Roger Day Gets Kids Using Their Noodles With His New CD "Why Does Gray Matter?

    NASHVILLE, TN, January 27, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Parents' Choice Gold Award winning musician Roger Day, renowned for his wit, whimsy, and wordplay, scales the pinnacle of braininess with the February 9 release of his fourth kids' CD and first "theme" album: "Why Does Gray Matter? ... And Other Brainy Songs for Kids!" (Roger Day Productions, $15.00, run time 39 minutes, for ages 5 - 11). The disc offers fourteen Roger Day originals, each one devoted to the wonders and mysteries of the human brain, encouraging kids to "use their noodles" for creative problem solving and letting them know that it's cool to be smart!

Says Roger Day, "'Why Does Gray Matter' is an outgrowth of the more than 1,000 cultural arts performances and songwriting workshops I've done over the past 10 years at elementary schools all over the country. With this CD, I want to inspire children to realize that, yes, 'Gray Matters' because their brains can and will provide them with all the tools they need to reach their potential and make a difference in the world. Along the way, they'll also learn some fun facts about the brain. My 'Left Brain/Right Brain' song illustrates the different functions of each side of the brain: the left brain is a Bach-inspired baroque string quartet and the right brain - naturally - is a bad British punk rock band. I co-wrote a song called 'The Brain Train' with Dr. John Paul Bouffard, Chief Neuropathologist at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey, which takes a peek inside Ringo Starr's brain during that nanosecond from Ringo's first thought about playing the drums to showtime at Shea Stadium. I'm confident this is the first - and probably last -- children's song that uses words like 'corpus callosum' and 'deep basal ganglia' in the lyrics!"

In the spirit of "Schoolhouse Rock" and "Bill Nye the Science Guy," "Why Does Gray Matter?" also includes "Sara Bellum, the Brainy Girl," "It's a No Brainer" (literally singing the praises of math), and "Brain Food - Eat it Up!" which uses omega 3, lypocene and green tea in a B52s inspired rocker about the best foods for brain health. "Shake Up Your Brain," "Use Your Noodle," and "Get Your Brain in Gear" are motivational songs, encouraging kids to use their brain power to get the job done and solve whatever problems they -- and by extension we -- face.  

Roger Day's "aspirational," kid-empowering album, "Dream Big!" (2007), with guest artists Billy Jonas and The Crickets (Buddy Holly's legendary band), was honored with a prestigious Parents' Choice Gold Award. Parents' Choice cited "Dream Big!" for its "sunny rock 'n roll bounce, light educational tidbits and positive messages ... Layered instrumentals, with shivery strings and hot guitar licks and bass beats, are top-flight." Radio Disney played the title track, and the album's song "I Like Yaks" reached #1 on the Sirius/XM "Kids Place Live" chart, remaining on the chart for a full 21 weeks. Nashville Parent enthused, "Roger Day is back with an awesomely fun CD. Day's musicianship is outstanding, and your kids will love singing along." Kathy O'Connell of MetroKids Philadelphia declared, "Roger Day takes his place among the finest solo rockers making music for families." According to Richmond Parents Monthly, "Roger Day's got mojo to spare ... The songs have the energy, spark and honesty that speaks of someone who has spent lots of time with kids and knows how to engage them."

Previous to "Why Does Gray Matter?" and "Dream Big!," Roger Day released two other children's CDs, "Rock 'n' Roll Rodeo" (1998) and "Ready to Fly" (2001). "Ready to Fly," which received a Parents' Choice Recommended Award, features the talents of the Indigo Girls and Nanci Griffith. Parenting chose "Ready to Fly" as one of its "Parenting Picks," declaring that the album's songs would make "imaginations soar." Wrote Nashville Parent, "These catchy, original songs will have kids singing along on the very first hearing." Publishers Weekly praised the "goofy, kid-friendly fun" of "Ready to Fly," and School Library Journal declared, "The songs contain the kind of silliness kids appreciate." Sirius/XM Radio's Senior Director of Specialty Programming, Kenny Curtis, took the time to write to Roger, "I have to tell you what great work you've done on "Ready to Fly." We've added the title track to our chart and are spinning it about 30- 40 x/week. It's one of those rare, incredibly infectious tunes that you don't mind having in your head all-day. 'Parachute Girl' is equally catchy, and 'Monster Face' is wonderfully bizarre and fun. For what it's worth, all three will be in regular rotation."

Coming to children's music via studies in classical voice and German, Roger Day's career was seasoned by time spent leading songs and activities as a camp counselor. Ten years of touring as a college coffeehouse performer followed, with Roger playing more than 1,000 shows at 200 different colleges, releasing three critically acclaimed adult CDs, and earning five straight nominations as Coffeehouse Entertainer of the Year from The National Association of Campus Activities (NACA).

Roger Day now spends much of his time on the road, performing more than 200 concerts annually, from the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York to the Children's Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina. He's been a featured artist at the Target Children's Book Festival in Chicago, Boston, and Detroit; the International Children's Festival in Edmonton, Alberta; and the Savannah Music Festival. In 2003 Roger filmed one of these shows, creating the award-winning "Roger Day Live!" video (making its debut on Public Television, named one of Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products of 2004 and earning a Parents' Choice Recommended Award and a Film Advisory Board Award for Outstanding Family Video).

"Why Does Gray Matter?" will be available online at rogerday.com, amazon.com, cdbaby.com, and iTunes.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Waldman Frazier
415-334-2787 or [email protected]
Submitted by Artspromo

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