Kenny Powell - "Preschool Jam!"
I was born in Sacramento, California in 1962, but I'm going to fast-forward about 24 years. Why, you ask? Because 1986 was a pivotal and life-changing year for me, for two reasons. First, I began working at the Farmhouse Preschool-Daycare Center, where I stayed for 15 years until it closed in 2001. Second, I saved enough money in 1986 to buy a synthesizer, a drum machine, and a 4-track cassette recorder. Thus, all of the songs that I had written and arranged in my head for years would finally be made tangible for others to hear, and I've been a virtual one-man recording band ever since!
I've worked in preschool-daycare for over 20 years now, about as long as I've been home-producing recordings. I've never seriously pursued a career in music until now. I love teaching, but it was time for me to return to my first love, which is music. The cool thing is that, with the Internet, I don't have to give up one love for another.
I have an extensive background in early childhood education. Along with over 20 years of teaching experience, I hold a Child Development Teacher Permit issued by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Even though I was born in '62, I firmly consider myself a child of the '70s! My biggest musical influences are Stevie Wonder, James Brown, George Clinton, and Earth, Wind & Fire. However, I was fortunate enough to grow up at a time when there was only one R&B/soul radio station in Sacramento, and it would only broadcast from 4 pm to midnight. Many times, the signal wasn't very strong, especially if it wasn't a clear night! Because of this, we spent most of our time listening to Top 40 stations, where we would hear everything from Led Zeppelin to the Stylistics, from the Captain and Tennille to Parliament/Funkadelic, and everything in between. It was a very rich and diverse musical experience, and it turned out to be a great musical education for me, although I certainly didn't know it at the time.
Aside from teaching and music, my interests and activities include weight training, swimming, sports, movies, and reading the newspaper.
Well, that's enough about me for now. Remember, please take your time and browse the entire site. Enjoy!