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!
Beloved children’s musician Laurie Berkner’s new single, “Chill On The Plate,” is out today, during Autism Acceptance Month.
“Take a deep breath … wait! Let it chill on the plate.” “Chill On The Plate” was co-written by Laurie Berkner and Irisa Leverette, proud mom to popular social media presence Darius, a vibrant, nonverbal autistic young adult (who sometimes eats too quickly). This friendly number combines techno beats with spoken word, and it’s great for helping fast eaters slow down and enjoy the process!
“When Irisa Leverette’s son Darius was having trouble slowing down his eating, she made up a chant to help him,” says Laurie Berkner. “This worked so well that Irisa thought it might help others, so she reached out to ask if I would consider a collaboration. I was very excited because I could immediately hear how to turn her idea into a song! Before Irisa contacted me, I hadn’t realized that eating too quickly was an issue for so many people. I loved seeing our song help Darius, and I hope that putting it out into the world will help other fast eaters let their food ‘Chill On The Plate’ as well.”
Net proceeds from this song will go to support North Brunwsick Buddy Ball, which pairs children age 5 and older who have physical and developmental challenges with peers while practicing sports drills in a fun, relaxed environment.
ABOUT LAURIE BERKNER:
Recognized as “the queen of kids’ music” by People magazine, Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records, LLC. With more than 1.7 billion total streams, an average of more than 22 million monthly streams, more than 595 million YouTube channel views, and millions of albums, songs, and DVDs sold, Laurie’s songs have become beloved classics for children worldwide.
Business Insider dubbed Laurie “the gold standard of the children’s music world.” As a leader and innovator in children’s music and entertainment for nearly 30 years, Laurie has released 17 bestselling, award-winning albums, was the first recording artist to ever appear in music videos on Noggin and Nick, Jr., appeared regularly on those channels’ Jack’s Big Music Show, and helped develop the short form animated musical preschool series Sing It, Laurie! on Universal Kids (formerly Sprout TV). She has made multiple appearances on national TV shows such as Today, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Tamron Hall Show, and more. Laurie’s much-anticipated 18th album, Walking With The Penguins, will be released on June 26, 2026.
Laurie has authored several picture books based on her songs and has created two Laurie Berkner’s Song and Story Kitchen series with Audible Studios, who released them as 10-chapter audio books through the Audible Originals brand. She has written the music and lyrics for three children’s musicals originally produced Off-Broadway by New York City Children’s Theater and now presented regionally. Laurie has performed at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House, among many other prestigious venues. She is prominently featured in the children’s music documentary, Happy and You Know It, which is available to stream on HBO Max.
What sets Laurie apart? She displays an instinctive understanding of children’s natural rhythms and energy, which keeps kids enraptured and brings parents and caregivers happily along for the ride. Laurie finds inspiration in her audience. “I want to create songs that matter for children,” she says. “I was singing once and saw a four-year-old girl shut her eyes and start swaying to the music. I thought, ‘That’s the reason I got into music.’ It keeps me wanting to do more.”
Laurie Berkner has received tremendous critical acclaim. USA Today named Laurie “the undisputed queen of kindie rock.” The New York Times dubbed her “the Adele of the preschool crowd.” The Wall Street Journal called Laurie “one of the most popular children’s performers in America … her music is distinctive because it speaks to kids without talking down to them, charming youngsters without boring grownups.” NPR’s All Things Considered declared, “Laurie Berkner is like a goddess to these children.”
Categories: Music Talk Stuff
