about the band - jellykids.com.au · jelly kids media kit – july 2014 about the band… jelly...

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Natasha Koch 0422 104 167 [email protected] www.jellykids.com.au PO Box 160 Palmwoods Q 4555

Jelly Kids Media Kit – July 2014

About the Band… Jelly Kids is the brainchild of three close friends and musicians who met as music students at a Queensland university in 1996. Frustrated with the kitschy, corny, sing along songs available to them as young music teachers, they set about creating something new and exciting in children's music. In 2012, Heidi, Peter and Natasha, aka Jelly Kids, now parents as well as performers and educators, are picking up where they left off. And, already, parents and critics are sitting up and taking notice, with Jelly Kids named finalists in the Best Children's Song category of the 2012 and 2013 Queensland Music Awards and preliminary finalists in the 2012 Australian Songwriting Contest. Jelly Kids believes children - and their parents - deserve nothing less than awesome music performed by awesome musicians. Who says children's music should be less funky, less original or less enjoyable than music for grown ups?! Styles such as jazz, rock, funk, pop, blues, country and gospel are all part of the Jelly Kids experience. The cherry on top is that Jelly Kids are backed up by some of Brisbane's best on drums, bass, guitar, keys, even guest vocals. All kids' music should be this good.




About the First Album… “Jelly” is the debut album from energetic new Brisbane and Sunshine Coast based trio, Jelly Kids. This is the album that will change your mind about kids’ music. “Jelly” features eleven awesome, original tracks for kids, including the very smooth Alphabet Groove, which was a finalist for Best Children’s Song in the 2012 Queensland Music Awards. Jelly Kids have cleverly enlisted the help of some seriously funky friends for this sophisticated first album, with local jazz, pop and funk musicians Mark Henman (drums), Dave Galea (bass), and Toby Loveland (guitar) as well as Jelly Kids’ own Peter Schravemade (piano/keyboard) laying down their trademark groove on tracks such as Disco Train, One Nose Blues and the fantastic gospel-style Smile. With a tight rhythm section, smooth harmonies, cheeky lyrics and live solos, 'Jelly' is definitely cooler than your average kids' album. These are the guys you actually want on repeat!

Listen to “Jelly” by Jelly Kids for free on the Music page of the Jelly Kids website www.jellykids.com.au




What People are Saying About “Jelly” …Media “Jelly Sticks with Children” – Sunshine Coast Daily, 13/08/12 (attached) Please refer to the Press page of the Jelly Kids website for links to this and various other articles. …Album Review (excerpt only - full version attached) “The debut by kids’ musicians Jelly … showcases the band’s efforts to introduce children to music that is at once eclectic, entertaining and *gasp* educational. And they succeed.” “The entire album… is one that I am happy already to have shared with my kids. It is one of those rare children’s albums that can at once educate and entertain, and it does it as the band has intended – without sacrificing the music.”

- Dad vs Spawn.com …Early Childhood Professionals “How delicious is this new Australian CD for our children?! I love the variety of musical genres explored by these very talented musicians.” “The vocals are clear and pitched in the correct place for young children to model in-tune singing from. How excellent to have quality music for our children from local (Brisbane) musicians. Well done Jelly Kids! A musical treat!”

- Kathryn Yarrow (ATMusA, DipMusicTeach, Aust. Kodaly Cert – Early Childhood) …and on facebook “Have been having a listen to the brand new Jelly Kids album and we love it! (I am especially in love with the lullaby but it includes great toons for toddlers and preschoolers too). It’s great to see Australian musicians (who just happen to be parents too) taking on the challenge of creating some fabulous music for kids. It’s a bit jazzy, a bit reggae and a whole lot of funky!”

- Childhood 101 (www.facebook.com/Childhood101) Awards and Recognition

2013 Queensland Music Awards, Finalist – Children’s Music 2012 Queensland Music Awards, Finalist – Children’s Music 2012 Australian Songwriting Contest, Preliminary Finalist




Peter Schravemade (BMus) Talented jazz and contemporary pianist Peter began his performance career within the thriving church music environment in Rockhampton. From the age of 15, Peter has performed at various public venues and festivals around the state. In 1995, he relocated to Brisbane to study with jazz legend Vince Genova; returning to Central Qld after graduation to take up the position of Associate Lecturer in Music at CQU and a shared lecturing position at the Beijing Central Conservatorium of Music. Peter has since entertained audiences as near as Great Keppel Island and as far as Asia and Europe, where he was one of five musicians to perform at the Vatican for the Cannonisation of Mary MacKillop. Peter now lives on the Sunshine Coast with his wife, Ebonnie, and three children. He performs regularly as a solo piano vocalist throughout the Coast and Hinterland. Heidi Loveland (BMus, BEd, AMusA)

Heidi is an accomplished classical pianist who is highly sought after as an accompanist for auditions, eisteddfods, recitals and examinations. She has a wealth of experience with choirs and musical theatre troupes and has toured nationally and throughout Asia and the Pacific as a chamber musician and choral accompanist. A former school music teacher, she loves working with musicians of all ages and abilities. Heidi works regularly with internationally renowned conductors and

composers including Sandra Milliken and Paul Jarman, musical theatre great Queenie van der Zandt and in-demand Brisbane choreographer Trevor Green. Heidi is currently enjoying her most fulfilling gig; singing lullabies to her two beautiful children with her husband, Brisbane guitarist Toby Loveland. Natasha Koch, (BMus, BEd, AMusA) Brisbane born and raised, Natasha completed her music degree under the inspired tutelage of Max Olding. Already a much-loved early childhood music and piano teacher, she soon became a regular accompanist for exams, eisteddfods and concerts as well as indulging a love of musical theatre, working on a number of school productions. Particularly adept at working with vocalists and choirs, Natasha has accompanied the Australian Youth Choir, Essence, Vavachi Classical Occasions, Opera on Kings, the Sunshine Coast Choral Festival and the Queensland Eisteddfod to name only a few. A performance highlight was accompanying vocalist Karen Knowles on her ‘Morning Melodies’ Queensland tour in 2002. Soon to be a mother of three, Natasha now splits her time between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, where she has been the official accompanist for the Sunshine Coast Choral Society since 2008.




Album Review The new go-to word for kid’s music albums: eclectic. It’s a word that some adult musicians need to use more often when they’re discussing making a record so that it doesn’t turn into, well, a broken record. Meanwhile, some children’s artists seem to change the music up on their CDs as an attempt to try to keep the kids from getting bored, but fail due to lack of musicianship. The debut by kid’s musicians Jelly, however, showcases the band’s efforts to introduce children to music that is at once eclectic, entertaining and *gasp* educational. And they succeed. Hailing from Australia, the Jelly Kids have intentions musically that I have always stressed with my own children: they refuse to sacrifice musicianship just because their intended audience may be younger than they are. The band features the talents of both male and female vocalists. The energetic “Funky Red” fires off the album as it title intends, with a funky beat and colorful lyrics that had my child bouncing in the back seat of the car almost immediately. The following track, “Eating Jelly With Your Fingers”, keeps up the energy level with upbeat jazzy music and sugary-food-fun lyrics. “Beach Reggae” switches the music up a bit, and brings out the album’s first major eclectic shift. The song title pretty much says it all, with a song that may make you break out the “indoor beach” on a chilly fall day. These types of self-explaining song titles serve the album well, as with “Alphabet Groove” and “Disco Train.” The band does a good job of not falling into cliché territory by offering up generic riffs of already-popular songs. As with other great kid’s artists, the band Jelly transparently makes a conscious effort to create something new and original. My kids’ ears perked up, naturally, when they heard the sweet lyrics in “Chocolate Now”. It is an ode to saying “no” to typical dinner faire from the child’s point- of-view. The singer enticingly whispers “chocolate” as if there is no other choice of food available. The band wisely, and hilariously, offers up a lawyer-ese post-song disclaimer disavowing themselves of responsibility should a child take the song too literally. The kids may or may not, but that’s the kind of fun that can be had with children’s music. Children like to hear their own perspective with all of the parental admonishing they already have to deal with in the real world. “Clouds” and “Lullaby” offer up a softer side of Jelly Kids, with some truly beautiful music and words. The latter penultimately closes the album and is the kind of gorgeous song that is best shared with a small child in your arms. The entire album, in fact, is one that I am happy already to have shared with my kids. It is one of those rare children’s albums that can at once educate and entertain, and it does it as the band has intended – without sacrificing the music.

From parenting website/blog “Dad vs Spawn” http://dadvsspawn.com/2012/10/22/jelly-kids-album-review/


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creative industry. She plays pianoand is artistic and creative in ways Iam. She did a great job on the firstday of shooting, everyone did.”Kelsie said shooting a music cliphad been a steep learning curve.She, Ruby and her friends hadbeen surprised by the number oftakes needed for a single scene.“It’s the main thing that peopledon’t realise,” Kelsie said.“Sometimes you have to do ascene over and over just to makesure you get the right shot.”She hopes to see her music clipon TV in the next couple of months.

The final product will be intert-wined with clips of Kelsie perform-ing her single and shots of Ruby andfriends helping tell the story.There are plans to shoot on theGold Coast, aswell asNoosa, CottonTree and Mooloolaba.“It was my idea to involve Ruby,”Kelsie said.“Cartel Films and I had a meetingabout it.“They said they could get somegirls to be in it but I said I wantedmysister and they loved the connec-tion.“She’s 15 and she loves the whole

THE choice was clear to Kelsie Rim-mer when it came to casting a youn-ger version of herself for her firstmusic video.It had to be sister Ruby.The 20-year-old Palmwoods mus-ician experienced her first day offilming for the clip to her single TheLost Boys with family and friends byher side.The song, inspired by a familyholiday at Rainbow Beach last year,is all about “the funnest time ever”.Kelsie, Ruby and friends spentSaturday in Redcliffe filming thefirst few scenes with Cartel Films.

SCENE STEALER: Singer Kelsie Rimmer on the set of her music clip.PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Sisters set for video clip filming

THEY don’t wear coloured skivviesand there’s only three of them but achildren’s group with strong Sun-shine Coast ties might be on thepath to becoming the nextWiggles.The deliciously named Jelly is inline for a gong at tomorrow’sQueenslandMusicAwards and suc-cess could open doors to almostendless possibilities.Jelly members – Sunshine Coast-based dad and entertainer PeterSchravemade, pianist and formerCaloundra resident Natasha KochandBrisbane-basedmusicianHeidiLoveland – are finalists in the chil-dren’s music category of theawards to be presented tomorrownight.The track which earned Jelly the

slot among four finalists, AlphabetGroove, replete with smoothgrooves, swingin’ beats and crea-tive lyrics, sheds the restrictions ofthe usually simplistic genre.Mr Schravemade said Jelly hadan album in the works which cutacross genres such as rock, disco,jazz and even reggae.Band members enjoyed the pro-

cess of turning their ownexperienc-es with their families into song.“Each of us are parents and havehad wonderful experiences withour own children that we want to

bring to life through music,” MrSchravemade said.“They’re songsaboutgoing to thebeach with the family, lying downon the grass with your kids andfinding shapes in the clouds ormealtime battles.“They’re songs that parents canenjoy and kids love.”The band refuses to take musical

shortcuts. Mr Schravemade saidthat just as adults could go to a con-cert and expect to see great musi-cians playing real instruments likeguitars and bass, children shouldbe able to do the same.“Jelly is about recording live in-struments wherever possible.“Vocals have been recorded overmany takes to ensure kids are

getting quality, not quantity.”Ms Koch, a classically-trained

pianist, said Jelly was formed in1998 as a university project.The band recently reformed and

had retained its focus to producechildren’s music which was bothentertaining for Australian kidsand musically rich.“I think any mum or dad knows

that feeling when a kids’ song getsplayed again and again and ends upstuck in your head,” Ms Koch said.“What Jelly has created is musicthat isn’t condescending towardschildren and parents.“It’smusic that appeals primarilyto children, but it’s also complexand mature enough for parents toenjoy and appreciate.”

Jelly sticks with children

CHILD’S PLAY: Peter Schravemade and Natasha Koch along with Heidi Loveland are the line-up of popular children’s band Jelly. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED

Band in tunefor recognitionat Qldmusicawards night

about the band - jellykids.com.au · jelly kids media kit – july 2014 about the band… jelly...

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