Grammy-nominee Alastair Moock’s latest LGBTQ-inclusive children’s album aims at inspiring the next generation of leaders and activists in many areas of social justice—and it’s great music that won’t have parents tearing their hair out after the tenth repeat. (You may find your toes tapping, however.)
Moock, also a two-time Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Winner and recipient of the ASCAP Children’s Music Award, has performed social justice assembly programs for upper elementary and middle school students around the country. Now, he’s crowdfunding to complete his latest album, Be a Pain: An Album for Young (& Old) Leaders, which “looks to the heroes of our past (Dr. King, Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, Pete Seeger, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X) and our present (Malala Yousafzai, the Parkland student protesters, climate change marchers) to inspire our kids to move the ball forward.” The crowdfunding won’t just be used to finish the album, though; it will also go towards free CDs and enrichment programs for underserved students and schools. Moock explains:
The disparity of school resources combined with widespread cuts to arts funding, means that I’m often bringing these programs to schools in wealthier neighborhoods. While it’s crucial for all kids to know our history, I would like to be working more regularly in underserved communities, where schools rarely look for or can afford outside enrichment programming. (I sometimes get grant money to work in these neighborhoods, and do quite a bit of pro bono and deeply discounted work as well, but the vast majority of programming tends to happen in the suburbs).
Like his 2015 All Kinds of You and Me, which covered concepts like family, gender, ethnicity, and social justice, Be a Pain is LGBTQ inclusive. But where All Kinds of You and Me spoke of families with two moms or two dads, boys who wear dresses, and girls who climb trees, without labeling them, Be a Pain actually uses the terms “LGBTQ” and “gay.” Not that the earlier album’s approach was wrong; in fact, in the context of the songs, it was probably best not to apply specific labels—but it’s also refreshing to see children’s media that isn’t afraid to use the terms if they seem fitting. Such words are part of the world today; best that kids hear them in a positive context like this.
In the title track, “Be a Pain,” Moock encourages his audience to speak out when they see something wrong, and shares the examples of Rosa Parks, Billie Jean King, the Parkland students, and Harvey Milk:
Harvey Milk, he chose to run
for the council board and won,
even though folks said, ‘You can’t, because you’re gay.’
One brave LGBTQ elected leader ran and knew
You can change things if you choose to be a pain.
In “What Is a Leader?” Moock invites listeners to reflect, “Is a leader a man or a woman? Are they LGBTQ? What color would their skin be? Does a leader look like you?”
The next song, “Everybody Was a Kid,” while not LGBTQ-inclusive, helpfully reminds listeners that even great leaders started as children. That’s the same message found in Robin Stevenson’s recent book Kid Activists
The rest of the album, with folk, bluegrass, and blues influences, is equally inspiring and catchy, with songs about human-rights activist Malala, blues and folk musician Elizabeth Cotten, and folk musician Pete Seeger, as well as ones that look purely ahead to the next generation, like “Lead With Love,” “Go Shine,” “Kids Can Do Great Things,” and “Planting Seeds.” The album concludes with “What We Tell Our Children,” a reminder to parents that we ourselves should abide by the lessons we teach—“be kind, be fair, do right”; “don’t bully; remember to share.”
Led by Grammy-nominated producer Anand Nayak, the album features guest spots from a diverse group of musicians including Sol y Canto, Alisa Amador, Reggie Harris, Rani Arbo, Sean Staples, Crys Matthews, Mark Erelli, Kris Delmhorst, Melanie DeMore, Heather Mae, and Boston City Singers. Matthews is a lesbian and Mae is queer—and DeMore, some readers may know, was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, long beloved by many queer women and others.
The queer inclusion is personal for Moock; his child Elm is nonbinary, and both he and his wife, writer and parenting blogger Jane Roper, have been working to support the queer community in different ways. Moock performed last Saturday at First Event in Boston, a long-running conference for “transgender and gender expansive people and those who love and support them.” Roper wrote a piece last fall for public radio’s WBUR on they/them pronouns.
Elm’s twin, Clio, has also inspired Moock’s work. His 2014 Grammy-nominated album, Singing Our Way Through; Songs for the World’s Bravest Kids
Learn more about the Be a Pain album and crowdfunding campaign and hear some clips:
For those in the Boston area, Moock will be holding all-ages release concert for the album on Sunday, March 22, at 12 p.m., at The Burren in Somerville, Mass. Proceeds will support “Be a Pain” programming in underserved schools. He will be joined by members of the album band, including Anand Nayak, Eric Royer and Paul Kochanski, members of Boston City Singers, and other special guests. Tickets are $10 in advance/$13 at the door. There is a special package price for families of up to five members: $35 in advance/$50 door.
Here are a few other LGBTQ-inclusive children’s albums from other artists (and one more recent one not on that list). Some of the singles from them, along with even more songs, are in these LGBTQ Songs for Kids videos that I’ve compiled.
This post is one of an occasional series on crowdfunded efforts to increase LGBTQ representation in kids’ media. These aren’t endorsements or requests that you send them money; only you can make that decision. I think it’s exciting and important, however, to see some of the wonderful, creative projects that people are doing to help all kids’ see positive images of themselves and the people around them. If you are launching such a project yourself, please let me know.)
(I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.)