shannon butcher sings

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

On this occasion of your 40th birthday, I would like to personally thank you Sesame Street for all the fabulous music you have brought to children and to the young at heart!

Of course there are the classics - Doin' the Pigeon, C is for Cookie and The People in Your Neighborhood - but I also remember the little songs that would show up in sketches like Letter B and What Does a Dreaming Dragon Dream Of?  So good!  This could be source material for a whole new album.

To think what it must be like to be a songwriter for Sesame Street.  To find that perfect combination of sophistication and imagination.  Really impressive.  I've found a list on good ol' Wikipedia of songs from over the years.  The composers are not always listed but I see that Joe Raposo, Christopher Cerf and Jeff Moss are responsible for most of the greatest hits.  I would love to have met them and asked about their writing process.  How were they able to craft such perfect messages and melodies within the limits of a 60 second attention span?

I think I now have a new personal goal to get a song on Sesame Street one day.  Joy in My Heart maybe?  I'll have to book some meetings with the children in my life and get brainstorming on some new tunes!

SB and NP are just not meant 2B

Well, the Toronto civic strike has struck again, this time with the cancellation of my noon hour concert on Wednesday, July 22nd.  When I heard the union was going on strike back in June I thought that surely things would be resolved in the full month before my gig.  Sadly, that is not the case.  I am happy to hear that talks continue and hopefully people will be able to get back to work before the summer is over.  Although I am disappointed to lose this opportunity to perform I know mine is but an inconvenience compared to the city nurses, daycare workers, lifeguards and camp leaders who have been without an income for 30 plus days.

I think I must be cursed when it comes to performances at Nathan Phillips Square.  The last time my trio was booked to play there Mother Nature brought a torrential downpour through the city during our sound check.  Even though the stage was covered it seemed as though rain was falling up from the ground, inching it's was every closer to our electric cables and wooden bass!  As you might guess, that show was canceled too!

If you're around downtown and still want to check out the Farmer's Market at NP Square on Wednesday keep your eyes open for me.  I'll be the one handing out fliers for my Sunday night gigs in August at the Rex.  I haven't printed them yet so if you've got a catchy headline that beats "There's never a strike at the Rex!" it can still make the presses!  Email me at [email protected]

To learn more about the progress of the strike talks visit the city's website.  Or email your local councillor directly.