Welcome to the Music Thursdays segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Music Thursdays will feature music related content. Music Thursdays will feature an artist or band and their latest song and / or music video. People love music, and we here at Geek Alabama love featuring artists and bands!
Chicago-based Grammy® nominees Wendy and DB are excited to announce the creation of Blues Beats for Little Feet, an engaging, blues-based educational program aimed at teachers, librarians, and parents. In this new program, Wendy and DB share their distinctive approach to teaching children music through storytelling and song, with a focus on our country’s rich African American history and the traditions of the blues.
In Blues Beats for Little Feet, Wendy and DB explore movement, beats, call-and-response, and other musical elements, culminating in teaching kids and grown-ups alike how to write their own blues songs. For the younger kids, Wendy and DB share an easy rhyming strategy that uses simple poems, and they utilize haiku to get older kids writing song lyrics that will be set to blues rhythms. Throughout each Blues Beats for Little Feet session, Wendy and DB present both classic and original songs, along with folk stories of African origin, such as “Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom” from Ghana, “Why the Sky Is Far Away” from Nigeria, and more.
“Blues music is simple and easy to digest, which is perfect for young children,” says Wendy Morgan. “Through our Blues Beats for Little Feet program, parents and educators will learn to help children of all ages improve small and large motor coordination, ‘feel the beats’ in their bodies, enhance their listening skills, and make their own blues music, bringing blues into the core of the early music experience.”’
“There is a rich African American history in blues music, and we must keep that as part of children’s music education,” adds Darryl “DB” Boggs. “Blues music is African American folk music, and it’s at the root of much of today’s contemporary music. Blues Beats for Little Feet will enrich and encourage young musicians and the adults who teach them.”
Wendy and DB are trailblazers in bringing a blues-inspired sound to children’s music. GRAMMY® nominated for their 2022 blues-for-kids album, Into the Little Blue House, and recipients of the prestigious NAPPA award for their 2024 blues-for-kids album, Back Home, Wendy and DB recently released their seventh album for kids and families, Get Your Sunny Side UP.
A vibrant collection of upbeat pop and blues-infused songs that was four years in the making, Get Your Sunny Side UP is designed to uplift and inspire kids while acknowledging the ups and downs of childhood. This family-friendly album embraces the messy, beautiful, and hopeful sides of growing up, radiating encouragement and joy through tracks like “Never Give UP” and “Sunny Side UP,” while songs like “I’m In A Mood” and “Ouchie Ya Ya” give space for big emotions and life’s little struggles, and “Talk About It” is a heartfelt call to action for today’s times.
Produced by the acknowledged wizard of the kindie mixing board, GRAMMY winner Dean Jones, with stellar contributions from Grammy winner Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, 2-time Grammy nominee Pierce Freelon, and Latin Grammy nominee Flor Bromley, Get Your Sunny Side UP continues the Wendy and DB tradition of exploring topics ranging from pancakes and sloths to recycling and rainy days, all presented in a positive and playful way.
ABOUT WENDY MORGAN:
Wendy Morgan’s foremost love has always been singing and writing music. In 1996, while working a full-time job and playing weekend gigs, Wendy released her self-penned, debut album of soulful pop songs, Say Wen. When her son was not quite three years old, Wendy became a single mom, started teaching voice lessons, and blossomed into a children’s musician/songwriter. For more than a dozen years, Wendy has been writing, recording, performing, and touring the U.S. with Wendy and DB, her GRAMMY-nominated kindie duo. Additionally, she is in demand as a featured vocalist with many Chicago area ensembles. On the national level, her voice has been heard on television commercials, and she has made several movie cameos.
ABOUT DARRYL “DB” BOGGS:
Darryl Boggs has been making music professionally for over 40 years, while also teaching band, choir, and classroom music in Chicago area public and private schools. In 2015, he resigned his longtime position as band director for the Lindop School in Broadview, Illinois, to become a full-time musician, turning his attention to cabaret, orchestra, and creating and performing children’s music as part of the duo Wendy and DB. A joyful aspect of Wendy and DB’s work is their commitment to special music projects with school groups and community choirs, raising money and awareness for social causes and not-for-profit organizations. When he is not making music himself, Darryl loves supporting the creative endeavors of others by attending live theater and jazz concerts.
ABOUT WENDY AND DB:
Wendy and DB create a joyful and engaging space for young audiences to discover the roots of American music. With a deep love for storytelling through song, the GRAMMY-nominated, multicultural duo blends folklore, catchy rhythms, and rich harmonies to inspire the next generation of musicians and families alike. Their music doesn’t just entertain – it empowers. Wendy and DB are committed to raising awareness for social and environmental causes, partnering with organizations like Save The Music, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, Xerces Society, A Better Life for Kids, and The Blues Foundation. Their passion for justice and education is woven into every performance. Bringing a vibrant mix of ukulele, guitar, and dynamic vocals, Wendy and DB deliver unforgettable live shows designed to spark imagination and build community among children and families of all ages. Their albums include Get Your Sunny Side UP (2025), Back Home (2024; NAPPA Award. Featuring 2025 Grammy winner Ruthie Foster), Into the Little Blue House (2022 release; 2023 GRAMMY nomination), Hey Big World (2020; NAPPA Award, Mom’s Choice Award, Creative Child Album of the Year), HomeEarth (2017; NAPPA Award), It’s A Doo Da Day (2015; Parents’ Choice Gold Award, NAPPA Award), and Pockets SeasonsRhymes & Reasons (2013).
Categories: Music Talk Stuff
