Blaine musician releasing children’s album June 6

When Blaine-based Dana Cohenour, an award-winning children’s songwriter and performer, set out to create her latest album, she didn’t want it to just be background music for children. It needed to drive home a message that would stay with children past their days of building blocks and toy cars. 

The 11 songs on “A Place to Call Home,” slated for a June 6 release, explore what it means for animals to call Earth home.

Cohenour started working on the album last summer while closely following environmental concerns around the world. At that time, events like the Amazon Rainforest burning and the existential threats to honey bees inspired Cohenour to educate children about animals and their habitats.

“Not only do people need a place to live and call home, but every animal and every creature on this planet needs that one special place where they can feel safe and raise a family,” Cohenour said.

After settling on the album’s theme, Cohenour said she extensively researched each animal featured on the album so she could incorporate facts to create greater learning opportunities in each song. The waggle dance referenced in the “Honey Bee Bee Bop” song highlights this, Cohenour said, referring to a dance that honey bees use to
direct other bees to pollen
sources.

Each song focuses on a different animal and has a melody fit for the creature including the bossa nova beats of “Rainforest Symphony” and the reggae tunes of “Movin’ Day” about Caribbean hermit crabs.

“One of my main goals with my music for children is to introduce children to numerous musical styles and genres and to use really great musicians and high production values,” Cohenour said. “I believe children deserve to hear quality music from real instruments.”

To create the album, Cohenour teamed up with Boston musicians EJ Ouellette, the album’s producer who also plays 11 instruments on the recordings, and Dave Mattacks, a drummer who has worked with Paul McCartney and Elton John. Albert Lamar, on flute, and Steve Baker, on saxophone, also bring the music to life alongside The Whole Music Kids’ Chorus.

Cohenour sent music back-and-forth between the musicians during the first few months of recording the album last fall, layering the sounds of the instruments as they went along. By the time Cohenour flew to Boston to record the vocals at Whole Music Studios, she said most of the instrumentals were finished.

Cohenour began her career singing in New York City piano bars before finding her calling entertaining children in 1994.

“I started making music for children and it changed my life,” she said. “I have been singing to smiling little responsive faces who are jumping right into the music with me.”

Her music career has spanned over two decades and has earned Cohenour 22 national awards including three Parents’ Choice Awards. She moved to Blaine in 2002 and was a storyteller at the Blaine Library for 11 years.

Since Cohenour’s concerts have been canceled both locally and nationally due to the coronavirus, she started interactive live streams on her Facebook page, Dana’s Music Playground, every Thursday at noon.

Cohenour also hosts Saturday classes at Opus Performing Arts in Bellingham for one- to four-year-olds. When Cohenour isn’t performing children’s music, she also performs ’60s and ’70s folk music with her trio, Shearwater, and duo, Nightingale, at Semiahmoo Resort. 

But for Cohenour, there is no greater joy than sharing new music with children.

“I want to inspire and plant seeds of care in every child’s heart so they will be inspired to help our planet and care for it and cherish it,” Cohenour said. “We only have one place that we all share to call home and that’s this one planet, Earth.”

On June 6, the day of the album’s release, Cohenour will celebrate by streaming a family concert on Facebook. The digital album is available for $7 pre-orders. Cohenour has released music videos every Saturday prior to the album’s release, along with educational activity sheets to go with each video. 

More information can be found on danasmusicplayground.com and Dana’s Music Playground on Facebook.