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PERFORMING SONGWRITER MAGAZINE Praises
Louie Miranda with a 'Do It Yourself (DIY) Salute'
PERFORMING SONGWRITER
DIY Salute
Louie Miranda
By Mare Wakefield
He's not a purple dinosaur. He doesn't dress up in a giant bird costume or dance around
with puppets. Yet there's something about Louie Miranda that kids really love.
For the past 10 years, the New York-based artist has been garnering awards and rave
reviews for his unique style of family-oriented, educational music. His weightlifter's build and gruff voice might put parents off at first, but kids quickly respond to Miranda's intricate chord changes and rhythms, hungry for music that speaks to them, yet isn't
dumbed-down or stripped of complexity.
'Music is a universal language', says Miranda. 'People respond to rhythm and melody, and ultimately discover the lyrics and the content'. Miranda's musical compositions are
built around his belief that young listeners can comprehend involved harmonic textures, allowing for the integration of minor and dissonant sounds. 'This structure gives the child an opportunity to experience a wider range of emotions, he explains. 'My songs address environmental and social issues, and teach Spanish. I also encourage families to discuss the music together.'
Though he's been a musician for more than 30 years, Miranda wasn't always a family
entertainer. In 1995, he was at a self-described turning point in his career,working as an
independent producer for Capitol Records, teaching guitar at Adelphi University and playing at New York clubs. Miranda met his future partner, Joy Suarez, at a jazz club.
Suarez had been working in education for many years and had the idea to incorporate music into her teaching strategies.
'A light bulb went off,' says Miranda. 'I had been fooling around with this Middle Eastern
melody in my head, and I played it for Joy, who in turn created lyrics about a camel.'
And the idea for Miranda's first children's music release, Animal Mix, was born.
Miranda is now celebrating the simultaneous release of his fifth and sixth independent
CDs, Fiesta Latina and Yellow Checker Taxi Jazz Guitar. The first features covers of the
Latin-American folk tunes 'Guantanamera' and 'La Bamba,' as well as original tunes
with bilingual lyrics. Guiros and maracas abound, and the entire record has a festive, Latin flavor. Highlights include 'The Counting Song,' which teaches kids to count in Spanish and English, and the charming 'Coqui' written in Spanglish-a mixture of Spanish
and English. 'I went to the refrigerator, got a container of leche, I sat down at la mesa
with a cup of chocolate muy caliente,' Miranda sings over an Afro-Cuban beat. Yellow
Checker is equally merry. 'I'm a Latin from Manhattan, I can play anything / But man this guitar makes me swing,' Miranda croons in the title track, an ode to his checkered guitar. Highlights also include 'Eddie Ate Donuts,' which teaches kids the tuning of the
guitar strings (EADGBE) in the country swing chorus, 'Eddie ate donuts, good boy Eddie.'
Kids will be so entranced by the soulful chords and catchy melodies that they won't even realize they're learning.
'The challenge is to stay fres,' says Miranda, who practices for hours each day and attends workshops and seminars. The great classical guitarist Frederick Hand once said
to me, 'If you work hard at your craft and develop it to the fullest, people will listen and remember.' I have aspired to integrate these words of wisdom into every aspect of my professional life.'
PERFORMING SONGWRITER MAGAZINE, JULY/AUGUST ISSUE. - Performing Songwriter
Minors are the key
Children's musicians make city tykes twist and shout
SUNDAY NY DAILY NEWS -- MAY 14, 2006 -- By RON DICKER
LOUIE MIRANDA
When his career as a studio musician turned stale, Miranda put away his guitar and took a job as a doorman at the Children's Museum of Manhattan.
"I had no idea the door would open to something else," says Miranda, whose sing-alongs as a doorman led to a second chance in the business. Now, Miranda
is breaking out from the local level with a listen 'n' learn approach in both English and Spanish. "People make the assumption that hildren don't get it," Miranda says. "What children respond to is rhythm."
In February, he simultaneously released a jazz CD, "Yellow Checker Taxi Jazz Guitar," and a compilation, "Fiesta Latina." The songs would fit in equally
comfortably at a nightclub or at a kids' birthday party.
Miranda (www.louiemusic.com) welcomes the competition - variety is the spice of this genre's life, he says - but he wishes the focus could fall more on kids in need. That's where Miranda feels he has separated himself from the pack: He regularly gives concerts in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and he uses his musical talent as part of an early childhood initiative program.
He'll soon have a new audience at home, too: One of Miranda's daughters lives upstairs from him in Carroll Gardens and is expecting twins.
Excerpted from article originally published in NY Daily News on Sunday, May 14, 2006
- SUNDAY NY DAILY NEWS
¡"Louie", músico y educador, más no se puede pedir!
SomosPadres - April, 2006 Fabiola Alvarez
Louie Miranda, especializado en educación y entretenimiento para niños y sus familias, utiliza en sus espectáculos la música para enseñar a los niños a creer en sí mismos y aumentar su autoestima. “Louie”, como es conocido profesionalmente, usa la música como método de aprendizaje. Mezclando de todo un poco, sofisticados ritmos, canciones bilingües y mensajes llenos de poder y carisma se va creando un dialogo musical estimulante y a su vez relajante. La principal meta de Louie es motivar a los niños a integrar la música en su vida diaria.
En su show los niños terminan en el escenario mientras padres, adultos y familia se unen, tocando guitarras, cantando por micrófono y bailando al ritmo de la música. Es un ambiente en el que la timidez desaparece. Y lo mejor es que se aprende a pasar un rato divertido en familia, no sólo durante el espectáculo sino a aplicar lo visto en casa y en el diario vivir en familia.
El artista tiene una extensa historia y experiencia en el ámbito musical. No sólo como cantante y productor sino como maestro. Es uno de 12 hermanos, nacido en Puerto Rico y criado en las calles de Brooklyn donde obtuvo su primera guitarra a la edad de 13. Pasó años como guitarrista independiente y cuando conoció a Joy Suarez en 1995 empezaron a escribir canciones educativas para niños y familias. Esto llamó mucho la atención de Louie y desde ese momento dejó de ser guitarrista independiente para compañías de grabación.
En el tiempo en que Louie conoció a Joy , ella estaba encargada de los programas en el Museo de los Niños en Mahattan (CMOM). El museo estaba siempre tan lleno que las filas de gente esperando para entrar salía de las puertas del museo. Joy le preguntó si le gustaría ayudar en CMOM como músico en la puerta y Louie aceptó, y fue así que empezó a entretener grandes grupos de familias mientras esperaban para entrar al museo. Luego, decidió trabajar tiempo completo en el museo. Y no tomó mucho para que Louie se convirtiera en profesor/ educador del museo.
Como creador de las clases para los niños pequeños en CMOM, Louie es miembro activo de la junta para capacitar individuos y crear programas en los museos. Este talentoso personaje también ha diseñado y dirigido talleres en estudios de grabación para música de niños, con grupos de diversos colegios. Y para concluir, les avisamos que acaba de lanzar dos Cds didácticos y divertidos, uno con influencia del jazz, “Yellow Checker Taxi Jazz Guitar” y el otro con influencia latina “Fiesta Latina”.
- SomosPadres
Discography
Louie Cantemos Let's Sing
Louie Yellow Checker Taxi Jazz Guitar
Louie Fiesta Latina
Louie Jewish Fiesta
Louie Dis-n-Dat
Jerry Joy Halloween Music
Working on new website for streaming/no air play as of yet
Photos
Bio
Louie Miranda is a bilingual family entertainer/educator and recording artist who has been praised by national and regional publications for his unique brand of 'Informational Music,' which teaches as it entertains. Miranda uses bilingual lyrics and themes of empowerment to create sophisticated music for all ages.
Louie’s passion for music & teaching started at an early age. His formal musical training includes jazz guitar with Howard Morgan, Chuck Wayne, Howie Roberts and Joe Pass and classical guitar with Alexander Bello, Valedez Blain and Frederick Hand. Miranda has worked, as a performer and producer for Epic Records, Capitol Records and Jellybean Benitez. Miranda has taught guitar at the Great Neck Music Center and served as an adjunct Music professor at Adelphi University teaching jazz and classical guitar as well as theory, improvisation and arranging.
In 1996, Louie became a founding member of Jerry Joy Music, his expertise & body of work include writing and co-producing six CDs, video production, educational DVDs, art & music residencies that culminate in installed exhibitions and musical performances respectively-residencies for both in school services as well after school programs. Over twenty years of highly interactive teacher training workshops and intensives including work with DVAECY, NJAECY and Cumberland County School District.
In 2000, Louie designed Cantemos Let’s Sing-an innovative, highly interactive bilingual early childhood music program, providing parents & their children fun, innovative tools that introduce the basic concepts in music such as rhythm, pitch, melody, dynamics, tempo, improvisation and basic harmony.
Louie uses simple techniques and exercises such as call & response, dancing, singing and improvisation to inspire confidence, playfulness, creativity, trust and empowerment, modeled in the classroom and implemented in everyday life.
Currently Louie teaches his original & highly sought–after classes at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Reebok Sports Club, the JCC in Manhattan, The Creative Groove in Hoboken & privately throughout the tri-state area.
Louie has worked with a variety of prestigious institutions including: United Nations, Museum of Natural History, Museum of the City of New York, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Materials for the Arts, The Fashion Center BID, Partnership for After School Education(PASE), Lincoln Center’s World Culture Open, The Tribeca Film Festival, NYCBOE, various NYC private schools, New York City Housing Authority, New York City Parks and Recreation, New York Botanical Garden’s, Brooklyn Public Libraries, Children for Children Foundation and numerous children’s museums across the country.
Performing Songwriter Magazine states “Miranda’s musical compositions are built around his belief that young listeners can comprehend involved harmonic textures, allowing for the integration of minor and dissonant sounds. “This structure gives the child an opportunity to experience a wider range of emotions”
The NY Daily News raved about "Miranda’s listen 'n' learn approach to music in both English and Spanish” as well as stating “Miranda’s songs would fit in equally comfortably at a nightclub or at a kids' birthday party”.
Louie and his band are all world class recording artists collectively, drawing on their global experience which keeps the sound fresh and innovative. Their infectious rhythms and sounds are a mixture of rock, Latin, global, jazz, country, fusion, hip hop to Bach to name a few.
In concert, Louie and his band can either move or follow the energy so as to keep the audience excited and wanting more. The performance is highly interactive, young and old alike find themselves up on their feet bailando y cantando!
Some of Louie's influences are Peter Gabriel, David Byrne, Kate Bush, Anjelique Kidjo, Harry Bellafonte, Eddie VanHalen, Genesis, David Bowie and Tin Machine, Danny Elfman, Dimetry Shostakovich, Beatles, Cranberries, george Benson, Michael Hedges, the Chemical Brothers, Randy Travis, Chet Atkins, Travis Tritt, Katie Lang, Regina Carter...the list goes on, but in general anything musical within earshot!
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