Education Watch: Musical Adventures
by Laurel Fishman, Grammy.com
 
Children’s artist Cory Cullinan (aka Doctor Noize) has pledged to identify one monthly performance from his interactive, educational musical experience for children as a charitable Doctor Noize Giving Back show. The idea evolved from a recent Mothers Day benefit concert Cullinan organized in Palo Alto, Calif., to raise funds for a 3-year-old who lost her mother.
 
At these imaginative events, kids get to explore their musical creativity as Cullinan performs music ranging from classical to funk and arranges and records an audience participation song. Kids go onstage to dance and contribute vocals, percussion and keyboard parts, and there are also improvised a capella pieces. Cullinan teaches elements of tempo, orchestration, lyrics and meter the latter through the audience counting seven beats per measure, then counting five, then shouting, “Don’t Be Silly,” the title of a song on his latest CD, The Ballad Of Phineas McBoof.
 
During readings taken from his book (The Ballad Of Phineas McBoof), Cullinan performs songs and rewrites the ending with the audience by adding a new character playing a new musical instrument. Through all of his artistic endeavors, Cullinan delivers a pro-music message that is creative, educational and fun.