The "School of Fish" children’s album, produced by Cynthia Haring & Katia Valdeos, is a collection of 10 children’s songs that feature the Sue Sue Sisters and the World Nation® Children’s Choir, performing a variety of fun, silly, tender, and loving songs for kids of all ages. The collection includes catchy & playful songs like "Happy Birthday Mooey," "I Just Wanna Hold a Piglet," Cockadoodle Doo Do," "Pouty Face," "My Little One," and "Caught Me in Rollers" as well as serious and beautiful songs such as "Song for Ezra" (written in memory of Ezra who passed away of neuroblastoma cancer at age 2 1/2), the Kermit classic "Rainbow Connection," a medley of "Heal the World & We Are the World," and their environmental support song, "School of Fish: Save Our Earth, Our Home."
The album, featuring the Sue Sue Sisters and the World Nation Children's Choir, has some highly creative musical collaborators – multi-instrumentalist Lonnie Park, Suzanne Grzanna (sax), Masa Takumi (keyboards), and Venezuelan musicians on strings and brass, under the direction of Raniero Palm & Rubén Salas - as well as our wonderful engineering team with recording engineer Tom Morris (Tampa), Oscar Autie (mixing engineer), and Emily Lazar & Chris Allgood (mastering at the Lodge in NYC).
With 31 singers, 25 musicians, 10 engineers, and 8 media support people collaborating on the album, “School of Fish” is proof that it takes a village to make great musical things happen. The album features an interesting group of guest singers: Little People (children ages 2-8), Middle People (kids 9-14), and Big People (teens age 15 to adults). Two longtime members of the World Nation music group – Marcos Trujillo and Tad Andris – also appear on the album. Artist Michael Brandon Crabb, who worked with Cynthia & Katia to design the last two World Nation albums, returns as creative director for this album project.
Cynthia, a former busker in Chicago under the name of Destiny Quibble, is a voting member for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Katia, a native of Lima, Peru, frequently brings instruments from her native country to shows and workshop events. They are best known for their work through World Nation to bring talented kids & teens together to perform on stage and in the recording studio. This is their fourth album where children and teens appear.
"School of Fish" was released on May 24, 2019. Katia Valdeos & Cynthia Haring kicked off the album release by first hosting "School of Fish" CD Release Parties in Haring's home state of Iowa. Shows included a 6 p.m. "Flood Relief Concert" on Friday, May 24, at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa; a 4 p.m. "Children's Show" on Saturday, May 25, at the Family Museum of Arts & Sciences in Bettendorf, Iowa; a 6 p.m. "Celebration of Seniors" show on Sunday, May 26, at Ridgecrest Village in Davenport; and an evening appearance at the Davenport Schools Foundation "Scholarship Awards Night" on Tuesday, May 28. Then, back in Florida, Cynthia Haring & Katia Valdeos (with the Sue Sue Sisters and the World Nation Children's Choir) hosted a CD Release Party at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, at the UCC Fellowship Hall in Spring Hill, Florida with additional CD Release Party fundraisers at: Rising Sun Bistro (June 10), Little Lady Café (June 12) and back at Rising Sun Bistro (June 13). Due to CD sales at these events, "School of Fish," in its first month alone, placed at #4 on the Billboard West Central Heatseeker Regional chart, at #7 on Billboard's Atlantic South Heatseeker Regional chart, and managed to get a Hot Shot designation at #25 on a recent Kids Album chart, competing against major companies like Disney and even popular film soundtracks. They raised over $3,500 in CD sales and donations in support of these charities: Beat Nb! (neuroblastoma) to fight this cancer in kids, the Caryl Haring Memorial Scholarship fund, Dress for Success Quad Cities, and the Nature Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary in Homosassa.
Released on the World Nation Records® label, the digital version of "School of Fish" is available at CD Baby, Amazon, and iTunes. The physical album, which is available at CD Baby, includes artwork within a 6-panel CD cover and 16-page booklet with the lyrics, photos, notes, and photos of the children and musicians.
Visit their “School of Fish” Facebook page.
Producers Cynthia Haring & Katia Valdeos, and members of their World Nation music group, hosted a “Music Tribute to the Greatest Generation” CD Release Party/Scholarship Fundraiser at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at the United Church of Christ Fellowship Hall, 4244 Mariner Blvd., in Spring Hill, FL. The group performed songs from their new album, “Walking in a Memory,” celebrating 90 years of doo wop, pop, rock and soul.
The performance included kids and teens from World Nation group, as well as Katia Valdeos and Margie Spinoza, also of Weeki Wachee, Florida. Katia, a native of Peru, is a co-producer of the new album, as well as a co-director of the World Nation music group. Through her Peruvian musical heritage, she brings different instruments to World Nation shows such as “el cajon” (the Afro-Peruvian box drum), “la cajita’ (the small box), and “rain sticks,” made by the Shipibo Indians of the Peruvian jungle. Margie has extensive experience as a singer with World Nation, the Sue Sue Sisters, and the MusicAirs, as well as with the Arts and Medicine program at Moffitt Cancer Center where she and Cynthia regularly perform.
Among the 20s, 30s & 40s nostalgia songs they performed are: “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby,” “Ma,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “I Don’t Know Why.” From the 50s, 60s & 70s, they performed: “Life Could Be a Dream” (Sh-Boom), “Sukiyaki,” “Silhouettes,” “Come Go with Me,” “Mountain of Love,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “Calendar Girl,” Beatles song, Sinatra classics, & more. The group also performed original songs.
A portion of the album proceeds goes to support the Caryl Haring Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Davenport Schools Foundation in Cynthia’s home state of Iowa. Cynthia started the scholarship fund after her mother passed away in 2012. The scholarships are awarded yearly to graduating seniors wanting to “make a difference” in education, as Caryl did during her 40 years of teaching. To date, the fund has given out $10,600.
Cynthia and Katia frequently include talented children and teens in their shows, albums, and special events. The album, available at the show, may be purchased at Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby. To learn more about the kids, adults, and music collaborators working with World Nation, please visit: worldnationgroup.com.
Take some great Doo Wop, Pop & Swing classics, mix in a few engaging originals, bring in some talented young singers from Tampa Bay, top it off with special guest appearances by Steve Horne (Doo Wop Mob), Richie Merritt (Marcels), Bobby Hendricks (the Drifters), and you have the magical combination for a wonderful music creation. The CD, Cruisin’ in My Wagon: A Journey through Doo Wop, Pop & Swing, produced by Cynthia Haring and Katia Valdeos, was released on May 11, 2013. It includes 18 songs and features a group of young singers, ages 5-19 known as the Tampa Bay World Nation (TBWN) singers.
Haring says Doo Wop can be a challenge, but it was Richie Merritt & Bobby Hendricks - with the help of Steve Horne and his Doo Wop Mob - that made it possible for the group to hear and sing all of the parts on these Doo Wop songs. For the first song on the CD, Merritt joins the kids on the Marcels’ Doo Wop classic “Blue Moon.” Seventh grader Mikaela Mulch of Spring Hill, FL and fourth grader Janilyn Mascorro of Hudson, FL were chosen to sing the rapid-fire, entangled background vocals that give “Blue Moon” its signature sound because, “frankly, no one else could really do it right,” says Haring.
For the second song on the CD, “Up on the Roof,” Bobby Hendricks taught TBWN singer Aditya Shah the backup parts. “It was a beautiful moment to see Bobby coach Aditya on those beautiful four-part vocal harmonies for “Up on the Roof,” says Haring. Aditya, a student at Gulf High School in Pasco County at the time, adds: “It was a great opportunity for me to sing with Bobby. I had never done that kind of harmony singing before. I learned a lot from him.” Aditya studies classical Indian vocals at the Pandit Jasraj School of Music in Tampa, where he and Haring met in 2007. He also sings a duet with Haring on “Come Softly to Me” later on the album.
Dakota Ruiz, Lyndsey Ruiz, Matthew Romeo, Michael Mekus, Katie Meisner and Tad Andris, who frequently perform at Stage West in Spring Hill, FL and the Show Palace in Hudson, FL, are joined by six other TBWN singers on track 3, “Oh You Beautiful Doll,” and track 12, Johnny Maestro’s “Pretty Little Angel.” They are among the second wave of singers who joined the group four months before the CD was released.
“Mister Sandman” was always my mother’s favorite song,” says Haring, who dedicated the CD to her parents, Caryl and Earl Haring. She was joined by three other vocalists - Bela Aquino, Heather Krueger, and Sami Fousek - for World Nation’s unique rendition, supported by Bill Norman’s intricate vocal arrangements.
“I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do)” features Cynthia’s father, Earl, singing the song that won his wife’s heart back in 1952. Annika Sly, age 8, says her favorite song is the Chordettes’ classic, “Lollipop,” because she loves lollipops and “the song has good words.” The group recently welcomed their youngest singers Leilana Hadsell, 5, and Celeste Orellana, age 7.
Haring wrote the CD theme song, “Cruisin’ in My Wagon” for her niece Natalie’s son Pierce, a “miracle baby” weighing only 2 pounds at birth who is now a thriving two-year-old. It features guitar work by Tommy Girvin of the Eddie Money Band. Girvin also plays on “Mountain of Love,” a southern rock version, where Haring sings multiple intertwining lead and harmony tracks. Accompanying Haring on this song and several others (“Summer Place” and “Venus in Blue Jeans”) is Crimson Leavitt, who Haring refers to as “an extremely talented singer/songwriter.” Crimson has two CDs of her own out - On My Way (2007) and Just Fine (2009) – and “everyone is waiting for the next one,” says Haring.
Caitlin Matthews, who performs an impressive version of the Japanese song, “Sukiyaki” during live World Nation shows, and her brother, Shane Matthews, also sing on the CD. Caitlin and Shane, now adults, have performed with Haring since childhood, as has percussionist Justin Bacchi who met Haring when he was four years old. “Caitlin, Shane and Justin are my veteran World Nation performers, very talented kids,” says Haring. Shane is an accomplished guitar player, and it was through Shane that Haring met Tommy Girvin, his guitar teacher, a few years ago. Justin plays congas, drums, and hand percussion, but since working with World Nation, he has also been featured on the Peruvian box drum, el cajon, which he plays on “Pretty Little Angel.”
Haring credits part of the CD’s success to the great Doo Wop singer Steve Horne and his Doo Wop Mob from Boca Raton, FL. “Steve’s signature bass vocals on “Pretty Little Angel” and the classic, “Papa Oom Mow Mow” (where Haring is joined by Tad Andris, age 11) are magical,” say Haring. “I had already recorded the song with Steve, but I changed its direction when I heard Tad sing it,” she says. “I decided to use his tracks and then go back and blend with him.”
Haring speaks highly of Steve Horne and his Doo Wop Mob. “We had a goal of keeping this great music alive while giving kids a chance to sing a rich, harmonic style of music,” says Haring. “Steve and his Mob helped make this possible.” Haring and co- producer Katia Valdeos went to Boca Raton in February, just three months before the CD was released. “Steve and the guys came through in the 11th hour and gave us the vocal details needed to make many of these songs authentic and vibrant,” says Haring. “We are extremely grateful to them for their contribution to our music.”
Joined by 11 TBWN singers, Bobby Hendricks returns on track 17 with “Under the Boardwalk.” Bobby’s rich voice gives a sense of cool romance to the song as Pollyanna Garcia flavors it with castanets and Howard Helm provides backing keyboards and a Caribbean-flavored steel drum solo. Eighth graders Ashley Giron and Samantha Gee agree that the final song on the CD, an original entitled “Sweetie Pie,” is their favorite. Says Giron: “I have always loved singing, and that song has a good melody.” Samantha had such a feel for the song that she joined Haring in the studio to sing the version that appears on this CD.
What is it like working in a first-class recording studio like Morrisound with a veteran engineer like Tom Morris? Seventh grader James Kuntz sums it up best: “Awesome!”
School of Fish Children's Choir
Tampa Bay World Nation
Powell World Nation
Parker World Nation
Iowa-Illnois World Nation
