Our day out at the British Music Experience

We were lucky enough to be invited along to visit the British Music Experience, and as I have a family of music lovers, we happily accepted!  The BME. is housed in the Cunard Buildings in Liverpool and is a new attraction, perfect for guests of all ages.

The museum houses a collection of music memorabilia that tells the story of the evolution of the British music scene from 1945 to the present day. It chronicles the history of modern music from the early days of jazz and skiffle through the eras of rock 'n' roll and Beatlemania to the psychedelic sixties through punk rock and glam rock and right up to the present day. From Hendrix's guitar to Bowie's kimono to Suggs' anti-apartheid suit, there are some amazing pieces on display. Handwritten lyrics by Adele and Chris Martin feature alongside Leona Lewis's diamante microphone and the signed, Africa shaped guitar from Live Aid.

There are lots of interactive displays where you can listen to interviews, search news archives and discover musical facts from around the country. Big screens show photos and musical performances from a host of artists through the decades. The centre stage show transports you to the excitement of a live performance where you can experience iconic acts such as Amy Winehouse, Led Zeppelin and Elton John. A special performance by Culture Club's Boy George is given via the technology of a 3D hologram. There is a music trail that children can take part in as they walk around the displays, answering questions from each decade. Completed trails can be exchanged for a certificate.

In addition to the collection of music memorabilia, the British Music Experience has lots of hands on activities. There is a dance studio where you can learn a dance from one of the featured decades. We had a try at some Ska dance moves made famous by Madness, dancing to One Step Beyond. We also recorded a vocal demo of the Cold Play song Yellow in the recording booth.

The Gibson Brands Interactive Studio is an amazing space where visitors can try their hand at playing keyboards, drums and guitars. We absolutely loved it. There are tutorial videos to follow and the staff are on hand to offer advice and encouragement. The instruments are brilliant and we all had a go at playing a host of electric, bass and  acoustic guitars, an electronic drum kit and a full length electronic piano. Ian loved the Epiphone 335 electric guitar. It was such a great place to have a go at playing quality instruments in a relaxed, fun setting.  

My girls performed an impromptu duet playing songs together. The very lovely Abigail, who is one of the staff at the BME joined in, singing harmonies with the girls and chatting to us about music. Her knowledge and passion for music and her love and enthusiasm for her job shone through. She is a wonderful asset to the museum and made our experience really enjoyable.

There are some craft workshops making dream catchers and interactive story telling and sing-along sessions going on as part of the Summer Holidays Programme at the British Music Experience, making the summer holidays a perfect time to visit for families.

Find out more at http://www.britishmusicexperience.com/.

Carrie and David Grant - Jump Up and Join In

Carrie and David Grant are very popular in our household.  We were big fans of Fame Academy and Carrie and David's Pop Shop, so when we heard that they had brought out a range of children's books we were really very excited.  We were given the chance to review Elephant's Birthday Bells and Lion's Speedy Sauce  and we couldn't wait to read them!

The 32 page full colour paperback books are beautifully illustrated and introduce a host of music loving animal characters to young children.  The books include a fun story along with a CD that includes original songs, karaoke, music lessons and an audio version of the story narrated by Carrie and David.  They also include a craft idea so children can make their own musical instruments using household bits and bobs.  They are really interactive books which will get the kids jumping up and joining in, as their theme tune suggests!

The books bring musical concepts to young children in a fun way.  Elephant's Birthday Bells focuses on loud and soft, while Lion's Speedy Sauce is all about rhythm.  The concepts are tied into the story and the lessons in a way that children will understand and enjoy.

Learning through music is a wonderful way for children to enhance their speech skills, memory, educational, physical, social and emotional development.  It exposes them to the arts and offers them a creative outlet.  It really can enhance a child's learning experience to be involved in the listening and making of music.  Carrie and David clearly encourage this in these easily accessible books and CDs.

I loved how the books tie the theme together so neatly.  In Elephant's Birthday Bells we are introduced to Elephant whose trumpets and stomps are just too loud for the family band.  Mum and Dad want to find something a bit quieter for her to play.  Through the story, children are introduced to the concept of soft and loud.  They then get to practice how to sing or play loudly and softly with the fun music lessons. They can even make their own jingly bells like Elephant had.  Children can learn to sing Elephant's song and even go on to learn how to sing harmonies.  

In Lion's Speedy Sauce, we meet Lion who is too sleepy to keep the beat in his band.  That is until he has a very spicy lunch!  Children learn all about counting and rhythm and progress onto scales.  They can learn how to make their own bongo drums using a saucepan and join in with the songs.

These books are a whole musical activity session and so much more than just a story.

Freddy really enjoys the books and CDs in the car where he can join in and sing along from the comfort of his car seat.  They keep him occupied and entertained on car journeys.  It is also something he can share with his music loving sisters.  He really liked the animal sounds that serve as a prompt to turn the page of the book, which are a really nice touch and show the attention to detail of this series.

At £6.99 each they represent great value for money, giving children a full musical experience that will help them to learn about  and develop a love of music.  The format of the book and CD really captures the imagination and Carrie and David's upbeat and energetic personalities shine through. We are very impressed!

Now That's What I Call Music Trivia Box

Music loving kids will love to show off their pop knowledge by playing this fast paced trivia game based on the incredibly successful Now That's What I Call Music series.

With over 400 questions from the 80's to the present day this is a great game for all the family.  Cards include some interesting factoids to expand your music knowledge further.

You have to answer questions to stay in each round and the last player in wins a picture card.  First to win three picture cards is the winner!  You have to watch out for Steal cards though, as they can change the direction of the game in an instant.

We were sent a set to try out for ourselves.  We found that getting into teams of two worked best so we covered all the chart eras, with grown-ups covering the 80's and the younger players covering the more up to date stuff.  The multiple choice questions gave everyone a good chance of guessing the correct answer if they weren't sure.  There is nothing worse than having difficult questions that no one can answer in a trivia game, but this set had a good balance of music questions which kept the game play flowing nicely and keeping all the players actively involved.

It;s nice to have some games that everyone can enjoy, that don't rely on electricity to play them.  It would be ideal for travelling as the cards are compact and there is no board or playing pieces required.

We do enjoy family quizzes and so this is a great edition to our trivia games.  Teenager Ella had the best musical knowledge for playing this game and I think this would be a great Christmas gift for young music loving teens.

It is £8.99 RRP and can be purchased direct from the Now website.

We Sing 80s

I was a teenager in the eighties and so this era holds a very special place in my heart.  So when I was sent a copy of We Sing 80s, the latest title in the UK's no 1 Wii singing franchise, I was pretty excited about belting out some of my favourite tracks!  With artists such as Spandau Ballet, The Human League and Simple Minds featured on the playlist, I was ready to get into the groove and recapture this fantastic decade of my youth!

Features of the game include:

• 30 unforgettable 80s hits!
• Four mics, four singers together!
• Iconic 80s tracks, including 21 worldwide No.1 hits!
• Solo, Party and Karaoke modes
• Eight Multiplayer modes
• Original artists and videos included
• Singing Lessons
• Replay your performance
• Rap Scoring / Star Notes
• Jukebox / In-game Awards
• Easy, Medium or Hard modes

As with all the We Sing games, I love how they get everyone up and singing, they really do create such a fun, party atmosphere.  Four people can sing at once, so there is no need to feel shy!  The scoring is clear on screen.  The range of songs on We Sing 80s means that everyone instantly knows a few of the songs.  Even my 10 year old was able to join in straight away with the chart topping hits and very quickly 3 year old Freddy began singing along to a few of the catchy choruses.  I love that the original videos play on the game which was a big dose of nostalgia for me!!  The karaoke mode allows you to sing without the original vocals so you can practice your party piece and feel like a real pro!

Tracklist:

Kylie Minogue - I Should Be So Lucky

Roxette - The Look

Spandau Ballet - True

Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie

DeBarge - Rhythm of the Night

Smokey Robinson - Being with You

Yazz and the Plastic Population - The Only Way Is Up

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

Tears For Fears - Shout

Yazoo - Only You

Lisa Stansfield - All Around the World

Paula Abdul - Straight Up

Simple Minds - Alive and Kicking

Baltimora - Tarzan Boy

Toto - Africa

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love

Starship - Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now

The Human League - Don’t You Want Me

Sade - Smooth Operator

Lionel Richie - All Night Long (All Night)

Cameo - Word Up!

Queen - I Want to Break Free

Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

Duran Duran - Rio

Tiffany - I Think We’re Alone Now

Blondie - The Tide Is High

Sabrina - Boys (Summertime Love)

Culture Club - Do You Really Want to Hurt Me

The Bangles - Eternal Flame

T’Pau - China in Your Hand

I love the selection of songs and it includes some real favourites from the era.  We Sing 80s is perfect for parties or for families or for those moments when you fancy a solo sing-song.

We Sing 80s is out now to buy from retailers such as Amazon.  (Playing requires the use of compatible microphones.)

An Evening Of Music and A Proud Mum Moment!

On Saturday night I went to a concert showcasing local musical talent.  My daughter Ella had been invited to play, along with her friend and duet partner Jake.  They have performed together for a few years, both playing guitar, and I am so proud of them.

The concert was held in a local hall in support of an educational fund that supports young people in the area.  Kids aged between 12 and 16 from some local schools came together for the three hour musical showcase that included vocalists, pianists, guitarists, saxophonists and an instrumental band.  It is such a positive experience to listen to such talented teenagers performing musical numbers from a diverse range of genres such as musical theatre from Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and Evita to pop hits from Adele and Katy Perry.  The band did an awesome rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller which was a huge crowd pleaser.  Their female drummer was absolutely incredible.  Such was her enthusiasm, she broke her drum!

It is so wonderful to see teenagers breaking the negative stereotype that society places on them.  Everyone was so professional, talented and committed.  It was such a feel good evening of entertainment!  A real inspiration.

But my proudest and favourite moment was of course when my own little star performed her three songs with Jake:  Naive by the Kooks, You Know My Name by Chris Cornell and Apologize by One Republic.  They were fantastic!  Here are the videos.  One of them rehearsing at my house and two of them on the  night that I managed to sneakily record on my Flip!

                            

Nothing beats seeing your child doing something that they truly love.  Ella is so confident when she performs.  Having the guitar in her hands brings her to life.  It gives her the confidence that she sometimes lacks in everyday situations.  She lights up the stage with her smile and enthusiasm.  It was wonderful to see her doing what she loves.  I am so very proud of her.

The Best Mother's Day Present Ever

             My daughter Ella gave me the best Mother's Day present that she could give me.  She wrote me a song and performed it for me as well as putting it onto YouTube for me to watch over and over again.  I am so proud of her and so delighted that I got my own song for Mother's Day.  I wept buckets when we sang it to me earlier!!  So here it is...a celebration of mothers everywhere!

             

My Little Recording Star

For Christmas we bought Ella a 3 hour recording session at Sweetharmonies Recording Studio in Birmingham.  Yesterday was the day she had been waiting for for over 3 months.  Sod's Law that she had a really horrible cold and sore throat, but not to be perturbed, she went with her dad for a 9am start and managed to record three original tracks and an Adele cover in her time slot.  She also had her session videoed which was fabulous for me as I wasn't there to watch it live.  The sound engineer was very impressed with her and her songwriting ability.

Here are two live recordings of Ella in action at the Recording Studio.  These are both original songs she has written herself.  I'm such a proud mummy :)

The Soundtrack to My Life

Metal Mummy and Him, Me and Three have both tagged me in this latest meme.  We are asked to write about our favourite songs and the music that defines us.  These songs are supposed to come from our iPod, randomly selected on shuffle.  However, my MP3 player that provides our entertainment on long journeys in the car, is the nearest thing I've got, and that is filled with the Rocky Horror Show soundtrack, some CBeebies stuff and my 14 year old daughter's music...so it wouldn't really define me at all.

So these are the songs that I love, that mean something to me and are the soundtrack to my life.

1:  Head Over Feet - Alanis Morissette

This song was our first dance song at our wedding in 1997.  I am a big Alanis fan from her earlier angstier years.  These days she is too loved up and too busy being a mummy to baby Ever to produce songs of the calibre of the Jagged Little Pill era.  The words to this song really resonate with me.  "You are the bearer of unconditional things, you held your breath and the door for me.  Thanks for your patience,"...is so true of my own story.  It took me a decade to feel worthy enough to accept that Ian was my soul mate after being in my previous destructive relationships.  I am so grateful that he held out for what he knew would be perfect.  Alanis could've written this song about us!

First Dance x

2: Meat is Murder - The Smiths

The soundtrack to my first foray into vegetarianism.  I was a militant teenage veggie who would question the source of the rennet on the cheese in takeaway pizzas much to the utter confusion of the poor Pizza Hut staff. This song was an anthem to my beliefs and The Smiths were just so damn cool.  Love it.  "Savour the Flavour of Murder"...powerful stuff.

3:  Patience - Take That

When I was in the delivery suite back on July 9th 2009 at 2a.m. the local radio station was playing.  My waters had broken and given that my last labour was so fast we were expecting to be home with a baby by lunchtime.  Unfortunately, Freddy decided to stay put and my contractions refused to start despite bouncing on a ball for hours.  'Patience' was played about ten times in those early hours of that Thursday morning.  It became the theme tune to my labour.  My patience was eventually  rewarded, my contractions finally started at 5pm and he was born  at 5.56pm.

Just have a little patience x

4: The Only Way is Up - Yazz and the Plastic Population

This song was in the charts when I was a five months pregnant teenager in July 1988.  I was on my own and a little bit broken.  My boyfriend had just walked out for the second time during my pregnancy and I made the discovery that he had been cheating on me for months with a much older divorcee.  However, I found a strength and I realised he'd done me a huge favour removing himself permanently from me and my son's lives.  This song was Number 1 in the charts.  It seemed very symbolic!

5: Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin


The fact that my husband can play this on his guitar was a big factor in me falling in love with him.  It's just one of the best songs ever recorded and fabulous to sing along to.  Messrs Page and Plant are just the most awesome rock combo.  This song never ages.  My children all love it too...which makes me very proud! (No Bieber in this household!)


This is the soundtrack to my life!  I pass the tag onto anyone who is yet to be tagged and to Not Met Megan and Just Simply Ella.

Music I want my Children to Listen to...

I've enjoyed reading all the posts about music that has been influential to fellow bloggers.  How music provides the soundtrack to our lives, evoking memories of people, places and times that are important to us.  I have thought really hard about what music I'd like to be influential to my children.  They really do already show signs of having great taste and I am learning from them as much as they are learning from me.

There is however, a type of music that I would be devastated to see excluded from their repetoires.  That is Disney Songs.

As a child I was given the Reader's Digest Box Set of Disney LP's.  Each of the six discs had a full coloured cardboard sleeve which showed a scene from a Disney film.  I vividly recall studying the covers depicting Lady and the Tramp, Mickey Mouse as The Sorceror's Apprentice and The Jungle Book.  The tactile glory of a 12" album cover has never been replicated by a CD box.

My stereo was one of those portable record players in a box.  It had a blue lid and a cream base and I thought it was utterly precious...my prize possession!

The songs on the albums were originals from the films.  My particular favourites were "Ugly Bug Ball" and "Everybody wants to be a Cat".  I made up dances to both songs...literal interpretations of the lyrics with dramatic mime-esque movements.  My bedroom was tiny and the space was so limited, I used to whack my hand against the wardrobe or the bunk bed.  But in my mind I was performing on the West End.

The Rescuers song "Someone's Waiting for You" didn't have a dance.  Instead I sang it with intensity and sincerity whilst gazing wistfully out across my bedroom floor.  These were my special moments in our over-crowded childhood home.  My escape.

My love of Disney songs has never diminished.  My niece sang "Beauty and the Beast" at my wedding during the wedding speeches, which was a beautiful moment.  (I just hope I wasn't the beast in her mind!)

Pixar films are wonderful and I love the Randy Newman soundtrack to the Toy Story films, but the classic songs remain unbeatable. I hope the wonders of "The Bare Necessities", "Baby Mine" and "Be Our Guest" live on in our family for generations to come.  I still have my box set and my husband converted it into MP3's on my laptop, but it's just not quite the same as playing them on my precious crackly little box.

Music I want my children to listen to...

Just found this lovely linky on Ghostwritermummy's blog.  The idea is to write a post about the music you would like your children to listen to.  I am in an interesting position on this.  Having older children who have already made their minds up on this subject, it's no longer a case of what I want them to listen to, it's a case of do I approve?

I've always had an eclectic musical taste, so most things go.  Thankfully my children have all made good choices...we are a Bieber-free zone!

As a teenager, I was lucky enough to be taken to Glastonbury and to gigs by my older sister.  Bauhaus was the first gig I went to and I was in the mosh pit with punks...quite a culture shock!  I loved it though, being close enough to touch Pete Murphy!  They were quite influential to 'teen me'...as I immersed myself in their  blend of obscure lyrics and black lipstick!

Marillion was my next big musical crush.  I tirelessly listened to their prog-rock albums, relishing the pseudo-intellectual wisdom of Fish!  I saw them at Hammersmith Odeon on the Fugazi Tour.  It was an amazing concert with lots of extended guitar solos.  I still adore the Script for a Jester's Tear album.  Everything down to the amazing artwork to the lyrics on the inner sleeve resonated with me.  I still sing along to it now!

Other music I'd cite as being influential to me includes David Bowie, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Cure.  I was a real child of my time loving all the alternative music and dressing accordingly!

Two of my very favourite albums though are not in this genre.  For some reason Prince's Purple Rain became the theme tune to my late teens.  I adored his mix of funk, pop, electronic and R&B.  The fact that his backing singer Wendy was credited on this album gave me a sense of pride in my name!  I would extensively quote:
"Wendy."
"Yes Lisa."
"Is the water warm enough?"
"Yes Lisa."
"Shall we begin?"
"Yes Lisa."
Suddenly my name (that I'd always hated) had an element of cool!

Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell is my other favourite album.  I still can't get enough of the rocked out concept album and you will find me at karaoke parties thrashing out "Paradise by the Dashboard Light".  I adore the story and love belting out those songs!

These would be my recommendations to my children. Thankfully, their tastes have all proven to be good and they do not pigeon-hole themselves to one single genre.  Joe loves N-Dubz but also loves Eminem and Daughtry.  Megan thinks Brandon Flowers  "went inside my head, pulled out all my feelings and put them into song form." Our songstress Ella (named after Ella Fitzgerald) has taken her love of music to the next level, not only loving it but making it herself.  She is a guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter with a talent that is developing before our eyes.  I am immensely proud of her :)

My Teenaged Songstress

I'm the sort of person who loves to jump up on the Karaoke at family parties!  That's not to say I'm a good singer...I'm just keen!!  OK, sometimes it falls into place and I'll rock out a not too shabby version of Total Eclipse of the Heart or Bat out of Hell.  I did a pretty mean rendition of Fame complete with a Flash Mob of dancers for my sister's wedding reception.  (How I wish I could have taken advantage of the open bar before hand to give myself a bit of Dutch courage...but alas I'm tee total and had to do it stone cold sober.  I swear to you I peed a little with the terror of the situation!)  But generally, I'm the one that people laugh at.  I'm the one who cannot hold the notes during harmonies, which is a real problem in my incredibly musical extended family!  My version of Skimbleshanks from the musical Cats has gone down in family folklore as one of my more hilarious attempts at performing.  My niece Liberty who is a Grade 7 pianist could barely contain herself as I sang along to her accompaniment whilst wearing an ELC cat dressing up outfit.  To say it was poor would be a compliment...I was more strangled cat than Andrew Lloyd Webber Cats!  However, laughter is a joyous gift and if my lack of talent delivers this most treasured prize to my loved ones I will continue to sing my heart out whenever and wherever I can!!

With this musically challenged background, one would assume that my children wouldn't stand a chance.  Yet by the wonders of genetics and its wondrous complexity, I have the most talented little songstress for a daughter!  To be fair, my husband is a bit of a guitarist.  He has six guitars upon which he can strum and pluck various pieces including Stairway to Heaven (which never fails to impress me!) but sadly the singing never quite matched up to the finger action. 

So my little Ella, aged just 9 decided to tinker with Daddy's guitars and using a Three Chord Trick book taught herself to play Jolene.  It was pretty good although her little fingers struggled to hold down the strings and chord changes were a little tricky.  By 12, she had taken possession of my husband's guitars and declared them as her own.  She googled chords from songs and learned to play a huge repetoire by heart.  Before long she was cracking chord patterns by ear and correcting tablature.  Then came the songwriting.  Simple little songs at first that made me beam with pride whenever she performed for me.  Quickly they evolved into more complex pieces with a maturity that belied her age.  She can knock up a song in a day and post it on Youtube via webcam.  She is so quiet and shy when introducing her songs but comes alive as soon as the guitar comes into play.  I don't know where this songwriting will take her, but at just 14 years old she is creating her own music.  It brings her such joy and gives her an outlet for her creativity, her emotions and her angst.  I am very proud of my daughter and am so glad she does not take after her mother!!!

My Teenaged Songstress