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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Jammin Java - Here We Come!

Dear Shushy Fans,

I am excited to share that THE SHUSHYBYES SUMMER DREAMIN’ 2010 CONCERT TOUR will launch on Saturday June 12 at the fabulous JAMMIN’ JAVA in Washington DC. JAMMIN’ JAVA is one of the most prestigious venues for top children’s music entertainment – and we could not be more proud to kick-off our multi-city concert tour at this wondrous performance destination.

We’ll soon be unveiling more cities and venues which will host our SUMMER DREAMIN’ Tour – and invite you to email us at info@shushybye.com for any questions you may have (we will try to give you the concert location nearest to your home).

Joining us to present this year’s THE SHUSHYBYES SUMMER DREAMIN’ TOUR is Sirius/XM Kids CHILDREN’S PLACE LIVE, which is the broadcast home of the Official Shushybye Storyteller, none other than Kenny Curtis. We at Shushybye love Kenny – not only because he is a great and caring person, but because his humor is awesome (no matter what your age is). You’ve heard of the successful radio format called ‘The Morning Zoo?’ Well Kenny’s show is actually – a zoo. He’s got an in-studio line-up of animals as guests and the interaction is always hysterically funny. If you’re driving while listening to Kenny you may want to pay extra attention to the road – I almost hit the car in front of me due to tearing up from laughter over Kenny’s antics. Kenny is simply the funniest morning personality in radio – and we are thrilled to have this great comedic talent as Shushybye's Official Storyteller.

Thanks also goes to our cool tour manager Rockin' John Waldman at Great Knight Productions - he's the man behind the curtain helping to make all the magic happen.

Shushybye & Goodnight!

Steve

Friday, January 22, 2010

SHUSHYBYE SUMMER DREAMIN' 2010 TOUR

Dear Shushy Fans,

The Shushybyes Summer Dreamin’ 2010 is underway! Working together with our awesome music management company Great Knight Productions, the itinerary for the multi-city tour will be completed soon. In fact, many of our Shushy fans are responsible for the selected cities, as their calls and emails asking about when Michael and the Shushies will be visiting their cities are regarded very seriously (so please keep your emails coming if you’d like The Shushybyes to visit your city – info@shushybye.com)!

But even more than your city…how would you like a live Shushybye concert featuring The Shushybyes right in your very own home? We’ll soon be unveiling a sweepstakes we’re conducting with a major national children’s media outlet where a live in-home Shushybye concert is the grand prize. Stand by for more regarding this exciting sweepstakes event! (Imagine the party you could have!!).

I have received lots of emails about a couple of recent Twitter postings of mine (http://twitter.com/Shushybyeguy) unveiling all-new Shushybye characters I’ve ‘dreamt up’ for a Shushybye movie. Working together with Phoenix Pictures - one of the most honored and respected film companies in Hollywood headed up by legendary movie producer Mike Medavoy – "Shushybye: My Newest Best Friend" is well into the scripting stage. The first (I believe) movie musical for preschoolers, it’s about a Shushy boy named P-LOW and a little girl named FRANNIE who discover the meaning of true friendship.

I would like you to meet some of the stars: P-LOW (His real name is PILLOW but he got the nickname from the famed Shushybye Doo-Wop group THE SLEEPTONES after hearing him sing), along with CHIPPER and CRANKY, WEARY, DROWSY and BUSHED, SNORE, NIGHTLIGHT and NAPPER are some of students in SHUSHYBYE SCHOOL (the teacher is MISS EVE). Then there's MOONBEAM, STARDUST and BIG MATTRESS, three of the top Dream Designers at the DREAMERY (the huge factory where Shushies make children’s dreams). MOONBEAM wears a mohawk hair-do, STARDUST is kind of a hippie who loves to hand out flowers to everyone and BIG MATTRESS is king size, but nice. Two of my favorites are PJ THE DJ who spins the Bedboard 100 hits on MOON-FM (he also emcees the nightly Pillow Park dances) and SKY BLUE, the radio station’s traffic reporter who calls the action on the busy Starways (often recommending that Shushy drivers take surface clouds to get to their destinations). I also particularly like WENDY WINKS, the head librarian of the Shushybye Central Library. Helping her run the library is her rather large family (there are 40 WINKS in all). I’ve written 20 songs for the movie, and one of my favorites is “Welcome Aboard My Dream Ship” sung by CAPTAIN JOHN YAWN as he pilots the mighty Shushybye ship with his able crew across the skies.

I look forward to keeping you updated!

SHUSHYBYE & GOODNIGHT!

Steve

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

It's A Shushy Year!

Dear Shushy Fans,

We began 2010 with an exciting association that will help to launch The Shushybyes live concert in cities across the U.S. and Canada. If you are familiar with such incredible children’s musical artists as the Laurie Berkner Band and Milkshake, then you know the wonderful work of the live touring and music management company that officially represents The Shushybyes – Great Knight Productions (http://www.greatknightproductions.com/). Under the guidance of company principal John Waldman, Great Knight (interesting company name for a Shushybye partner!) does a great job on behalf of their roster of outstanding children’s music artists – and we’re proud to be a part of their family.

We are also getting ready to produce new episodes of Shushybye Baby for BabyFirstTV as well as launch into a wide array of other projects (including a Shushybye movie musical – more on that later…).

And speaking of BabyFirstTV, the channel song ‘My Child, Me and BabyFirstTV’ that I wrote, Michael North sings and our band performs has reached over 370,000 hits on YouTube! I invite you to check it out (You Tube, type in 'Shushybye' in the search box).

A quick acknowledgement to the many Shushy fans from the U.S. Mexico, UK, France, Portugal, Spain among other countries (wondrous viewers of BabyFirstTV!) for being a part of our holiday season with your emails, calls and letters. It is very comforting to know that the Shushies (Snoozles, Dozie and Zeez) have found awesome homes with families throughout the world.

New shows…lots of new projects…and a concert tour – 2010 is shaping up to be a Shushy year!

A happy, healthy and successful 2010 to you and yours.

Shushybye & Goodnight!

Steve

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Shushybye and...Happy New Year!!

Dear Shushy Fans,

Merry Christmas to one and all!

As we draw closer to the end of 2009 and the beginning of a New Year, I want to take this moment to extend to all our Shushy fans and their families, friends and associates a healthy,
happy and prosperous 2010.

So many of our friends have shared with us the joy Shushybye has brought to their families, even during these challenging times. We at Shushybye are working together with our wonderful partners at BabyFirstTV to bring all-new Shushybye Baby programs for you and yours to enjoy on this wondrous channel that is seen in the U.S. and throughout the world.

In 2009, I am so proud to have begun an exciting new relationship with Phoenix Pictures, one of the most respected entertainment companies in Hollywood, for the production of Shushybye television programming, DVD's - and even feature film projects! Our friends at BabyFirstTV, Phoenix Pictures and I look forward to producing an array of fun, educational and musical Shushybye offerings for your entire family to enjoy. There are a lot of Shushybye all-new entertainment surprises in store for 2010 – so please stay tuned! (One hint: Shushybye School will be in session this year for your child who will soon be entering preschool!!).

2009 also saw the release of two new music CD’s, Shushybyes: Close Your Eyes and Shushybye & Goodnight: The Deluxe Edition. In the latter part of this year, I’ve written a number of new Shushy songs that we have begun producing for release in 2010. Michael North and the band are doing their usual awesome job in recording the new songs which will make their debut on our next group of all-new Shushybye Baby episodes for BabyFirstTV.

Perhaps the biggest question of all this year has been, when we will be touring Shushybye for live concerts. Among the coolest achievements of 2009, is that we’ve just signed with the biggest and most acclaimed music management and touring company in preschool. The great company (that reps several of the most distinguished artists in preschool music entertainment) will soon finalize live concert appearances for The Shushybyes (as everyone calls our music band!) in cities across the country through 2010. I look forward to unveiling the concert itinerary as soon as it becomes available.

My deep appreciation goes to all of our Shushy fans – from babies, toddlers and preschoolers to parents, grandparents and great grandparents - for your emails and phone calls to the Shushybye office, for joining with us at our concerts (including the recent holiday extravaganza event at the beautiful Geffen Playhouse which was so much fun) and for your continued support and encouragement.

I truly hope to have the chance to meet you this coming year as we bring The Shushybyes to cities across our country (and even internationally). And please don't hesitate to contact me with any thoughts or questions you may have.

3...2...1..Happy New Year!

Shushybye and Goodnight,

Steve

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Holiday Magic at the Geffen

Dear Shushy Fans,
We’re rehearsing for our upcoming holiday concert event at the beautiful Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California (by the campus of UCLA). In addition to performing a number of our Shushybye Dream Band ‘hits,’ we are all excited about debuting three new Shushy songs including “Wake Up Zeez” (a ‘Cars’-inspired rock song),“The Dream Coach Song” and a real rocker entitled “Dream On” (not the Aerosmith song, but a fast and fun rocker nonetheless – I love playing that one on my guitar!).

With ‘Wake Up Zeez,’ Shushies SNOOZLES and DOZIE will be asking the children in the audience for their help to wake Zeez up to start the show (parents: bring ear muffs!). The Shushybye King will be joining our awesome Shushybye Dream Band vocalist Michael North to sing “The Dream Coach Song – and transport the entire audience to Shushybye via the King’s Dream Coach (you can see Frank Caruso’s illustrations of the King’s Dream Coach in our first storybook, “Shushybye: Close Your Eyes”). Of course, we’ll need you to use your imagination for this to actually work – so please make sure you bring it with you…

Conductor McCloud will also be joining SNOOZLES, DOZIE and ZEEZ for some interactive fun with the audience’s children (making Dream Wishes for the Shushies leading into “You Gotta Send Your Dream Wish”).

I am also pleased to report that Santa is taking time out of his incredibly busy schedule to join all the Shushies and the Shushybye Dream Band on stage for “The Shushybye Christmas Song,” a pop rocker with a cool message.

Tickets for the Shushybye Geffen Playhouse Holiday Extravaganza are available from Ticketmaster (man, I love saying that!!!) by clicking on: http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_homeA_header_search&q=Shushybye

Or you may purchase your family’s tickets from the Geffen Playhouse box office (I don’t mind saying that either!) by calling (310) 208-5454.

My sincere thanks to our incredibly talented cast, brilliant choreographer, Michael and the wondrous Shushybye Dream Band musicians and our director, technicians and management team from the Geffen.

I look forward to seeing you Saturday December 5 at the Geffen Playhouse - the magic begins at 11am!! (And don’t forget the event is also a pj party!).

Shushybye and Goodnight,

Steve

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Holiday Season Is On Its Way

Dear Shushy Fans,

Can 2009 really be winding down?

While this has not been the easiest year for so many (too many), we count our blessings (which will always outweigh the challenges if we know how to properly count) and look forward to the future.

The holiday season is itself a gift to all of us. We each have our own reasons for looking forward to the holidays - may you savor each day.

For me, the holidays are about family, friends, joy, love, warmth, reflection, charity, hope, renewal and...the Shushybye Dream Band performance at the beautiful Geffen Playhouse. This year we are putting together a concert event not to be missed! Part concert, part musical, all holiday magic and cheer!

As many of our friends know, Sky-TV in the UK is bringing Michael North and the Shushybye Dream Band to Liverpool for a series of concerts in this extraordinary city. In addition to performing in a specially-built outdoor bigtop, Michael, the Shushies (and me!) will be holding a concert at the fabled Cavern Club. Now for those of you younger than me (and that's starting to become almost everyone I meet!) the Cavern Club is where it all began for our beloved Beatles. First performing at the Cavern Club in August 1957 as The Quarrymen, John Lennon upset then-owner Alan Sytner when he rocked out with “Don’t Be Cruel” (Sytner frowned on rock and favored country-flavored Skiffle music). The Cavern Club is where Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles performing, in November of 1961. From 1961 to 1963 The Beatles made 292 appearances at the club, with their last occurring on 3 August 1963, a month after the band recorded "She Loves You" and just six months before The Beatles' first trip to the U.S.

In addition to working with the Cavern Club, Shushybye has also forged an alliance with the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) which is providing dancers to perform onstage as the main Shushy characters SNOOZLES, DOZIE and ZEEZ. LIPA’s original building housed the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys, which was the boyhood school of Sir Paul McCartney. Coming into disrepair in the mid-1980’s following its closure, Sir Paul helped establish the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts which utilizes the building as its headquarters. Officially opened in 1996, LIPA has burgeoned into a world class performing arts higher education institution and offers degree courses in acting, community drama, dance, music, theater and entertainment management, theater design and technology and sound technology. It also offers a weekend performing arts academy for four to nineteen year olds.

I wish to express my total appreciation to Sky-TV, the management of the Cavern Club, the faculty at LIPA and our television home BabyFirstTV for helping to make this dream concert event a reality for all of us at Shushybye.

The concerts will take place the weekend of October 10 and 11 (The Cavern Club performance will occur on Sunday October 11 at 11:00AM. We invite our UK fans to email info@shushybye for more info).

Shushybye and Goodnight!

Steve

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

New Deluxe CD Has Arrived!

Dear Shushy Fans,

Here it is! Our newest Shushybye Dream Band music CD created for discerning Shushy music lovers everywhere!

Shushybye & Goodnight: The Deluxe Edition features a whopping 16 tracks - all 12 tracks from our debut Shushybye & Goodnight CD, plus four Shushybye originals favorites never-before-released on CD, including "Shushy Sharin," "How I Love To Play (With My Shushybye Toys)," "In A Land They Call Shushybye" and "Here Comes the Shushybye Train."

As of now, The Deluxe Edition is available only via The Shushybye Shoppe located on the official Shushybye Website located on the web at http://www.shushybye.com/. The Shushybye Shoppe price is only $8.99 (more than 30% off the suggested retail price of $12.95).

Viewers of our television programs across the U.S. and throughout the world have been asking when the four Shushy songs would be made available saying, "We love these songs on TV - and want them on CD!" -- therefore Shushybye & Goodnight The Deluxe Edition was really produced by our fans!

Shushybye Records has 'pressed' (an old vinyl record expression) a limited quantity - so we encourage (urge!) everyone to call The Shushybye Shoppe toll-free at 1-866-shushybye (1-866-748-7492) or email us at info@shushybye.com and a Shushy rep will call you back for your order (most likely...me!).

Shushybye & Goodnight!

Steve