New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Raffi's label, Troubadour Music, announces the upcoming release of Frogs and Birds by the award-winning
Lindsay Munroe.
Lindsay is joined on many of the songs by Raffi, who also produced the album.
Emanating encouragement, understanding, and authentic respect for children of all abilities, these 14 buoyant tunes shine with gentle sincerity, as
Lindsay and Raffi's voices weave a texture that flows effortlessly from melody to harmony throughout.
July 7th marks the release of the album's title track as Frogs and Birds' first single, as well as the kick-off for pre-orders of the digital and CD versions of the complete album, to be released via Craft Recordings in the US on August 27th, 2021.
The title song is a duet with
Lindsay and her daughter Mem. "Frogs and Birds" is a tender and lilting tune about considering other people. Mother and daughter first alternate verses and then join for a collective chorus, with
Raffi blending in for the final chorus.
A mother of three children with autism,
Lindsay Munroe is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. Munroe's warmth and deep sensitivity to children with special needs inform the songs on Frogs and Birds, which she and
Raffi created for all children, but especially for those who are neurodiverse, as well as for their families and teachers who embrace inclusion in the classroom. Songs like "Faces Show Our Feelings," "Flexible and Easy Going," "Feelings Like the Weather," "Very Funny Things," and "Take a Breath" (a self-regulation song written by
Raffi in 2016) are musically outstanding, in styles ranging from folk to jazz. The songs offer practical tools to help kids improve their social skills and self-reliance through kindness and caring.
Like the first
Lindsay Munroe/Raffi collaboration, 2020's NAPPA Award-winning I Am Kind, Frogs and Birds was produced by Raffi, whose skillful instrumentals (guitar, ukulele, electric piano, and more) enhance the album and whose soothing harmonies perfectly complement
Lindsay Munroe's crystalline vocals.
Building on the success of I Am Kind,
Raffi and
Lindsay have filled Frogs and Birds with even more positive, hopeful, original songs, including two - "
I See You" and "Where There Is Love" - that were written specifically for this album by Raffi, along with such enduring, classic favorites as "You Are My Sunshine," "If I Knew You Were Coming," and "Happy Trails." The melodic voices of Munroe's children are the icing on the cake of this family songfest.
"It was an absolute joy to work with the incomparable
Raffi on this, our second album," says
Lindsay Munroe. "I am so excited for this music to be yours. I envision your children singing along and enjoying the melodies as they learn important lessons about kindness, acceptance, and understanding. I hope these songs uplift and bring joy to all who listen."
Eight of the songs were originally written by
Lindsay for Bridges Learning System, an innovative new curriculum that highlights the strengths of neurodiverse students. These songs use music to build bridges of understanding between people. Written in conjunction with the SEA Bridge curriculum, they reinforce concepts around social communication, such as recognizing our similarities and celebrating what makes us different.
I Am Kind was the first Troubadour album in decades to feature an artist other than Raffi. This beautiful musical friendship started with a backstage meeting between
Lindsay and
Raffi after one of his concerts near Lindsay's home in Massachusetts. As a lifelong admirer of Raffi's music,
Lindsay was thrilled to learn he was a fan of her "Sing Along with Lindsay" videos. One conversation led to another, and after
Raffi had heard more of Lindsay's original children's songs, he suggested she record an album. She agreed, and was overjoyed when
Raffi offered to produce I Am Kind.
While primarily drawing from her experiences with her own children,
Lindsay Munroe has also found inspiration in the
Raffi Foundation's online course in Child Honouring. Lindsay's songs reflect the Child Honouring principles of Respectful Love, Diversity, Caring Community, Emotional Intelligence, and Nonviolence.
"Lindsay Munroe's voice is a clarion call of compassion," says Raffi. "Her new songs feel like a tutorial on emotional intelligence, playful and inspiring. We had great fun recording the Frogs and Birds album - kids and their families will love it."
Visit LindsayMunroeMusic.com for album news, and RaffiNews.com for the latest
Raffi updates.
