- Kids Music That Rocks.com
“Seriously you guys, seriously. Even if you don’t have kids, don’t want kids, hate kids, you might want to pick yourself up a copy of Little Songs-it’s smart, funny, well-produced, and charming as all get-out.” - Jeff Giles, Popdose.com
We recently had the chance to listen to the new children's music CD Little Songs, by Seattle-based songwriter, performer, and early childhood music educator Brian Vogan. It's a neat compilation of mellow, original, indie-rock-inspired tunes about the things kids care about, but, like all the cool kids' music we review, done in a style that appeals to both little ones and their parents. (In other words, it won't drive you nuts like some kids' music out there. In fact, you'll probably like it a lot.) It's highly recommended if you and your kids are fans of music from artists like Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, Mr. Oscat, and Frances England.
Favorites in our house include Racecar, the harder rocking Firefighter, and the catchy That's How a Pumpkin Grows, which of course is especially appreciated at this time of year. The songs on Little Songs were inspired by the interess and ideas of the children Brian teaches in his role as a music educator, so they're guaranteed to appeal to preschool-age children.
Listen to some sample tracks from Little Songs via CD Baby, where you can also purchase the album either as a CD or a high-quality MP3 download. Learn more about Brian and Little Songs at www.brianvogan.com, where you can also read lyrics and learn about live performances ( mostly in the Seattle area, but if you find yourself up that way you might want to check it out). - Marin Mommies.com
"Little Songs offers a good mix for a wide range of young grandchildren with different vocabulary levels, and like any good educator does, Vogan makes learning new things a ton of fun." - Mike Ayers, Grandparents.com
Little Songs is an amazing effort that elevates children's music through the use of smart songwriting, excellent production, and genuine substance. Though it plays with a number of styles, it's an album that always seems to understand what it is. Further, it engages children while never alienating parents.
It shares a number of musical and thematic commonalities with the recent children's music of geek rock icons They Might Be Giants, but it's far more deserving of praise on its own merits. In a world full of processed, chocolate-dipped, candy-sprinkled kid's tunes, Brian Vogan's work is more akin to Animal Crackers: simple, sweet, and satisfying without being gimmicky. - Wired.com, Blog-Geekdad
"Little Songs" by Brian Vogan, rated one of the Best Kids CDs of the DECADE "for younger kids who want to dance around"!!
-Wired.com's blog, GeekDad
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/12/best-of-the-geek-decade/9/ - Wired.com's blog, Geekdad
Discography
Debut Children's CD, Little Songs -2008 Children's Music Web Award, Best New Artist for Preschoolers.
Photos
Bio
*"Little Songs" was just rated one of the Best Kids Music CDs of the DECADE by Wired.com's blog, GeekDad!
*Check out Brian's youtube hit animated music video,"That's How A Pumpkin Grows"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT6rtAcV3Ko
Winner of the Children's Music Web Award for Best New Artist for Preschoolers and rated as one of the Top Ten Best Children's CDs of 2008 by Cookie Magazine and About.com, Brian Vogan is a songwriter, performer and early childhood music educator in Seattle, Washington. His debut recording ‘Little Songs’ is a collection of eleven songs directly inspired by the interests and ideas of the children Brian visits each week as a music educator.
"Brian has a very sweet and upbeat way with kids. He had them all up on their feet, wiggling and dancing, from the first song! He and his bandmates create quality, fun music, along with good messages for kids."
- Mary Cutler, Cultural Arts Coordinator for the City of Everett
"It was great to have Brian perform today. He has a rich voice and an easy way with the kids. He got them involved in the songs and they really responded well to him. I definitely recommend him as a children’s performer."
- Kass Holderman, Chairperson of the Duvall Cultural Commission
"We hosted Brian Vogan in Kent, Washington as part of our summer concert series for kids on August 5, 2009. Brian and his band put on a great show that was fun, educational and engaging for kids and adults alike. Brian is a top-notch musician and he clearly knows kids. In addition to the quality of the show, Brian and his group were great to work with – professional, flexible and friendly. We are looking forward to inviting Brian Vogan to perform in our community again soon."
-Ronda Billerbeck, Cultural Programs Manager, City of Kent
As a former pre-kindergarten teacher, Brian has always been an advocate of the philosophy known as emergent curriculum, which is a system of creating lesson plans that are based on student’s passions and interests. Observation, creative brainstorming, patience and flexibility are the basic ingredients used to create a healthy enviornment for each child to flourish. Rather than start with a curriculum plan that requires a ‘hook’ to get the children interested, emergent curriculum starts with the children’s interests.
It was through this process that each song was crafted. Every tune became it’s own little project that the children would look forward to working on every time Brian taught a music class. Soon the children were busy offering lyrical ideas and tips on arrangement, eager to hear their ideas evolve over the course of weeks ahead. Brian soon realized that the idea of making a recording of children’s songs had grown into something much bigger than he could have ever imagined.
“For those of us working with young children, we know that children learn through repetition; hands-on experiences; their senses; in play-based settings and through child-directed and child-focused environments and programs. Brian’s CD, “Little Songs”, encourages creative movement; embraces, enriches and extends early learning through songs that are age and developmentally appropriate and relevant to themes in a child’s world; and reinforces kindergarten readiness skills and concepts through music and movement. Brian’s voice is calm and soothing and he is gifted in engaging young children through rhythm and rhyme. Two of our children’s favorites are “Race Car” and the “Listening Song”! Brian’s music is original, special and very unique.”
-Cheryl Iverson- Program Supervisor for Childhaven-Lake City in Seattle, Washington
“Little Songs” is produced by Barrett Jones who is known for his work with the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Melvins, John Doe and Brad to name a few. It also features musician, composer, and educator, Jeremy Reinhold as well as long time friend and drummer, Kory Christian, and early childhood teacher and singer, Kari May.
Brian currently resides with his wife, Nikki, in Seattle, Washington. For information regarding live events near you, please check out his website, www.brianvogan.com., or if you would like to contact Brian Vogan for booking or additional information please feel free to contact him at brianvogan@hotmail.com or call (206) 715-1069.
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