Tom Chapin is a gifted entertainer who charms audiences of all ages. He is one of those natural-born entertainers who, with nothing more than guitar in hand, can totally captivate.
Tom has gained widespread critical and popular acclaim for his kids recordings. Tom and his collaborators John Forster, Michael Mark and Jon Cobert have created a body of songs which are quickly becoming children's classics.
Tom Chapin's award winning album will make learning about the world fun for your child. His songs are full of information about daily life occurrences that will inspire your child to participate. Chapin sings about the health of the body, personal relationships, and the planet. Vitamin Si is a song all about the vitamins needed to keep skin healthy and the types of food it can be found in. All this information is presented playfully, of course. R-E-C-Y-C-L-E is a catchy tune all about the joys of keeping our planet clean, how we can do it together, and how the earth has its own natural processes of recycling. These and other tracks lightheartedly teach important lessons. Chapin does this without leaving out some of the silliness of life, like special friendships with a dog, or backwards birthday parties.
The lyrics of the songs follow playful rhyming schemes that make it easy for your child to learn the words and follow along. Repetition is used making the content more easily accessible for children. The pace is upbeat which keeps children alert and ready to learn. The music is easy to move to and could easily be used for a parent and child dance party.
When I listened to this music with both Teo and Lucca, ages three and six, they both found something that they could enjoy about it. Lucca was more interested in the song content than Teo, but they both liked the rhythm and wanted to sing along as best they could. It was just as fun for me to watch them listen to the music.
--Kendall
Tom Chapin is a Grammy Award-winning American musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter and storyteller. He has won the following awards: Parents' Choice Award in 1988 for Family Tree; Moonboat was named notable children's recording by the American Library Association in 1980; Harry Chapin Award for Contributions to Humanity and National Association for Campus Activities in 1990; Parents' Choice Award and New York Music Award for best children's album in 1991 for Mother Earth; and a Parents' Choice Award and New York Music Award for best children's album in 1992 for Billy the Squid.
He is best known for his children's music, but he also writes and performs for adults. Chapin's music borrows elements from a vast range of musical influences, from folk singer Pete Seeger to syncopated rhythms of Latin music, blues, country, and classical music.
Chapin graduated from State University of New York at Plattsburgh. From 1971-1976, he hosted a TV show called Make a Wish. He is the son of Jim Chapin and the brother of Harry Chapin. He has appeared in the Broadway production Pump Boys and Dinettes, among others. He is married to Bonnie Chapin; his daughters and stepdaughter are musicians as well (the Chapin Sisters).
1. Vitamin Si
2. The Backwards Birthday Party
3. Mikey Won't
4. R-E-C-Y-C-L-E
5. Hi Hi, I Love Ya
6. Zag Zig
7. Bruno's Christmas On The Mall
8. Loose Tooth
9. If Only
10. Best Of Companions
11. Clean Machine
12. Johnny Glockenspiel
13. The Ragtime Dance
14. When The Busy Day Is Done