Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am
June 23rd & 24th, 2012 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages! This weekend Seattle’s celebrated band of teacher-rockers – Recess Monkey – bring their special brand of “undeniably hip, yet also kid-accessible” music and humor as guest DJs for a special circus-themed episode of Hilltown Family Variety Show! A highlight of the June 23 and 24 Hilltown Family Variety Show broadcasts is Recess Monkey reading the In Tents booklet aloud. Audiences can follow along HERE.
Featured Video: Recess Monkey’s Drew just figured out how to pay off his student loans- with a good old fashioned Lemonade Stand! He soon discovers that those lemons are more a-peel-ing than he thought! “Lemonade” is from Recess Monkey’s 8th album, the circus-themed In Tents. – www.recessmonkey.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am
June 16th & 17th, 2012 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Steve from the band Hullabaloo plays his favorite traditional American folk songs about people, places, animals, trains and more. Hear Bruce Springsteen, Dan Zanes, Lisa Loeb, Elizabeth Mitchell and Hullabaloo sing the songs that have been passed down from generation to generation since our country was born.
Featured Video: “Out Standing” from Hullabaloo’s album, Raise a Ruckus. – www.hullabalooband.com
JOE & JUSTIN OF THE OKEE DOKEE BROTHERS
GUEST DJ EPISODE
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am
June 9th & 10th, 2012 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Childhood best friends, Joe and Justin, now known as The Okee Dokee Brothers from Minneapolis, Minnesota, are our Guest DJs this today, spinning some songs of their own childhood, songs in the Americana folk tradition and even some tunes off their brand new CD called Can You Canoe? about their real-life 30 day canoe trip down the Mississippi River.
Featured Video: The title track from the album Can You Canoe? On June 1st, 2011, Joe and Justin began a canoe trip in Minneapolis, MN and continued down the river for the next 30 days until they reached the St. Louis Gateway Arch. During their month long journey on the Mississippi, they camped, canoed and composed the songs that make up the album Can You Canoe? – www.okeedokee.org
1. Alastair Moock – “These Are My Friends” [These Are My Friends]
2. Alastair Moock (feat. Rani Arbo) – “Feets Up” [These Are My Friends]
3. Mark Erelli – “The Fox” [Planting Seeds]
4. Vanessa Trien – “Wake Up the Barn” [Carnival Day]
5. Session Americana (feat. Rose Polenzani) – “Floppy Tulips” [Table Top People Vol. 2]
6. Sam Cooke – “Another Saturday Night” [Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964]
7. Dizzy Gillespie – “Salt Peanuts” [Shaw Nuff]
8. Cast Recording – “I Don’t Need Anything But You” [Annie: 1977 Original Broadway Cast]
9. Grenadilla – “Got Light” [Grenadilla]
10. Rosy Grier – “It’s All Right to Cry” [Free to Be... You and Me]
11. Alastair Moock – “From Me to You” [These Are My Friends]
12. Alastair Moock (feat. Lori McKenna) – “Didn’t Know What I Was Missing” [These Are My Friends]
12. Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem (feat. Anand Nayak) – “They All Ask’d for You” [Ranky Tanky]
13. Kris Delmhorst – “Mean Old Wind” [Five Stories]
14. Paul Simon – “That Was Your Mother” [Graceland]
15. Eliza Gilkyson – “Bare Necessities” [Your Town Tonight]
16. Alastair Moock (feat. Clio and Elsa Moock) – “A Twinkle Baa Reprise” [These Are My Friends]
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am Nov 19th & 20th 2011 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner Ted Jacobs brings the Celtic world alive on the Hilltown Family Variety Show this week. In honor of Thanksgiving next week and Ted’s love of poetry, we’re sharing a video here by food historian Regina Sexton of UCC Ireland who takes a look at food that might have been served in Ireland in the 5th century. – www.houseatthecorner.com
“Pretty How Town” by Kris Delmhorst off of Strange Conversation
“Don’t Monkey With My Heart” by Dr. Noize off of The Ballad of Phineas McBoof
“Rawagu Bernard Uedre” off of Putamayo Presents World Reggae
“Raindrop for Me” by Steve Weeks (World Premiere)
“You Are The One Sugarbears” by The Sugar Bears
“Five People In My Family” by ScribbleMonster off of Look Both Ways
“Rocket” by Jeff Warren off of Synonym Toast
STORY TIME: Peter Mulvey …plus the Many Inevitable Fragments Letters From a Flying Machine
Peter Mulvey performs On A Wing and a Prayer Letters From a Flying Machine
“Imogene” by Steve Weeks off of Dandelion
“Wind Energy” by Monty Harper off of Songs from the Science Frontier
við spilum endalaust Sigur Ros með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
“Maintain” by Steve Burns off of Songs for Dust Mites
“You Are Always On My Mind” by The Partridge Family off of Up to Date
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am Oct 29th & 30th 2011 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: Dog on Fleas music video set in the late 1920′s. This video for the song “Do You Wanna Know My New Dance Step” is incredibly cute, artfully made and fun to watch. – www.dogonfleas.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am July 23rd & 24th 2011 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: It’s all about transportation! This animated music video, “Cars and Trucks” is from the Sugar Free Allstars’ second CD, Funky Fresh and Sugar Free. Animation by Shawn Downey. www.sugarfreeallstars.com
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am July 16th & 17th, 2011 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: Mister G takes us to Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala in his bilingual ode to summer. Remote beaches, packed concerts and puppies… Que’ bueno! www.mistergsongs.com
Hilltown Families is a proud sponsor of Mister G's CD release party happening on July 26th at the Tuesday Market in Northampton, MA!
LOCAL KIDS MUSIC: Local kids’ hero Mister G will be releasing his irresistible new CD, BUGS, on July 26th at the Northampton Tuesday Farmer’s Market. Mister G will perform two sets (3:30 & 5PM), and kids are encouraged to arrive in homemade BUG costumes. Children will also be able to create bug-related art projects at the Tuesday Market on the 26th. BUGS has garnered rave reviews from critics around the USA with a collection of original songs which include rock, folk, bluegrass, bossa nova, ska and soul influences. The album features a number of bilingual songs inspired by Mister G’s performances for kids in Latin America. The CD also includes fan favorites such as “Shark in my Bathtub,” “Grilled Cheese,” and “Pam the Pug.” Come ready to dance! www.mistergsongs.com
Check out Charity's Campfire Cooking on this week's episode of the Hilltown Family Variety Show for a study of s'mores with step-by-step directions on roasting marshmallows, insider tips just for kids and roasting philosophies parents can ponder ... a must listen for all kids! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am June 11th & 12th, 2011 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Featured Video: Blue Bear by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Blue Bear comes to life in this animated video, searching for food and friends. Animation by Brian White. www.luckydiazmusic.com
Simon and Garfunkel — “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” [Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits]
Sweet Honey In the Rock — “So Glad I’m Here” [All For Freedom]
David Grisman & Jerry Garcia — “Hot Corn, Cold Corn” [Not For Kids Only]
Charity and the JAMband — “Happy Fluffy” [Rock Your Socks Off]
Mavis Staples — “This Little Light of Mine” [We'll Never Turn Back]
Charity and the JAMband — “We Are Stardust” [Party Like a Twinkle Star]
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Charity and the JAMband — “Wise Old Owl” [unreleased]
Charity and the JAMband — “Loving Kindness” [free download below]
Supertramp — “Give a Little Bit” [Even in the Quietest Moments]
William Bell — “Every Day Will Be Like a Holiday” [Can You Handle It? Vol. 6]
Shirley Temple — “Come and Get Your Happiness” [The Very Best of Shirley Temple]
Charity Kahn writes:
The day after we recorded the show, Daryn (my producer/engineer/guitarist/partner) and I went on a hike in Briones Regional Park, just east of the Oakland Hills. On our way down, in the dusk, we heard the call of a Great Horned Owl, and then another, answering, from across the canyon. As we walked into the valley and back toward the car, at least three different owls continued calling to each other in the almost-darkness. We stopped to listen and absorb, and, miraculously, a huge Great Horned Owl flew out of the forest, over our heads, and perched on the tippy top of a scraggly branch at the tippy top of a tall tree, and stayed there for quite some time. Had we not researched the call of the owl the day before (so I would have a chance of mimicking it passably during the reading of the Owl Moon story for the show), we wouldn’t have recognized it and probably wouldn’t have been present for this magical moment and gift from nature.
In addition to a WONDERFUL holiday show, Charity has several gifts to offer…
FREE DOWNLOAD: First she is offering a free download of the song Loving Kindness this month, a song that “is rooted in a Buddhist meditation practice (also called Metta) whereby you simply send wishes for happiness, health, safety and peacefulness to yourself and others.”
Win a copy of the Flannery Brothers new CD, The New Explorers Club from Hilltown Families! And mark your calendars as they join us here in Western MA on Saturday, November 13th at 1:30pm at the Flywheel in Easthampton as the No Nap Happy Hour continues!
PLAYLIST
Stevie Wonder – “Sir Duke” [Songs in the Key of Life]
Bobby McFerrin – “Don’t Worry Be Happy” [Simple Pleasures]
Kate Rowe – “Brocklevoons”Music
Recess Monkey – “Jet Pack” [The Final Funktier]
Billy Joel – “Still Rock and Roll” [Glass House]
Jerry Lee Lewis – “Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On”
Flannery Brothers – “Swallowed a Bug” [The New Explorers Club]Music
R.O.C.K. – “Cookies and Milk” [The Royal Order of Chords and Keys]
Trout Fishing in America – “18 Wheels on a Big Rig” [Family Music Party]
Put Down the Duckie! – “Put Down the Duckie” [Sesame Street]
Flannery Brothers – “Let’s Go” [The New Explorers Club]Music
Big thank you to Dan and Mike from the Flannery Brothers for hosting an excellent show this week! Find out more about these guys at www.flannerybrothers.com.
Saturday from 9-10am & Sunday from 7-8am October 16th & 17th, 2010 WXOJ LP – 103.3 FM – Valley Free Radio Northampton, MA
Listen Now
FEATURED VIDEO: The Leisure Society play live at the Union Chapel on 15 May 2010 to launch American Laundromat’s latest charity compilation, Sing Me to Sleep: Indie Lullabies.
Getting the kids back to school can be such a hectic time: trying to get everyone back on schedule, making sure they’ve all got their new lunch boxes and back packs, and soothing any new school jitters can take a lot out of a mom!
I don’t know how things work in your family, but for us music always helps to ease transitions, so of course I’ve compiled a list of school songs for Ivan to listen to as he gets ready to start his new year as a big five year old boy!
So far, so good!
Back to School by Steve Blunt – A great way to start the new school year! Steve’s song starts out sad about the end of summer, but he learns that his new teacher is actually pretty cool. Steve Blunt is a local musician from New Hampshire and his two CDs, Hang on Henry and Outta School, are really fun. He has a way of telling a story through song that can sometimes catch you off guard—in a good way!
In the Back of the Bus by Bill Harley – Bill Harley is the ultimate story teller. I love this rock and roll song about the kids who sit in the back of the bus—they just might steal your hat or eat your lunch! But as with all of Bill’s songs and stories, it’s all just part of the fun.
Take Me to Show-and-Tell by Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family – When I was a kid, one of my favorite things in school was Show-and-Tell. I remember taking my pet mongoose in once. I think the teacher in Sarah Lee Guthrie’s song would have been angry at me! Sarah’s voice is so sweet and I love how her kids join her on the chorus. Her music is definitely a family affair!
Reading a Book by Ben Rudnick & Friends – There are so many great songs about reading and this one by Ben Rudnick & Friends is one of my favorites. They say that “anything can happen when you’re reading a book” and let your imagination take wing. So true!
Once Upon a Time by Judy Pancoast – Judy Pancoast’s song about reading focuses on knowledge rather than imagination. Her princess character reads books to learn about the world because her father won’t allow her to go to college. She says she doesn’t want to just sit around and wait to be a prince’s wife… and she’s only interested in a prince who reads just like her! What a smart girl!
Library by SteveSongs – Where are you going to find all those wonderful books? In the library! SteveSongs gets so excited about all the cool books at the library that the librarians need to hush him!
Recess Time by Asheba – We all need a break after all that reading. Asheba’s up-beat reggae song is about children running and playing on the playground at recess. Asheba’s songs are all so positive and full of life!
Sack Lunch by Recess Monkey - I love this song by Recess Monkey! The song is sung in the voice of your sack lunch while you (the student) are on a field trip. The guys of Recess Monkey are able to give ordinary things such importance—and if you get the chance, check out the video for Sack Lunch, it’s hilarious!
Big Field Trip by Justin Roberts – Justin Roberts is one of the kings of kids’ music. We got to see him live this summer at the Regattabar in Harvard Square. What a show! Like so many Justin Roberts songs, Big Field Trip is so much fun to sing along to. Give it a try!
Share by Renee & Jeremy – What’s the most important life lesson you learn in kindergarten? Sharing, of course! Renee & Jeremy use their perfect harmonies to get the message across beautifully: If we all share love will surround us!
Taking Turns by Leeny & Tamara – Leeny & Tamara’s Taking Turns has a similar message: we can all get along and play together happily if we just take turns. Another great school lesson!
Naptime by Charlie Hope – You know what Ivan does when he gets home from school? He takes a nap. He has so much fun learning and playing all day that he comes home exhausted. Charlie Hope’s song about naptime is a great way to get in the mood—but her lullaby CD, World of Dreams, will seal the deal.
He runs—five to ten miles per day with his cross country team. He jumps-before and after cross country practice-on a super charged pogo stick. He flips-on a trampoline before sunrise and way after sunset. He skates, scats skedaddles—up and down the street and around the block on a skate board, on a long board, on a bike, on two feet. He never stops; not even to fuel all that movement with food or drink.
It’s a typical summer scenario. Gannan, the quintessential boy, wakes up at the crack of dawn to soak up every single second of play time that he can wring out of a sweltering sunny day. Breakfast, if eaten at all, is usually a piece of fruit or a granola bar that he can shove down his throat as he’s whipping open the backdoor (only to throw the wrapper on the lawn as the back gate slams.) At lunch time, I scream my voice hoarse trying to locate my Prince-of-Playtime. He comes reluctantly, shoulders slumped, smelling of sweat and dirt and grass, but will stubbornly stay out on the front porch until the food is absolutely ready–not wanting to let one second of fresh air miss his awaiting nose. Somehow it is as if all that playing has caused his legs to forget how to bend him to a seated position. So he stands…and bounces…up and down… and wolfs a half a sandwich in one bite. He runs toward the front door. I yell “Halt” and hand him an 8 ounce glass of milk. Foot tapping, he drinks half and then those tapping feet bolt him out through the portal-of-play. Dinner is much the same. Even though I require that he must spend at least ten minutes at the family dinner table, he still will eat a half of a hot dog in a great big chomp and shovel a handful of fries into his mouth so that they stick out like the whiskers of the Energizer Bunny. Feigning a stomach ache he says he can eat no more and then bounces his right leg up and down, keeping the engine revving, looking at the clock, sighing with head in hand, blowing his long bangs out of his eyes, doing whatever it is so that he can get away from that table and back out to paradise. As he bolts once more, I again demand he drink “at least SOMETHING!” He dramatically takes in a gulp of milk and dashes off to greener pastures with his mother smiling after him, marveling at his energy.
Okay, so to some of you this description of a boy and his love for summer will conjure some smiles and make you wistful for the days of Andy and Opie walking to the “crick” with their fishing poles slung over their shoulders. However, after what happened this week, the description makes me feel ashamed. Yes. That’s right. I said ashamed. Not sunny. Not whistly. Not reminiscent of days gone by….nope. Ashamed. Here’s why.
Last Saturday, I awoke to a very ghostly looking boy standing at the foot of my bed asking me where the thermometer was. His arms were holding his comforter tightly around him, pathetically and weakly whispering, “I don’t think I feel good.” Since this is not a phrase that typically is spoken by Gannan because he knows it is one that would seal his fate INSIDE for the day, I immediately pop the thermometer in his mouth. It reads 103 degrees, and so I begin all the “mom” things that we do when we have a sick kid. Get him set up on the couch, ply him with Advil, coo and coddle. I suggest to him that he sip a little ginger ale and I wait for the protest. But to my surprise, he doesn’t. Instead he asks for water, and I give him water; glass after glass after glass. It seems as if he is a bottomless pit and can’t get enough H2O. That’s not the only thing that is unusual. He practically begs for food. I question my husband….”What’s that saying? Feed a cold-starve a fever. Or is it–starve a cold and feed a fever?” No matter. He wanted food; an egg and cheese sandwich to be exact, and then a bowl of cereal, and then a strawberry milkshake, and then another. All eaten in the span of two hours. He was ravenous. He was severely parched, very odd behavior for a sick kid. Or was it?
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
"Hilltown Families keeps us connected with all the amazing educational and cultural activities and resources that abound here in W. Mass and curates them in a way to let us know just what’s out there for the many varied interests of our young families and communities,while creating networks of support and growth." - Kara Kitchen (Plainfield, MA)
The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) airs Saturday mornings on Valley Free Radio, 103.3FM WXOJ, Northampton, MA from 9-10am with encores on Sunday from 7-8am. Playlist and podcasts are posted immediately following broadcast. Listen to our archived shows at any time: HFVS Archived Shows.
Hilltown Families Sponsors
Thank you to all of our sponsors! Interested in joining our team of supporters? Find out about enhanced publicity with Hilltown Families!
Posting a comment to Hilltown Famiies will automatically add you to the Hilltown Families mailing list to receive our weekly update. Email address are never rented or sold. To be removed from our mailing list, email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to be removed.
disclaimer
Information provided on Hilltown Families (HF) is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Reasonable efforts are made to provide the most accurate information, but no guarantees of any kind can be made. Information can be changed without prior notice. Please check with 3rd parties to confirm all listings for date/time, cost, location and age appropriateness before attending. Opinions expressed on HF are that of the writer and not necessarily that of HF. In no event shall HF be liable (directly or indirectly) for any losses or damages causes (or allegedly caused) in connection with HF. All health and wellness related information is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. All provided links are provided as a courtesy and not as an endorsement.
The exhibit will be on display at the Forbes Library in Northampton for the month of February 2013, and at the City Hall Gallery in Easthampton from Sept 13-Dec 11, 2013. - We're currently booking shows for the Spring/Summer of 2013 and for 2014. Each exhibit is a unique showcase of images that correspond with the season and venue. Contact us to inquire about hosting this fundraising exhibit for Hilltown Families in your town/venue.
LOCAL KIDS MUSIC: Local kids’ hero Mister G will be releasing his irresistible new CD, BUGS, on July 26th at the Northampton Tuesday Farmer’s Market. Mister G will perform two sets (3:30 & 5PM), and kids are encouraged to arrive in homemade BUG costumes. Children will also be able to create bug-related art projects at the Tuesday Market on the 26th. BUGS has garnered rave reviews from critics around the USA with a collection of original songs which include rock, folk, bluegrass, bossa nova, ska and soul influences. The album features a number of bilingual songs inspired by Mister G’s performances for kids in Latin America. The CD also includes fan favorites such as “Shark in my Bathtub,” “Grilled Cheese,” and “Pam the Pug.” Come ready to dance! 
by 
by 
by 
by 
by 
, will seal the deal.
