Josh Levine: News

January is going to be a busy month for me.  I'm playing bass for the SEA Theater's Plenopera, starting another season at the MWMM Brooklyn One World Kids Chorus in Fort Greene, and playing at several different Cuba themed restaurants around NYC.  I made a new year's resolution to go to more of the jam sessions, and I've been sticking to it, going to Smalls, Fat Cat, Cleopatra's Needle, Smoke and Mona's.  I'm hoping to check out some other sessions like Mondays at the Kitano and John Benitez's jam session at La Terraza on Sunday nights.  Too much to do, not enough time!  I'm also scheduling private sessions and rehearsals to play original music and learn new repertoire.

My One World Brooklyn Kids Chorus performs this Sunday, Dec 16 at The Lafayette Ave Presbyterian Church in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, 3-5pm.  All are welcome!

85 S Oxford St, Brooklyn, NY.

I'm getting ready to start a new season teaching and accompanying at The Ballet Hispanico.

I'm happy to be part of the LeAP team again -- Learning through an Expanded Arts Program.

I spent part of July and August in Uruguay and got to lead a couple of workshops for young people there, including bassists from the Orchestra Juvenil of the SODRE in Montevideo.

I'll be performing at several Key West venues with The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn from December 21-27.

The character Harley, played by Steve Earl on the HBO original series Tremé is based on the real Frasnk Schaap.

http://www.offbeat.com/2010/07/12/steve-earle-on-emmys-treme-and-new-orleans/

I accompany Frank Schaap on a whirlwind homecoming tour of Kentucky in mid-June.

I played at a benefit for Congressman Jerrold Nadler at the Grand Hyatt in Mdtown Manhattan. Among the speakers were Bill Clinton, Governor Patterson, Senator Chuck Schumer and Faye Wattleton.

Taylor Watson's "Los Hipsters No Bailan" is out and you can listen to samples and pick up a copy at CDbaby.com

I play bass and sing coros on several tracks and I play accordion on one track.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/sondebrooklyn

I spent the last week hanging out and performing on Martha's Vineyard with finger pickin' resonator guitarist and singer Frank Schaap. We sold the first copies our new CD "Two Buskers' Blues". Thanks to all the people from the Artisans Market, Farmers Market, Featherstone Center for the Arts, West Tisbury Public Library, and all the people we met along the way.

In July I led workshops on Latin music at Libraries in Lee County, Florida. Participants sang, danced and played fundamental rhythmic patterns like clave, martillo and tumbao.

Thank you Lee County!

I`ve been in Mexico since Labor day, heading back to NYC on Friday, Sept. 14th. I flew in to Mexico CIty with my good friend Ian MacDonald and we went on to San Miguel de Allende and Guanjuato, where I am now.
I bumped into an old colleague from the Family Academy here I'm I'm taking his African dance classes.

The May, 2007 issue of Parenting Magazine inculdes Josh Levine For Kids in its Parenting Picks:

"This gaggle of sing-along faves mixes Spanish songs with English classics ("Wheels on the Bus"), rendered in Levine's Latin-jazzy approach. Best download: "A Place in the Choir."

Bill Childs of Spoil the Child, Spare the Rock radio out of Florence, MA, hosted a recording session party with about 20 different artists and groups showing up to record one or two tunes for the radio show and meet and hang out with each other, as well as nieghborhood kids, Bills daughter Ella, and some people from the media, including reporters for Wondertime, the Disney magazine, and Time Out Magazine.
Here's a link to the Time Out piece:
http://timeoutkids.com/Details.do?page=&xyurl=xyl://KIDSWebArticles1/07apr/music/a_music_scene_grows_in_brooklyn.xml

Mary Ann Miller interviewed me on her WBAI radio show today. She played cuts from Josh Levine for Kids and we talked about making music for kids and the over seven crowd.

Following a successful audition for Hospital Audiences, Inc., my trio is performing at hospitals all over New York.

My CD of kids music is now available for just $10 at the Bank Street Bookstore on 112th and Broadway.
It will soon be available at Buy Buy Baby!

Kenny Kozol and I made our radio debut as a music for kids duo on WXOJ in Florence, MA. The show went really well and we played to a packed house at the Cup and Top Cafe in Florence afterwards.
My whole family was there -- Jess, Joe, Elijah, Mom and Dad -- plus lots of friends. Thanks to everyone who came! We hope to return to the Cup and Top soon.

Josh Levine for Kids is now available on i-tunes and several other digital distribution sites.

I hope you'll check out these short video clips of Son Amigos live at Orbit and Los Acustilocos live at the 92nd St. Y

A DJ named Bill Childs is playing Josh Levine for Kids on WXOJ in Northampton, MA. His show is music for kids and it comes on at 9AM Saturday mornings. I'll be doing a live, on air performance there November 4th, 2006.

In a rave review at www.kidsmusicthatrocks.blogspot.com/, Warren Truitt of the Donnell Library’s Childrens Reading Room, calls it, "the kids' album most likely to induce spontaneous salsa dancing.”

JOSH LEVINE FOR KIDS is a collection of songs in Spanish and English that I’ve been singing over the past eight years with many thousands of New York City children in schools, parks, parties and programs.

JOSH LEVINE FOR KIDS is a valuable resource for teachers, but it’s not just for teachers and it’s not just for kids. It’s also for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and YOU! I hope you’ll listen to the free samples at http://cdbaby.com/cd/jlevine
Most of the songs are made for movement:
• Mi Cuerpo Hace Musica is all about how ones’ body makes music.
• Jump Jim Joe is a changing partners dance – the lyrics tell you what to do.
• A dancing train, perhaps, to the chugging rhythm of Workin’ on the Railroad.
• You can pantomime I Am A Pumpkin, Wheels on the Bus and Tiburon.
• If You’re Happy And You Know It – buy Josh Levine for Kids!
• The Hokey Pokey mambo.

There are also some great songs for teaching about diversity and tolerance:
• A Real Bouquet is a poem by Edith Segal set to music by me.
• A Place in the Choir, by Bill Staines with animal calls by yours truly.
• This Land is Your Land, by Woody Guthrie. It was made for you and me.

Plus:
• The Alphabet Song as a mambo.
• Cumpleanos Feliz as a cha cha.
• I’ve Got Music In My Soul swings.

Percussionist Guillermo Cardenas plays on two of the fourteen selections. I sing and play bass, Venezuelan cuatro, keyboards and percussion.

Since I’m producing my next children’s project now, I’d appreciate your feedback on this one.

If you want to book me for a party or community event, please contact me directly at joshlevine@joshlevinemusic.com.

In addition to playing in clubs and at private parties, I'm helping to bring music into the lives of young people in NYC public and private schools through LEAP and Wingspan Arts.