Kenny Powell - "Preschool Jam!": News/Blog

Sorry about the wait, and THANK YOU so much for your patience! Now I know why CD releases get delayed. Many things can get in the way, not the least of which is just making sure the music comes out right. I did a ton of buying and trying music gear looking for the right sounds, and I'm very happy with the results. I think you will be, too! The only issue now is getting the resources together to get the CDs made, and deciding how many I want. Digital sales for the original "Preschool Jam!" went much better than I expected, so I don't want to press too many CDs. But I will let everyone know when the CDs and downloads are ready for sale!

Sorry I haven't been updating my site for a while. I've had to deal with a lot of typical "life stuff" lately, but I'm back on track musically. The biggest thing is deciding how I want to distribute the new music. I was surprised by how many digital downloads I sold, so I'm thinking about having a limited number of physical CDs available this time. It's just too expensive to order large numbers of CDs and packaging (jewel cases, inserts, cover design, etc.). Also, by the time the online store takes its cut, there's just not enough profit. So....I think I'll just copy the CDs myself as needed. I can do the cover design and insert (with song list and other info) myself and have it copied, then put the CD and insert in a CD sleeve instead of a bulky jewel case. The packaging may not be as fancy as something you'd buy in a store, but the sound quality of the CD will be the same, plus I will be able to pass the savings on to you! I brand-new CD with the same quality sound will cost about $5-$6 instead of $8-$10 or more. I will make the new "Preschool Jam! 2 - Jam-Packed!" CD available at discounted prices when you buy 5 or more, and I will sell the CDs myself through eBay, where I accept PayPal. Of course, the CD will also be available for download at the sites shown on my "BUY!" page. Thanks for your patience and continued support, and I will keep you updated. Stay tuned!

Sorry for being out of touch for so long; it's being a crazy year! I've focused mostly on getting music gear to update my home recording studio. Since the music comes first, pictures and video will have to wait for now.

Once again, it's been a great year! Thanks again to all of you who have supported me over the past two years. I hope you will continue to support my efforts, and I will continue to make music for the little ones. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR, TOO!!!

My brother was nice enough to give me his digital camera when he upgraded, and I bought a Flip Video Ultra mini-camcorder that's made specially for uploading videos to the Web, so you'll see pictures and video here soon! Actually, you'll see pictures right here on this site, but I can't host video here, so I will provide an easy "YouTube" link where you can see my home videos showing how I make music. I plan to do at least two professionally produced song videos so I can upload them, too. Stay tuned!

In addition to my new original songs, I plan to add my own versions of "You Are My Sunshine" and "Happy Birthday." These songs are copyright-protected, so I'll have to ask the publishers for permission to use the songs. I've already recorded the songs, and I can't wait to get them on the site!

My MySpace Music page has a fresh new layout, too! My niece Shani fixed it up for me. It's no longer the generic MySpace style; it has big, colorful music notes in the background, and the text is in various fonts and colors. Go to my "Links" page and click on it, and while you're there, if you're a MySpace member, send me a friend request! My SNOCAP MyStore, just like the one on my "BUY!" page, can also be found on my MySpace Music and SoundClick pages.

I hope you all enjoyed "Freebie Friday!" I plan to do it again in about 2 or 3 weeks. Meanwhile, check out my new page layout at SoundClick, the independent music site of which I am a proud member. Just click on the "My SoundClick Page!" link at the "Links" page here at "Preschool Jam!" My SoundClick page is much more colorful now, and I'm able to upload higher-quality mp3s there, too. Also, every song you see and hear in the player on my SoundClick page, including all of the new ones I've uploaded here at my "Preschool Jam!" site, are available for purchase and download there if you join SoundClick.

"Freebie Friday!" is tomorrow (8/8/08)! You can download my new song, "Walk My Dog," for free all day. Just follow the instructions in my "Freebie Fridays!!!" post right here on my "News/Blog" page. The download is available for ONE DAY ONLY! DON'T FORGET!!!

My "Guestbook" has been feeling neglected lately! Thank you, Martha, for your very kind comment today. But I need more! Please don't hesitate to leave your e-mail address and a comment (preferably a nice one!) You can also e-mail me at my "Contact" page and tell me what you think of my website and my music. Your input is greatly appreciated.

For all of your much-appreciated support and patience, I now most proudly present (drum roll, please) - "FREEBIE FRIDAYS!!!" On selected Fridays, starting with this upcoming Friday, 8/8/08, a full-length version of a song from my upcoming CD, "Preschool Jam! 2 - Jam-Packed!", with be available for free download! The first song available will be "Walk My Dog," a funny song about grudgingly taking my boisterous dog for a walk, then realizing that it was a lot better than sittng around the house, and I even got a song out of it! Just go to my "Music" page and right-click "MP3 download whole song." When the box appears, click "Save Target As..." When the big Windows box appears, choose where you want to save the song, then click "Save." I tested it myself with on Windows XP, and it worked perfectly. For Mac users, I believe your file-saving procedure would work as well. But remember - the free download is only available for one day, so mark "Freebie Friday" on your calendar, in your Blackberry, etc., and don't forget!

Again, thank you soooo much for sticking with me all these months. I sincerely apologize for not updating my site regularly, but I've been spending every spare moment preparing new songs in anticipation of an October or November release of "Preschool Jam! 2 - Jam-Packed!" Updating a studio with new gear is a seriously time-coming task! The biggest thing is buying and trying. Most of the equipment that interested me couldn't be found in music stores; I had to find it online, mostly at eBay. I went through a whole lot of side-by-side comparisons (also known as "A/B-ing"). It was a painstaking process, but worth every second! I have several new pieces, and they have really enhanced my sound. I'll just give you a couple of examples: On "Walk My Dog," I ran the bass sound through an early '70s piece called a Korg Synthepedal. It came to me looking almost new and very well cared for. I ran the guitar sound through a guitar pedal called a Univox Effectmatic, an old beat-up '70s unit that I had serviced by Lingenberg Sound (Richard Lingenberg is a great guy who does fantastic work, by the way), and now it sounds amazing. The dog barking comes from a sound effects CD; I loaded the sound into a sampling unit so I could put it into the song. I also used a sampler for certain sounds and phrases (like "T-REX!") on "Like A Dinosaur." I don't want to get too technical, though; I just want to explain what I've been up to for the last few months. I've uploaded sound clips from 4 new songs to my "Music" page - go have a listen!

Hello everybody, and a very belated "HAPPY NEW YEAR" to you all!!! I'm sorry I haven't updated you sooner, but I've been VERY busy with (and VERY excited about) some new "toys" I recently acquired. Without getting too technical, I decided to try a couple of guitar effects pedals on my music keyboard synthesizer, and the result is a whole new sound! Now I'm able to play many of the rock and funk sounds that are normally only associated with electric guitar. This is a very exciting discovery for me, and it's part of my plan to make "Preschool Jam! 2" go beyond the original "Preschool Jam!" CD. My goal is to give you music for young children that's truly unique in the market, not just another dressed-up version of what's already out there. "Let's Be Silly!" and "Healthy Living Alphabet" are just a taste of what's coming. I promise you - it will be well worth the wait!!!

This will be my last blog entry for 2007, so I'd like to, first and foremost, thank all of you for supporting me through yet another wonderful year. Once again, your kind e-mails, your guestbook entries, your overall interest in my "Preschool Jam!" concept, and your CD and download purchases have made 2007 as joyous and encouraging as 2006. I'm working with some new recording equipment, and I'm very excited about "Preschool Jam! 2". I will take my time and apply all that I've learned over the past 2 years to make the new CD the best it can be. I expect to release "Preschool Jam! 2" sometime during the first half of 2008, so I thank you for your patience. As always, I will keep uploading new songs to this site so you can preview them while waiting for the finished CD. Thank you all so much for everything! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!!!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!! I hope everyone had a very safe and happy Thanksgiving. I'm very excited about a new Christmas song I wrote and recorded for all of you grown folks out there; I call it "New Treasures." I was inspired to write this song because year after year I hear great new Christmas songs, and new versions of old favorites. I consider them to be "new treasures", so I wrote a song about it. I arranged and recorded it in the old, classic style reminiscent of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. I hope maybe someday my song will be considered a "new treasure", too!

Technically, it's not a song, but a rap! It's called "Healthy Living Alphabet", and it's all about living "the healthy way." Each letter represents something that's good for you; for instance, "A" is for "apples", "D" is for "dancing", "N" is for "naptime", "V" is for "veggies", etc. In other news, I want to thank all of those who helped make my inventory clearance such a great success! Not to worry; I kept plenty of original "Preschool Jam!" copies, and they're still available at the sites on my "BUY!" page, along with sites where you can still download "Preschool Jam!"

For those of you who have visited "Preschool Jam!" before, you may have noticed that my site looks just a little different. Well, there's no need to adjust your computer! In anticipation of my new "Preschool Jam! 2" CD, I decided it was about time to give the site a brand-new look. E-mail me at my "Contact" page with any feedback you'd like to give about the new layout!

Mixposure, one of the independent music sites of which I am a member, is back online!!! After a few false starts, it seems to be here to stay. I've uploaded my new recordings there, and I've gotten some really nice reviews. Please read them at my "Buzz!" page!

Go to my "Music" page and listen to my digital remake of "Preschool Jam!" and the instrumental version. Also, I've added a dance instrumental that I originally recorded back in the mid-'80s called "Genie Dance." It's guaranteed to get the kids - and YOU - up and movin'! All three of these tunes with be included as bonus tracks on my upcoming "Preschool Jam! 2" CD. Stay tuned for more!

I just landed another big order! Last year, I contacted a children's fitness company called Stretch-n-Grow (click on their link at my "Links" page) about "Preschool Jam!", and Jill Manly, the president of the company, ordered 25 copies of my CD. Well, just last week Caryn Burnier, the franchise sales director for Stretch-n-Grow, ordered 25 copies of "Preschool Jam!" It's great to get repeat business, especially when it's a big order!